#47 Crowned & Candid: Stephanie Finoti, Miss Ohio 2024

What does it truly mean to wear a state crown when life's hardest moments don't pause for your title? In this deeply moving conversation, Miss Ohio 2024 Stephanie Finoti reveals the raw, unfiltered reality behind the sparkle.

As a biomedical scientist, first-generation American, and daughter of immigrants, Stephanie brings an unexpected perspective to her role. Growing up in poverty with big dreams that seemed impossible, she transformed obstacles into stepping stones—but winning the crown brought challenges she never anticipated. From battling crippling imposter syndrome during her first week to surviving a serious car accident just before Miss America, Stephanie candidly shares how these struggles became her greatest teachers.

"The crown feels big at first to allow room for growth," she reflects, describing her journey from self-doubt to confidence. We explore the business aspects of title-holding—booking appearances, seeking sponsorships, managing finances—and the profound mindset shift that came when she realized true strength sometimes means asking for help. Her insights on battling burnout will resonate with anyone who's ever poured themselves empty serving others.

Stephanie's most powerful message emerges through her vulnerability: perfection isn't the goal, excellence is. By embracing her authentic self, including her struggles, she's redefined what being a state title holder means. Her story proves that our backgrounds and circumstances don't determine our worth—our choices and resilience do.

Have you experienced moments where life's challenges forced you to grow in unexpected ways? Share your story and join our conversation about finding strength when everything feels impossible.

Chapters

• 0:00 Personal Crisis and Pageant Priorities
• 7:08 Meet Stephanie: From Immigrant Family to Miss Ohio
• 13:13 Overcoming Background Barriers Through Resilience
• 17:15 Winning the Crown and Battling Imposter Syndrome
• 28:43 The Business Side of Being Miss Ohio
• 38:14 Finding Balance and Facing Burnout
• 1:07:53 Final Message: You Are Enough

Transcript

Raeanna Johnson: 0:28

All right, welcome back, sash and Soul family. It is another episode of Crowned and Candid as part of this special series that we're putting together for all of you so that you get a realistic perspective of what it looks like to be the title holder. Before I dive into today's episode, I do want to disclose something really personal. I am not where I'm usually recording. I left my house at 6 am on Monday morning and got to the other side of the state as quickly as I could. It was a three-hour drive to my dad, who suffered a stroke on Sunday night, and so he is currently in the neurology department at the hospital that we're in neurology department at the hospital that we're in, and I stayed here last night barely slept and just kind of taking on that role of caretaker for a parent, which is just a really interesting transition in life, if you're listening and you've ever experienced that. But I just wanted to disclose that with you and my message behind that and the reason that I'm sharing is because we all have so much going on in our lives and many of you are preparing for a competition that is taking up so much of your time and energy, and I know the feeling of wanting to pour everything that you have into that. And then sometimes life happens and your priorities need to change and my gentle reminder is that you need to prioritize your loved ones and your own well-being. For example, I told myself this morning, as I almost got up at 4 am, that, nope, I needed to try and sleep some more because it was already going to be a long day and I needed to try and get that rest week. I really need to prioritize taking care of myself while I'm doing my best to take care of my dad and everyone around me and kind of being the main go-to person for information for all of his friends and family as well. So, taking care of yourself, taking care of the priorities in your life and knowing that, even if you have something traumatic going on, if you're dealing with a crisis or if you're dealing with a personal struggle, that all of those things are still accelerating you toward reaching all of your goals in some way, shape or form. When you are experiencing what maybe you would consider as a setback because you have to focus on something other than specific pageant prep, it's actually helping you grow and will age you as a title holder later on, or age you in, whatever it is that you're doing, because the compassion that you gain, the understanding, the empathy, the resilience, all of those things go into succeeding in any area of life and any goal that you want to achieve. And so that is my gentle message for you today, and with that, whatever your belief system is, if you feel so inclined to send up some prayers, send some positive vibes, some positive energy my way, some healing energy to help me keep going and to pour into my dad so that he recovers. We do keep getting good news, and so I feel very blessed, counting my blessings With the situation.

