Envision Your Reign

1. She's too young... If she's not achieving those big state or national titles, she could very well be performing at her very personal best, but may be "out-performed" by older girls in her division. There's a huge developmental gap between age 4 and age 7, yet, pageants may have them competing in the same age division, which puts older girls at a huge advantage. Girls may peak at different stages, or ebb and flow into their sweet spots.  Age can be a major factor throughout her pageant journey. 2. Low Self Esteem.. .Older contestants will tend to have a variety of personal issues ignited by puberty, society's unrealistic standards of beauty, or personal hardships. It takes a super confident contestant to fight through these challenges to win. Ishta showing a confident smile before her competition 3. Too focused on "winning"... because when she doesn't win, her self confidence plummets, sending her through a downward spiral of...

This pic says it all. Once you've gotten the speech written, start practicing the delivery of it. Use the mirror to help you and don't forget about all those muscles in your face. Click HERE to schedule your FREE consultation with Crown Captors so you can have that WINNING introduction! Envision your reign.

1. Color-blocking . The camera loves color. Be sure to choose tones that go well with your skin tone and against the backdrop being used. 2. Contrast using colors that "pop". 3. Go Monotone with neutrals, but make sure they compliment your skin tone 4. The traditional western chic look isn't complete without a pair of swanky cowboy boots. Don't forget to add a pop of color with accessories. 5. Go glam with a custom look that could rock any runway.

Top 5 at NAM Nationals 16 in the Junior Pre Teen division Here are the Top 10 Must Haves for Serious Pageant Competitors: 10. Photographer - Serious pageant girls need headshots for comp cards, program books, photogenic competitions, and social media, too! Selfies and school pictures will not be sufficient to achieve the effect of a serious pageant competitor. Be sure to get a photographer that specializes in pageant headshots rather than a mall studio or another specialty type. They will know just how to capture the contestant so you can submit winning photos. 9. Photo Editor - This may be the photographer or another vendor. Photographers can take excellent shots, but if the shot is marred with fly-aways or bad acne, it just ruins the whole photo. 8. Photo Printer - www.mpix.com is a highly recommended online printer. Images are ordered and they come right to your mailbox. What good is a fabulous shot if its on a bad print? 7. Hairstylist - I can't cou...

1. "Hi, my name is...." You can bet money that at least 30 other contestants will say the same exact phrase. Don't do it. 2. "In my spare time, I like to..." There are a million other ways to convey your hobbies without saying explicitely "In my spare time, I like to...". Be creative! 3. "When I'm not....you can find me...." It's so overused, I'm sick of taking about it. 4. "Once again..." Really? They just heared it 15 seconds ago. Don't waste your seconds by repeating information. Use them to take your intro to the next level...a memorable one. 5. "Thank you, have a nice day." Another time-waster. A sincere smile will convey gratitude. It's all in the delivery, not just the words. Leave that out of your speech. Read Don't Make Theses Mistakes During Personal Introduction and How to Write a KNOCKOUT Personal Introduction Speech  for more tips on how to make your speech S...

I could spend the next year counting the number of times I've heard a speech that sounded like, " Hi, my name is Mary Lou Smith and my favorite color is blue. When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian. Once again my name is Mary Lou Smith. Have a great day." The key to writing a knockout personal introduction speech is that you have to be original; you have to be creative, you have to be innovative and tap into the contestant's personal strengths that make her unique. An awesome intro will have nuances of imagery sprinkled with figurative language that grabs the audience and judges' attention, makes them laugh and think-- Hmmmm, this is a truly interesting person-- and it draws them in, engaging them to listen through the entirety of the speech. A knockout personal introduction will be so powerful that when the contestant leaves the stage, the judge can still remember exactly what she said. A personal introduction speech that...

