Entreprenuer Spotlight

The fun of magic with Spellbound

If you attended the parade for the Fourth at Fairfield, you may have seen three lovely princesses riding through the streets on a white mustang, tossing smiles and festive headwear into the crowd. What you may not have seen was their driver, an entrepreneurial Fairfield resident, mother of four, and owner of two party entertainment businesses. Rose Okonski will sometimes joke that she can’t be an adult yet–she’s never even received her first W2! An entrepreneur from teen-hood, Rose got her start in twisting balloon animals at restaurants for children’s entertainment, a skill she had learned in her church youth group that proved to be a valuable asset for her future. After receiving many requests to attend birthday parties, Rose created her first business cards and started advertising her services. Twist it Up was born! Nearly fourteen years later, Twist it Up now provides work for over twenty artists in the Cypress and Houston area and entertains at hundreds of parties and events every year! A professional balloon artist and face painter herself, Rose was the lead artist until recent years when her two youngest children came along. Never able to be idle, Rose could not only stay at home with the little ones and manage the party and event business–she had the itch to start something new! After some research and planning, Rose launched Spellbound Character Company as a sister company to Twist it Up, providing costumed characters for parties and events. Still in its infancy, Spellbound is growing daily, not only with clients, but also with new characters being added to the roster! The actresses who perform are young women with theater and musical talent, including a high school student located right here in Fairfield! The girls love singing, performing, but most importantly, they love making the children smile as they meet their favorite characters! What Rose loves the most about running these businesses is the people. Not only making a client’s day special, or seeing the smiles lighting up the mirror when children catch their first glimpse of their magically painted face, but also the artists and performers who make the companies successful. There’s a wonderful feeling in helping artistic people have an outlet to not only follow their dreams, but to also put food on the table for their families by earning a living with their art. Providing an avenue for others to be successful is probably the most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur. But if she’s being honest, the playing dress-up with princess gowns, crowns, and sparkly shoes is a pretty great perk too! For more information: https://www.spellboundcharactercompany.com • (832) 777-5088