We recently had the chance to connect with Megan Baxendell and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Megan, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I usually think I have a lot more time than I actually do in the mornings…I recently got married, and I’ve never had a husband to pack my lunches before. For a while, Nick would pack mine, then he got a wild hare and decided to start working out at 5:30 am. This means I’m now packing my lunches myself again, but I’m forgetting to remember I have a lunch to pack until about three minutes before I need to head out the door! You may be wondering if I need to get up earlier to accomplish these things. Trust me, I get up early enough – a whole hour and a half before it’s time to leave. But I actually try to root my day in scripture, particularly the She Reads Truth Bible study. I find that when I start my day with Jesus in prayer, I’m a lot less prone to forget the important things like how to listen when someone needs a friend. As for the lunch, I’d say that’s a lost cause!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name’s Megan Baxendell, and I’m the owner and founder of Meg’s Princess Pals, an insured character entertainment company currently based in the Triad. We’ve been creating magic since June 2020 through visits from beloved fairytale characters who are trained performers with a variety of backgrounds from college students to city employees. We’ve also recently expanded our character offerings with a local fan-favorite, Betty Confetti (check out her story by Maghon Taylor with All She Wrote Notes – you won’t regret it!) Our characters offer more than just the occasional birthday party visit for a quick pop-in. We provide thoughtfully curated programming so that parents can focus on being in the moment with their family and friends, and we guide guests from start-to-finish through stories, song, activities and more. We’re also expanding our partnerships within the community to offer hair and make-up packages as well as a party venue so busy parents have more options in planning their child’s well-organized birthday party.
I’ve always wanted to be a character-performer for Disney, but when I started this company five years ago, I was afraid I was too old or not what they were looking for (a big regret of mine!) Just because I couldn’t reach that particular dream didn’t mean the dream couldn’t evolve, so I bought a Party City dress and dolled up my natural hair for my first appearance as “Princess Anna.” Over time, those dresses became expertly-crafted ballgowns and the hair became industry-standard wigs that I learned to style and touch-up myself (among many other skills in the business!) Now, I manage the business while sending out performers, oftentimes assisting them. This isn’t my full time job, though I’d say that’s the new dream as my husband and I start considering our family plans. In a way, Princess Pals has become a bit of a ministry for me, offering an opportunity for me to silently pray over those we serve while demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit through common princess qualities like joy, patience, and kindness. Believe it or not, Jesus and Disney characters have a lot in common!
We’re currently striving to establish more community partnerships so we can make character visits more accessible to those who may not ever get to travel to Orlando. It’s also exciting when we’re able to grow outside of our area – a lot of people don’t realize we travel!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a creative, imaginative, and playful child, oftentimes writing plays in which I would “cast” my friends and classmates. My dad jokes about a time we were at a father/daughter summer camp, and the dads were gathered around a campfire while the girls were in the cabin. I had somehow convinced all my friends to join me in putting together a play for our dads, in which the dads halfheartedly pulled away from their campfire festivities to form our meager audience when we were ready to perform. To everyone’s horrified curiosity, the dads proceeded to witnessing some 5-year-old’s version of a murderous witch hunt where the bossy red-head (that would be) continuously reprimanded the performers with, “no, stop! You’re supposed to be dead. Act like you’re dead! Stick your tongue out – like this.”
Stories have always been a part of my existence. For a long time, I was going to be an author, that’s why I went to school to study English. I didn’t realize that the Lord had been preparing me for a different kind of storytelling (where the performers are trained in the art of misdirection if the idea of “death” ever even comes up.) A story-maker can be seen as above the clouds, silly, or unrealistic. I was a high school English teacher before I found my current job, and students were thrilled to find me playing “adult dress-up” on my company’s Instagram page. In a way, I’m actually honored, though, to show people the art of play and how a child-like spirit can develop positive qualities within us like curiosity, joy, and a confidence that outweighs the everyday stressors we face.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh, I did give up – kind of. I have a hard time letting things go, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep some version of my goal alive. At the time Princess Pals was going strong back in 2023, I was in a new full-time job, dating my soon-to-be-husband and learning how to house-train a new puppy, all the while juggling part-time seminary classes and a volunteer job coaching a local dance team. I’m pretty sure somewhere in all of that I had joined a local leadership program too – needless to say, something had to give. Relationships are far more important to me than a successful career, and knowing I had a wedding on the horizon meant I had to learn to shift my priorities. I paused all Princess Pals activity for a few months (though those few months turned into about a year), and we’re about 6 months into our bounce back now that the wedding is behind us. I’ve learned to let a couple of other things go to make space for my company to grow, all without forfeiting the most important relationships in my life.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
There are quite a few, but a lie I’ve seen play out most recently has been the scarcity mindset that there aren’t enough seats at the table for all character entertainment companies. I’ve seen too many companies trying to sabotage each other rather than trying to collaborate, forgetting the true purpose in why we do what we do: to bring fairytales to life and encourage the imaginations of both children and the young at heart. I sometimes find myself worrying if I need to be more “competitive” – I think it’s a natural instinct our society has created within us as Americans – and I also recognize that at the end of the day, God as gotten us this far and He’ll take us as far as He wants us to go regardless of the opportunity around us.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
I’ll tell you one regret I’ve had was not working harder to pursue my dream job as a face character performer for Disney. The likelihood of actually getting a call back during their audition process the first time is slim, and it’s taken several performers multiple auditions before they finally landed the job. By the time I realized it was something I could pursue, I talked myself out of taking it seriously because I was in my mid-20s and already several years into a careered life. Now, I recognize the pain of a regret. This dream of being the face character has become a deeper dream in that I’m now wanting to continue providing opportunities for those performers, all the while immersing myself in the magic of that unique experience every single day. I want this company to become a full-time, salaried business for to sustain myself and my family, and I’ll regret not doing everything I can to make that happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.megsprincesspals.com
- Instagram: @megs_princess_pals
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganbaxendell
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megsprincesspals
- Other: TikTok: @megsprincesspals
Image Credits
Megan Baxendell
Brittany Scott (for the picture with the B } S watermark)