Top 5 Jr. Pre Teen at NAM Iowa 2016 Question: Moms and contestants are wondering... why is my formal wear score so low ?  Or why didn't I make top 10 ? Possible answer : You choose a gown based only on what your preference is or how it looks on the model. Fact:  It’s simpler to change your walk and posture than to change your gown that you’ve already purchased. Your daughter can have an amazingly perfect walk in the gown, but if her gown doesn't fit the pageant system’s image and brand, she's less likely to score high in formal wear. She's less likely to end up as a semifinalist. She's less likely to be crowned. Note : Not only does the contestant have to LOVE the gown, the gown has to look good on the contestant AND match the pageant system's image. 2015 NAM National Queens Tips :  Purchase a gown 3-6 months in advance from your pageant, allows for alterations and getting used to walking in it, along with the shoes. If t...

It's a pageant mom's worst nightmare (one of many, I'm sure) to discover that her darling daughter is a mean girl. In fact-it could be quite embarrassing. Here are some things to look out for so you can proactively 'mother' your daughter out of some less-than-desired situations. She’s clique-ish . Pageant girls are known for building relationships over the years and it’s easy to get comfortable with one group. This is not good in pageantry, especially since judges and directors want a titleholder who is congenial. If your daughter would rather only hang around her 4 BFFs, she might be a mean girl. She’s easily annoyed. If your daughter gets frustrated at the slightest suggestion or favor asked, there's a good chance she shows the same amount of patience to others. Not good. She might be a mean girl. She’s rude . Have you ever caught your daughter making a snide remark about someone else, maybe even making fun of someone or mocking at some...

Brooke and her daughter at a NAM Pageant Breathe. It’s a new ride and you’re going through the motions...and sometimes those (e)motions can feel like a rollercoaster. Find a network of other pageant moms to gain valuable feedback and advice from others who have been there. Try not to take up too much time defending your pageant mom status. Everyone won’t understand! What’s important is that you are doing a great service to your daughter because you know it will help grow her confidence and life skills. She’ll thank you for it later. Take the opportunity to bond and get to know your daughter on a level you could not have imagined. Use your new pageant mom status as a chance to teach your daughter goal-setting and perseverance. Most importantly, HAVE FUN. Fantastic years lie ahead.

National American Miss Queens at the 2012 National Pageant   A first pageant can be intimidating not only to the contestant, but to moms and dads alike. Your only experience with pageantry may be what you've seen on T.V. or in movies. Your pageant paperwork and directors will be a great source of information in preparation of your next pageant, but here are 5 lessons that I had to learn from experience. NAM Texas State Finalists meet at a pajama party 5 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at Your Next Pageant: 1. Overspending. At your first pageant you'll likely be barraged with a plethora of pageant paraphernalia for sale...mostly having nothing to do with the competition itself. T-Shirts, pins, stationery, totes, roses, costume jewelry, buttons, DVDs, pretty much anything extra will be at the pageant.  Don't be hustled or feel pressured to buy any of it if its not already a line item in your budget (which is something you should have, see rookie mistake #2)....

NAM State Finalist Bria Jones before her winning interview Write out print out a list of interview questions. Cut them up into strips and place them in a container like a shoe box.  Place it next to your bed.  Each night pick out one question.  Read it and answer it aloud as if you were in front of the judges.  Repeat this process every night until your pageant to gain the confidence you need to win! Photo provided by NAM State Finalist Natalia Davalillo Envision your reign.

It's the start of a new year!  This is the time when people resolve to make this year better than the last. For many, lists of goals, tasks, or objectives are created in hopes of accomplishing them within the next 365 days.  Pageant girls everywhere are listing that big title as top priority. With hard work and dedication, many of these pageant goals will be accomplished.  However, some crown-chasers will unfortunately fail to even come close to their dream with little reason as to why. As a mom, educator, and coach, I tirelessly encourage young people to set goals.  However, in pageantry, I believe the extra step of creating a vision board will catapult dreams into reality.  Here are the reasons why a vision board should be a priority to-do item in any pageant girl's journey. I once had a client (fairly new to pageantry) who had never heard of a vision board.  The first thing I required her to do before we proceeded with coaching sessions wa...