By Karen Parkinson
Fauquier County Public Schools

For now, Jen Faulconer’s livelihood is a fairy-tale-come-true, and for the future it is an inspiration to students about to write their own real-life career story.

Ms. Faulconer, owner of Azuria Entertainment, LLC, visited Kettle Run High School recent to speak to approximately 120 business and marketing students about her educational entertainment company that, according to its website, is “enchanting DC, Maryland and Virginia.”

A product of Fauquier County Public Schools and a 2007 graduate of Lynchburg College, Ms. Faulconer, 26, made the visit at the invitation of two Kettle Run advanced marketing students in business teacher Jennifer White’s class. While studying small business ownership and entrepreneurship, seniors Sydney Stevenson and Margot Kinsey learned about the local entrepreneur while researching subjects for a current event project.

They happened upon an editorial written by Ms. Faulconer in the May 2011 edition of Warrenton Lifestyle magazine about the importance of an active imagination, self-respect, self-worth and positive role models for youth. The editorial and brief information about its author revealed that Ms. Faulconer had turned a one-time appearance as a costumed princess at a little girl’s birthday party into her own educational entertainment company. The two students were intrigued and wanted to find out more about the college homecoming queen’s appearances at children’s parties as a princess with a message for children – you are OK just as you are and there is great value in being mannerly and kind to others.

Ms. Faulconer offered tips on being successful in school and building good relationships.

Sydney and Margot believed Ms. Faulconer’s story – a young, local woman running her own business – would resonate with their fellow marketing students. With their teacher’s approval, they arranged for her visit to Kettle Run. Ms. Faulconer spent nearly two hours talking to students about how she runs her business and how she markets it most effectively. She talked about setting up a target market and the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of marketing, especially print versus internet. For instance, the challenge with a print ad, she said, is that there is no guarantee that someone will look at the print ad, whereas she is able to track the number of times people view her website: www.Kingdomofazuria.com.

Ms. Faulconer focused on her use of social media – Twitter, Facebook and blogging – to market her business on a low budget to get the most bang for her buck.

“Social media is free, and I like a budget of free,” she said, “plus it’s effective.”

Students seemed to identify strongly with Ms. Faulconer’s discussion of the social media aspects of marketing.

“Students identified with her for a number of reasons,” said Ms. White. “She is younger, she is local, and she found a way to work her passion for the arts and theatre into a profitable business. She did an excellent job speaking about all areas of business ownership and giving a behind-the-scenes look at what businesses do to get your attention.”

Beyond marketing, Ms. Faulconer also talked about what she looks for in terms of hiring employees and about the skills employees in her company need, such as reliability, promptness, good customer service and professionalism. She offered tips on being successful in school and building good relationships, emphasizing how thankful she is for the good relationships she built here as part of the community and as part of Fauquier Community Theater, relationships that serve her well in business.

During a question-and-answer period, student Jessi Pearce asked the tough question: “You can’t be a princess forever. What are your plans for your business for the next five to 10 years?”

Ms. Faulconer responded that she would transition into a visionary leadership position and hire additional employees to make the character appearances. While she does employ others to play additional whimsical characters at her bookings, Ms. Faulconer said she is solely responsible for all aspects of her company from finances to marketing to appearances to managing technology, but she doesn’t mind because she loves what she does since all of it draws upon her passion.

In her second year of teaching, Ms. White believes the young entrepreneur’s comments were of great benefit to her students.

“To me it was the real-life application of what we have studied in class in terms of business concepts and marketing concepts, how you identify your target market, what your target market is, how you reach them, how you make sure your product or service lives up to their expectation, how to advertise, how to get return-customer loyalty – all the key facets of running a business,” she said. “She took key concepts that we had studied in class and showed us how she applies those real-world concepts on a daily basis. She showed us how useful learning those marketing concepts are. In the book students ‘get it,’ but when they really see someone using it, the level of learning increases.”

Ms. White said she plans to arrange for additional speakers to address her marketing classes.

“The more I can have members of the business community come in and speak to what they do on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis – in terms of business ownership, marketing, hiring, and handling customer services issues – the longer my students’ level of learning is retained. They really understand the application of it,” she said.

The two marketing students who are credited with bringing the local entrepreneur to their school agreed.

“Students gained a plethora of insight into the ways modern technology outlets like Google, Twitter and Facebook can aid a business,” said Margot Kinsey. “Jen showed us how we can use advertising and new innovations on a small budget but still be wholly effective. She also informed us of the advantages that an LLC business, such as her own, can have in the complicated legal world.”

“I think students enjoyed having a guest speaker that not only is closer to us in age – as it is easier for us to identify with her on a personal level – but that she holds a unique and creative job. I mean, really, how cool is it to get paid to be a princess?” said Sydney Stevenson. “Jen’s story also was inspiring in the sense that she has made a career out of what she loves most, but didn’t need to go all the way to Hollywood to make it happen.”