Once upon a time, Carrie Lakey was enjoying her nice, little quiet life in small-town middle America, simply being known as “Founding Junkie”. You see, only a tiny handful of people knew who Founding Junkie really was… which made for a very uncomplicated life of ease and anonymity.
Throughout the year, Carrie would post photos of Miss America happenings, doing her best to promote the organization in the most positive light possible, and occasionally writing a few semi-amusing/insightful blogs. She was also committed to sharing the stories of awesome titleholders within the MAO, and offered fans a little bit of fun and intrigue with her pageant predictions – all while hiding behind the safety of a computer screen.
Then, one day, she realized there might be more.
Instead of simply reporting on the happenings of titleholders within the Miss America program, perhaps she could actually contribute to the conversation. And even more than that… Perhaps beyond just contributing to the conversation, maybe… just maybe… she could actually help make a difference for those who were willing to listen.
So, she faced her fears, and decided to come out of the proverbial Pageant Junkies closet… Not because she was looking for fame or fortune, but because she knew, there must be more.
As it turns out, there certainly was more. More than she could’ve ever asked or imagined!
There were podcasts… and personal connections… and newsletters with leadership principles… There were additional predictions… and a jam-packed PageantJunkies.com website… And before she knew it – a crazy idea occurred to her…
What if she could teach what she knew…?
What if people weren’t just able to “enjoy” her musings from an entertainment standpoint… What if they were actually able to become better pageant contestants, based on what she could teach them?
It was kind of a long shot… After all, most people just thought of Carrie as someone who could spot potential, and perhaps had a slight sense of clairvoyance when it came to predicting pageant winners.
Could she really convince people that she knew what it took to win?
Carrie ran her idea across a few close friends, who encouraged her to give it a try. They told her it might take some time, but eventually, members of the Junkie Nation would surely see the value she was offering – And specifically, how much they could gain, simply by tapping into her years of research regarding what it takes to win a state title.
And so… Without further adieu… Carrie took yet another leap. She created Pageant Junkies University.
Fans across the Junkie Nation instantly began to appreciate the wealth of wisdom associated with PJU… There were articles, cheat-sheets, videos, trainings and more – all available for free – in hopes of helping young women compete for their next title.
But for a select few who were truly ready to win, Carrie created the Build Your Pageant Brand course.
The course taught young ladies how to succeed in areas they never even thought about before… Things like Fundraising, Social Media, and giving new life to their Platform Issue. It also gave them ideas of what to say on your Pageant Paperwork and in your Interview – And it offered numerous examples of successful Pageant Brands on the national level.
And when those select few ladies, who were ready to win, realized that the information inside this course was more valuable than anything they’d done or anything they’d purchased up until that point, something incredible happened…
These ladies began to believe.
Not the kind of belief that fools you into thinking you’re better than you are… I’m talking about the kind of belief that changes you.
The kind of belief that’s anchored deep inside your soul and refuses to let go. That kind of belief changes the way you see yourself, the way you see others, and the way you see pageants overall.
How?
Well… For starters, the ladies who took the Build Your Pageant Brand course were no longer afraid of what other people thought. Instead, they were so busy and so excited about creating their own Pageant Brand, that they had little desire to waste valuable time thinking about the thoughts of others!
Further, they were no longer afraid of “not being enough” – mainly because they were so confident in the unique attributes they brought to the table! They began to realize that other little girls looked up to them – and that those little girls could tell whether or not they had really “accepted” the things about themselves they couldn’t change.
But mostly, they began to realize their own personal Pageant Brand – had amazing amounts of value and worth. Their brand wasn’t meant to be hidden… Rather, it was meant to shine! It wasn’t something to be ashamed of – it was meant to be out in the light – where it could help others who struggled with the same kinds of insecurities and doubts!
And guess what, my friends… when you have THAT KIND of belief…
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!
In the end, Carrie realized an important lesson shortly after she released Pageant Junkies University…
Although many Junkies were fond of her writings and teachings, not everyone would come to join PJU. And that was ok. In time, if it was the right thing for them, they would remember the free resources she provided, and perhaps reconsider enrolling in PJU. Not every person was ready for that kind of revolutionary belief at this specific point in time… But, when they were ready, she would be there.
And in the meantime, she would keep offering her podcasts and newsletters, her blogs and her jam-packed website… All with the goal of one thing…
Supporting those who are truly Ready to Win their next pageant.
Oh! And there was never any obligation of “kissing frogs” or “locating glass slippers” to find happiness – because those things are just silly (Seriously… Kissing Frogs? Losing Shoes? Who wants that?)…
Instead… Those who enrolled in Pageant Junkies University found exactly what they were looking for… And they all lived happily ever after! 🙂
The End.
PS – To learn more about the Build Your Pageant Brand Course from Pageant Junkies University, just click here…
