When you are attending another pageant system as visiting royalty, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

Always check with the director of the pageant you are visiting to get their permission before you wear your crown and sash. Some systems will allow you to wear only your sash while others invite you to wear both. Some systems won’t allow visiting queens to wear either. I can’t stress enough the importance of communicating with the director FIRST. Assumptions can lead to many misunderstanding.

You also need to ask the director what his policy is about handing out marketing materials for the pageant system in which you are the queen. Many directors do not look favorably upon visiting queens handing out applications to their contestants for a different pageant system. Always ask for the director’s permission before handing out anything.

Be prepared to pay for your admission ticket. Don’t make the assumption you will be let in the pageant for free or shown preferential treatment. Some systems will comp your ticket, but this is not normal. Always have at least $50 cash with you when you attend the pageant to cover the cost of your ticket and your parking. The day of the pageant it is usually cash only.

Have a brief introduction already planned out if you are called to the microphone during the pageant to introduce yourself. Practice saying your title OUTLOUD beforehand so it flows smoothly from your mouth. I have to giggle when queens need to look down at their sashes to remember who they are. Again, this isn’t common for visiting queens to be given an opportunity to speak; but it’s better to always be prepared just in case.

Remember, you are a visitor. Be respectful to everyone you meet, be gracious in your actions, professional in your dress, and have a humble attitude. Wear your title with pride and enjoy every pageant you visit.

WTP Take The Stage Training DVD

The Winning Through Pageantry Take The Stage™ training DVD is a must have training tool for natural beauty pageants. The depth of information shared in this video will further polish your on stage presence.

Remember, the judges cast their final vote when you are on stage in your evening gown. Your overall stage presence and appearance will determine your final placement.

In this 60-minute DVD, you will learn:

· proper posture and alignment,

· foot positioning,

· timing of your turns,

· multiple walking patterns,

· stage presence,

· microphone etiquette,

· Numerous tips as Rhonda demonstrates all of these techniques.

The modeling style taught in this video will work for those contestants competing in the following natural pageant systems:

· Miss American Coed (MAC),

· National American Miss (NaMiss),

· Miss America,

· America's Outstanding Teen,

· Miss Teen USA,

· Miss USA,

· Mrs. America,

· Mrs. United States,

· Teen, Miss and Mrs. International,

· America's National Teenager (Antso),

· Any of the numerous systems that follow the standards of a natural pageant.

Contestants who are brand new to pageantry or have done a couple pageants in the past; and those who do not have pageant preparation resources close to them will benefit most from this DVD. Even if you feel confident in your modeling skills, the numerous tips shared in this DVD will take your onstage presence to the next level.
Please allow up to 14 days to receive your DVD. This is being shipped from a separate vendor. The DVD is readable in all countries around the world but should you receive a defective DVD, a replacement one will be sent.

Rhonda Shappert, is both an iPEC and ICF certified expert pageant coach. In addition to holding multiple titles herself, her clients have won titles at local, state, national and internationals pageants. Her award winning newsletter is received weekly by thousands internationally.

With over 30 years experience in the pageant industry as a contestant, titleholder, judge, emcee, staff member, coach and mother of daughters who compete, there isn't an area of pageantry she doesn't fully understand.

$27 (+$7 S&H)

Request my free special report, 10 Insider Secrets to Winning, and receive my free award winning newsletter weekly. Just click here to GET YOUR FREE REPORT.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 an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF).
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 23 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the board of two non-profit organizations. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.

 

Where are the reality TV crews when you need them, right? If the media really wanted the public to know why women participate in pageants and the true benefits of pageantry, they should follow me, or thousands of other pageant queens, around for a day when we are living our lives as titleholders.

You see, a pageant crown and sash isn't merely a label to be worn, but it's a daily lifestyle we live. Two of my favorite quotes from St. Francis of Assisi sum up my thoughts nicely. "The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" and "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words."

Saturday embodied and exemplified what the pageant queens I associate with do. We shared our time, talents, and treasures with a community and the American Cancer Society.

For 10 hours, eight queens walked the track, raised over $2,800 for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, and performed their talent numbers to honor the cancer survivors at a special luncheon. The fun and fellowship shared by our team was an added bonus as to why we choose to be pageant queens.

Pageant contestants are talented, well rounded individuals who have diverse skills. We choose to use these skills to make a difference in our communities, countries and world. The glamorous onstage competition is only one day in our lifetime of service.

I don't expect anytime soon for the major networks or news outlets to spend time capturing the real story behind the pageant world. But who needs them when we are impacting the lives of thousands daily at the grassroots level.

Today, I honor each titleholder who is living a life of service; and encourage you to keep on doing it, even if others won't take the time to understand what pageantry is all about.

Enjoy the following photos from the event.

Singing the National Anthem.

Making a difference one step at a time.

Celebrating as a team after I announced the Queens Team together raised over $2,800.

Miss Sydney Copeland was crowned our Queens Team "Miss TVWMS Relay For Life" for individually raising over $360.

