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
Fondly called "Mama J" by his friends and protégées, Jonas Antonio Gaffud is the unquestionable force behind the tremendous success of the Philippines in international pageants.
Jonas Gaffud is frequently called, “The Queen Maker”, but he doesn’t just specialize in mentoring women for beauty pageants. He is also the President and Manager of Mercator Artist and Model Management, where he manages some of the biggest stars in the Philippines, as well as managing talent in Brazil. He handles the careers of professionals in the entertainment business, in addition to fashion models and commercial actors alike.
As if scouting talent around the globe didn’t keep him busy enough, he is also one of the executives behind Empire PH, a digital channel which produces lifestyle, beauty, and wellness shows in the Philippines.
And, in his spare time, he also helps to manage the activities of Empire Studios, which is a diverse collection of industry professionals that facilitate workshops on personality development, self improvement, dance, acting, and pageantry.
The say the least, the man is busy. But, that’s because before he had any of the responsibilities that he has today, Jonas Gaffud was once a guy with just a dream….and little else.
This week’s feature spotlight is 233 Free Pageant Interview Questions! These free questions are downloaded by hundreds of contestants, judges and directors each week. Practicing these is like getting a cheat sheet for pageant interview..
Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in, Binibining Pilipinas Pageants.
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The Miss America Pageant found its origins nearly 100 years ago, in the month of September. The pageant was first held on September 25, 1920. It was billed as the “Fall Frolic” and began simply as a marketing idea The event was so successful that the originators scheduled it to take place the week-end following Labor Day, to encourage summer visitors to stay in Atlantic City. Therefore, the first official, “Miss America” was held on September 8, 1921; 98 years ago!
The competition has come a long way since then. And, it’s titleholders have evolved into some of the most talented and accomplished women the pageant world has ever witnessed. And, the current Miss America is no exception.
Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019, is everything a modern Miss America should be. She is not only beautiful, intelligent and talented. She is an exceptionally accomplished individual. She has earned a Masters degree in Music Composition; she is a classically trained opera singer and she relentlessly endeavors to use her voice and the power of music to transform lives through art.
This week’s feature spotlight is Pageant Match! This free, interactive feature will match you with the organization or expert who will help you achieve your dreams after a few short questions. It works regardless of where you live in the world. Give it a try!
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Osmel Sousa had a dream that was born out of an obsession with beauty. He longed to create a world that was filled with beauty of every kind. Like many artists, his desire to be surrounded by beauty was to somehow erase the ugliness and pain that he witnessed and internalized as a child.
As a boy, he remembers spending all of his time drawing. He would draw rows of women – always women – and then pick out the best and draw them again with all sorts of dresses that he would clip on and off. In essence, he was designing a fashion show. One day his mother saw him and forbade him from ever doing it again. She couldn’t stand the thought that he was making silly little "paper dolls".
He suffered from learning disabilities that went undiagnosed until he was an adult, so he constantly struggled with his studies. But, instead of sitting in class and feeling frustrated, he would use that time to draw images of women, constantly trying to create what he viewed as the perfect, most angelic face.
Tragically, Sousa’s parents did not share in his appreciation for beauty nor did they support their son’s remarkable artistic talents. In fact, they were so disturbed by his behavior and personal interests, that when he was still just a young child, they forced him to undergo hormonal treatments to try to deepen his voice, in order to make him more "masculine".
Sousa’s parents did not stop there. Because they perceived his developing sexual orientation as such a threat, when he was just 13 years old, they sent him away from his home in Cuba to live with his grandmother in Venezuela.
After graduating from high school, in his newly adopted country of Venezuela, he studied acting, but quickly realized that he was not cut out to be an actor.
He then briefly held jobs as an advertising draftsman and art designer for the two large television networks in Venezuela. Although, these jobs were a dead end for him artistically, fate stepped in while he was working for one of the television networks.
