I’m very excited about today’s show. We have on the phone the first ever Ms World 2015, Laura Hunter.  What do you believe set you apart from the other contestants in the eyes of the judges?  How did you personally connect with the judges? 

How did you prepare yourself to do so?  How did you strengthen your communication skills to succeed in the panel style interview?  Does it help to have a personal platform you are passionate about? How have you been able to promote the American Lung Association as Ms. World?  How did you mentally prepare yourself for the fitness competition? Did you work with a personal trainer? If so, who?  What inspired you to chose your evening gown? 

What type of style does the Ms. World organization seem to like? 

Who designed your gown?  How did you choose your Fashion Wear wardrobe?  What spot in the line up did you choose to place yourself and what influenced you to select that specific position?  What is one item under $20 that you feel is a must have at any pageant? What is your best piece of advice you want to give to all the ladies out there hoping to wear the crown? Who should check out your system? (ms. contestants, ages, marital status, etc.)

Nothing is scarier than the thought of walking into the interview room and being asked a question that you simply do not know how to answer. In this episode, Jesse and Steven cover tough interview questions, why these questions are asked and how to answer the questions. 

Want practice questions? Here's the link to our 233 practice interview questions: https://www.pageantplanet.com/pages/services

This episode goes deep into the two fundamental truths about the people deciding your pageant fate. First, judges are real people too. Second, judging is extremely hard. In this episode, Jesse and Steven break down common thoughts shared by all pageant judges when they are scoring and choosing their winner. 

After listening to this you’ll have an understanding of what’s happening inside the judges' room so that you can be better equipped to win the competition.

This week's promotional item is our pageant prep membership! Click to discover how you can unlock the power of our messaging portal to access verified coaches from every system and country who are ready to help you win the crown!

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in reading How Do Judges Score Beauty Pageants or Top 25 Pageant Questions Asked by Judges (in Every Pageant).

Today Jesse and Steven discuss the life of Michaela Abelgas. Michaela has won national titles in 5 of the largest pageants in the United States by the age of 22 years old. Listen as Steven and Jesse break down how Michaela prepares for pageants and how you can implement her preparation tactics into your pageant prep.

This week's promotional item can be found by clicking, Pageant Autograph Pad. Let us design a custom autograph pad around your headshot, name and title (if applicable). All autograph pads are 5.5” x 6” and come in quantities of 40. 

Because you’re interested in this episode, you might also be interested in reading 101 Tips for First Time Pageant Girls.

Special thank you to @TeniJanina and @USANationalPrincess for contributing to the episode! 

Pageant royalty, Kristen Dalton Wolfe, Miss USA 2009 joins us this week to discuss 5 Ways To Stand Out! However, they're likely not what you think. Kristen and Jesse talk through ways to prepare that will ensure you catch the judges' eyes and use your personal strengths to win the crown.

Kristen's launching her new book next month! You can learn more about it at www.thesparkleeffectbook.com and follow Kristen on the 'Gram at @kristenjdalton!

Want to win the crown but just not sure what habits are hold you back or what habits you need to implement in order to win? This episode has got you covered. Steven and Jesse walk through the 5 things successful contestants to do win the crown. 

ANNOUNCMENT: Pageant Planet has a new site! Visit, https://www.pageantplanet.com to secure your place in pageant history. More than likely we already have your contestant profile on our site, however, if we do not you can add it by creating an account and tagging the pageants you have competed in.

As a contestant, you should not watch pageants like Miss USA, you should be analyzing them and looking for trends that you can capitalize on when competing for the crown. In this episode, we break down the Miss USA 2019 pageant to uncover trends that will help succeed in winning the crown. 

Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in reading statistical data on Miss USA. We have broken down average height, eye color, race and zodiac signs of all former Miss USAs. Visit, Miss USA Pageant to read more.

This week's promotional item can be found by visiting, Pageant Swag. Get 25% off with the discount code: APPAREL25

Special thank you to @abasinger_422, @abbie_davis and @zariaacarter for contributing to the episode! 

In this episode, Steven and Jesse discuss the preparation process - how to prepare correctly, pitfalls to stay away from, and what you should be doing after you win the crown. 

