Krista Yovanno, Mrs. Ohio America 2004 and co-director of Mrs. Ohio America; Kimberly Miller, Mrs. Ohio America 2010; Michelle Moore, Mrs. Ohio America 2002 and co-director of Mrs. Ohio America, and Rhonda Shappert, Mrs. Ohio America 2005 and owner of Winning Through Pageantry®.

So you‘ve decided to enter a pageant. What are pageant directors expecting from you?

 
Here is the short list of what directors expect from contestants:

• Behavior and appearance will be professional and respectful at all times.That includes rehearsals, parties, and down time when you are walking around the hotel or event area.

• All deadlines will be met without constant reminders from them. This includes financial payments, paperwork, ad pages, ticket orders and all other logistics they inform you of.

• Contestants will be on time for all activities. FYI, on time means arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

• Take personal responsibility for your own pageant preparation. The director’s main focus is to create a wonderful pageant experience for ALL contestants and share the information equally among everyone. Your questions about the competition should be answered by the director either in the paperwork they’ve produced, through group orientations, or a quick email or phone call from you. They’re not your coach. Some directors will coach their state titleholders to get them ready for nationals; but that is an entirely different topic. Be respectful of their boundaries and time.

• Titleholders are expected to follow through on their obligations. If you’re unclear about what is expected of you as the queen (i.e.: rules, appearances, time commitment, further competitions and financial commitments) ask before you agree to compete in the pageant.

A pageant director is no different than the owner of a traditional business.They’re responsible for all the logistics of finding a facility for the pageant; securing judges for the event; putting together sponsors and prizes for the contestants and queens; advertising; creating all rules, paperwork, and judging criteria; hiring a staff to help run the event; arranging for entertainment and an emcee; and marketing the pageant to find contestants. WOW! That’s a lot.

The more you understand and appreciate all that directors do to create this opportunity for you, the more tolerant and patient you’ll be when things don’t logistically flow as smoothly as they could. Directors put out thousands of dollars in advance and countless hours into the pageant they’re producing. They need a certain number of contestants to financial break even, and to make a profit. Yes, making a profit is important for the pageant’s continuation.

The director is your primary source of information regarding their pageant system. It’s appropriate to ask general questions about the style of clothing worn for this pageant, the schedule, financial obligations and qualities that the pageant seeks in their titleholders. Specific questions like: is this the most flattering dress on me, what should I do with my hair, and is this a good answer if the judges ask me this question are all questions that a pageant coach, or similar professional can help you with. Not the director. I would enjoy working with you if you feel you’re ready to take your pageant preparation to the next level.

What directors are expecting and wanting are ladies that are professional, respectable, accountable and responsible to represent not only themselves with pride, but also the pageant system in which they are a titleholder.

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Being professional, respectable, accountable and responsible are qualities that carry over into all areas of your life. I’m a firm believer that how we handle the small things in our lives is how we handle all things. Be a person of your word and always remember, your actions speak so loud people can’t hear what you’re saying.

Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach, an iPEC Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and a member of the International Coach Federation. She created Winning Through Pageantry® to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation, achieve winning results in life through pageantry, and to Succeed From The Inside Out®. She has over 30 years experience in the pageantry world as a contestant, judge, emcee, staff member, mother of daughters who compete, Mrs. Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels.

Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 21 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. Their music CD entitled Cana is available through www.cdbaby.com/cd/shappert or on her website. For more information on Rhonda, visit  www.WinningThroughPageantry.com .

As a pageant coach, I’m frequently asked these questions:

• How many contestants are you coaching in this pageant?
• How many of your clients have won?
• Are your daughters competing in this pageant?
• Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

I love it when people ask about my coaching style because I am different from most of the people who call themselves pageant coaches.

What the person really wants to know is how I am going to give them my very best and help them to become a winner. Everyone wants to feel special and have complete attention given to their needs. I know I felt that way when I was competing and looking for a pageant coach.

What makes me different and sets me apart from the other pageant coaches is that my focus is totally on YOU.

Y -Your Why.

When we work together, my whole focus is to help you define your meaning of winning, identify your needs, set and reach your goals, and clarify your purpose for doing the pageant so you get the most from your experience.

This is your growth process and journey, not mine. You’re responsible for the action you take and the results you receive. It’s true, I do get very excited and happy when I see contestants grow, accomplish their dreams and finish what they start; but a contestant doesn’t win solely because they work with me or any other coach. Winning happenings when the sum of all the parts come together at the right time. It takes many people and ,sometimes a lot of time, for the formula to finally complete itself. But you don’t need to walk away with the crown at the end of the night to be a winner.

