Stay ConnectedWelcome to Pageant Planet’s Podcast! Here you will discover everything you need to win the crown of your dreams. Each episode we interview experts in all categories (PreTeen, Teen, General) and give you the insights to help you win.
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Copyright: © Steven Roddy
In today’s podcast we are going to be talking about a woman well known in the Miss America, Miss USA, and Mrs America organizations, Mekayla Eppers.
Mekayla began her pageant journey at 12 years old and has captured seven pageant titles in her life, including the titles of Miss Indiana USA 2016 and Mrs. America 2018.
While some people know Mekayla for her success in the pageant industry, she is more than just a beauty queen. Mekayla is a model and has been featured in TV commercials, in movies, and in fashion magazines. From her experience in modeling and in pageants she knew she wanted to make a mindset shift in the industry from focusing on ‘size’ and ‘shape’ towards adapting a healthy lifestyle.
Mekayla Diehl (her maiden name) was born in 1988 in Elkhart, Indiana. Now Mekayla describes herself as a ‘Michiana’ since the town is on the Michigan and Indiana state line.
Mekayla is a descendent from the Ojibwe tribe, a member of the Ontario-based Zhiibaahaasing First Nation through her mother.
For the most part, a child’s life is known as an innocent and youthful experience where the child can live, learn and play. This was not the case for Mekayla. She was sexually abused by a family friend which led to her grandmother adopting and raising her.
However, what can be described as the unthinkable is not what Mekayla’s childhood is known for.
She began her modeling career at just 5 years old, which gave her the opportunity to walk in various local and state fashion shows, model for swimsuit brands and clothing lines, and also appear on TV commercials. She has modeled from some pretty well-known brands including Toyota, Subway, Cadillac, Nissan, and Chevrolet.
Aside from modeling, Mekayla is also a very talented dancer. She began dancing at the age of 12 up until her college years. She performed tap, jazz, ballet on pointe, hip hop, modern, and is currently dabbling in ballroom.
Her talents do not stop there. Mekayla also did 8 years of concert flute and 4 years of color guard.
Mekayla’s pageant journey began when she was 12 years old placing as the first runner-up at Miss Sunburst, a local Indiana pageant in 2001.
Listen to today’s episode to learn more.
This week’s featured spotlights are:
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Lorraine Schuck’s pageant career dates back to over 40 years ago. Lorraine won the title of Mutya ng Pilipinas 1979.
Mutya ng Pilipinas began over 51 years ago in 1968, and it’s titleholders have gone on to win 15 of the largest international pageant titles in the world. The pageant is best known for promoting tourism in Asia, social responsibility, fashion, and beauty pageantry.
Lorraine was chosen to compete at the international Miss Asia Quest 1979 pageant which was held in Manila, Philippines. 15 countries competed for the title, but Alya Altas from Turkey was the one who took home the title.
Lorraine represented the Philippines and made her country proud by placing as the second runner-up to winner Alya Altas from Turkey, and first runner-up Maureen Lestourgeon from India. Lestourgeon was unable to fulfill the duties and Schuck was then moved into the position as the first runner-up.
If the Miss Asia Quest pageant is an unfamiliar name, it is because the pageant has since rebranded itself in 2016 to be called the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant.
Lorraine since became the Executive Vice President of the organization named Carousel Productions Inc, which owns the Miss Earth and Miss Earth Philippines pageants.
Schuck is the executive vice president and co-founder, next to President/Businessman Ramon Mon-zon. The organization is based in Manila, Philippines.
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In today’s podcast we are looking into the life of Emanii Davis, the current Miss Earth Air 2019 and former competitor in the Miss USA and Miss World America pageant systems
Emanii began competing in pageants when she was 14 years old and has captured numerous prestigious pageant titles and become a role model and pageant icon to many women. She has won the titles Miss Teen Atlanta, Miss Georgia USA 2016, Miss Earth USA 2019, and Miss Earth Air 2019.
Aside from the titles she has won, Emanii also gone on to place as the second runner-up at Miss USA 2016 and third runner-up at Miss World America 2017.
She is an environmental activist and advocates for education in her pageant career and in her personal life. Throughout her life and pageant career, Emanii has worked with organizations including Best Buddies, United Service Organization, and the Greenhouse Project.
She has a passion for helping others achieve academic success by starting her own program to provide resources to help students build on their current knowledge, encourages students to follow their dreams, and helps prepare them for the real world.
Tune into this week’s podcast to learn more about Emanii Davis and discover how her story can help you win.
This week’s featured spotlights are:
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We have done so many podcasts about being the contestant who is trying to mentally prepare to overcome the stigma of the runner up or the high performing transfer of another system.
