As a former competitor, I completely understand how the expenses of pageantry add up. If you feel strapped from the beginning, you may not make wise choices about your expenses, which could leave you settling for third-rate services, low-quality wardrobe, or foregoing vital preparation all together. It’s likely that you’ve heard of other girls getting sponsors for their pageants, so how are they successful and you aren’t. In this episode, I’m going to outline for you the 7 steps to get a pageant...
Sep 30, 2015•9 min•Season 2015Ep. 26
Ms. America International 2016 has over 30 years of experience as a contestant, director, emcee, coach and judge at the local, state and national levels. Plus, 40 years of performance experience in many different types of dance, choreographer and instruction. E-Dee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from Colorado Christian University and currently is the Vice President, Equipment Management Officer with one of the largest bank-owned equipment leasing/financing compan...
Sep 23, 2015•24 min•Season 2015Ep. 25
Many pageant contestants believe in order to win, they must project some illusive image of perfection – the perfect hair, perfect nails, perfect teeth, perfect walk, talk, smile, etc. But, when it comes time for her to deliver her on-stage answer to a tough political question or hug a child at an appearance, ‘perfection’ is far less attractive. In these areas, on-lookers would rather experience someone who is real, approachable, likeable and trustworthy. The truth is: The more real you are, the ...
Sep 16, 2015•12 min•Season 2015Ep. 24
When I first started competing, I was like many of my clients who believe that pageants are won on looks. And that’s because the majority of what is seen by the audience is the on-stage portion. The audience doesn’t see all the work that the pageant winners put in prior to their winning. The work is done behind the scenes, many months prior to the pageant, but the audience only sees the on-stage question. It’s really a shame, because women then enter pageants without a legacy project, and they r...
Sep 09, 2015•14 min•Season 2015Ep. 23
All competitions are won in the combination of strategy and tenacity. Being a pageant titleholder is no different. If you don’t know how to manage your energy, you will be left exhausted even before the pageant ends – and that is how women lose pageants. Conserving energy is key in pageantry. By understanding what commonly drains pageant contestants and creating a strategy to avoid the common drains, you’ll be able to manage your energy all the way through post-pageant media week! FreePageantCou...
Sep 02, 2015•17 min•Season 2015Ep. 22
Sheri Jenkins is a wife, mother, advocate, entrepreneur and Ms. Delaware America 2015. She has been involved with the Delaware and Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition as annual chair for Northern Lights of Life and volunteers at countless events. Sheri led the efforts as event chair for the inaugural Go Red Luncheon benefitting the American Heart Association and continues her participation in this event as the fashion show coordinator. With 20 years’ experience as a professional development man...
Aug 26, 2015•22 min•Season 2015Ep. 21
Norissa Lee Morse started her career as a model for famous gown designer, Jovani. She competed in several small pageants winning the Miss Congeniality award before winning the title of Miss Maine Teen USA in 2010. After relinquishing her crown, Norissa worked for Seventeen Magazine in NYC as a fashion intern. She recently graduated high honors with a degree in Communications and Public Relations. She currently lives in Maine where she runs her beauty/fashion blog NorissaLee.Blogspot.com . Follow...
Aug 19, 2015•18 min•Season 2015Ep. 20
Competition can appear to be so much fun – and it is! It also takes a lot of commitment to truly have a great year and get the most out of it. When you aren’t fully prepared to win, you risk your reputation. When you are fully prepared, you’ll have an understanding of what’s required of you and you’ll be prepared to step into the role with full confidence. With preparation, people will know they can count on you and respect you for your ability to deliver on your promises. In this episode, I’m g...
Aug 11, 2015•14 min•Season 2015Ep. 19
The pageant introduction is often the first impression the judges and the audience receive from the contestant. It’s vital that this introduction is authentic and also consistent with who the contestant truly is, and, it can’t hurt if it’s also intelligent, entertaining, and educational. That can be a lot to cram into 30 seconds. In this episode, I’ll walk you through an easy process to come up with your engaging on-stage introduction. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserve...