This week's promo is to become our Titleholder of the Day! Here's the link with all of the information: https://shop.pageantplanet.com/product/titleholder-of-the-day-feature/

A special thanks to the following for contributing to this week's episode:

http://www.instagram.com/brooklyn_wilkins2001

http://www.instagram.com/missorem.ut

• https://shoutoutmodels.com/ - Pageant Planet's Modeling Agency
• https://thepageantplanet.com/233-practice-pageant-questions/ - Free Practice Questions
• https://thepageantplanet.com/select-an-option/ - Coaching Options

Short comings and obstacles are challenging to discuss with friends, let along pageant interview. However, in this episode Jesse gives us her formula for crafting obstacles into a powerful story by walking Steven through his struggles of starting and building Pageant Planet. 

Need help raising money for your pageant? Visit, https://goo.gl/FqXFfa

Need help training for your pageant? Visit, https://goo.gl/rEaj4A

This episode features three simple strategies that you can execute to make judges fall in love with your interview. We cover body language and eye contact techniques as well as how to deal with mean looking judges.

Because you listened to this episode you might also want to read our course on How to Succeed in Pageant Interview.

In this episode we discuss a previous episode where we discuss personality types. You can listen to that episode by visiting, 5 Pageant Personalities You Need In Your Corner to Win the Crown.

This week's special can be found by visiting, Pageant Questions.

Special thank you to Mrs.Schadegg and Sherri.Shanley for contributing to this week's episode!

We have done so many podcasts about being the contestant who is trying to mentally prepare to overcome the stigma of the runner up or the high performing transfer of another system.

But, today we are saying... first runner up, or perpetual top 5 finisher... we see you and are here for you.

It is a huge mental conundrum to be able to finish so close and then do it all again. What do you keep the same, what do you change, was it a fluke, is it your time?!

So we have put together five of our favorite dos and don’ts if you are coming off a hot pageant season and are looking for your crown.

Listen in as Jesse & Steven discuss the 5 dos and don’ts of being a favorite to win.  

This week’s featured spotlights are: 

• Shop Pageant Dresses

Winning a pageant is both an art & a science. The art of winning a pageant is presented fashion and in the conversation of interview. The “science” of winning a pageant is in the pageant you choose and the team you surround yourself with while you compete. This episode focuses on finding the best pageant based on your skill set.

Listen in as Jesse & Steven discuss 5 different strategies for finding and winning in a new pageant system.  

This week’s featured spotlights are: 

• Find a Pageant
• Shop Pageant Dresses

Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in,101 Pageant Tips (for First Time Contestants).

Kendra Hale is an only child who grew up in a small town in rural southwestern Virginia called, Christiansburg. She graduated as valedictorian from Christiansburg High School and the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School. 

Kendra recalls that in her hometown, pageants were not common and many people didn’t understand the different aspects of being involved in pageants such as going after scholarships, being goal-oriented, and being of service. She believes in “leading by example” so she worked hard to prove to everybody that pageants were filled with smart, accomplished girls that were working hard on achieving their dreams.

Kendra says, “I wanted to be an inspiration to young girls everywhere by showing that your circumstances and surroundings don’t define who you are or who you will become.” 

Kendra’s pageant journey started when she was 13 or 14 and shortly thereafter became involved with the Princess America pageant system. She first won the title of Princess America’s District of Columbia Teen, and eventually she became Princess America’s District of Columbia Miss.

Kendra demonstrated her pageant promise early on, and began earning titles and awards almost instantly. During her pageant experience with Princess America she won the “Princess America’s Difference Maker Award”, as well as the “Princess America’s Leadership and Academic Excellence Award”.

Once this fresh faced Virginia girl got bitten by the pageant bug, there was no turning back and soon she had earned her 1st national title, “Outstanding Miss of America 2016-2017”.

Kendra admits that her introduction to the world of pageantry was difficult because she really had no frame of reference for competing, nor did she know anyone who competed.

 But, she didn’t let her lack of knowledge intimidate her or make her feel inadequate. She used all the tools and resources that she could find, and she asked for help.

“Since I was a latecomer, I didn’t know a lot about what was going on and I had to work really hard to learn everything I needed to know. I utilized resources, such as Pageant Planet and other publicly available information, to learn about different organizations and competitions. I worked with incredible people to learn the right skills.  I didn’t let my age or lack of knowledge stop me.”  

