Woo hoo! You’ve just received the information from the pageant system you want to enter. Excited, you eagerly look through the paperwork. Then you begin to notice the number of payments for the registration fee, opening number outfit, program ad page, meal plan, hotel, extra events, and tickets that are due. Grabbing your handy dandy calculator, your fingers start to fly across the buttons as you add up the numbers. What?

All of a sudden, the light happy feelings you were just experiencing plummet to the floor as you look at the total amount of money due. How in the world are you going to find the money to pay for this pageant? Just like sports or hobbies, it takes money to participate in pageants. Depending on the type and level of pageant you’re in, you’ll need hundreds to several thousands of dollars. Finding sponsors and raising money for your pageant expenses is a task that will involve creativity, marketing skills, and most importantly, people.

The key to raising money for a pageant and acquiring the needed resources is found in the quality of the relationships you have with the people in your life.

If you’re thinking of sending out letters or emails to all your local businesses and expecting them to just hand over the money to you, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s easy for people to ignore letters, emails, and phone calls if they don’t know you or have some sort of connection to you. It’s people who hold the keys that will unlock the doors of opportunity for you; and, they are more likely to open the door for people they already know, like and trust.

People listen to the radio station WIIFM , aka what’s in it for me? Let’s be honest, a national program book is not going to help the traditional store front business in your hometown. However, if a person’s business is online and they can serve people across the country, then paying for ad space in a program book may make more sense for them. But for the local business person, how will they directly benefit from sponsoring you? By asking them questions, listening to the answers you receive, and creating a situation where both of your needs can be met, you will make your wish a reality. People will support you when it’s a win-win situation.

You don’t have to know everyone personally. People know people who know other people. But it all starts with your inner circle of people and radiates out from there. So if you have a pageant need, the first people you talk and brainstorm with are those closest to you. Make a list of everything you will need for the pageant including clothing, photos, hair, makeup, coaching, etc. People can’t help you if they don’t have the full picture. Someone may not have money but perhaps they are a hairstylist or work at a dress store.

 
Physical services and products are good to receive from people; but you’ll still need a certain amount of cash. Here’s where creativity comes in. If you’re not a creative person, look in your sphere of influence for someone who is. Think of an event that would benefit your community is some way that people would be happy to hand over their money.

For example, I hate to cook. I love to eat, but I can’t cook. In our community there is an annual chicken noodle dinner. Every year I am more than happy to buy this dinner because I would have to spend the money on food anyway, I don’t have to cook or clean up, and the money goes to charity. Plus, some of the projects they do with the money from the dinner directly benefit people in my hometown. It’s a win-win situation.

With the economy being what it is, people are looking for events and things to do locally as a family. If Joe will let you use the gym, Marge has a catering business, and Cindy is a DJ, you’ve got the beginning of a nice family night out where you can charge admission. Or, host your own pageant. There are many girls and women who would love to try a pageant at an affordable price.

 
It is never acceptable to manipulate or use people to get what you want. For example, pretending to be someone’s friend so you can gain access to whatever it is they have that you want. Then dropping them once you get it. Building an honest and genuine relationship with someone means there is a mutual giving and receiving between the two parties. The internet, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are merely tools we use to reach out and connect with people. The quality of the relationships you build will ultimately determine the quality of the opportunities that come your way. What goes around, comes around.

Take the time to build relationships and love people first , then the things you like will follow. You can raise the money you need to do a pageant. Just allow enough time, be creative and enlist the help of those closest to you.

Request my free special report, 10 Insider Secrets to Winning, and receive  my free award winning newsletter weekly. Just click here or at the top of this page to GET YOUR FREE REPORT.Then fill out your name and email address in the boxes.

• Do you need practice for your summer pageant?

• Are you looking for a pageant with no swimsuit or talent requirement?

• Do you like the idea that 20% of all the money raised from this pageant is going to the American

Here's your opportunity.

• Every contestant will go home with a crown and prizes valued beyond the registration fee.

Click here for full details about this opportunity and share it with your friends.

INTERVIEW CARD

The ability to answer questions about you, your purpose, current events, and controversial topics in a clear way is an important life skill that everyone can benefit from. The more you practice, the better you will get. These handy interview cards are a great way to practice with a partner or use by yourself to get you thinking about the topic.
The Beginning 10 Questions are the staple interview questions everyone must know the answers in an interview situation. Then each month you will receive a new card in the mail with fresh questions.

Now preparing for your interview is easy and for a limited time FREE.

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 22 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. For more information on Rhonda, visit  www.WinningThroughPageantry.com .

You will spend more money preparing for a pageant than you will earn in monetary winnings. Most people don’t do pageants for the money. Instead it’s for the priceless opportunities that present themselves by growing through the process.