Aug 05, 2015•8 min•Season 2015Ep. 18
It’s not unusual to meet a judge in an elevator. In fact, it’s an amazing opportunity to connect with anyone in a short yet focused amount of time. Think about it: an elevator conversation with a stranger usually only lasts about 2 minutes and it makes an otherwise awkward moment into a remarkably pleasant one. What else do you do in an elevator but stare at the numbers lighting up above the door in anticipation of your floor. But, if you’re not prepared for a conversation those could be the lon...
Jul 29, 2015•14 min•Season 2015Ep. 17
Pageants can be like many other big life moments like changing schools, starting a new job, moving across country, there are a lot of pressures that come upon you during these times and they can be truly overwhelming. You can’t win a pageant as a ball of stress. When you start feeling like your having an out-of-body experience – it’s gone to far. Jump in a bubble bath with your day planner and start create an action plan to soothe your stress. In this episode, I’ll give you 6 specific ways to ma...
Jul 22, 2015•8 min•Season 2015Ep. 16
Showing gratitude is proper etiquette for those with good social graces, but writing a proper thank you note isn’t taught in school. My mom taught me some amazing skills in thank you notes, and so have my clients! In this episode, I’ll share with you an easy way to formulate your thank you notes so they are timely, personal, significant, and thoughtful. Plus, I’ll share examples of thank you notes from my clients at WinAPageant.com so you can see how others show their gratitude. © Alycia Darby Z...
Jul 15, 2015•8 min•Season 2015Ep. 15
Pageant interviews aren’t designed to be easy. In fact, I believe they are far more difficult than job interviews. Most pageants allow for anything. Therefore, crazy questions are asked. And you need to be prepared to deal with them. But, that doesn’t mean you’ll always have a slick answer to every question. Just as in real life people ask all sorts of dumb, offensive, provocative, inappropriate and rude questions when you’re least expecting it – so, you have to be prepared to react. In this epi...
Jul 08, 2015•10 min•Season 2015Ep. 14
Want a delicious party dip that's healthy?! I've got one for you: Almond Dip! It's super easy. Just mix together Almond Butter and Greek Yogurt and serve with sliced apples. When you do, take a picture and post to Instagram with the #WinAPageant so I can take a look! I share all the details of the recipe in this episode. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jul 03, 2015•2 min
Winning a pageant can be exhilarating, spectacular, overwhelming, exhausting and confusing. In this episode, I'll train you to avoid some common mistakes of pageant winners. People see you as a powerful entity and in fact, ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ One year goes by very quickly and you have to be prepared to make fast decisions that have the most beneficial impact and do no harm. That’s not easy. However, I do have 7 specific cautions that I believe will help you to avoid so...
Jul 01, 2015•12 min
Today’s Fit Tip is how to order a healthy meal at a restaurant. When you’re always on the go, it’s hard to cook at home and pack your meals, so you find yourself eating out a lot. Don’t be tempted by the delicious, greasy, fatty smells and the hoopla of other people ordering delicious garbage. Stay true to your healthy lifestyle. At the same time, you don’t want to look like you only eat ice cubes and almonds. In this episode Alycia shares three go-to meals for eating out and the important tip t...
Jun 26, 2015•3 min
In an exciting moment like winning a pageant title, you may momentarily lose your wits if you’re not wise. When you are standing in the spotlight, whatever impression you leave will last – perception is reality, so you don’t want to come off bratty, ungrateful, or just crazy. In this episode, Alycia will share a list of 7 things not to do when you’re crowned, which will make your winning moment: graceful, photogenic, and respectable. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved....
Jun 24, 2015•9 min•Season 2015Ep. 12
Sometimes when you’re trying to be poised and articulate you forget to also be human. When you come off as overly rehearsed, you can sound like an infomercial - or worse: a "Pageant Patty!" In this episode, Alycia gives you a 4-step exercise to add excitement and emotion into your speech to keep your audience and your judges engaged the whole time you're talking. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 17, 2015•9 min•Season 2015Ep. 11
Pageant judges want to be sure they choose someone that is able to shoulder the responsibility of the title. You must be confident enough in your own skin that you can communicate who you are and what you believe in. In this episode, Alycia gives you several questions you can reflect on to understand the unique strengths and values that make you wonderful! © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 10, 2015•11 min•Season 2015Ep. 10
Just like a celebrity prepares to promote their movie on a talk show or a politician is debriefed for a press conference, you, too, must be prepared with talking points for the public. Having a process to understand the on-stage question is key to preparing your talking points for your answer. In this episode, Alycia explains what the judges are looking for in on-stage question and gives you a process to easily create a one-size-fits-all answer for most pageant questions. Plus, she shares her ac...