This week’s featured spotlights are: 

• Omnia Garment Bag
• Pageant Prep Help
• Shop Pageant Dresses

Today’s podcast features none other than Paula Shugart, who is the beloved president of the Miss Universe organization, as every fan of the pageant knows. With more than 30 years of experience in the television industry, Paula Shugart has been a driving force in entertainment television production for domestic and international audiences.

As president of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), and producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, Paula oversees all business transactions and is responsible for the production of the live, worldwide telecasts each year.

Paula’s father was an Admiral in the US Navy, and she says her childhood really helped to prepare her for her current role as the president of an international organization. She believes that her global travels left her with a deep appreciation and understanding of the world’s cultural diversity as well as its commonality.

But, as much as she loved being a “Navy Brat”, when it came time to attend college, Paula says that she just wanted to go someplace new…without a Navy base. She had grown tired of living in a coastal city like San Diego and just wanted to live in a location that was different and challenging.

She found that new and different place in the Midwest. Paula chose Ohio University, which consistently ranks as one of the top schools in the country for television communication. Paula graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1981, with a BS in Communications, focusing on journalism and production, which was absolutely the right career path for her.

In 1982, after finishing college, Paula packed her bags and headed from Ohio to the center of television production: Sunny California! After only five days in Los Angeles, she met Kevin Bright (who was the Executive Producer of the TV show “Friends”) and he gave Paula her first big break, and that meeting began her career in production. 

From 1982 to 2002 Paula was busy making quite a name for herself, and success seemed to come naturally to the Admiral’s personable daughter. She was based in Los Angeles and developed a specialty in live television production while working on some of the world’s largest productions: the “Academy Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Golden Globes,” “International Rock Awards,” and “President Clinton’s 50th Birthday Celebration,” among many others.

She also served as a producer on the original talent competition, “Star Search” for seven years, as well as a multitude of other programs including the Lifetime Special “The Age of the Female Icon,” which garnered a Cable Ace Award nomination

Paula became so accomplished at handling the monumental task of producing major events that she got involved in the music industry. Paula was involved in producing two legendary artist’s television productions: Madonna on her “Blond Ambition Tour” and the Rolling Stones on their “Steel Wheels Tour.” 

And, if that wasn’t impressive enough, she even forayed into the world of daytime television as Supervising Producer for ABC’s talk show “Mike & Maty” and then went on to produce the pilot for the highly popular “Donny and Marie Show” for Columbia Television. 

Paula is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America and has served as a Commissioner to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission.

She was also named a member of the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. This was an especially relevant and important accolade for Paula, as her election was based on her professional accomplishments and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. 

To learn more about Paula Shugart her work with the Miss Universe organization and beyond, listen to this week’s episode. Special thank you to Julia Stone for doing the research on Paula.

This week’s featured spotlights are: 

• Pageant Search
• Best in Pageantry Awards
• Pageant Dresses

Before he became known as, Mac Duggal, one of the most successful and well known fashion designers in the world, he was called, “Manmohan Singh Duggal”.

He was born in New Delhi (Deli), India, in 1960 to a very spiritual family, where his grandfather, father and brother, were all the heads of an international spiritual organization that teaches a form of meditation and ethical living to millions of people, all around the world. The basics principles of their teachings are meditation, truthfulness, and vegetarianism.

Mac Duggal has said that that all three of those men were significant mentors in his life and he believes they each played a significant role in the person that he is today.

He practices a religion called Sikhism. Sikhism believes in one higher power and one higher consciousness and that everyone is equal. He says that these concepts were essentially the same as the American values he saw when he moved to the United States, and it was one of the reasons he was so attracted to the U.S.

In Sikhism all men wear a turban, and the women keep their hair long and don’t ever cut it.

For the Sikhs, the turban means responsibility and promotes equality. It also preserves their Sikh identity. When a boy becomes an adult, somebody respectable from the community ties the turban on their head for the first time. Mac Duggal says that he was really lucky and honored because his own father tied the turban on him for the first time.

Education, music, and spirituality were constant values in the family’s home, and seemed to permeate everyday life.

But, Mac Duggal says that even more important to him, was the love that came so effortlessly from his parents, not only towards his family members, but also to all the diverse people who came seeking spiritual guidance from all over the world.