Raeanna Johnson: 3:36

It could have been much, much worse. It could have been a very different phone call at 5 am on Monday morning, so I'm feeling very blessed about that. So with that, let's move into this. I did not want to cancel this call. I'm working really hard to maintain all of my interviews this week because they fill me up and I need things that fill me up right now. So with that, I'm really excited to introduce you to Miss Ohio 2024.

Raeanna Johnson: 3:57

This is Stephanie Finovi, and before we started recording, I just said Stephanie, what do you want everybody to really understand when they get to the end of this episode and she said really, the overall message is the reality of the title holder, which is the purpose of Crowned and Candid, that it's not just about the glitz and the glam. It's not going to be sunshine and roses every day. It's hard, it is a lot of work and people really underestimate the hard work. So I'm really excited for Stephanie to share her perspective today and to pour some of that insight into all of you so that you feel much more prepared for the job that it is to be a state title holder. So, stephanie, welcome. Thank you for being here.

Stephanie Finoit: 4:35

Hi, thank you so much for having me and just thank you so much for your strength to come on to this podcast today and be able to share that really strong message. While I was listening to you, I was feeling so inspired by you. I've definitely I can relate to all that you said. You know there have been moments during my year where things that have happened that have had nothing to do with the job of being a title holder, nothing to do with being Miss Ohio, just life. Life happens and you cannot always prepare for that, and there were moments where life just got so hard in the way that I thought you know, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can continue to prep for Miss America, because there are so many other things, and it's making that decision to get up and keep going. That's really what makes you stronger and I think that's what helped me grow so much throughout my year as a title holder.

Stephanie Finoit: 5:25

I am absolutely not the same person that I was when I got crowned last year in June and I think it's a really beautiful thing. You know there are so many ups and downs through your year of being a title holder. It's 365 days, but it feels like it was 10 years long, but also only like a week ago that I got crowned. It's so weird how, like the time happens when you're a title holder because you're so busy and you know you go through so many different phases of yourself, because you're growing so much in such a short period of time. But, yeah, I just wanted to thank you for your message. I personally felt very inspired. I know all your listeners are going to feel very inspired today and, excuse me, of course, you know get back on your horse and you know keep running the race, keep doing your thing, but know when it's time to step back and take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones. You know um cause that's always so important.

Raeanna Johnson: 6:20

Absolutely, Absolutely. And uh, you know what I? What I hold true to my heart and the way I live my life is you can't teach resilience. It is not something that someone can teach you. It is something that you build by going through struggles, and that is why, by the end of your year as a state title holder, you are not the same person as you were at the beginning of the year. And before we get into all that, can you just introduce yourself a little bit? Tell us about who Stephanie is like, even outside of pageantry. Who are you?

Stephanie Finoit: 6:48

So I'm this year's Miss Ohio, of course, but outside of pageantry, I'm actually a biomedical scientist. I just graduated from the University of Cincinnati with my degree in biomedical science and I work as a scientist in fetal therapy. So I work with mothers and premature babies. I come from a Latina heritage so my parents are immigrants. I'm a first-generation American, first-generation college grad, first-generation a lot of things. So you know, talking about resilience, talking about grit, I've been there, I've done that and I think just all of my life experiences from you know, having my parents be so new to this country and me having to figure a lot of things out at such a young age, really have prepared me for Miss Ohio, for the unexpected, for the ups and downs. So you're completely right, resilience is not something you learn, it's something you. You grow and you develop through life experiences. Um, but yeah, that's all about me. You know, I think I really like to be raw and I like to share with people. You know things that I normally wouldn't expect a title holder to share.

Stephanie Finoit: 7:59

So I grew up very poor in a very low income community. I grew up doing like little hometown pageants when I was younger and I would watch the Miss America girls on TV and wish that that would be me. But I didn't know if that was truly possible just because of the community I came from. You know, most kids didn't even go to college, so having a big dream like that, big aspirations, kind of seemed so out of reach. So becoming Miss Ohio, for me what was most important was to really show my authenticity. My authenticity and show my true self that you know, wherever your circumstances, wherever you come from, it doesn't define your future successes. As long as you're able to push through, have that resilience, overcome those barriers, you really can achieve any goal and any dream that you have.

