Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Isenberg.
Anna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started ‘princessing’ with a Waxahachie-based company called Feeling Fanciful as soon as I turned 18 in 2018. It was the perfect job – theatrical, working with kids, becoming someone magical, hopping from party to party – I always said “I would do this for free, I can’t believe I get to do this AND get paid!” The original owner of Feeling Fanciful knew the real magic didn’t come from the performance but from inside the performers, so she put her heart and soul into training and taking care of her performers. That was the biggest lesson I took away from my first company and it has proven more valuable than I could have imagined at the time. I stayed with that company for one year as a princess and administrative assistant until its unfortunate closure at which point I figured my princessing career had come to its premature end. I had made great friends, fond memories, and many happy hearts along the way, but it can’t last forever, right?
A few weeks later, one of my fellow princesses texted me about another company in Dallas she was applying for and invited me to join. Low and behold we were both hired and back at our dream job in no time! Furthermore, just a few months into my employment at this nationally-owned company, the manager of our Dallas branch announced their resignation and began her search for a replacement. With a swift transition at the age of 19 I was elected, chosen, hired, and implemented as the new Branch Manager for the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of one of the most profitable character companies in America. This proved to be an immense blessing both personally and professionally! I’ve had an interest in business management since my elementary days, and in this company I was able to play around with the business prowess most young adults don’t get the freedom and flexibility to execute. I was under the umbrella of Brittany Skipper – an incredible businesswoman with an equally incredible heart of gold – and I had the safety net of an established company foundation on which I could confidently make big decisions.
I stayed with that company for two years at which point I found my passions torn between performing vs. managing. Meanwhile, I had gotten engaged and was on the brink of beginning my journey of marriage, so I decided it was time to step down and let go of the professional stress that had begun to build inside of me. I settled down in Dallas with my husband, enjoyed the newlywed season, and welcomed our first little boy in the fall of 2022 (P.S. we are currently expecting our third little boy in fall 2025). Becoming a mom made me realize how important it is to continue to pursue our own passions and directions from the Lord – not to the exclusion or abandonment of our children, but to their edification; so they can see what it looks like to be a whole, healthy, faithful person. In 2023 I found myself longing for the industry I had spent most of my adulthood pursuing.
My previous company had closed due to Covid, so I went on a search to find another DFW character company I could invest in. I even reached out and connected with one only to find our goals simply didn’t align. Every company seemed to sacrifice somewhere, whether it was their costume quality, treatment of performers, poor business administration, training processes, low employee pay, or lack of service quality. I reached out to Brittany, my former mentor, and her advice was simple, “So why aren’t you just starting your own company? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of work and time and effort, but it’s so worth it.” To be honest, I hadn’t thought of that. I had a newborn baby, no materials, and no funding – could I really start my own princess company? But the thought had been planted and wasn’t going away.
I have now spent the past two years carefully crafting a character company that doesn’t compromise on any aspect of performer investment, business administration, or client care. I design and make our princess costumes from scratch, because I couldn’t find anything that fulfilled what my imagination dreamt of. I have learned how to build our business systems from the ground up with the goal of securing a team in the future that can work together to offer the best of the best to moms all over the DFW metroplex. And, of course, I train and take care of our performers with the same love and intention as my first boss demonstrated to me. I still have so many things I am excited to introduce to the world: new fantastical characters, increasingly glamourous costumes, exciting party package additions, stunning events for public attendance, and more! It’s thrilling to say that as far as we’ve come in the past two years, we’re only just getting started! I hope Feeling Fanciful can one day become a household name for all the right reasons.
Speaking of, when searching for the perfect company name I kept circling back to my own princessing origins and the truly magical feelings it left me with. So, with the permission of the original owner, Feeling Fanciful was reborn. I don’t want our princesses to simply leave people feeling happy, impressed, or ‘worth their money’. My hope is they leave every person – young and old – feeling fanciful.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenges have been time and money – classic. We’re about to have 3 kids under 3 years within 4 years of marriage in our small apartment, so our ever-growing family hasn’t allowed much wiggle room in our finances or our schedule. I started funding Feeling Fanciful by doing odd jobs for a few months until I had enough to buy materials for a few costumes and party supplies. Fortunately, in the first few months of opening I also reconnected with a client from one of my previous companies who booked us for a huge 8-character event. I was able to take the payment for that event and use it to buy materials and make the costumes for the remaining princesses. Thus we went from zero to eight characters in about 3 months of major hustle and bustle. Since then, I have been able to continue reinvesting 100% of the profits from our events back into the company without needing to compensate from our personal finances. Of course we plan to take a profit eventually, but for now we are content focusing on company growth. I also knew from the get-go that I couldn’t manage, make costumes, and perform at parties without neglecting our growing family, so I prioritized creating a team of performers that was extremely reliable and capable. It’s also encouraging to know my performers are so supportive of our company. They have my back and I have theirs. I do still have to be extra intentional to work when I have the chance which is usually during naptime or when the kids are at their grandparent’s – although never on Sunday’s because the Lord’s rest is what truly keeps me going.
Another more fun challenge has been finding ways to do things with costumes that I’ve never seen done before. I don’t design based on what I see in other costumes. I get an over-the-top idea in my head and am determined to find a way to make it happen in real life. No tutorials, just creative ideas, trial and error, and lots of research.
As you know, we’re big fans of Feeling Fanciful LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in character entertainment for children’s parties, corporate events, and public appearances. We do everything from classic Meet & Greets with guests, to vocal performances for whole audiences, and, of course, our birthday Party Programs that are intended to keep kids entertained and let the parent’s relax. Our standout features are the character integrity of our performers and our one-of-a-kind luxury costumes (we are building a lineup of THE prettiest princesses in DFW). Anyone can put on a costume and wig and pretend to be someone they’re not – and don’t get me wrong, kids will still believe them. But our goal is to blow those kids AND adults away with a real-life princess. I don’t think it’s your job to suspend disbelief and go along with the gag; I think it’s our job to make the experience so immersively magical that you actually can believe for a little while. We take everything into account – character movement, vocabulary, story points, height and facial features, how certain fabrics photograph, the right pair of earrings, the ‘swooshiness’ of a skirt, shoes and contacts, etc. I haven’t seen another company in the metroplex that pursues that to the fullest. I think people tend to hit a boundary in one area or another and decide they are satisfied with the current result, so I’m proud of the attitude our company and brand has that nothing is too magical to attain – it’s just a matter of finding a way to get there.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I loved party-planning as a kid. For one of my birthday parties I asked each of my friends to design their ideal cake, and I made and decorated nine individual miniature cakes so everyone had a their design come-to-life at their plate on the table. Apparently I have always been a little extra.
Pricing:
- 1 Hour = $225
- 1.5 Hours = $275
- 2 Hours = $325
- Add a character at 30% off
Contact Info:
- Website: https://feelingfancifulevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelingfanciful/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570450319737
Image Credits
Paul Sollenberger