But, today we are saying... first runner up, or perpetual top 5 finisher... we see you and are here for you.
It is a huge mental conundrum to be able to finish so close and then do it all again. What do you keep the same, what do you change, was it a fluke, is it your time?!
So we have put together five of our favorite dos and don’ts if you are coming off a hot pageant season and are looking for your crown.
Listen in as Jesse & Steven discuss the 5 dos and don’ts of being a favorite to win.
This week’s featured spotlights are:
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Winning a pageant is both an art & a science. The art of winning a pageant is presented fashion and in the conversation of interview. The “science” of winning a pageant is in the pageant you choose and the team you surround yourself with while you compete. This episode focuses on finding the best pageant based on your skill set.
Listen in as Jesse & Steven discuss 5 different strategies for finding and winning in a new pageant system.
This week’s featured spotlights are:
Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in,101 Pageant Tips (for First Time Contestants).
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Kendra Hale is an only child who grew up in a small town in rural southwestern Virginia called, Christiansburg. She graduated as valedictorian from Christiansburg High School and the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School.
Kendra recalls that in her hometown, pageants were not common and many people didn’t understand the different aspects of being involved in pageants such as going after scholarships, being goal-oriented, and being of service. She believes in “leading by example” so she worked hard to prove to everybody that pageants were filled with smart, accomplished girls that were working hard on achieving their dreams.
Kendra says, “I wanted to be an inspiration to young girls everywhere by showing that your circumstances and surroundings don’t define who you are or who you will become.”
Kendra’s pageant journey started when she was 13 or 14 and shortly thereafter became involved with the Princess America pageant system. She first won the title of Princess America’s District of Columbia Teen, and eventually she became Princess America’s District of Columbia Miss.
Kendra demonstrated her pageant promise early on, and began earning titles and awards almost instantly. During her pageant experience with Princess America she won the “Princess America’s Difference Maker Award”, as well as the “Princess America’s Leadership and Academic Excellence Award”.
Once this fresh faced Virginia girl got bitten by the pageant bug, there was no turning back and soon she had earned her 1st national title, “Outstanding Miss of America 2016-2017”.
Kendra admits that her introduction to the world of pageantry was difficult because she really had no frame of reference for competing, nor did she know anyone who competed.
But, she didn’t let her lack of knowledge intimidate her or make her feel inadequate. She used all the tools and resources that she could find, and she asked for help.
“Since I was a latecomer, I didn’t know a lot about what was going on and I had to work really hard to learn everything I needed to know. I utilized resources, such as Pageant Planet and other publicly available information, to learn about different organizations and competitions. I worked with incredible people to learn the right skills. I didn’t let my age or lack of knowledge stop me.”
This week’s featured spotlights are:
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Today’s podcast features none other than Paula Shugart, who is the beloved president of the Miss Universe organization, as every fan of the pageant knows. With more than 30 years of experience in the television industry, Paula Shugart has been a driving force in entertainment television production for domestic and international audiences.
As president of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), and producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, Paula oversees all business transactions and is responsible for the production of the live, worldwide telecasts each year.
Paula’s father was an Admiral in the US Navy, and she says her childhood really helped to prepare her for her current role as the president of an international organization. She believes that her global travels left her with a deep appreciation and understanding of the world’s cultural diversity as well as its commonality.
But, as much as she loved being a “Navy Brat”, when it came time to attend college, Paula says that she just wanted to go someplace new…without a Navy base. She had grown tired of living in a coastal city like San Diego and just wanted to live in a location that was different and challenging.
She found that new and different place in the Midwest. Paula chose Ohio University, which consistently ranks as one of the top schools in the country for television communication. Paula graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1981, with a BS in Communications, focusing on journalism and production, which was absolutely the right career path for her.
In 1982, after finishing college, Paula packed her bags and headed from Ohio to the center of television production: Sunny California! After only five days in Los Angeles, she met Kevin Bright (who was the Executive Producer of the TV show “Friends”) and he gave Paula her first big break, and that meeting began her career in production.
From 1982 to 2002 Paula was busy making quite a name for herself, and success seemed to come naturally to the Admiral’s personable daughter. She was based in Los Angeles and developed a specialty in live television production while working on some of the world’s largest productions: the “Academy Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Golden Globes,” “International Rock Awards,” and “President Clinton’s 50th Birthday Celebration,” among many others.
She also served as a producer on the original talent competition, “Star Search” for seven years, as well as a multitude of other programs including the Lifetime Special “The Age of the Female Icon,” which garnered a Cable Ace Award nomination
Paula became so accomplished at handling the monumental task of producing major events that she got involved in the music industry. Paula was involved in producing two legendary artist’s television productions: Madonna on her “Blond Ambition Tour” and the Rolling Stones on their “Steel Wheels Tour.”