Raeanna Johnson: 8:44

That is so powerful. I remember being in that space too, feeling like I didn't grow up in a pageant world. I didn't really grow up in a pageant community. I also had a lot of trauma, like a lot of the childhood stuff where you, you look around and you're like what, I don't know what makes me qualified for this, and like those limiting beliefs, those like deeply rooted limiting beliefs, are so real. I mean, what? What did the work look like for you to move past these things that probably felt like anchors in your mind of, maybe reasons that you wouldn't succeed, or that you know the imposter syndrome that maybe you didn't have a space, like it wasn't a space for you. What was that work like for you?

Stephanie Finoit: 9:27

Of course, I really do think that my whole life has been about people underestimating me and overcoming those barriers, and not just me, just people that have the same background as me being a minority, being a woman, being a daughter of immigrants, growing up poor, those are all. There's so many barriers that affect so many different things in my life. But you know, I was a dancer growing up. I started dancing when I was two at my local rec center, and when I started getting older and taking it more seriously, I begged my mom if I could go to a more professional ballet school. I wanted to focus on ballet and become a classical ballet dancer and of course, ballet is not a cheap sport. So, going in, we found a really nice dance studio. I went there for about a year before my parents realized they could not afford it any longer. I have the passion, I have the hard work. I'm willing to, you know, put my work to the test and become the best dancer I can be if she is willing to help me out in return and with that my mom offered that me and her would help clean the studios and help sew costumes and do all this stuff if I were able to attend my dance classes on full scholarship, and so my dance teacher attend my dance classes on full scholarship. And so my dance teacher. She really appreciated our honesty, our hard work, our resilience. And from then on, from the time when I was, I think, about eight years old, me and my mom we stayed at the dance studio after hours. We cleaned studios, cleaned the mirrors, helped with costumes, helped as much as we could all to afford my dance lessons. So a lot of that was. You know.

Stephanie Finoit: 11:16

I recognized there was a barrier in my way, but my mom always taught me you can either choose to let that barrier overcome you or you can overcome the barrier. And in every situation when there is something in your way, you have a choice. And sometimes people that come from certain backgrounds have to work a little harder than others, and everyone has their own trials and tribulations. You know I'm not saying people that don't come from my background don't have struggles. Everyone has struggles, everyone faces barriers. Sometimes there's something that you grow up being aware of. I grew up knowing that I was poor, that I had to work a little harder, especially going to college I had to write so many scholarship essays. But sometimes things happen unexpectedly and in those moments you have to make a choice to either keep going or let that experience, let that barrier overcome you. And so I think you know, learning that from a really young age helped me build that resilience early on.

Stephanie Finoit: 12:10

And then, going into my year as Miss Ohio, I had our previous Miss Ohio 2023. She had told me of all these stories of unexpected things that happened during her year during her Miss America experience. And, for me, I grew up always prepared for the unexpected, always prepared for chaos. You know, I always have my toolkit with me of how to overcome and navigate difficult situations, so that was really helpful for me during my year. But, you know, that was just the life that I grew up living. That was just, you know, my story.

Stephanie Finoit: 12:43

And I think, going into Miss Ohio, one big thing that changed from my first year to my second year, when I won, was learning how to take those stories, stories of times that you know I might have felt like I was being underestimated or I felt like I didn't have the resources I needed to succeed, taking the stories of those, the trauma from those moments, and turning that into my superpower. So it was the power of storytelling, how to flip the narrative and say that into my superpower. So it was the power of storytelling. How to flip the narrative and say all these things happened to me.

Stephanie Finoit: 13:18

But instead of saying oh, woe is me, I had such a hard life, I'm going to turn it around and say this is how it made me stronger, this is how I developed resilience and this is how I can make this my superpower and teach students that might be facing the same thing. Teach, you know, young women that might be in the same position, that feel that their circumstance defines them. Tell them no, it doesn't define you. You define your future, you define your success and you define who you want to become. It's all about choices and it's all about the strength that you have to overcome those barriers.

Raeanna Johnson: 13:48

Yes, and the well. First of all, I remember washing the mirrors after the studio closed as well, so I could absolutely relate, at least on that level of helping cover the dance expenses. It is an expensive sport, holy moly, but like. But that too, like when you have to work for it and like earn part of it, it makes you appreciate it and work that much harder. So that was definitely something that I've learned to value.