Is the investment worth it? That’s up to you. Knowing what you value and the reasons for doing the pageant will lead you to your answer. If your only intention is to win a crown, trophy and sash (having a monetary value of about $150), I’d say no. But if you want to use your pageant experience as a vehicle to develop a deeper understanding of who you are, what your life purpose is, create dynamic communication skills, learn how to live a balanced life, strengthen your relationships, and establish a way of thinking that enables you to create the life you want to live,  it’s worth the investment. That’s what I experienced in pageantry, and as a pageant coach, that’s the method I use with my clients.

How much money does it take? Again, it depends on the type of pageant you’re competing in and what your goals are. For small festivals or local pageants about $500, for a state competitions $1000, and for nationals pageants around $4000. These are very conservative, middle of the road estimates but in my experience, you can use these numbers as a good guide.

What are the expenses I can expect? Besides the obvious hair, makeup, shoes and dress, here is a list of other expenses that pageant people may incur: Transportation to and from the pageant, hotel room and food for you and your family during the pageant; ad page costs; admission tickets to all events; gifts for the other contestants; competition wardrobe for interview, fitness , evening gown including shoes, undergarments, jewelry, accessories, and props for each outfit; if you’re doing talent, costumes, props, accessories, and music; optional competitions; professional services for coaching, modeling, fitness training, hair, makeup, tanning,talent development and wardrobe; opening number and production outfits; comp cards; headshots; photographer and videographer packages; your travel expense to and from appearances; additional clothing for appearances; and other expenses. It all adds up quickly. Realize that not all these are necessary for every pageant. I want to let you know what you’re in for so you have a realistic understanding of what to financial expect.

Most people pay for the pageant expenses themselves. But it is possible to receive financial assistance from businesses and people within your sphere of influence. The key is allowing enough time to do this. Ideally, several months before you need the money. Here is a starting place to help you with your quest for sponsorship.

• List one is all about you. Write down all the skills you have that you could market to service organizations and business people in exchange for their financial sponsorship support. For example, I’m a dancer, singer, public speaker, writer, MC, promotional model, runway model, print work model, musician, hostess, and actress. Have two or three songs/dances/speeches already put together that you can perform in a variety of potential situations. Models have your portfolio together and practice your modeling routines so you can demonstrate your modeling abilities. A quick comment, your skill level must be worthy of being compensated.

• List two is all about your network. Write down all the companies that you do business with. Put salons, clothing stores, retail stores, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, banks, and direct sales people on the list. Look at the service organizations in your surrounding community such as Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Departments of Tourism, church groups, school organization, and men’s and women’s organizations. Get the yellow pages, search on online, and talk to people to find out who the mover and shakers are in your community. Start talking to the business owners and build a friendship. Ask them about their company needs for upcoming events. Get names, email addresses and phone numbers from the above people and when the organizations meet. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will get easier the more you do it.

• List three is all about events. Start gathering information about upcoming events from different schools, churches, service organizations, business expos, and festivals. Put them on your list. Don’t limit yourself to just your hometown. If you are competing for a state title, the whole state is an opportunity?. There is a seasonal cycle for events. Sports are year round. In spring and summer you have a lot of festivals and outdoor celebrations. In fall, people start thinking of the holidays so they are looking for entertainment for their parties. Winter brings bridal and fashion shows. Look in trade newspapers, go online, and check out the tourism websites in your area to get an even longer list of events.

Once you have your lists created, see what skills you can offer to the different businesses and organizations at their events. For example, be a greeter, handout materials, emcee, be the featured speaker or talent. It’s even more fun if you do this with organizations that are part of your platform or community service projects. People will want to support you if you are clear, confident, and professional when you approach them. You will be providing a service in exchange for their sponsorship.

Also, come up with a way to recognize and advertise their sponsorship of you for the year by offering to put their business information on your ad page, website, blog, comp card or all of the above.

Don’t rule out bartering for sponsorship. Meaning if a dress store will let you have or discount the price of a dress in exchange for being a model at several events, celebrate. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Be creative. Sell things you no longer use or need on eBay or Craigslist to get money. Organize a  event where you can have performers donate their time, sell raffle tickets, and fix a meal. Host a fund raising pageant or style show. For a year, live on strict budget and buy what you need, not what you want. You’d be amazed at how quickly you can come up with the money.

Through this whole process you’ll learn to overcome fear, prioritize your wants verses needs, manage you time, develop your planning, marketing, and networking skills. Learning how to feel the fear and shift it to your advantage is a skill that will help you far beyond the pageant.

Have fun, be creative, and grow through the process. If you have questions, need clarification or want help, please contact me so we can discuss a pageant preparation plan that is just for you.

