Become Familiar With Your Resources

You have already accomplished one step in becoming familiar with your resources on your pageant journey by viewing this blog. This blog is one tool that can assist you in pageant preparation. However, I would like to encourage you to become familiar with three additional key sources. I will explain the benefits from all three sources I recommend:

First of all, Valerie Hayes has created an ingenious web radio show called Pageant Talk Radio. She updates on a regular basis, and has episodes filled with incredible advice from insightful pageant experts in all aspects of pageantry. I am a huge fan of both Valerie and her show. I will give you the link to all of her episodes. However, I will be posting my own personal perspective and breakdown of my favorite episodes on this blog in case listening to every single episode seems too intimidating for you. Her voice is definitely one that needs to be heard when preparing for a pageant!

Second of all, Justin Rudd has a "Five-A-Week" Club where pageant contestants can receive five sample interview questions via e-mail. You can use these questions any way you like - for example, asking yourself one question a day for five days, and then asking yourself all five questions at once for the remaining two days. This is a perfect way to become familiar with questions you could be asked at a pageant as well as to become more comfortable with creating an opinion on such short notice. Interview is a crucial part of the competition, and these regular questions are a wonderful way to prepare for success!

Finally, you want to become familiar with at least one local news source, one national news source, and one international news source. Your local newspaper is a perfect way to get to know your community and your local politicians. You can also watch your local news channel for additional coverage. Second of all, take some time to investigate national and international news channels. Sit down and watch the news on various channels until you can determine what channels are your favorites and commit to watching them regularly (if the program's time is an issue, befriend TiVo and watch the news as soon as you get the chance). You can also keep up with online articles, which you can read from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and/or Time Magazine. If you want to go a step further in the process, write down events and people that interest you or have a high impact on society, and then write down notes to help you develop your personal opinion. No matter what title you compete for, you need to be informed about the area you represent and current events in the rest of the world.

By becoming familiar with your preparation resources, you provide yourself with amazing information and incredible opportunities that you could not have accessed without these resources. Make a commitment to honoring these resources and you will learn so much! I wish you the best of luck with your next pageant!

-Miss Pageant Prep