Raeanna Johnson: 14:16

I think the key at least what was popping into my head is when you're going through struggles, it's really difficult to take a step back and think this is making me stronger, because right now you're struggling.

Raeanna Johnson: 14:27

Like nobody feels resilient when they're going through, when they're in the midst of going through something. But I think what was so poignant about what you said is like knowing that in some way, shape or form, this is helping you grow, there is something that will come of this struggle that is going to empower you for something else down the road, and that, I think, is what helps build that resilience, is just that trust and that faith that I don't. I personally don't believe that things quote unquote happen for a reason, like and I say that literally sitting in a hospital right now with my dad right, like I don't believe that things happen for a reason. I believe that we create purpose from the things that happen to us, and so that's why I have this faith that, like, even when we're going through something tough, something like it's going to make me a better person somehow.

Stephanie Finoit: 15:15

Yeah, and also just like to build on that just a little bit. Like you said, when you're in these moments of your trials and the things are happening to you, you're in the moment and it seems so hard. You can't see a light at the end of the tunnel because you're too focused on surviving. You can't thrive in light at the end of the tunnel because you're too focused on surviving. You can't thrive in those moments. That's why I think storytelling is so important, because, as someone that's been through so many of those moments in my life and now I'm young, I'm going to face so many more trials in my life Just because I won Miss Ohio doesn't mean the rest of my life's going to be easy and beautiful and wonderful.

Stephanie Finoit: 15:53

But I feel like I have reached a point of success where I can look back and I can share my story, share the times that I didn't think I was going to get up and keep going and keep going. I made it this far and now it's my turn to share those stories, to give others hope who may be in those moments right now and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. If I can do anything during my year, it's to be the light for them, and it's to show them, no matter what you're going through, you have the ability, you have everything within you to get through this and become stronger out of it.

Raeanna Johnson: 16:32

My gosh. We're so early on and I'm already like tearing up Beautiful. Okay, so let's. Let's talk about the beginning of your year, back to almost a year ago now, grounding night. What was going through your head?

Stephanie Finoit: 16:48

So much, so okay. My first year that I competed at Miss Ohio, I was a direct entry. I decided that I was going to compete three months before going on the Miss Ohio stage. And it was all because I met a random girl on my campus in a workout class that told me she was competing for Miss Ohio and I was like sounds like something fun to do. I was overcoming a lot in my life at that time. Like something fun to do. I was overcoming a lot in my life at that time and I had just gotten out of a really, really hard period in my life and I was like you know, I want to do something that is just for me. I want to do something that helps me focus on bettering myself, that helps me do good, do service for others. I just want to have something that I can really devote all of my energy to and become better at the end of it. And so this opportunity came across and I was like you know, miss Ohio, that's something that I've always dreamed of when I was younger. I'm going to take a chance. I went in not knowing what I was doing at all, had no prep, borrowed gowns from people thrifted. The rest of my wardrobe, had no clue what I was doing at all, had no prep, borrowed gowns from people, thrifted the rest of my wardrobe, had no clue what I was doing somehow ended up making top 10. This is important because the entire next year well, okay, so I made top 10, but before that, on finals night, our director sits all the girls down and explains the job of Miss Ohio and you get the choice to either say you would accept the job if you won or deny it. And in that moment I was like I didn't understand that this was such a hard job. I didn't understand how much went into being Miss Ohio. I don't think I'm ready for this.

Stephanie Finoit: 18:27

Throughout the next year it was all about reflecting. It was all about finding out who I was, what I could bring to the table, if I was a right fit for the title of Miss Ohio, if I could do the job justice, if I could bring something into the organization that wasn't there. Before All of this stuff, I had to really sit back and say is this right for me? Am I right for this program? So, going in my second year, I felt so much more prepared just because I did all that self-work and I had a really strong mindset going in, regardless of what the outcome was. I knew who I was, I knew what my purpose was and I knew that, no matter what the outcome was, I would be satisfied because I had done so much work on myself to grow in that year, going into finals night, my first year, I just made top 10. I didn't make top five.

