Hi queens! In this blog post I’m going to be giving you some ultimate pageant prep tips and everything that you should do leading up to getting on the pageant stage. These tips are often overlooked but are critical to smooth preparation and being prepared mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. So let’s get into the tips!
Watch a pageant LIVE
Unless watching a pageant live sparked your desire to do one, you need to go and watch a pageant live before you compete in one yourself. Not livestream, not Youtube, not live television. You need to buy a ticket and actually be in the audience watching the pageant. Being a part of a pageant audience is so different from watching the playback. It is important that you feel the live energy of prelim and finals night for yourself. It is important that you understand how quick the changes and transitions are, the politics, social etiquette, and networking of the pageant community, and being able to really analyze and ask yourself if you can see yourself up on that stage, if you can handle the pressure and spotlight. Watching a pageant live gives you the ability to see things from the point of view of the audience and the judges. It widens your perspective, giving you the ability to look at the production value and each girl critically, without bias. What you think you did on stage and what you actually did on stage can surprisingly be on opposite ends of a spectrum. But if you take the time to expand your perspective as an audience member and honorary judge you can make improvements quickly. Watching a pageant live gives you a more realistic taste of what the experience will be like for you as a potential contestant. If you are unable to watch the exact pageant that you want to compete in, find one that is similarly branded. I promise you that this small action will make a big difference in your onstage confidence and widen your perspective beyond that of a contestant.
Find a pageant that is on brand for you and has your best categories
Before you compete in a pageant you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. It is in your best interest to compete in and align yourself with pageants whose competition categories allow you to show your strengths and elevate your values. If you are a great performer, compete in a pageant with a talent category. If you are in great shape and feel confident showing that off, compete in a pageant with a swimsuit category. If you are very philanthropic and a great public speaker, compete in a pageant where service and interview are highly scored. If you are a female entrepreneur, compete in a pageant that promotes that or offers business grants in their prize package. It is important that you are strategic with the pageants that you compete in. If you are desperate for a title and are not intentional with your choices, you are only prolonging the time that it takes you to get crowned. Your personality and values should already pair well with the pageant. You should not have to change yourself and jump through hoops internally, if you do then the pageant system you’re looking at is not for you.
Set a budget
Like many extracurricular activities, pageants are as expensive as you allow them to be. It is very easy to fall down a rabbit hole of spending in this world of glitz and glamour and a lot of pageant costs are hidden. A part of being ultimately and strategically prepared is setting a budget and sticking to it. Do your research and ask other contestants and titleholders how much money they spent and what they spent it on from the time they signed up for their pageant until the end of their reign. You can even place your expenses in categories so that you have a more detailed view. Break your pageant budget down into categories of wardrobe, alterations, travel and lodging, makeup and hair, accessories, interview coaching, walking coaching, etc. Knowing exactly where your money is going will enhance your intentionality and help you separate wants from needs.
Speak to other contestants that have competed in the pageant you want to compete in
Although no two pageant girls have the same experience, every girl’s experience is still valuable. You should never underestimate the power of word of mouth and grassroots efforts. Pageants cannot happen without contestants and as pageant girls our most powerful tools are our voices in communicating with each other, and our presence in making these pageants happen. In order for pageantry to not only thrive but to improve we have to share our stories with each other and be as transparent and respectful about the things that we are experiencing. No matter how you’re being treated in a pageant system, if you share that with your girlfriends and if they love and respect you they will move accordingly, and the number of contestants or type of contestants in that particular pageant will reflect that love and respect or lack thereof. So seek out other contestants that have competed, that have won, that have lost, and ask them about their experience. Assess it with good heart posture and ask yourself if their experience aligns with your values and if it was an experience that you would want to have.
I hope this blog post was helpful as you embark on your pageant journey, and that you ultimately feel prepared for anything! If you would like to watch the corresponding YouTube video to this blog post click the link below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULPOlczQPzk&list=PLdKf_Cakc2U8d23VUxjXfCMuwoO9XOnJ6&index=45
