Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeri Billings-carpenter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jeri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

As a business owner in the niche industry of party princess performing, I believe creating an inclusive workspace is so important not only for the children and families that we entertain, but also for adults as well. In my experience in this industry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting very choosy about who can and cannot be a princess. A lot of companies want their princesses to fit certain dress sizes. You might get turned away if you don’t have a certain look. A few have even gone so far as to whitewash the princesses of color. I have never wanted to be any part of that. If you have the heart of a princess and genuinely want to be here to bring joy to children then I have a spot for you at my table. Society has always held humans to an impossible beauty standard, and the way we’re going to overcome that is by loving people as they are and highlighting what makes them beautiful – which has absolutely nothing to do with dress sizes or looks. I have princess performers of all sizes, colors, and backgrounds. I want children to be able to see themselves in these princesses while simultaneously fostering a culture of body positivity and accurate representation of our princesses of color. This not only benefits the children we entertain, but it builds up the confidence of my performers too. I get to watch them shine as the beautiful souls that they are while they help show the community exactly what being a princess is all about.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been a creative, imaginative soul my whole life but I didn’t really have an idea of how to channel that into my life’s work, so I went to college and joined the military figuring I would just find ways to express my creativity through hobbies and in my free time. But after 10 years in the military, I was so burnt out on life. I just wanted to do something that would make me happy. The more I thought about what would make me happy the more I realized it would be bringing this whimsical, enchanting world of princesses to life via children’s party entertainment. That’s when Once Upon a Party KS came to fruition. There was nothing like it in the community where I lived, so I was excited to offer up a different experience for the families that live in my area. I’m so proud of how much my little princess business has grown in just 3 years. In the beginning I was the only performer, and now I have a team of 12 working under my brand! When starting the business, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it comes to running a business. Truthfully, a lot of days I feel like I still don’t. But I’m so grateful that my community has entrusted my team and I to be a magical part of their families’ special celebrations.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I know what it’s like to work somewhere that does not care about you as a person, and it’s those experiences that have taught me what kind of leader I do not want to be. I genuinely care about my team. I want them to feel valued and appreciated. I want to be the kind of leader they can feel comfortable approaching about their concerns or fears. I strive to keep an open mind and listen to and absorb team members’ ideas. I humble myself from time to time by reminding myself that I’m not going to be right about everything, and that I am going to mess up sometimes. I think if you can be a leader that’s self-aware (maybe with a little self-deprecating humor mixed in), keep open communication, and not be afraid to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work, your team is going to take notice of that and feel more comfortable following you.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

There seems to be this common misconception among the general public that if you own your own business you must be rolling in the dough. That could not be further from the truth! I have never missed paying my performers. I’m always going to make sure they are taken care of, but in the 3 years that I’ve owned a business I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve actually paid myself. It’s difficult starting from the ground up. There are so many supplies needed right out the gate to even get started, Small business loans are not the easiest to obtain so I had to bankroll a lot in the beginning with my own personal finances. I wouldn’t say we’ve ever been in danger of folding up, but it will be nice to finally get to a point soon where I’ll be able to pay myself for all the time I spend working on things behind the scenes and performing as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.onceuponapartykansas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onceuponapartyks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onceuponapartyks