Stephanie Finoit: 19:16

So I was like you know, I really want to make top five this year. I was the last one to be called at the top five and I did not expect it. I felt like beforehand I had butchered so many phases of competition, didn't feel like my interview was perfect, didn't feel like my onstage question was perfect, all these things. But when I made the top five, something clicked and I was like you know, if the judges see that I am ready enough to be in the top five, it's time for me to show them that I'm ready to be Miss Ohio. When I was standing there in my top two, I just kept thinking you know God, I don't feel ready, but if this is your plan, you will help me. You will help me become ready. You will give me the resources, the people that I need. You will bring me the village that I need to be ready. So if this is my year, I know that I'm having doubts in myself, but if this is your plan, I'm ready.

Stephanie Finoit: 20:09

Oh, this makes me tear up, because it really was such an a moment. And the second that my name was called as Miss Ohio, I well, first I looked at Miss Ohio last year. Me and her were really close and I was like this isn't real. This isn't real. And she had to remind me. You know, this is real, because I feel like I had dreamt of that moment so many times and I was oh my God, it's actually happening. This is crazy. But the second thing that happened is I just looked up and I almost surrendered myself and I was like you know, lord, I don't feel ready, but I know that you will help me. I know you will bring me the people that I need, you will bring me the resources that I need. And this year will be amazing, because I know that this is what's meant to happen at the time that it's meant to happen and everything will come into place.

Stephanie Finoit: 21:02

So I had a lot of doubts initially. I was so scared, I was so nervous the night that I won Miss Ohio. I just kind of sat there staring at the sash like, how am I going to do this? What am I going to do? I have no clue. And it's so weird because, going into competition, you have this plan right, you have your plan of action, this is what I'm going to do, this is how I'm going to do it, this is what I'm going to do on social media. And then you win and you're just kind of like, oh my goodness, now is the time, now is the time to take action. So it was so many circulating emotions and I'm just going to be completely honest.

Stephanie Finoit: 21:37

The reason why I'm so emotional right now is because my first week as Miss Ohio was so hard.

Stephanie Finoit: 21:44

I was suffering from extreme imposter syndrome and this is something that you know I'm not new to being a woman in the STEM field.

Stephanie Finoit: 21:51

I have always felt imposter syndrome.

Stephanie Finoit: 21:54

I have always felt like I don't belong in certain spaces and I have to work extra hard to make people know that I'm worthy to be there, and so my first week as Miss Ohio felt a lot like I have to convince people that I deserve this.

Stephanie Finoit: 22:10

I have to convince people that I am ready, and then I realized I cannot convince anyone else if I don't convince myself first. So my first week was a lot of self-reflection, you know, looking inward and trying to heal myself of some past traumas that I had, of having all that imposter syndrome and getting to the point where I felt like this happened for a reason. Now it's time to take action. I'm ready. So that just comes to show how much growth I had from winning Miss Ohio, having all this imposter syndrome, being scared, not feeling prepared, and then in six months I went to Miss America and felt the most prepared for anything I ever have in my entire life and it just, it's been amazing year of growth and I'm really grateful for all of it, stephanie like there are so many teachable moments in everything that you just said.

Raeanna Johnson: 23:03

I'm like, oh, my gosh, preach, this is. This is so like this. This idea of like, the imposter syndrome that you feel after being crowned is so real. It's a weird shift from going into competition feeling like I'm ready, I can do this, like I don't really quite know exactly what I'm getting myself into, but I've got tools. People will come to me, and then you win and it's like you wake up the next day and you're like oh, oh, okay, like this is like for real.

Raeanna Johnson: 23:34

Now this isn't just a dream, this isn't just me imagining, because when you're imagining things, you get all excited about all the cool things that you can do, but then the reality hits and yeah, absolutely, imposter syndrome is real in that moment. That that feeling of like I don't think I belong here and I don't know that I'm actually prepared. And you're looking at the last girl that just crowned you and you see who she is at the end of the year, but you don't see that she was in your shoes 365 days before that, and that is. It's so honest and it's so raw and I'm so grateful that you brought that up.

Stephanie Finoit: 24:07

Yeah, and you know, throughout the week before competing we had all these luncheons and meeting with the community and at every luncheon our amazing Madison Miller gave a great speech. And I remember at one particular luncheon I was sitting next to one of the elderly members in our community who has seen a lot of Miss Ohio's come and go and he said you know, madison, she was an incredible Miss Ohio. And he said you know, madison, she was an incredible Miss Ohio. Whoever wins next has some big shoes to fill. And he meant the best intentions just trying to. Of course, she's so amazing. She had a great year. She did all these things.