It was there that Sousa would meet Lupita Ferrer, who eventually became a famous actress. She convinced him to take a chance and move to the sprawling metropolis of Caracus.
Little did he know that because of this move, his paper dolls would finally come to life… Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about the life of Osmel Sousa.
This week everything is 10% inside of Pageant Planet’s Shop when you use the coupon code PODCAST. Shop through 100s of items ranging from hairspray to shoes to earrings to bags and much more!
Because you are interested in this episode you might also be interested in reading, Beauty Pageant Statistics and 101 Tips for First Time Pageant Contestants.
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This episode goes deep into the two fundamental truths about the people deciding your pageant fate. First, judges are real people too. Second, judging is extremely hard. In this episode, Jesse and Steven break down common thoughts shared by all pageant judges when they are scoring and choosing their winner.
After listening to this you’ll have an understanding of what’s happening inside the judges' room so that you can be better equipped to win the competition.
This week's promotional item is our pageant prep membership! Click to discover how you can unlock the power of our messaging portal to access verified coaches from every system and country who are ready to help you win the crown!
Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in reading How Do Judges Score Beauty Pageants or Top 25 Pageant Questions Asked by Judges (in Every Pageant).
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Pia Wurtzbach, born September 24, 1989, is a Filipina-German model, actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2015.
Pia was born in Stuttgart, Germany to a German father and Filipino mother. Her middle name "Alonzo" is her mother's maiden name, traditional to the naming practices of the Philippines. She and her family moved to Iligan, Philippines when she was a small child. They later moved to Cagayan de Oro in the country's Northern Mindanao region.
At the age of nine, her parents separated. Wurtzbach then became the family’s main breadwinner through modeling and acting.
She finished her secondary education at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan, Metro Manila.
After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in England. She speaks fluent Cebuano, English and Tagalog. She also speaks basic German, which she described as "enough to get myself a bratwurst."
To learn more about Pia and her journey to becoming Miss Universe, listen to this week’s episode.
This week's promotional item is our Pageant Autograph Pad! Create a lasting impression on your next appearance by giving the gift of your signature and headshot.
Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about the Miss Universe pageant.
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At the age of thirteen, Priyanka Chopra moved to the United States to study while living with her aunt. Chopra’s aunt’s family also moved frequently. She attended schools in Newton, Massachusetts, Queens, New York and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While attending school in Massachusetts, Chopra participated in several theatre productions. She also studied Western classical music, choral singing and Kathak dance.
After three years in the United States, Chopra returned to India to finish her senior year of high-school education at the Army Public School in Bareilly. During this period, she entered and won the local "May Queen" beauty pageant.
After her win, she was pursued by admirers, leading her family to equip their home with bars for her protection. After Chopra’s win, her mother then entered her in the 2000 Femina Miss India contest.
The pageant today selects India’s representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International, Miss United Continents and Miss Intercontinental pageants. Chopra was first runner-up at the pageant earning her the title of Miss World India 2000.
Chopra then went on to compete in the 2000 Miss World pageant. It was the 50th edition of the Miss World pageant and the first since the death of pageant owner Eric Morley. His widow, Julia Morley, had assumed the role as chairwomen of the organization.
The pageant had a total of 95 contestants, the highest number of Miss World participants ever at that point in time. In November 2000, Chopra was crowned Miss World 2000 at the age of 18 at the Millennium Dome located in London.
She is the fifth Miss World and the second consecutive winner from her country.
This week's promotional item is our pageant prep membership! Click to discover how you can unlock the power of our messaging portal to access verified coaches from every system and country who are ready to help you win the crown!
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Running an organization is difficult. There is constant planning, traveling and connecting. However, this is a labor of love for directors. Directors start pageants for a number of reasons, but mostly to give back. No one knows this better than Julia Morley, chairwoman of the Miss World Organization. Julia Evelyn Morley is a British businesswoman, charity worker and former model. She is the current chairwoman of the Miss World Organization which runs the annual Miss World and biennial Mister World competition.