All throughout his childhood, Mac Duggal was introduced to incredible people from all cultures, and his horizons expanded greatly as a result. This openness to others and their differences created the foundations of his belief system and molded his orientation towards the world and life in general. 

To learn more about Mac Duggal and the rise of his empire listen to this week’s episode. Special thank you to Julia Stone for doing the research on Mac Duggal.

This week’s feature spotlight is a new feature that was released on Pageant Planet. As of October 31, you now have the ability to buy and sell dresses! Click on Pageant Dresses in our menu to start shopping or login to your contestant, retailer or designer account to upload your dresses to sell.

Katerina Rozmajzl may look like a Barbie doll, with her waist long platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, but don’t make the mistake of writing her off as, “just a model” or underestimating her business acumen. I personally am super excited for today’s podcast because even I learned SO much about this contestant I may have just showed up on stage as an Instagram Celeb.

This Czech born instagram star is a brilliant and ambitious business mogul who runs her own beauty and fashion blog and launched her very own beauty line, “Katerina Cosmetics” at only 19 years of age.

She’s a full time model, she’s held a state title, she’s running a global business, and she’s an Instagram mega-star. And, earlier this year, she made her debut in the movie, “Dumplin”” with Jennifer Aniston! 

She has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, but it was her appearance at the 2019 Miss USA pageant, where she competed as Miss Georgia USA, that really gained her worldwide attention. Today on our podcast, we’re excited to learn just a little bit more about Katerina Rozmajzl.

This week’s feature spotlights are:

1. Diverse Styles, not all nudes are created equal.
2. Pageant Prep
3. Remember to visit, https://www.pageantplanet.com/dresses on October 31st. On Halloween you will be able to buy and sell dresses. Scary, huh? :) 

Hannah Brown grew up in Tuscaloosa Alabama and is a major Crimson Tide fan! She graduated magna cum laude from theUniversity of Alabama in 2017, the same college that her parents attended, where she earned her degree in communications and Information Sciences with a minor in public relations.

She became a sister of Alpha Chi Omega sorority during her time in college and served as a consultant to the university, helping clients with public speaking. Then she worked as an interior designer after college.

The Northport native began competing in pageants when she was 15 because of the opportunities for scholarships. However, she soon found that being able to develop her public speaking skills and share her talent as a jazz dancer, was just as important to her.

 She began her journey in pageantry by getting involved with the Miss America system when she became Miss Teen Tuscaloosa. She placed as first runner-up in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen pageant, and then followed that up with a second runner-up placement in the Miss Alabama Teen USA pageant.

To learn more about Hannah Brown’s journey in pageantry and beyond listen in on this week’s episode.

This week’s feature spotlight is Nude Pageant Shoes by Diverse Styles! Not all nude is created equal and Diverse Styles has nudes in the color of cinnamon, onyx and cashew. 

Fondly called "Mama J" by his friends and protégées, Jonas Antonio Gaffud is the unquestionable force behind the tremendous success of the Philippines in international pageants.

Jonas Gaffud is frequently called, “The Queen Maker”, but he doesn’t just specialize in mentoring women for beauty pageants. He is also the President and Manager of Mercator Artist and Model Management, where he manages some of the biggest stars in the Philippines, as well as managing talent in Brazil. He handles the careers of professionals in the entertainment business, in addition to fashion models and commercial actors alike.

 As if scouting talent around the globe didn’t keep him busy enough, he is also one of the executives behind Empire PH, a digital channel which produces lifestyle, beauty, and wellness shows in the Philippines.

And, in his spare time, he also helps to manage the activities of Empire Studios, which is a diverse collection of industry professionals that facilitate workshops on personality development, self improvement, dance, acting, and pageantry.

The say the least, the man is busy. But, that’s because before he had any of the responsibilities that he has today, Jonas Gaffud was once a guy with just a dream….and little else. 

This week’s feature spotlight is 233 Free Pageant Interview Questions! These free questions are downloaded by hundreds of contestants, judges and directors each week. Practicing these is like getting a cheat sheet for pageant interview.. 

Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in, Binibining Pilipinas Pageants.

