Meet Kristina Sharp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Sharp.

Hi Kristina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a creative spark in me with a love for cultivating experiences. As a child, my favorite pastime was drawing cartoons and comic books with elaborate characters. I created volumes of stories but wished I could add another dimension to bring them off the page. Then I discovered my family’s video camera– suddenly I took on the role of director, actor, and editor of silly short films. Now, I could add music cues with dramatic timing, choose camera angles, hear voice inflections in the spoken dialogue, and share a finished product that evoked various emotions! This excitement for storytelling developed into a deeper passion for the arts during grade school where I was heavily involved in show choir and community theatre. All the things I loved about comic strips and home videos were amplified by the ultimate reward: performing for a live audience with real-time reactions of glee. By the end of high school, I had decided my college degree HAD to be focused on music… or performance… or maybe film making, or… graphic design?

Like many creatives, I struggled to narrow down my interests into a career choice. Were any of these passions even feasible for making a living? Whenever trying to pick one focus to declare my major I would experience extreme impostor syndrome. I felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. All I really cared about was making people happy through art, but I was directionless. Eventually, I decided on pursuing a degree in Music Business and Vocal Performance, adding the business component as a safety net (or fallback, if needed). Toward the end of college, I was hired as a character performer at a party entertainment company. It began as a fun job for weekends and summer break, but it quickly became so much more.

The joy of spreading magical moments to children and adults while advocating for the arts struck a chord with me. The longer I stayed with the company the more I got to work hands-on behind the scenes on the administrative side. Through this and many other experiences, I learned the world of event coordination within the entertainment industry. I loved everything about it. Over the years I went on to work full time jobs with The Grand Ole Opry, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Publishing Group, all while continuing to get my greatest fulfillment from being a part-time character performer.

I ignored my instinct at first, but after about five years I was finally starting to piece things together. I was thriving most as a character performer because I was able to use all my tools, both professional skillsets and inherent talents, to share the most special kind of storytelling: an interactive, transformative experience that leaves a lasting positive influence. And I was surprisingly good at it. In fact, there were things I wanted to do differently, reinvent, expand upon, and manage in my own way! I saw untapped potential in collaborating with talented friends and small businesses to offer new opportunities locally. For the first time, I felt excited and confident that I could be successful in this field because I had a clear, genuine mission coupled with the know-how to handle details. I unknowingly always had a drive to create *something* entertaining for others to enjoy, but I could finally see how to use this to positively impact my community.

In early 2021, Special K Princess officially launched as my own fully owned and independently operating freelance party princess business. I get to do it all, from designing logos and graphics that represent my brand to curating music playlists for singalongs that perfectly set the atmosphere to implementing my personal high standard of customer service with every client interaction– the complete experience utilizing my “too many interests.” What I thought was my greatest hindrance is now the most valuable asset to running my business. Special K Princess transcends my enjoyment of bringing art to life through performing; it is about touching lives through meaningful encounters beyond the imagination.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has taken a long time for me to get to this point, and most of the challenges are internally self-inflicted. Every reason I could conjure kept me from pursuing my passion: it’s an unwise financial investment, people won’t see me as legitimate, there are too many risks, I’m not [fill in the blank] enough. It wasn’t until my husband firmly told me “No more excuses. You are doing this,” that I was pushed beyond my fears.

Confidence is a complicated thing. I may not always have the same level of confidence in myself each day (especially when I am my own worst critic), but when I step back to look at my mission and truly believe what I provide serves a greater good, I’m reminded of purpose-driven confidence that overcome superficial doubts.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a freelance party princess performer. Special K Princess provides character-based interactions for parties and special events, offering unique versions of popular princess characters. Packages are customizable to bring your magical vision to life with a variety of activities designed to entertain all ages.

The intention behind everything relating to Special K Princesses is genuine kindness and love: love for people, love for the arts, and a love for exceeding expectations. I am devoted to showing a Christ-like love and service to everyone I come in contact with while giving nothing less than the highest quality character entertainment. I entrust myself and my craft fully to anyone who invests in it, and I take that commitment very seriously. It’s honestly a vulnerable thing to pour my heart wholly into an experience shared with strangers, and that’s why the combination of love, integrity, talent, professionalism, and mutual trust is critical to creating cherished memories. I carry each interaction with me personally and treat each party or event as an opportunity to make the world a brighter place.

What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is somewhere at the cross section of personal fulfillment and accomplishing an intention you have set for yourself. There are many little victories and growing pains that shape the way to one’s long-term success story, but ultimately you can identify the big moments when you feel something resonate within you.

Pricing:

• 1 hour Birthday Party: $100
• 1 hour Company Event: $125
• 30 minute Virtual Visit: $25
• Photoshoot / Public Meet & Greet: $70

Contact Info:

• Email: specialkprincessparty@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.specialkprincess.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/special.k.princess/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialKPrincessParty

Image Credits
Caroline Grace Photography
Sarah Davenport Photography