Stephanie Finoit: 24:47

After I won, that moment kept replaying and replaying in my mind Big shoes to fill, big shoes to fill, big shoes to fill.

Stephanie Finoit: 24:55

I called Madison and I said Madison, I have to be honest, you had an amazing year and I'm having a lot of trouble right now wondering how I could fit into this role after seeing how much you did during your year. And she told me when a new girl gets crowned, she told me, when a new girl gets crowned, there are no shoes to fill, there is no role to fill. Every time a new girl gets crowned, she gets her own pair of shoes and they feel really big at first, but throughout her year she fills them in, she learns how to walk with them, she learns how to walk at a pace that works best for her, how to take her own strides, she learns which path she wants to walk in, and it's so different for everybody. And something that she wrote in her farewell letter that I read the other day writing mine was when you get the sash, it feels big at first and that's to allow you room to grow into it. So that's my message for everyone listening today.

Raeanna Johnson: 25:55

All right. End of episode. Thanks for joining us. No, I'm just kidding, I don't know. Oh my gosh, beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Do you see now at the end of your year, like what you saw in her in so many ways at the end of her year?

Stephanie Finoit: 26:14

Yes, and my first year coming in. I had met Miss Ohio when she was at the end of her year. I had met her after she went to Miss America and she was in, you know, the prime of her year and so I didn't really understand the journey. But seeing Madison competing next to her is so funny because actually at my very first forum I sat right across from her and I was like, mom, I think she's going to win, miss Ohio. So seeing her go from a contestant competing alongside me, growing that year, winning, and then seeing her at the end of the year completely different person, no-transcript she had this sense of peace, of security, of self-assurance. A sense of peace, of security, of self-assurance, and it was so beautiful to see that that she knew throughout her year she had given as much as she could. In every moment that she had the opportunity she gave, she did her best, she put herself out there and at the end of her year she felt so much peace in who she was and what she did with her year and she was ready to give up that title.

Stephanie Finoit: 27:37

And so now, coming into the end of my year, I feel the same way.

Stephanie Finoit: 27:42

I have put my heart and soul into this year.

Stephanie Finoit: 27:46

I made a decision at the beginning of the year that I was working two jobs at the time and I made the decision to quit one of my jobs so that I could be Miss Ohio full time, and doing that. I do not regret that decision at all because I have been able to give everything to this year. I have been able to pour myself out to my community, into my service, into myself. I've been able to grow more than I ever thought that I could in such a small amount of time. I've been able to impact so many people who, in turn, have impacted me so much. And now, coming to the end of my year, I am so grateful for the amazing year that I've had. I'm grateful for all the trials that I've had, because they've pushed me to become better. They've pushed me to realize how strong I truly am. That I didn't realize before, and now I am at peace, I am satisfied and I am so ready to help the next girl who's going to take over the crown.

Raeanna Johnson: 28:45

That's so, so beautiful. Something that's standing out to me that I really don't want to pass up on talking about is you went from this beautiful prayer of I'm feeling scared, I'm not sure that I'm ready, but I know that you will pour your resources into me, that prayer of knowing that that will be provided to you so that you can do the best job possible. But then it was like a night and day shift to, all of a sudden, this imposter syndrome of feeling like you needed to convince other people that you were worthy, as if the judges choosing you and the work that you poured into it wasn't enough. And so can we talk a little bit about that idea of like convincing other people that you deserve this.