She was born Julia Evelyn Pritchard on October 2, 1939 in London. She was working as a model when she met her husband, Eric Morley. At the time, he was a director of Mecca Dancing, at a dance hall located in Leeds, England. The two married in 1960 when she was 21.
Before their marriage, Eric Morley laid the groundwork for the Miss World pageant in 1951.
This week's promotional item is our OneX50 All-In-One Styling & Finishing Spray! You know what stinks about other hairsprays? They are sticky, flaky, crunchy, painful to brush out and smell awful. No thank you. ONEx50 is doing it different, doing it better. How you ask? Click here to find out.
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In pageants, the first thing everyone sees before they meet you is your pageant headshot. A headshot gives the judges and audience a glimpse into who you are. Therefore, the message you convey with your headshot is the first thing you convey to everyone. The most important part of having a great headshot is to have a great photographer.
No one knows this better than Fadil Berisha. He’s been in the industry for over 35 years and has been instrumental in bringing the glamour and fashion out in the pageant world.
Berisha was born in Kosovo to Albanian parents in 1960 and even to this day, both countries remain close to his heart.
At age 8, he moved to Italy for a year where he started to develop his passion for beauty and art.
According to an interview with Kosovo Diaspora, faces were of great interest to Berisha growing up. He said in the interview: “As a kid, I loved faces, all faces, and I was genuinely curious about them.”
One year later, he and his family then migrated to New York City, New York at the age of nine and his upbringing was similar to that of any average immigrant family. Every major decision, he recalls, revolved around personal finances.
After graduating from high school, Berisha attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where he studied Men’s Fashion Design and Photography. When he chose to major in men’s fashion design, his family was not particularly thrilled.
He was the first person in his family to study art, but the degree did very little to quench his thirst for art. Put simply, Berisha didn’t feel like he was in the right career path, yet.
To hear more about the life of Fadil Berisha, his journey of breaking boundaries, and what you can learn from his life, listen in.
This week's promotional item is our Pageant Prep Membership! Choose the membership option that works best for you and gain immediate access to coaches all over the world.
Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about Best Pageant Headshots: 2019 Edition.
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One of the most important aspects in building your brand as a titleholder is finding your look. This look is part of who you are as a contestant whether you are onstage, volunteering or in the interview room. In addition to finding an amazing outfit, one of the most important aspects of your look as a queen is your makeup. Makeup is a way for contestants to enhance their natural beauty and define their style.
We talk a lot about interview skills and presentation abilities, but the reality of the pageant industry is that much of your scoring is based on a polished appearance.
No one knows this better than Meredith Boyd. Born Meredith Moser, she is an award winning makeup artist specializing in natural makeup looks for corporations and celebrities nationwide with over 20 years of experience.
She is another that has found herself on Pageant Planet’s Best Pageant Makeup Artists over the years.
This week's promotional item is Crown Jewels! Crown Jewels has released their newest earring styles. With more than 3,000 different styles to choose from you are sure to find what you need and at a price you can afford. If you want it custom you can email us, shop@pageantplanet.com and we can do that for you too.
Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about A Queen’s Guide to Pageant Makeup.
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I feel like you can’t talk about Savvy’s early life without smiling. She is as salt of the earth as it gets and it is obvious why she is beloved by so many. Savvy was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods and the University of Arkansas.Her parents are Todd and Karen and she has one brother, Dane, who she is close with AND she was baptized in a horse trough. To learn more about Savvy’s rise from Fayetteville to Miss America 2017 listen in.
Visit Savvy Shields profile to see her talent video and where she infamously “locked crowns” with her friend.
This week's promotional item is Pageant Daily! This free resource is delivered to you…daily AND each edition is loaded with tips, current events, product specials and our newest podcast episode, obviously.
Because you are interested in this episode, you might also be interested in learning more about Miss America.
Special thank you to @holly_on_ig and @tessa.lillian for contributing to the episode!
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