Nicole Fenstad (Princess Party Pals)

Nicole Fenstad is the owner of Princess Party Pals, an organization providing themed children’s events, such as birthday parties, with costumed characters. 

Born in Kansas City, at age two Fenstad and her family moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where she later developed a deep appreciation for performance art. 

“I was always involved in dance, theater, and singing,” she says. 

“We had a great performing arts school in Fargo, and that’s ultimately where I got the bug to be on stage and do theater.”

Following that passion, Fenstad went to college in Moorehead, earning a B.A. in theater.

Her degree in hand, Fenstad then worked the theater circuit, accepting roles in Wisconsin and Utah before heading to Los Angeles, America’s epicenter for show business.  

“But L.A. wasn’t a perfect fit,” she admits.  

“It was a lot of TV and film, and I wanted to do more work in theater.”

Unsurprisingly, the bold and adventurous Fenstad packed her suitcases and headed east, landing in New York City in 1997.

Feeling like her resolve matched her locale, Fenstad spent the next eight years performing in New York City. 

This stint also included tours around the United States, Europe, and South America.  

“It was a wonderful eight years,” says Fenstad, whose stage career few can rival. 

During her run in The Big Apple, Fenstad met a woman from D.C. who owned a princess parties business.   

“She was a dance teacher, and she did princess parties for the kids in our studio,” recalls Fenstad, who inadvertently learned how to manage that type of company, and she also witnessed firsthand how enthralled kids were to see their favorite characters show up in their living rooms.  

“The kids would go crazy. They loved every second of it.”

Still, Fenstad was committed to her own creative endeavors, until in 2005, her apartment went up in flames.

“I lost everything besides the clothes on my back,” she says.

While sorting out the details of this disaster, Fenstad was called to Hawaii to work on a cruise ship, and when she wasn’t performing, she had a lot of time to think. 

“It was then that I decided that I did not want to live in New York anymore,” she says.  

“And that was big because I thought I was going to live in New York forever, so it was tough to leave, but once I did, a weight fell off my shoulders. It felt like I was doing the right thing.”

Looking to land on her feet, Fenstad settled in Minneapolis, and despite trading the frenetic pace of New York for the Midwest, Fenstad didn’t have mover’s remorse. 

“I was telling people that I arrived in New York in 1997 with two suitcases, and then I left in 2005 with two suitcases as well,” she begins. 

“The lesson there is that things are just things. You can always start over because material items don’t define who you are.”

Upon moving to Minnesota, Fenstad worked at the iconic Chanhassen dinner theater.

She also went to North Carolina for a show, and that’s when Princess Party Pals came to fruition. 

“It was the strangest thing, Quentin,” she tells me. 

“I was walking through a store, and there were these Cinderella dresses that were 75-85% off. As I was walking through the aisles, that memory of the princess party shows in D.C. came back to me.”

Adds Fenstad: 

“You know how those cartoon characters have a lightbulb that appears above their head when they have a brilliant idea? Well, that’s what happened to me. It was like a ding went off in my head, and I knew at that moment that I should start a princess party business.”

Back in Minnesota, Fenstad refined her skills in front of friends and family, preparing herself for the day when a prospective client would hire her to perform a show for their kid’s birthday party. 

“I faked it until I made it,” Fenstad notes. 

Indeed, she eventually made it when her hairdresser hired her for a child’s birthday event.

“I’ll always be grateful to that particular woman for investing in me as a small business owner and giving me an opportunity,” Fenstad humbly mentions. 

That being said, it wasn’t happily-ever-after for Princess Party Pals. 

“It took me about five years to really establish Princess Party Pals,” she says, then describing the time she met a woman who ran a website that was visited by 15,000 people, all of whom were moms with young children. 

“So we created an offer, and within four hours I sold 50 parties. That’s when I knew there was a real place in the market for Princess Party Pals.”

To date, Princess Party Pals has done over 3,200 parties and events, which is a testament to Fenstad’s ability to perform, and also run a business. 

For reference, for birthday parties with eight kids or less, packages start at $350, and that price includes a character of your choice, story time, a ceremony, plus arts & crafts. 

“We also sing happy birthday and help with the cake,” Fenstad points out. 

Often birthday parties occur on weekends, so during the week Fenstad supplements her business by going to schools and mixes art with education. 

“For example, you might have a ladybug come to your school and talk about the spring season and information related to insects,” she says.

Doing this is all part of making Princess Party Pals a unique experience for clients and children, which is why Fenstad hires professionals who embody the same mentality she has when it comes to performing. 

“We want everyone to feel special; not just the birthday kid,” says Fenstad, whose staff makes a concerted effort to memorize every child’s name at the event. 

“It doesn’t matter if you look good in the costume if you don’t have the personality or the patience to work with kids. There has to be that magic inside of you that makes you want to give kids an awesome experience when you come perform at a birthday party or event.”

With 18 years of experience owning and operating Princess Party Pals, Fenstad is now expanding her reach.

She is currently booking clients in Austin, Texas, where her boyfriend lives and where she spends a lot of time.

This new wrinkle has forced her to evolve as a business owner, and really dial in her systems and processes so that she can efficiently run a profitable company in different areas of the country. 

“I’m delegating a lot more,” she says with a laugh. 

“This entire business is so much fun. I truly believe it has only gotten to this point because we have put our clients first and done everything in our power to give them and their children an amazing experience, and as we move forward, we will continue to do that with a high level of joy and passion.” QS

**

Today’s post is sponsored by Tiffany Daly of WIIN Insurance Agency!

On the personal side, Tiffany writes policies for home, auto, and umbrella insurance. 

For commercial insurance, WIIN writes policies for general liability, worker’s comp, commercial auto, umbrella, and cybersecurity.

Tiffany and WIIN are currently licensed in six states, including: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.

To receive your free insurance estimate, call Tiffany today at (612)505-3329!