Because I’m a professional certified life coach through iPEC and member of the International Coaching Federation, I follow the ICF Standards of Ethical Conduct. The ICF Code of Ethics is very specific about privacy, confidentiality and conflicts of interest. None of my clients ever have to worry about me sharing their information with anyone from our coaching sessions.

O - Outcome.

I don’t play favorites, have a hidden agenda, or have a vested interest in the outcome of any pageant. In an honest pageant, no one person has the control of the outcome of the pageant. There are no guarantees.

Because my sole focus is on providing professional coaching that meets the needs of each individual client and is tailor made for their personal development, I can remain objective throughout the coaching process. Coaching is my full-time career. It isn’t a hobby or something I do on the side. It is what I am and I continue to grow and strengthen my skills every day.

My clients share with me what they want, we create a plan, and my objective is to partner with them to keep them on track. That is the only outcome I’m focused on. If in the process, they win the title too, woo hoo! But that’s the frosting, not the cake.

U - Unique.

After working together, you’ll realize what makes you unique and special. You’ll no longer feel compelled to compare yourself to others because you’ll be confident, appreciate and know who you are.

I don’t create cookie cutter queens or have a “one mold that fits all” mentality. It doesn’t matter to me if all my clients are in the same age division in the same pageant, or spread out. When I’m working with someone, I meet them where they are and all my energy is focused on the unique individual that is before me.

So here are the answers to the questions I posed at the beginning.

• How many contestants are you coaching in this pageant? Several.

• How many of your clients have won? All of them win. If you’re asking about titleholders, I have helped many, many girls and ladies reach this goal in all major pageant systems. Some are featured on my website. Again, I don’t keep track of this number, because it’s not about me, it’s about them.

• Are your daughters competing in this pageant? The odds are, no. My girls don’t compete that often and they’re treated no differently than any of my other clients. But if they were in the same pageant, I would let my clients know.

• Isn’t that a conflict of interest? No. The only time I feel I would have a conflict of interest is if I were judging a pageant, and I found out one of my clients was competing. At that point, I would let the director know and either withdraw from the panel, or have my scores dropped for that contestant.

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Clients that work with me will learn about interview, hair, makeup, clothing selection, and modeling. But most importantly, the personal development and life coaching they’ll receive will benefit them in all areas of life. Their relationships will be stronger, their communication skills articulate, and their life purpose clearer. And that’s what I mean by “Beyond The Pageant”. Visit my website to see how you can partner with me to win in life through pageantry.

www.WinningThroughPageantry.com

Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach and an iPEC certified personal development life coach. She created Winning Through Pageantry™, to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation and achieve winning results in life through pageantry. She has over 30 years experience in the pageantry world, was Mrs.Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels.

Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 21 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. Their music CD entitled Cana is available through www.cdbaby.com/cd/shappert or on her website. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.

One of the wisest thoughts my pageant coach shared with me when I was competing was this: in order to improve in pageantry, you need to advance to the next level of competition.

There was no way I was going to become an elite pageant titleholder if I continued to compete in small pageants where the numbers were small and there was limited competition. Please don't miss understand what I'm saying. All you really need are two strong contestants and you have competition.

However, your skills are really tested and brought to a new level when you compete with 50 or more polished contestants from across the country. I've seen it time and time again where contestants will stay at the festival or small pageant level because they feel comfortable there and generally do well. Small pageants are at the entry level position, and the numbers tend to be smaller with most of the contestants having little to no knowledge of what is expected of them. It's easier to gain confidence and win a title at this level with little to no help. It's a great place to start. That's where most people, including myself, started.

But the growth at this level is very horizontal not vertical. A contestant usually stays the same with few challenges that stimulate growth. Again, I'm not knocking small pageants. They provide a very important and needed opportunity for the mass number of contestants who want to try pageantry with minimal expense. But if you want to capture a more prestigious crown, you need to step up your game and enter the big leagues.

 
True personal growth takes place when you constantly raise the bar and keep putting yourself out of your comfort zone. Contestants need to attend and ultimately compete in a national pageant so they can see the caliber of contestants outside of their local and state pageants. There are many advantages to attending a national pageant, but I have chosen three to highlight in this article.

• Overcoming your fears. Most of the fear we experience is fear of the unknown. We think of every possible thing that could go wrong at a pageant and at some level feel we're not worthy of being there. By immersing yourself in the top levels of pageantry, you begin to picture yourself in that environment and suddenly the reality becomes a possibility in your mind instead of the impossible dream. You start to realize, if she can do, so can I.
• The standards are much higher. Everything at a national pageant is bigger including your nerves. The wardrobe, hair, makeup, communication skills, stage, lights, production and caliber of the contestants are unlike what you experience at preliminary state competitions. If a contestant isn't expecting this, it could really throw them off, and they will quickly spiral downward into the land of "I'm not good enough. Why did I ever come here?" We want to stay far, far away from this land.

