30 days.
That’s how much time we have between now, and the day that we know the name of someone who is headed to Miss America 2017!!!
Considering the fact that state pageant season is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER – I thought I’d go ahead and write this week’s post about the best way to use your time between now and your your state competition…
Doesn’t matter if you only have 30 days or 2.5 months until your state pageant – The truth is, your ability to perform well – and perhaps even win your state title – has much more to do with the 4-12 weeks BEFORE your state pageant – than at any other time.
It’s called momentum. And it’s awesome. 🙂
Ladies who have momentum on their side are a zillion times more likely to do well, as opposed to those who don’t! So – the question is, how do you get the “MO” you need to finish well at your state pageant? Here’s a few thoughts…
PERFECT YOUR ROUTINE
All of it. Your workout routine – Your Talent routine – Your waking/posing routine – Your ‘this-is-how-i-stay-updated-on-current-events’ routine. And don’t forget – part of your routine is your ability to practice each and every one of these things listed above, on a daily/regular basis.
Right now – it’s all about the routine. Make sure you’re doing the right things over and over again – whether that means cardio on M-W-F and weight training on T-Th… Or whether that means asking yourself potential interview questions every day on your lunch break… Or whether that means Talent practice 3 days a week… Whatever it is, establish a routine for yourself – and stick to it!
Make “your routine” your best friend. Don’t stray from it. Don’t slack off. Don’t cram everything into the two weeks before you leave. DO YOUR ROUTINE NOW! I promise, you’ll be AMAZED by how much progress you make – and how genuinely prepared you will truly feel – once your state pageant rolls around!
OFF-STAGE MATTERS
While establishing a routine is great – You’ve got to make sure you prepare yourself beyond the areas of on-stage competition. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times… The best way for me to tell if you are a serious contender for the job of Miss State, is to see if you are currently fulfilling the role of Miss State, RIGHT NOW.
That means, you should be doing things like promoting your platform, speaking in front of classrooms and other groups, networking and connecting with new potential sponsors, fundraising for CMN and your favorite causes. THESE THINGS ARE NOT PART OF THE ON-STAGE COMPETITION – but they are the exact things that prepare you to fill the role of Miss State!
When you succeed in these “off-stage” areas, you’ll have a crazy amount of legitimate confidence… Why? Because you’ve already been doing the job! And when you know, that you know, that you know, that you’ve got the “off-stage” goods to do the job of Miss State… Guess what that’s called??? You guessed it – MOMENTUM!!!
DEVELOP YOUR BRAND
If you’re a strong public speaker, and you’re great at fundraising, and you’ve been getting booking requests right and left through your platform, then congratulations! You’ve got a lot going for you! However, if any of these things are a struggle for you, it’s likely because you haven’t clearly defined your Pageant Brand. What makes you different than everyone else (pageant contestant or regular joe-schmo off the street)? What’s the clear message you want to send to others? How does that message resonate with people who hear it? Who benefits the most from your message? Why now? What happens if/when people don’t hear your message?
If you have trouble answering any of those questions (in no more than 8 words each), then you need help focusing and/or developing your brand.
When you have a clearly defined brand, it’s like walking into your interview with a secret weapon! Here’s why…
First – It’s much easier for the judges to remember you… Mainly because you’ll stand out from everyone else who simply wants to “help just one child.” And trust me – standing out, is a decidedly important, yet generally over-looked, part of the competition.
Second – It’s also easier for your own comfort level come pageant week… Mainly because you’ll know exactly who you are, what you stand for, and how you can introduce Miss Fill-in-the-blank to new audiences. You’ll know exactly how you can take the title to new heights and who you’re going to impact the most.
If you’re still not sure your pageant brand is as strong as it should be, or you’ve never thought about what’s going to make you stand out from everyone else on stage – We have a very limited time offer right now at Pageant Junkies University. Check it out here…
IT’S NOT ABOUT MISS AMERICA
Right now, you may be tempted to see yourself as Miss America 2017. But I would caution you about thinking that far ahead. At this stage of the game, thinking of yourself as the next Miss America, is a lot like walking into a job interview to work at the front desk, and assuming you know enough to take over the whole company as the CEO.
The truth is, your year as Miss State, has very little to do with your time at Miss America. Yes – it’s exciting and it’s rare – but even your state knows winning Miss America is a crapshoot (and we use that term as affectionately as possible). 🙂
That’s why thinking too far ahead can actually hurt you. Staying focused on what you can do for your state is the best preparation for determining what you can do as Miss America (if and when the time comes). Out of the nearly 1500 state qualifying contestants, only 52 ladies will need to think about competing at Miss America this year!!! First things first: Keeping your perspective on the ‘here and now’ allows you to build your momentum stronger and faster than those who are worried about going to Miss America.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!! Some awesome tips to help you create the momentum you need before your state pageant!
As always – we love reading your comments and hearing from you! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at ThePageantJunkies@gmail.com! We’ll see you again next week!
#BigJunkieLove
Carrie Lakey
To see more #ThursdayBlogDay posts like this one, please click here…
Carrie Lakey is kind of obsessed with Miss America…
So are 15,000 of her closest friends.
As an avid fan of the Miss America Organization, Carrie began
publicly predicting pageant winners over 10 years ago.
Now, she’s galvanizing an online movement of fans
known as “Pageant Junkies”.
Learn more about the Junkie Nation
by clicking here.
Hey Carrie! Loved the webinar and took notes the entire time- so much valuable info! Only question I had was about the prize subscriptions at the end and if you were still giving those out 🙂
Thank you and am so thankful for your website! Absolutely love it.
Ashley
Hey Ashley! Thanks for your message and your kind words! YES – we will be awarding those two 12-month subscriptions… I’ll grab the list and pull out 2 names – then I’ll email the winners to tell them the good news! THANKS AGAIN!!! 🙂