The Miss America Pageant found its origins nearly 100 years ago, in the month of September. The pageant was first held on September 25, 1920. It was billed as the “Fall Frolic” and began simply as a marketing idea The event was so successful that the originators scheduled it to take place the week-end following Labor Day, to encourage summer visitors to stay in Atlantic City. Therefore, the first official, “Miss America” was held on September 8, 1921; 98 years ago!

The competition has come a long way since then. And, it’s titleholders have evolved into some of the most talented and accomplished women the pageant world has ever witnessed. And, the current Miss America is no exception.

Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019, is everything a modern Miss America should be. She is not only beautiful, intelligent and talented. She is an exceptionally accomplished individual. She has earned a Masters degree in Music Composition; she is a classically trained opera singer and she relentlessly endeavors to use her voice and the power of music to transform lives through art.

This week’s feature spotlight is Pageant Match! This free, interactive feature will match you with the organization or expert who will help you achieve your dreams after a few short questions. It works regardless of where you live in the world. Give it a try!

Osmel Sousa had a dream that was born out of an obsession with beauty. He longed to create a world that was filled with beauty of every kind. Like many artists, his desire to be surrounded by beauty was to somehow erase the ugliness and pain that he witnessed and internalized as a child.

As a boy, he remembers spending all of his time drawing. He would draw rows of women – always women – and then pick out the best and draw them again with all sorts of dresses that he would clip on and off. In essence, he was designing a fashion show. One day his mother saw him and forbade him from ever doing it again. She couldn’t stand the thought that he was making silly little "paper dolls".

He suffered from learning disabilities that went undiagnosed until he was an adult, so he constantly struggled with his studies. But, instead of sitting in class and feeling frustrated, he would use that time to draw images of women, constantly trying to create what he viewed as the perfect, most angelic face.

Tragically, Sousa’s parents did not share in his appreciation for beauty nor did they support their son’s remarkable artistic talents. In fact, they were so disturbed by his behavior and personal interests, that when he was still just a young child, they forced him to undergo hormonal treatments to try to deepen his voice, in order to make him more "masculine".

Sousa’s parents did not stop there. Because they perceived his developing sexual orientation as such a threat, when he was just 13 years old, they sent him away from his home in Cuba to live with his grandmother in Venezuela.   

After graduating from high school, in his newly adopted country of Venezuela, he studied acting, but quickly realized that he was not cut out to be an actor.

He then briefly held jobs as an advertising draftsman and art designer for the two large television networks in Venezuela. Although, these jobs were a dead end for him artistically, fate stepped in while he was working for one of the television networks.

It was there that Sousa would meet Lupita Ferrer, who eventually became a famous actress. She convinced him to take a chance and move to the sprawling metropolis of Caracus.

Little did he know that because of this move, his paper dolls would finally come to life… Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about the life of Osmel Sousa.

This week everything is 10% inside of Pageant Planet’s Shop when you use the coupon code PODCAST. Shop through 100s of items ranging from hairspray to shoes to earrings to bags and much more!

Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in reading, Beauty Pageant Statistics and 101 Tips for First Time Pageant Contestants.

This episode goes deep into the two fundamental truths about the people deciding your pageant fate. First, judges are real people too. Second, judging is extremely hard. In this episode, Jesse and Steven break down common thoughts shared by all pageant judges when they are scoring and choosing their winner. 

After listening to this you’ll have an understanding of what’s happening inside the judges' room so that you can be better equipped to win the competition.

This week's promotional item is our pageant prep membership! Click to discover how you can unlock the power of our messaging portal to access verified coaches from every system and country who are ready to help you win the crown!

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in reading How Do Judges Score Beauty Pageants or Top 25 Pageant Questions Asked by Judges (in Every Pageant).

Pia Wurtzbach, born September 24, 1989, is a Filipina-German model, actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2015.

Pia was born in Stuttgart, Germany to a German father and Filipino mother. Her middle name "Alonzo" is her mother's maiden name, traditional to the naming practices of the Philippines. She and her family moved to Iligan, Philippines when she was a small child. They later moved to Cagayan de Oro in the country's Northern Mindanao region.

At the age of nine, her parents separated. Wurtzbach then became the family’s main breadwinner through modeling and acting. 

She finished her secondary education at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan, Metro Manila.

After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in England. She speaks fluent Cebuano, English and Tagalog. She also speaks basic German, which she described as "enough to get myself a bratwurst."

