I began this journey as a little no one graduating senior. Back then, at 18 if you would have told me I would be doing this as my actual career choice, I probably would have stood there with my mouth agape and I most definitely would have started crying.
Back then, all I ever wanted was to live in New York City. I wanted to be an actress and possibly do some modeling on the side. I figured that is how I’d MAKE IT. I would be on broadway and work with professionals and get all of these fancy, expensive certificates that said I was a qualified performer.
That is what I thought I wanted. I only started princessing because it was an easy way to make an extra hundred bucks on a Saturday. It was a way for me to continue to perform, even without a stage. It was a way to distract me from the fact that my three best friends all moved away to college or got married. And – it was a way for me to fill a void I had in my heart.
When I started Princesses with a Purpose a few months after graduation I didn’t know the impact it would have on my life, the direction it would pull me in or the way it would shape my future. At 18 years old, I am not sure any of us know what exactly we want for our lives. I know for a fact that I didn’t. Here I was, a small-town supa star! Willing and ready to take on a new city.
But it would be 8 years before I would begin that journey into the unknown…
Throughout these past ten years, I have been challenged in more ways than one. I have started a business and closed business. I have moved across the country and became a business partner after I said I never would again. I have hired astonishing performers and fired ones that cheated us. I have made new friends and lost those closest to me. I have learned how to finance a company and configure numbers. I have faced lawsuits and angry parents. I have had people blow me away and also break my heart. I have laughed with thousands of children, and buried more than I ever thought was possible. I have watched people fall out of love with their business and helped people create one of their own.
With that, I can definitely say that whoa momma, have I learned a lot. After this decade of bad decisions, wonderful memories and a book of amazing stories, I think I have earned my right to say I am a proud leader in our community. Oh, what community is that, you ask? Why there is an entire world of children’s entertainment and character performers! And I am proud to be a part of this industry.
Well, for the most part.
Some of the industry’s standards are… Not always the best or healthiest. And even though I feel like they are important – because standards are important – Sometimes I feel like the pressure of these standards is wrong.
If you talk to any Party or Children’s Entertainment company about what is the 1st most important aspect to have when joining the community, 9 times out of 10 the answer will be “Quality.” And yes, where I do feel like the quality is very important, the pressure to be “Perfect” in our industry is a constant concern and battle.
My husband and I have spent YEARS perfecting our quality. We have worked with some of the best and top designers in the WORLD – And yes, I said world. However, expensive doesn’t always mean “Better”. That is something I wish I could tell every new company owner over and over again. Sometimes you need to back away from a project and ask yourself, “How good is good enough?”
I am not saying that you shouldn’t be updating your costumes – Updating is a natural process and it should be a part of your growth. Changing your image should be about development, not the newest super-suit, ballgown or wig that has just hit the market. Update because you need to, not because you want to.
It’s all a give and take. Constantly updating costumes should not be what shuts a company down, but I have seen it happen. If characters are not having a positive ROI (Return On Investment) then you are not building a business, you are feeding your own personal needs. This isn’t just a playtime, dress-up gig for everyone; This is an industry, and it’s one that puts food on the table for some. For me personally, it’s a full-time job and one I take very seriously.
It has taken me a decade to find commissioners, stylists, and my own creative touch to make me happy. I still have moments where I’m not 100% pleased with how something turned out; In fact, I personally think we will always be unhappy about something.
In the end, you have to ask that question, “How good is good enough?”
When choosing a costume, you should really be looking at:
* Longevity (Years it will last)
* Durability (How well it holds up)
* Structure (How it fits different performers)
* Aesthetic (How it reflects our company)
* Photogenic (How well it photographs)
* Relevant (How up to date is it with parks/movies/styles)
Those of you outside our industry would probably have a hard time knowing which costume was hand made by a seamstress in Utah and what was made by a small costume shop in China.
Sometimes we spend $900 on a new princess dress and sometimes we can complement it with a $20 wig from Amazon. Sometimes you find amazing commissioners overseas that are willing to work with you and make the product that you desire for cheaper and better than someone in Canada or Florida.
The price tag isn’t always what makes the costume – it’s how well that costume/wig/accessory checks out with everything you need it to be. Just because something is expensive doesn’t make it better, and just because something is cheaper doesn’t make it less quality. That is an industry-standard I believe that needs to be broken.
Anyone can look high quality if they put time, effort and a little bit of love into what they do and how they run their company. One company is not lesser quality because they spent less on their costumes; A company is only lesser quality because they have not yet had the chance to put as much time, love and energy into their business.
In the end, every business has to do what’s best and right for their company; However, no one should ever go into crippling debt to start a business.
Quality is what you make it from the time you invest back into your business, not how much you spent trying to build it.
Life of an Everyday Princess 
Wonderful points! Thanks for sharing!!
LikeLiked by 1 person