Over $12,000 was raised at this mini Relay for the American Cancer Society.

Water balloon toss between the seven teams. Oh yes, it was a hot day!

A little "Thriller" flash mob on the football field along with other line dances.

For the "Piggy Back" lap, our team decided to carry our lightest member around the track.

Three-legged race lap. The Queens Team rocked!

What an awesome 2012 Queens Team! Angela Escobar, Anna Shappert, Gracie Fusco, Maria Shappert, Julia Shappert, Megan Hunt, Rhonda Shappert, & Sydney Copeland. Other members and monetary contributors not pictured in the photo are Stephen Shappert, Joyce Escobar, Gina Fusco, Stacey Johnson, and Michaela Smith. Start saving those coins now and join us next year. Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

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

Special for the Pageant Princess or Queen in your life for $59 (+$12 S&H). An $89 value when purchased separately.

Only 1 left!

Receive my 60 minute training DVD Take The Stage, the Pageant Planner and a set of 12 interview cards for $59 (+$12 S&H). Individually, these items cost $89.

This is an affordable training kit for the pageant princess or queen in your life.

WTP Take The Stage Training DVD

The Winning Through Pageantry Take The Stage™ training DVD is a must have training tool for natural beauty pageants. The depth of information shared in this video will further polish your on stage presence.

Remember, the judges cast their final vote when you are on stage in your evening gown. Your overall stage presence and appearance will determine your final placement.

In this 60-minute DVD, you will learn:

• proper posture and alignment,
• foot positioning,
• timing of your turns,
• multiple walking patterns,
• stage presence,
• microphone etiquette,
• Numerous tips as Rhonda demonstrates all of these techniques.

The modeling style taught in this video will work for those contestants competing in the following natural pageant systems:

• Miss American Coed (MAC),
• National American Miss (NaMiss),
• Miss America,
• America's Outstanding Teen,
• Miss Teen USA,
• Miss USA,
• Mrs. America,
• Mrs. United States,
• Teen, Miss and Mrs. International,
• America's National Teenager (Antso),
• American Royal Beauties,
• Any of the numerous systems that follow the standards of a natural pageant.

Contestants who are brand new to pageantry or have done a couple pageants in the past; and those who do not have pageant preparation resources close to them will benefit most from this DVD. Even if you feel confident in your modeling skills, the numerous tips shared in this DVD will take your onstage presence to the next level.
Please allow up to 14 days to receive your DVD. This is being shipped from a separate vendor. The DVD is readable in all countries around the world but should you receive a defective DVD, a replacement one will be sent.

The WTP Pageant Planner

The Winning Through Pageantry Pageant Planner from Holdon contains organizational pages for logging and tracking 100 pageant related events. Each form records Event Details, Contact Info, Event Expenses, and Post-Event Info. There is also an Income Management Section to record payment details.
Now logging & tracking your pageant-related event details is easy!

• High-quality product
• 8.5" x 11"
• Finished coil-bound spine
• Vinyl front and back covers for durability

What's Inside...
Contact Page

• Your contact information
• Important pageant contacts (i.e. - coach, director, salon, etc.)
• Other contact information

Live Performance Forms

• Logging & tracking forms to track up to 100 pageant-related events (i.e. - consultations, media events, autograph signings, etc.)
• Log event requirements (i.e. - crown & banner, opening number wardrobe, script, etc.)
• Record all of your event expenses and mileage for tax purposes
• Post Event area (i.e. - what you wore, who you met, guests, etc.)

Income & Reimbursement Management
Record income & reimbursement details (Pageant/Event Name, Event Date, Payment, etc.)

Pageant Target List
Target Pageants, know special requirements, competition, categories, entry fees, etc.

Pageant Contacts
A section dedicated to Pageant Industry professionals you wish to keep in contact with

Notes Section

• Keep your notes handy and accessible
• Add any thoughts, suggestions or ideas

Calendar Section

• 12-month, day-by-day, fill-in calendar section (non-time sensitive, fill-in as you go)
• 24-month quick-view calendar section

Storage Pockets

• Promo Material Pocket to hold self-promotional material that you can pass around (i.e. - promo postcards, headshots, flyers, etc.)
• Notes Pocket to store any speeches, top-5 question notes, etc.

The WTP Interview Card Set

What kind of questions will the judges ask me in interview?
What if I don't have an answer?

The ability to answer questions about you, your family, platform, goals, community and pop culture in a clear way is an important life skill. The more practice you have in conversing with people, the better your speaking skills will become.

Over 1000 contestants from ages 7 to 80 around the world have used these cards and reported back to me that they were confident and prepared for their pageant interview. Many of my clients receive the highest interview scores.