To learn more about Pia and her journey to becoming Miss Universe, listen to this week’s episode.

This week's promotional item is our Pageant Autograph Pad! Create a lasting impression on your next appearance by giving the gift of your signature and headshot.

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about the Miss Universe pageant.

At the age of thirteen, Priyanka Chopra moved to the United States to study while living with her aunt. Chopra’s aunt’s family also moved frequently. She attended schools in Newton, Massachusetts, Queens, New York and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While attending school in Massachusetts, Chopra participated in several theatre productions. She also studied Western classical music, choral singing and Kathak dance.

After three years in the United States, Chopra returned to India to finish her senior year of high-school education at the Army Public School in Bareilly. During this period, she entered and won the local "May Queen" beauty pageant.

After her win, she was pursued by admirers, leading her family to equip their home with bars for her protection. After Chopra’s win, her mother then entered her in the 2000 Femina Miss India contest.

The pageant today selects India’s representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International, Miss United Continents and Miss Intercontinental pageants. Chopra was first runner-up at the pageant earning her the title of Miss World India 2000.

Chopra then went on to compete in the 2000 Miss World pageant. It was the 50th edition of the Miss World pageant and the first since the death of pageant owner Eric Morley. His widow, Julia Morley, had assumed the role as chairwomen of the organization.

The pageant had a total of 95 contestants, the highest number of Miss World participants ever at that point in time. In November 2000, Chopra was crowned Miss World 2000 at the age of 18 at the Millennium Dome located in London.

She is the fifth Miss World and the second consecutive winner from her country.

This week's promotional item is our pageant prep membership! Click to discover how you can unlock the power of our messaging portal to access verified coaches from every system and country who are ready to help you win the crown!

Running an organization is difficult. There is constant planning, traveling and connecting. However, this is a labor of love for directors. Directors start pageants for a number of reasons, but mostly to give back. No one knows this better than Julia Morley, chairwoman of the Miss World Organization. Julia Evelyn Morley is a British businesswoman, charity worker and former model. She is the current chairwoman of the Miss World Organization which runs the annual Miss World and biennial Mister World competition.

She was born Julia Evelyn Pritchard on October 2, 1939 in London. She was working as a model when she met her husband, Eric Morley. At the time, he was a director of Mecca Dancing, at a dance hall located in Leeds, England. The two married in 1960 when she was 21.

Before their marriage, Eric Morley laid the groundwork for the Miss World pageant in 1951.

This week's promotional item is our OneX50 All-In-One Styling & Finishing Spray! You know what stinks about other hairsprays? They are sticky, flaky, crunchy, painful to brush out and smell awful. No thank you. ONEx50 is doing it different, doing it better. How you ask? Click here to find out.

In pageants, the first thing everyone sees before they meet you is your pageant headshot. A headshot gives the judges and audience a glimpse into who you are. Therefore, the message you convey with your headshot is the first thing you convey to everyone. The most important part of having a great headshot is to have a great photographer.

No one knows this better than Fadil Berisha. He’s been in the industry for over 35 years and has been instrumental in bringing the glamour and fashion out in the pageant world. 

Berisha was born in Kosovo to Albanian parents in 1960 and even to this day, both countries remain close to his heart.

At age 8, he moved to Italy for a year where he started to develop his passion for beauty and art.

According to an interview with Kosovo Diaspora, faces were of great interest to Berisha growing up. He said in the interview: “As a kid, I loved faces, all faces, and I was genuinely curious about them.”

One year later, he and his family then migrated to New York City, New York at the age of nine and his upbringing was similar to that of any average immigrant family. Every major decision, he recalls, revolved around personal finances.

After graduating from high school, Berisha attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where he studied Men’s Fashion Design and Photography. When he chose to major in men’s fashion design, his family was not particularly thrilled.

He was the first person in his family to study art, but the degree did very little to quench his thirst for art. Put simply, Berisha didn’t feel like he was in the right career path, yet.

To hear more about the life of Fadil Berisha, his journey of breaking boundaries, and what you can learn from his life, listen in.

This week's promotional item is our Pageant Prep Membership! Choose the membership option that works best for you and gain immediate access to coaches all over the world. 

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about Best Pageant Headshots: 2019 Edition.