Stephanie Finoit: 29:31

Yes, it's really hard when you are a people pleaser and in the sense of, I'm a healthcare worker and I've been working as a healthcare worker since I was 16. Everything that I do is for others and I love that. It's part of me. It's a gift that I've been given and I love to utilize that in so many different ways. But for being a healthcare worker, that in so many different ways. But for being a healthcare worker your quote unquote worth, I guess, kind of is the care that you give your patients. How satisfied are they with the care that you have given them? And it's like that in a lot of different jobs, you know. But coming in with that mindset because Miss Ohio or any title holder is a community servant for me, I had the wrong mentality of my worth is determined on how everyone else sees me, on how I'm able to impact them during my year, on how much I'm able to give to them. But in the beginning it was really hard because through all that time preparing for Miss Ohio, preparing for Miss America, you cannot convince judges, you cannot convince anyone else that you are the right fit for this role, that you are worthy, that you have what it takes, if you cannot convince yourself first. So I'm here talking about all this growth and growth and growth and all that comes from all of the self-work that I had to do. I had to look inward and I had to convince myself. I had to find deep within me what I had, that I had what it took to be Miss Ohio and even going into Miss America, convincing myself, looking inward, finding all of my strengths, all of my life experiences, what makes me me, and knowing that I am enough and I am enough to be Miss Ohio, no matter what mistakes I make, no matter what flaws I have. I am enough, not just because of the work that I put in to the job, but because of my life experiences, because of who I am. And going into Miss America saying, you know, I am enough to potentially become Miss America as well. And it's really hard. You face all this imposter syndrome. You're doing these mock interviews and you're like, oh, you know, some days are good, some days are bad. You're like, oh, do I have what it takes? But it's so much more than that. And what I'm trying to tell the girls that are my class now, that are competing for Miss Ohio, is becoming Miss Ohio is not what you do in the competition. It's not determined by the time that you spend on stage or your 10 minute interview.

Stephanie Finoit: 32:09

Becoming Miss Ohio means taking the spirit of Miss America, the spirit of Miss Ohio, and putting that into your everyday life. So, preparing for Miss Ohio, when I was at work, I would think what would a Miss Ohio do in this situation? She would help a coworker. She would go out of her way to help her patient. She would go out of her way to help a friend. She would study a little extra hard for her exams because they're you know, I'm trying to fund my education and I want to be a scholar. I want to be a role model for students all around me. She would work a little extra hard every single day, going out of her way to make someone smile. And developing the mentality, the spirit of a Miss Ohio, of a Miss America, in my everyday life helped me overcome that imposter syndrome when I was in my interview or when I was on stage or when I was at an appearance.

Raeanna Johnson: 33:02

Because it was like you were already living the way that you would live as Miss Ohio.

Stephanie Finoit: 33:07

Yes, exactly, and I kind of had that mentality, that mindset of the spirit of Miss America, and I do believe that that lives in all of us. Whether you get the crown or not, you could make a decision whether you want to do the work of a state title holder, if you want to become, like, fill that role essentially. And I think you know, at the end of the day one girl gets a crown and a sash. But everyone can develop that mentality, develop the spirit of a Miss America and go out there and do the work of a state title holder. It doesn't take a crown and sash.

Stephanie Finoit: 33:41

The crown and sash is not what changes you, it's who you are and it's your growth within the program.

Stephanie Finoit: 33:47

And I think that's why you know a lot of people come and they compete year after year after year, because it's really easy to recognize how much you grow every single year, that you compete, how much you grow and fall in love with the program, fall in love with how much you get out of it in return, how much you grow, how much more confident you become in who you are and how much you're able to give to the community, even as a local title holder, as a state title holder as Miss America. You know. That's why there are so many different tiers, because Miss America couldn't do the job of Miss America if she didn't have 52 state title holders behind her. And I know, as a title holder, I couldn't serve my state if I didn't have all of my local title holders behind me doing their jobs as well. So I really do think it's about developing the spirit of Miss America and, you know, showing that in your everyday life, whether you're wearing the crown and sash or not.

Raeanna Johnson: 34:41

I think that was something that really grounded me when I was Miss Wisconsin was, and a local title to title holder too was looking around and seeing the people in my corner, the people that were lifting me up and they weren't. They were doing it just because, genuinely, they wanted to be a part of this, this thing that felt bigger and and so it was grounding for me, because I never really fully owned my success as mine, because I would not have been able to do it without those people lifting me up, without those people wanting to feel a part of the joy of just this whole journey and this whole process. I think it touches a lot of people more than we know, and so in those moments when we feel like we're really alone in a lot of ways we are, because we're the only ones feeling what it feels to have that kind of lonely position of being the face and wearing that crown. But that doesn't mean that we're alone in this, because there's so many others around us that genuinely are pouring their love into us in order to be able to do the work that we do as title holders.

