Ever wondered which among the Disney Princesses would make for a good partner for your family business? Takes you back to your childhood years where you don’t have many worries except for convincing your parents to let you watch whatever new animated movie Disney has just released out into the world.
For decades now, Disney’s beloved princesses have held special places in people’s hearts regardless of age. Largely in part to them being relatable both to kids and adults alike. We have Disney princesses who are heiresses to a kingdom. Princesses who are destined to save their country or the world. Princesses who are cursed and must venture out of their bubble for a cure.
But we also have princesses who want nothing but to reach their dreams of happiness and love, princesses who want to live long, normal, and happy lives. We have princesses who either have an entire kingdom, if not the world relying on them, and there are princesses who just want to prance around barefoot in meadows for the rest of their days.
Sounds familiar? Most next-generation entrepreneurs who are next in line for their family businesses can sometimes feel either like a princess in distress or a princess out to save the day. The burden and pressure are there but so is the determination to get to your happily ever after. And so without further ado, read on below to see which Disney princess you would relate to the most and become great business partners with.
Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
“My daddy never did get what he wanted. But he had what he needed. He had love! He never lost sight of what was really important! And neither will I!”
— Tiana
Arguably the best choice in this lineup, Princess Tia of Maldonia is a born entrepreneur. She stars as the beautiful New Orleans native in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009). Her daddy always made life-changing gumbo when she was a little girl and shared it with everyone in the neighborhood. His dream was to open a restaurant but passed before it could come to fruition. Tia herself is a gifted cook and she dreams only of making her late father’s dream come true.
As a waitress, she works day and night to save up, but one accidental kiss with a cursed frog sends her dreams down New Orleans’ sewers — along with her, in frog form! Not to worry, Tia gets creative and eventually gets her happily ever after, but not before going through a thrilling adventure in the bayou. As a business partner, Tia will come up with some of the most ingenious ways to attract customers such as jazz bands and a wonderful interior design. Maybe she can tell you a thing or two about New Orleans magic too.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast
“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere! I want it more than I can tell!”
— Belle
One of Disney’s most popular characters, Belle’s story has inspired thousands of others. In Beauty and the Beast (1991), Belle’s father Maurice is taken captive by the Beast that resides in a castle near her village. Desperate to spare her father’s life, Belle volunteers herself in his place. A proud bibliophile with a free spirit, Belle’s dreams of adventures she long thought only existed in the pages of her books come to pass as she befriends the Beast and all the sentient beings in his castle, including a chipped teacup and his mother kettle, a grandfather clock, and a candle holder.
Belle has a thirst for adventure in knowledge. When it comes to negotiations, she managed to get her father released so it’s safe to assume she knows what she’s doing. Belle’s enthusiasm for books will make her a partner keen on researching trends and reading up on what makes a business great 101. You’ll never run out of ideas as she talks and talks about all the great themes you can pull off every month, or maybe just every quarter of the year.
Merida from Brave
“There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it.”
— Merida
Daughter to the Scottish King and Queen of Clan DunBroch, Princess Merida is not your typical ball gown, singing-in-the-middle-of-the-street, waiting-for-her-prince’s-rescue type of princess. As the protagonist of Disney-Pixar’s Brave (2012), she fights tooth and nail against the arranged marriage her parents are pushing her towards. She wants freedom: the freedom to ride her horse to the edge of the kingdom, the freedom to shoot and hunt in the wilderness, the freedom to choose her husband. One nasty little curse later and her mother and three brothers are turned into bears — wild, salmon-eating, terrifying, roaring bears. Merida sets out to correct her mistakes and, in the process, finds who she is and who she wants to be.
Headstrong and willful, Merida can give any king of a clan, Scottish or otherwise, a run for their shiniest gold. Despite her mother’s wishes for her to act and become a proper royal lady, Merida remains true to who she is: brave and free. Partnered up with her, she will encourage you to take risks and accept the possibility of failure, knowing that along the way, greatness can come forth. Her personality is just as loud and attention-grabbing as her hair — not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to PR.
Jasmine from Aladdin
“How dare you! All of you — standing around, deciding my future? I am not a prize to be won!”
— Jasmine
Inspired by one of the hundreds of stories in the age-old collection of One Thousand and One Nights, Aladdin (1992) stars Jasmine, princess of Agrabah. Locked inside her palace, Jasmine grows tired of being sheltered and treated like property instead of like a normal human being. One day as she sneaks outside the palace, she meets Aladdin, a thief who later on comes into the possession of a magical lamp housing a genie that can grant its master three wishes. After a treacherous desert adventure, Jasmine learns of Aladdin’s secrets but decides to trust her heart and fight for not just their love, but herself.
Just as spirited as the rest of the princesses in this list, Jasmine is no delicate jewel despite being hidden away in the palace most of her life. Her pet tiger is a symbol of her ferocity and tenacity. Though she is still learning to navigate the outside world, Jasmine is well-read and a brilliant strategist for her kingdom — a leader in her own right, a true queen. She may just give you the kick in the boot that you need after a series of bad days or bad business decisions. She will also be the first to tell you that there is more to the world than what you’re currently seeing; you just have to open your eyes to the wonders of it all.