As a contestant and judge, these are real questions that I have asked, been asked, or heard other judges ask in the interview room. I know they are effective and relevant because my clients and pageant family on Facebook have told me several times that they have experienced other pageant coaches and judges using my cards. By the way, I take this as a compliment, not a threat :).
Outstanding features of this 12 card set includes:</ p>

• Over 200 questions covering 12 diverse subjects. Each card has questions dedicated to one topic. For example, there are 56 questions on the "favorites" card.
• The back side is blank so you can jot down your ideas for answers.
• Being the size of a recipe card, they are easy to carry and you can practice anywhere.
  The DVD will arrive separately from the planner and the interview cards. With the holiday mail delivery, please allow up to 14 days for delivery.

$89 $59 (+$12 S&H)

Only 1 left

Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach, an iPEC Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF).

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 23 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the board of two non-profit organizations. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.

 

Today, December 6th, is the Feast of St. Nicholas. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus.

The obvious recipients of our gift giving efforts this month are our children, family and friends. But why stop there?

As a family, go serve a meal at a soup kitchen. If your children have never been to a nursing home, make some homemade cards and cookies and go visit the elderly who wait for people to come visit them. Better yet, if your family is musically inclined work up some Christmas carols and sing for them. There are veterans in hospitals who would love nothing more than to see a friendly warm smile enter the room.

Here’s a radical suggestion. Instead of multiple gifts under the tree for each family member, buy one gift for each person (or set a price limit) and use the money you would have spent to buy food and gifts for people who have very little this season. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow.”

If you are a titleholder, there are numerous opportunities for you to give of your time and talents to reach out to people in your community. When the public sees queens being of service, those actions are what begin to break down the myths of pageant girls being superficial. Crown or no crown. Get involved and be the “secret Santa” in your community. By the way, the word Santa comes from the Latin word Sanctus which means saintly or holy.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas Day. Embrace the joy of giving and I leave you with a sweet little poem.

Santa's Christmas Prayer
By Warren D. Jennings

The sleigh was packed,
the reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt
by the side of the bed.

"Dear Father," he prayed
"Be with me tonight.
There's much work to do
and my schedule is tight.

I must jump in my sleigh
and streak through the sky,
Knowing full well
that a reindeer can't fly.

I will visit each household
before the first light,
I'll cover the world
and all in one night.

With sleigh bells a-ringing,
I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter
of each little hoof.

To get in the house
is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney
of each little heart.

My sack will hold toys
to grant all their wishes.
The supply will be endless
like the loaves and the fishes.

I will fill all the stockings
and not leave a track.
I'll eat every cookie
that's left for my snack.

I can do all these things Lord,
only through You,
I just need your blessing,
then it's easy to do.

All this is to honor
the birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us,
Your most Holy Son.

So to all of my friends,
lest Your glory I rob,
Please Lord, remind them,
who gave me this job."

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. The more you practice, the better you will get. This handy interview card is a great way to practice with a partner or to use by yourself.
The Beginning 10 Questions are the staple interview questions everyone must know the answers in an interview. 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 an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF).
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.

 

As a titleholder, you will participate in many parades. Here are a few survival skills I have picked up over the years that will help make it as enjoyable as possible.

• Contact the organizers weeks to months ahead of the event.  Every parade has different rules as to who may participate and the type of vehicle that may be driven through the parade route. Assume nothing. Always ask questions for clarification. Some parades have very strict rules about NOT handing anything out along the parade route or throwing things from your vehicle.

• Have cling signs with your name and title made shortly after your crowning. Never use any type of tape on your car, not even one time. It’ll ruin the paint. Posters written with markers will run and make a mess in the rain. Magnetic signs are great IF you have a car that has enough steel in it for the signs to stick. The cling ones, for about $20, are the best option. They safely go on the side of any vehicle without damage and are reusable. A good size for your sign is 9” x 24”. Anything smaller than this size people won’t be able to read.

• Arrive hours before the actual parade time. Traffic, parking your car and finding your float or vehicle will consume most of your time. If it’s just you, not a court of people, it is best to meet your driver at a location and ride to the parade route together. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to find people in a sea of thousands.

• Print out maps, instructions, directions, contact information and anything else you will need for the parade. Don’t depend on your cell phone. You may not get a signal. I always bring a set of Motorola walkie talkies in addition to our cell phones.

• Dress in layers, bring umbrellas, gloves, earmuffs, camera, business cards, pageant brochures, flashlights, foot warmers, hand warmers, sunglasses, cash, bottled water, lap blanket, cream colored bathroom rug (it has the grip stuff on the bottom so you won’t slid off the hood of your car) a portable chair, snacks, hand wipes, small packet of tissues (for when the port potties run out )and know where your car keys are at all times.

• Don’t wear your expense gowns and shoes outside. Keep in mind you will be outside with the sun, wind, rain, and snow for several hours. Floats and cars are dirty and get hot. I always had parade attire aka clothes and shoes I wouldn’t cry about if they got ruined by the elements; and inside appearance clothes. Same thing goes for jewelry or any other accessory you might bring with you.

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

---

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. The more you practice, the better you will get. This handy interview card is a great way to practice with a partner or to use by yourself.

The Beginning 10 Questions are the staple interview questions everyone must know the answers in an interview. 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 an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF).

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 .