• A better understanding of what is expected of the titleholder, their responsibilities, and broader opportunity for appearances and service.Riding in parades and helping with grand openings for businesses are only two opportunities for titleholders to make appearances. Some people think these are the only types of events that they can participate in. But, let's be honest, riding in parades are more of a fun PR opportunity than they are for personal growth. Your speaking and mental toughness skills are not developed sitting in a gorgeous convertible.

National titleholders are well spoken, well rounded and professional put together young women or ladies. The only way you'll improve and grow is to move up to the next level of competition, associate with people of higher standards, get out of your comfort zone, and work with a skilled pageant coach. Yes, titleholders have pageant coaches. I'm going to cover the topic of pageant coaching next week, however, please don't be deceived by anyone who tells you that they have made it to the top all on their own. It simply isn't the truth.

The cream of the crop is supported by a foundation of family, friends, hairstylists, makeup artists, wardrobe consultants, speaking coaches, directors, photographers, fitness trainers, and multiple pageant coaches. Some people use a few or all of the above professionals; but everyone has help. The label you put on the help doesn't matter. Help is help. Paid for or free. The end result is the same.

I would love to help you go to the next level in pageantry and in your life. If you're ready to take it to the next level, visit my website at www.WinningThroughPageantry.com to see how we can work together.

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My girls learned so much this past week by going to the Ohio State Fair for judging of their 4H projects. Multiple times, I heard them say, "Wow, that was a lot better than what I saw at the county level" or "Look at all the detail and depth that person put into their project. No wonder they placed so well. I'll do that next year."

You see, we need to expose ourselves to new people and opportunities for us to continue to grow and learn how we can improve. Keeping things the same is fear based, not building of one's confidence. What area of your life have you kept the same from "fear of the unknown?" What one thing could you do this week to step out of your comfort zone and open the door to possibility?

Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach and an iPEC certified personal development life coach. She created Winning Through Pageantry™, to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation and achieve winning results in life through pageantry. She has over 30 years experience in the pageantry world, was Mrs.Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels.

Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 21 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. Their music CD entitled Cana is available through www.cdbaby.com/cd/shappert or on her website. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.

OK, first lingerie, now topless body painted photos. Beside full nudity, I don’t know how much further the Miss Universe Organization can push the envelope.

This comes as no surprise to me based on how the organization and its representatives handled the controversy around the Miss USA photo. The women are the victims here.  I feel the Miss Universe Organization puts the contestants in a very difficult position when they say “the contestants were given the choice to pose topless.” There’s no choice. I say BRAVO to those ladies who refused to take it all off and stand their moral ground, even though they have eliminated themselves from any chance of winning the crown.

This type of photography doesn’t empower women. All it does is further the stereotype that pageants exploit women, which is a step backwards, not forwards. There is nothing creative or new about using the old “sex sells everything” marketing tactics that the Miss Universe Organization has chosen. ‘

I vividly remember a couple seasons ago on one of the episodes of Trump’s show, The Apprentice, when for several weeks the female team had beaten the male team because the ladies used their sex appeal to win the tasks. In the board room, Mr. Trump told the women that they were smart and accomplished women; and he didn’t want them to continue to use the “sex card” anymore. In essence, he challenged them to use their creativity to show substance from within. I wish Mr. Trump would listen to his own words and apply them to his pageant. I, for one, am tired of this organization hiding behind the “its art” façade. It’s exploitation. Period.

Most titleholders are woman of great depth and service. Beauty just happens to be the frosting on the cake, not the cake itself. It’s a shame that the public will never open their minds to seeing the remarkable things these women are doing in their home states and communities because of the shallow actions of this organization.

There are still many value oriented and high quality pageant opportunities for girls and women to participate in if they want to personally grow using this type of vehicle. The Miss Universe Organization just isn’t one at this time.

NAM National Director,Steve Mayes, with Rhonda Shappert, owner of Winning Through Pageantry.

http://www.namiss.com/
The mission of the National American Miss Pageant (NAM) is to celebrate America's greatness and encourage its future leaders. Each year, the pageant awards one million dollars in cash, scholarships and prizes to recognize and assist the development of young women nationwide.

There are five groups that compete at the state level.
All age groups are based on your age as of January 1st.