One of the most important aspects in building your brand as a titleholder is finding your look. This look is part of who you are as a contestant whether you are onstage, volunteering or in the interview room. In addition to finding an amazing outfit, one of the most important aspects of your look as a queen is your makeup. Makeup is a way for contestants to enhance their natural beauty and define their style.

We talk a lot about interview skills and presentation abilities, but the reality of the pageant industry is that much of your scoring is based on a polished appearance. 

No one knows this better than Meredith Boyd. Born Meredith Moser, she is an award winning makeup artist specializing in natural makeup looks for corporations and celebrities nationwide with over 20 years of experience.

She is another that has found herself on Pageant Planet’s Best Pageant Makeup Artists over the years.

This week's promotional item is Crown Jewels! Crown Jewels has released their newest earring styles. With more than 3,000 different styles to choose from you are sure to find what you need and at a price you can afford. If you want it custom you can email us, shop@pageantplanet.com and we can do that for you too.  

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about A Queen’s Guide to Pageant Makeup.

I feel like you can’t talk about Savvy’s early life without smiling. She is as salt of the earth as it gets and it is obvious why she is beloved by so many. Savvy was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods and the University of Arkansas.Her parents are Todd and Karen and she has one brother, Dane, who she is close with AND she was baptized in a horse trough. To learn more about Savvy’s rise from Fayetteville to Miss America 2017 listen in.

Visit Savvy Shields profile to see her talent video and where she infamously “locked crowns” with her friend. 

This week's promotional item is Pageant Daily! This free resource is delivered to you…daily AND each edition is loaded with tips, current events, product specials and our newest podcast episode, obviously.   

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about Miss America.

Special thank you to @holly_on_ig and @tessa.lillian for contributing to the episode! 

While pageants all have different phases of competition, one of the most consistent and well-loved categories is the evening gown or formal wear competition. It’s meant to highlight a contestant’s poise and elegance and choosing the right gown is crucial to nailing this part of the competition.

Contestants spend hundreds, or sometimes thousands on the “right” dress that they hope wins them the title. It has to wow on stage and it has to be from a designer who understands the performance quality expectations of a couture or custom gown. 

And you can’t talk about pageant evening gown competition without talking about Sherri Hill, one of the most notable designers in the game. Not just in the pageant world, but the prom industry as well.

This week's promotional item is the Classic Ankle Strap Heel. Use the coupon code PP15 to save 15%!  

Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in reading our course titled, How to Become a Model (And Get Your First Job).

This week’s episode covers the life and pageant journey of Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2018.

Catriona’s full name is Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray. She was born on January 6, 1994 and on December 17, 2018, she was crowned Miss Universe 2018 at the 67th annual Miss Universe pageant. She was crowned at the IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi Province, a northern suburb of Bangkok, Thailand.

She was born in Cairns, a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, to a Scottish-born father, Ian Gray, from Fraserburgh, and a Filipina mother, Normita Ragas Magnayon and she is reportedly named after her paternal grandmother, Catherine Gray, who immigrated to Western Australia from Scotland in 1952 as well as her maternal grandmother, Elsa Magnayon, her maternal grandmother from the Philippines.

Listen to this episode to learn more about Catriona and her journey to becoming Miss Universe 2018.

This week's promotional item is our pageant directory. Click, Pageants Near You to see if the pageant you are competing for is listed. If you don’t see it listed then help your director market his or her pageant by adding it to our directory by clicking here.  

Special thank you to @HazelMD (“the poet”) and @JayGuiza for contributing to the episode! 

It’s no secret that many of our listeners and followers are novices in the industry. Sometimes newer contestants will see or hear a trend, latch onto it and replicate it - not realizing when they do it, it will be the millionth time a judge will have seen it. 

So, today, we are going to be discussing some overdone trends we have seen over the past few years and how to avoid them. 

I think it is important to note that there are exceptions to every single one of these where someone has been successful with them. It even may be the right thing for YOU, but we want to make you aware, and then the decision is up to you.

We’ve separated these into two sections - the appearance section, what you wear and how you look - and the interview section, common phrases. We will also provide you with alternatives!  

This week's promotional item is our new course titled, Pageant Dictionary. This course covers common phrases in pageantry that newbies or veterans may not be aware of. How many do you know?