And, if that wasn’t impressive enough, she even forayed into the world of daytime television as Supervising Producer for ABC’s talk show “Mike & Maty” and then went on to produce the pilot for the highly popular “Donny and Marie Show” for Columbia Television.
Paula is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America and has served as a Commissioner to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission.
She was also named a member of the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. This was an especially relevant and important accolade for Paula, as her election was based on her professional accomplishments and demonstrated commitment to women and girls.
To learn more about Paula Shugart her work with the Miss Universe organization and beyond, listen to this week’s episode. Special thank you to Julia Stone for doing the research on Paula.
This week’s featured spotlights are:
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Before he became known as, Mac Duggal, one of the most successful and well known fashion designers in the world, he was called, “Manmohan Singh Duggal”.
He was born in New Delhi (Deli), India, in 1960 to a very spiritual family, where his grandfather, father and brother, were all the heads of an international spiritual organization that teaches a form of meditation and ethical living to millions of people, all around the world. The basics principles of their teachings are meditation, truthfulness, and vegetarianism.
Mac Duggal has said that that all three of those men were significant mentors in his life and he believes they each played a significant role in the person that he is today.
He practices a religion called Sikhism. Sikhism believes in one higher power and one higher consciousness and that everyone is equal. He says that these concepts were essentially the same as the American values he saw when he moved to the United States, and it was one of the reasons he was so attracted to the U.S.
In Sikhism all men wear a turban, and the women keep their hair long and don’t ever cut it.
For the Sikhs, the turban means responsibility and promotes equality. It also preserves their Sikh identity. When a boy becomes an adult, somebody respectable from the community ties the turban on their head for the first time. Mac Duggal says that he was really lucky and honored because his own father tied the turban on him for the first time.
Education, music, and spirituality were constant values in the family’s home, and seemed to permeate everyday life.
But, Mac Duggal says that even more important to him, was the love that came so effortlessly from his parents, not only towards his family members, but also to all the diverse people who came seeking spiritual guidance from all over the world.
All throughout his childhood, Mac Duggal was introduced to incredible people from all cultures, and his horizons expanded greatly as a result. This openness to others and their differences created the foundations of his belief system and molded his orientation towards the world and life in general.
To learn more about Mac Duggal and the rise of his empire listen to this week’s episode. Special thank you to Julia Stone for doing the research on Mac Duggal.
This week’s feature spotlight is a new feature that was released on Pageant Planet. As of October 31, you now have the ability to buy and sell dresses! Click on Pageant Dresses in our menu to start shopping or login to your contestant, retailer or designer account to upload your dresses to sell.
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Katerina Rozmajzl may look like a Barbie doll, with her waist long platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, but don’t make the mistake of writing her off as, “just a model” or underestimating her business acumen. I personally am super excited for today’s podcast because even I learned SO much about this contestant I may have just showed up on stage as an Instagram Celeb.
This Czech born instagram star is a brilliant and ambitious business mogul who runs her own beauty and fashion blog and launched her very own beauty line, “Katerina Cosmetics” at only 19 years of age.
She’s a full time model, she’s held a state title, she’s running a global business, and she’s an Instagram mega-star. And, earlier this year, she made her debut in the movie, “Dumplin”” with Jennifer Aniston!
She has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, but it was her appearance at the 2019 Miss USA pageant, where she competed as Miss Georgia USA, that really gained her worldwide attention. Today on our podcast, we’re excited to learn just a little bit more about Katerina Rozmajzl.
This week’s feature spotlights are:
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Hannah Brown grew up in Tuscaloosa Alabama and is a major Crimson Tide fan! She graduated magna cum laude from theUniversity of Alabama in 2017, the same college that her parents attended, where she earned her degree in communications and Information Sciences with a minor in public relations.
She became a sister of Alpha Chi Omega sorority during her time in college and served as a consultant to the university, helping clients with public speaking.Then she worked as an interior designer after college.
The Northport native began competing in pageants when she was 15 because of the opportunities for scholarships. However, she soon found that being able to develop her public speaking skills and share her talent as a jazz dancer, was just as important to her.
She began her journey in pageantry by getting involved with the Miss America system when she became Miss Teen Tuscaloosa. She placed as first runner-up in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen pageant, and then followed that up with a second runner-up placement in the Miss Alabama Teen USA pageant.
To learn more about Hannah Brown’s journey in pageantry and beyond listen in on this week’s episode.
This week’s feature spotlight is Nude Pageant Shoes by Diverse Styles! Not all nude is created equal and Diverse Styles has nudes in the color of cinnamon, onyx and cashew.
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