Request my free special report, 10 Insider Secrets to Winning, and receive  for my free award winning newsletter weekly. Just click the GET YOUR FREE REPORT button at the top of this page. Then fill out your name and email address in the boxes.

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 .

In my opinion, if you're going to participate in the pageant world, there are three very important facts that you must know upfront and accept, or you'll drive yourself and those around you crazy.

FACT 1: Everything in pageantry is subjective, or based on opinion. That means there isn't one universal winning dress, hairstyle, makeup or answer that is PERFECT. You'll drive yourself mad if you are expecting perfection. Instead, the overall queen is chosen from the average score of a panel of 5 or more judges' opinions.

Even within the judging panel, the opinions will vary greatly. Three judges love your dress while the other two hate it. Four will think you are well spoken and articulate while one thinks you're opinionated and over rehearsed. Sometimes it happens that the panel will be split on a decision if it is an even number of judges. This is normal. Seldom are the results of a pageant a unanimous decision.

FACT 2: Every judge, audience member, family member, hairstylist, makeup artist, photographer, wardrobe consultant, and pageant coach has an opinion.

FACT 3: The only definitive opinion that matters if YOURS. I don't mean for this statement to be interpreted as an arrogant attitude like "I'm right, and they're wrong." Rather, be open and teachable to the feedback you're receiving. Listen for reoccurring patterns. If the majority of the judges are saying something similar, you may want to take a serious look at what they're saying. However, bottom-line is it's your decision as to what action you'll take based on the opinions and advice you're receiving.

For a brief period of time, I struggled with the contradictory feedback I was receiving from the judges, my coaches, family and friends. I quickly came to the conclusion that ultimately it was ME up on the stage, not them; and that I had to feel totally confident with my hair, makeup, wardrobe and answer choices.
So, in my opinion :), this is what I did to sort through this situation.

• Be very selective from whom you are receiving feedback and advice. What is this person's area of expertise? How credible are they? Can I learn from this person?
• Take time to get to know your values, boundaries, likes and dislikes. You know the old saying, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything". If you're trying to follow everyone's advice and basing your actions on the opinions of other people, you may find yourself feeling frustrated and confused.
• Take personal ownership and responsibility for your actions and decisions. Absolutely seek out mentors and people who can help you become more than what you are at the moment, see other options and explore different opportunities. But, it's up to you to make a decision as to what course of action you'll take.

The whole idea of being selective from whom you receive mentorship is key to your success. No one is a self made success story. Successful people associate with other successful people and all have mentors. Whose opinion has been influencing you? Do you respect them? Are they living what they preach? Are they where I want to be? Spend some time this week evaluating the circle of influence in which you circulate. If you're not where you want to be, step out of your circle and find people who can inspire, support and cheer you on to whatever you dream or goal may be.

Question: I just received my pageant score sheets from the judges, and they seem to contradict each other. How am I to improve if one judge tells me one thing and another judge says the opposite?

Answer: Yes, this can be very frustrating. To answer your question, I'm going to use the supermarket analogy. When you go to the grocery store, most of the time you go with a list and purchase those items you need at that time. You don't buy everything in the store. If you need peanut butter, you have numerous choices as to which brand you'll buy. You make your choice based on taste, nutritional facts, cost and one that meets your needs. Think of advice and opinions in the same way. Take what applies to you at the time and leave the rest…for now :).

How do I raise money for a pageant? This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive as a pageant coach. Having competed for years myself, I know the importance of having a couple thousand dollars in the bank BEFORE you commit to doing a pageant. Yes, you heard me right, a minimum of 2,000-3,000 dollars. The exact amount of money will vary depending on the level and pageant system you’re participating in; but with this seed money, you will be able to fully enjoy the process while reducing the financial stress that some contestants may experience.

It’s important to know what the titleholder’s obligations are to the pageant system you are considering. For example, some local and festival pageants have no further obligation to compete at a higher level; however, you may need to make appearances and you’ll need money to be able to do that for a year.

In the America and USA pageant systems, the state titleholders are required to compete at the national pageants. In some cases, the national pageant is only a month or two from the state pageant. I don’t think I need to elaborate on how much stress is created when a person has to come up with an additional 3,000-6,000 dollars in 60 days. Please keep in mind, you may not need $6,000; but potentially you may need a lot more.

Do your homework. Talk to the directors, read the pageant websites, and ask former contestants who competed in the pageant to gather information about the required expenses so you have a good idea of how much money you will need. That’s why it’s important to start a year ahead of time. I talk more about this in my free special report , 10 Insider Secrets to Winning.