 

*Princess: 4-6  

*Jr. Pre-Teen: 7-9 

*Pre-Teen: 10-12

*Jr. Teen: 13-15 

*Teen: 16-18

 

At the national level, there is a Miss division for contestants ages 19-20. Most of the information I am sharing with you was taken from the national website. I would encourage you to check there for the most up to date information regarding the pageant if you are thinking of competing. NAM is in all 50 states so to find your state director; you will need to go to www.namiss.com.

NAM is a natural pageant and doesn't allow makeup on girls under the age of 13. Makeup, hair, and clothing choices need to be age appropriate for all the contestants.

For the overall queens' titles, there are four areas of competition: formal wear, personal introduction, interview and community service.

Formal Wear 30%

Formal Wear counts for 30% of your final pageant score. Every contestant will be individually introduced on stage, with all the lights, sounds, and excitement. This is your moment alone in the spotlight wearing the dress of your choice.

Choose a dress that shows off your unique personality. The color and style are your choice. You should feel confident and excited about who you are and who you were created to be.

As you are introduced on stage, you will be escorted by your father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, godfather or any other friend. If no one is available, they will be happy to provide an escort for you at no cost. The above photo of my clients is an excellent example of the type of gown contestants will want to wear during this phase of competition.

Personal Introduction 30%

Personal Introduction counts for 30% of your final pageant score. During this competition, you will be learning how to speak effectively into a microphone and how to confidently and professionally present yourself on stage to a live audience.

 
Contestants will introduce themselves on stage, saying their name, hometown, where they see themselves in the future or something interesting about themselves. The introduction is around 30 seconds in length and contestants wear their interview suit during this phase of competition. Feel free to creatively put together your introduction. The judges want to get a sense of who you are and your personality.

Interview 30%

Interview counts for 30% of your final pageant score. You will talk one-on-one with each of the pageant judges for about a minute.

This is the time for you to let your personality shine. You will take home valuable interviewing skills, such as making good eye contact, speaking confidently, and sitting properly during an interview.

The judges will be asking questions simply to find out more about your. They will not ask questions with a right or wrong answer, and there will be 5 or more judges on the panel. Attire for the interview is a suit. Since it is very difficult to find suits for young girls, most contestants have their suits custom made by seamstresses. You can also find suit around Easter time in JCPenney's, or a similar department store. The suit should be tailored to fit your daughter perfectly.

Community Involvement 10%

The Pageant Weekend Community Involvement Project is incredibly fun, easy, and rewarding! A full 10% of your final pageant score will be awarded to your when you donate a children's book or stuffed animal on pageant weekend.

There are several optional competitions including talent, spokesmodel, casual wear modeling, photogenic, actress and many more. There really is something for everyone to showcase themselves.

Here in Ohio, the state pageant for each age group spans three days.

The first day is check in, a workshop and a fun Decades Get Acquainted Party in the evening where the girls dress in their favorite decades outfit.

Day two is filled with all of the optional competitions, rehearsals, and the Personal Introduction and Escorted Formal Wear competition in the evening.

Morning of Day Three, contestants will have Interviews with the judges, have a final rehearsal, and the Pageant Finale will take place that evening. The finale will open with a dance number that the girls have learned that weekend.

The Queens and appointed state queens (an appointed state queen is if your state didn't have a pageant, and you were selected through a comprehensive essay and interview process to represent your state at the national pageant) compete for the title of National American Miss held at Disneyland in November during Thanksgiving week.
Queens' courts (first through fourth runners up of the state pageants), appointed city queens (if states didn't have a pageant, representative are selected) State Cover Girls, and State Ambassadors (which are advertising titles), will represent their cities for the title of National All-American Miss. It, too, takes place at the same time and location as the National American Miss pageant.

The Winner in any of the State Talent, Photogenic, Spokesmodel, Casual Wear Modeling or Actress competitions, may compete in any of the Optional Contests at the National Pageant as well as compete for the title of National All-American Miss.

The top 5 in any of your State Talent, Photogenic, Spokesmodel, Casual Wear Modeling or Actress competitions, may compete in any of the Optional Contests at the National Pageant. They'll also be able to participate in the opening production number dance, the special presentation in formal wear, all Disney Activities and more!

For the 7 days contestants are at nationals in California, their days are filled with parties, optional competitions, rehearsals, formal wear competition, interview, personal introduction, a day at Disney and a tour of Hollywood. Again, schedules and events have a tendency to change, so check the national website or contact the national office for any questions that you may have at www.namiss.com.

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Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach and an iPEC trained personal development life coach. She created Winning Through Pageantry™, to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation and achieve winning results in life through pageantry. She was Mrs.Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels. Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 21 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. Their music CD entitled Cana is available through www.cdbaby.com/cd/shappert or on her website. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.