Mrs. Louisiana International 2020

You know I have a pageantry category on this blog but you may not know why. Who is this girl and what does pageantry mean to her? Hello, Laura, it’s Public Relations 101. Oops, I must have gotten ahead of myself!

I am representing Louisiana at the Mrs. International Pageant this July in Tennessee. This pageant system upholds high moral standards, emphasizes the importance of family, and requires each contestant to have a platform. Judging criteria is: 50% Interview, 25% Fitness Wear, 25% Evening Gown. If chosen in the Top 16, I will answer an On-Stage Question.

If my sister were here, she would say, “Why would you want to be judged?!”

Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels.com

The truth is, we don’t see it as being judged. The non-pageant world does. And rightfully so. Without being involved in the process it is easy to only see the glam. The crown, the banner, the photo shoots. But, there is so much more that goes into being a title holder. Personal development, business/brand development, health/wellness development, purpose development, and more!

Rewind three years. Somehow I stumbled upon Alycia Darby Zimnoch’s Win A Pageant YouTube channel. These concise, uplifting messages added excitement to my 30-minute commute to pick up carpool. During those drives, I was transported into a whole new world. A world of purpose, excellence, challenge, and beauty. It was exciting!

It was just fun “brain candy”. An escape from a mundane responsibility. And then, as God would have it, Alycia interviewed Mrs. International 2016, Priscilla Pruitt.

As I watched this interview, I thought, “I want to be that woman.” I want to be purposeful, articulate, confident, and professional like she is. That is my goal. That needs to be me.

That moment changed everything for me. All it took was mindset. I made up my mind who I wanted to be. I made up my mind to be the best version of myself.

Oh, but wait. I have four children. Two are still home with me all day. I am still a full-time mom. Fully depended on. For example, at an emotional bedtime, my youngest looked at her dad and said, “It’s not fair! Why do you get to sleep in Mommy’s bed every night?”

Did I give up on this new vision? Of course not! Did I share it with everyone I knew? Of course not! I kept it hidden in my heart. A driving force. A motivation. A sacred dream.

I did what I could while in the place God had me. I listened to every Win A Pageant video, I listened to 100’s of Pageant Planet podcasts, I read Creating Queens by Suzy Bootz, I diligently followed the Mrs. International titleholders, watched the DVD’s, etc. I sought free training until the time was right to fully dive in.

If the time is not right for you, don’t give it up! Keep your dreams alive within your soul. Write them down in a journal. And research. Find people you admire, experts in the field, and learn from them. Soak up everything you can. God planted a seed in your heart. Water it and wait. One day, when the sun comes out, it will be shining on you.

#Pageantry #pageant #beautyqueen #influence #beautypageant