WARNING: As you start totaling up the dollar amounts, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. This is normal and very much like paying your college fees, buying a car, or a house. There’s a base price. Then you sit down with the closing agent. Suddenly, all these additional fees and taxes start getting added on and before you know it, the final number is much different than what you had expected. So expect it to cost $6,000. If you only spend $3,000, you will experience a different feeling than if you thought it would cost $3,000 and you need to come up with $6,000 at the last minute.

Is the investment worth it? That’s up to you based on what you value and what your focus is for doing the pageant. If your intention is to just win a crown, trophy and sash that has a monetary value of about a $100; for me, the answer would be no.

But if you want to use your pageant experience as a vehicle to develop an understanding of who you are, what your life purpose is, create dynamic communication skills, learn time management and balance, strengthen your relationships, and establish a way of thinking that enables you to create the life you want to live, I’d say it’s an investment that exceeds the monetary value of $6,000. That’s what I did with my pageant experience and that’s the method I share with my clients.

So let’s use the $6,000 as an example for this article and talk about the ways to create it in a year. To meet this goal, you would need to raise $500 a month. So think 5 appearances at $100, or however you want to break it down. How I did this when I was Mrs. Ohio America 2005 was to make 3 lists.

• List one is all about you. 

  Write down all the skills you have that you could market to service organizations and business people in exchange for their financial sponsorship support. For example, I’m a dancer, singer, public speaker, writer, MC, promotional model, runway model, print work model, musician, hostess, and actress.

• Have two or three songs/dances/speeches already put together that you can perform in a variety of potential situations. Models have your portfolio together and practice your different walks so you can demonstrate your ability to “work it”  in all types of clothing. A quick comment, make sure your skill level is worthy of being compensated :). 

• List two is all about your network.

  Write down all the businesses that you give your money and business to. Put all salons, clothing stores, retail stores, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, banks, and direct sales people on the list.

• Look at the service organizations in your surrounding community such as Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Departments of Tourism, church groups, school organization, and men’s and women’s organizations. Get the yellow pages, search on online, and talk to people to find out who the mover and shakers are in your community.

• Start talking to people and build genuine friendships. Ask them what their needs are for their upcoming events. Get names, email addresses and phone numbers from the above people; and dates for when the organizations meet.  If you go in with the mind set of offering something of value that benefits both of you, you will be excited to share this opportunity with people.

• List three is all about events.

  Start gathering information about upcoming events from different schools, churches, service organizations, business expos and festivals and put them on the list. Don’t limit yourself to just your hometown. If you are competing for a state title, the whole state is an opportunity. There is a seasonal cycle for events. Sports are year round. In spring and summer, you have a lot of festivals and outdoor celebrations. In fall, people start thinking of the holidays so they are looking for entertainment for their parties. Winter brings bridal and fashion shows. Look in trade newspapers, go online, and check out the tourism websites in your area to get an even longer list of events.

Once you have your lists created, see what skills you can offer to the different people at their events. It’s even more fun if you do this with organizations that are part of your platform or community service projects. People will want to support you if you are clear, confident, and professional when you approach them. You will be providing a service in exchange for their sponsorship. Also, come up with a way to recognize and advertise their sponsorship of you for the year by offering to put their business information on your ad page, website, blog, comp card or all of the above.

Don’t rule out bartering for sponsorship. Meaning if a dress store will let you have or discount the price on a dress in exchange for being a model at several events, celebrate. A penny saved is a penny earned. Be creative. Also, sell things you no longer use or need on eBay or Craigslist to get money. For a year, live on budget and buy what you need, not what you want. You’d be amazed at how quickly you can come up with the money.

During this whole process you will be learning management, planning, marketing, and networking skills, not to mention overcoming the fear of getting out of your comfort zone. Learning how to feel the fear and shift it to your advantage is a skill that will help you far beyond the pageant.

Have fun, be creative, and grow through the process. If you have questions, need clarification or want help, please contact me and we can discuss options if this is an opportunity you want to experience.

Beyond the Pageant:

Marketing ourselves and networking are two life skills everyone can benefit from. If you feel uncomfortable in these areas, take a deeper look at what thoughts they evoke. Remember, “thoughts lead to feelings, feelings lead to actions”. If you want to change the action, work backwards and change the thought.

What great ways have you raised money to do a pageant? Share them in the comments box below and help your fellow pageant sisters.

About Rhonda

Rhonda Shappert is a pageant expert, personal development life coach, and owner of Winning Through Pageantry™, a business she created that not only helps her clients achieve winning results in pageants, but helps them Succeed From The Inside Out™ in their lives. In the pageant world she has held multiple local, state and national titles. 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 who has been married 20 years to her husband Stephen, home educates their children, is the former mayor of her community, and is 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.