Jun 09, 2015•16 min•Season 2015Ep. 9
Visualizing your win is a powerful exercise to believing you are suited to win the pageant. If you can watch yourself winning, you are far more likely to believe deep enough to actual take the crown. Alycia leads you through a guided meditation to visualize yourself winning your pageant. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 08, 2015•11 min•Season 2015Ep. 8
You’ve heard this a million times, “She’s got it!” “There’s just something about her…” “Wow – She’s just wow.” It’s the ‘It Factor’; the attractive quality that someone exudes which makes you want to be near them, befriend them, or perhaps choose them for the title or a promotion. You know it when you see it. So…what is ‘it’?! It’s Charisma! Charisma is a unique combination of characteristics, which allow an individual to standout in a crowd, appeal to an audience, and grab the attention of judg...
Jun 07, 2015•14 min•Season 2015Ep. 7
I believe in a pageant interview, you don’t need to know the questions as long as you know the answers. So, I want to teach you how to come up with a bunch of awesome answers through the art of story telling. Stories are the basis of human connection. We are able to connect with people through sharing stories and understanding where someone else came from based on what they’ve experienced. The best communication happens when people know you, like you and trust you. Knowing how to tell a good sto...
Jun 06, 2015•13 min•Season 2015Ep. 6
In your pageant interview, the judges are expecting you to be prepared to communicate your best self during your interview. That means, whether it’s 2 minutes or 20 minutes, the responsibility is on you. Therefore, you have to be in control of the values you want to communicate, the stories you want to share, and how you will make an impact as the new titleholder. I’ll teach you the top three things you should communicate during your interview. You can prepare and practice these in advance so th...
Jun 05, 2015•10 min•Season 2015Ep. 5
Just because you enter a pageant, doesn’t mean you have to want to win…yes, seriously. Pageant contestants sometimes get caught up in the need to win without truly considering what they really want. Here, I’ll teach you a 4-step exercise to help you determine your ultimate goal. You’ll be surprised to see some of the reasons that woman compete to not win their pageant. Teresa Scanlan, former Miss America 2011, is a good example of someone who won her first local, state, and national title and ma...
Jun 04, 2015•15 min•Season 2015Ep. 4
People believe that a pageant is won by the woman who strives to be the ‘most beautiful’ contestant. So do I; except, I also believe that “beauty” is not the same as ‘attractiveness.’ So how can you be the most beautiful woman on the stage? It’s easier than you think. I’ll tell you in this episode. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 03, 2015•12 min•Season 2015Ep. 3
Your pageant interview holds a lot of weight to the overall score of your pageant competition. You have to be ready to walk into the judges’ room and blow them away from the first minute. In this episode, I’ll teach you very specific exercises you can do to warm up your body, voice, and mind to ensure you don’t miss a moment to impress your judges. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 03, 2015•11 min•Season 2015Ep. 2
Before deciding to enter a pageant, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into! The top 10 questions I share with you in this episode will help you to gain insights into the mind of the directors, their values, and their perspectives as well as gain feedback from former titleholders to see how you may benefit (or not) from a pageant you may choose to enter. © Alycia Darby Zimnoch 2015 Win A Pageant All Rights Reserved.
Jun 03, 2015•12 min
Every week, I’ll be sharing with you honest down-to-earth pageant trainings to prepare you to win a pageant. Each episode will post early Wednesday morning, so you can listen while you’re getting ready in the morning, on your commute to class or work, or during your workout. In these trainings, I’ll teach you a specific concept, and why this idea is important to your success, the process of how you can apply the training concept through personalized exercises. I’ll give you examples (the good, t...
Jun 03, 2015•9 min