Raeanna Johnson: 35:45

There is a risk and a trap for those perfectionists of us out there, which is most all of us probably listening and both of us talking on this podcast, I'm sure. But there's a risk and a trap of asking what would Miss America do? How would I handle this as Miss America, self-defeating and self-deprecating, if we're making mistakes and thinking that's not how a Miss America would have responded or that's not how Miss America would have handled that, or Miss America wouldn't be quote unquote lazy. She'd be out there doing things. So how did you balance the grace for yourself of being human and making mistakes and saying stupid things and being tired and getting sick and tripping and falling and like all the things that are just part of human, with also saying to yourself like I'm living in the spirit of this?

Stephanie Finoit: 36:47

Okay, I love that. I love that so much. One of my very first appearances as Miss Ohio, right off the bat, one of like maybe the third appearance that I ever did, I met a woman and we were talking about perfectionism. She is a business owner, so she has her own business. She creates art, and when you create art, you put so much into something and sometimes it doesn't turn out the way that you want it to. So we were kind of talking back and forth about that, how she handles that, and she told me something that this quote, this piece of advice that I like to give to everybody, and it's do not strive for perfection, because you will never reach it. Instead, strive for excellence, because in excellence there is always room for growth.

Stephanie Finoit: 37:36

And I needed to hear that in the beginning of my year, and that is something that I kept replaying and replaying in my mind every time that I felt like I didn't do my best. I felt like I could have said something better, I could have worn a different outfit, I could have looked better. All these things, all these mistakes that I made during my year, thinking about what would a Miss Ohio do, what would a Miss fit? I could have looked better. All these things, all these mistakes that I made during my year Thinking about what would a Miss Ohio do, what would a Miss America do? Miss America isn't perfect, miss America has never been perfect, miss Ohio has never been perfect. And in those moments where you do make mistakes because everybody makes them what those people would do is to get back up, own their mistakes and learn from them. You are never expected to be perfect, and that's something I really had to learn was I'm giving all these speeches. Sometimes you stumble over your words, sometimes you something comes out and it doesn't come out the way that you expected it to. You know, you trip on stage, you have a wardrobe malfunction, all these things, but your mistakes do not define you. What defines you is how you rise after the fall. That is what is important.

Stephanie Finoit: 38:46

In a local title holder, state title holder, national title holder, whatever it may be, you can never expect yourself to be perfect and nobody else expects you to be perfect. And what expect yourself to be perfect? And nobody else expects you to be perfect. And what is even more inspirational and I'll tell you something that changed my mindset, because for me, it was really hard for me to acknowledge that I had to take rest days. It was really hard for me to say you know, I'm sick and I really should just take a day today to just focus on myself and to recover so that I can give next week or tomorrow or whatever it may be. You know, I can't be out there servicing my community if I'm not servicing myself first.

Stephanie Finoit: 39:23

And something that I heard was an interview with Simone Biles, olympic gold medalist, and they asked her Simone, what do you do on your days off? What do you like to do? What's your favorite activity? What's your favorite hobby? She's like guys, I'm an Olympic gold medalist. I spend most of my time in the gym preparing to be an Olympic gold medalist. So on my days off, I bed rot, I sit in my bed, I eat my favorite snacks and I watch TV. Because that's completely okay.

Stephanie Finoit: 39:58

And I needed to hear that. I needed to hear that from somebody who has achieved such greatness, such success, somebody who is very clearly a hard worker you can tell by her physique, by her results and in all of her successes and even she takes rest days. Even she rots in bed, sits in bed all day, sometimes eating her favorite snacks, eating her favorite junk food, watching her favorite TV shows, because it's all about balance. And if you're not able to, what's that movie? Respect the Balance, the substance. If you're not able to respect the balance and acknowledge that, if you're going to have these days where you're putting yourself out there, you're giving 110% to others, to your work, to everything, you have to have those days where you're giving 1% or 0% and those are your days where you're filling your own cup so that you can pour it out for others and let's dive into a little bit, talking just about, like, the business side of the crown, because you had said that you made a decision to make this your full-time job.

Raeanna Johnson: 41:05

So what, what is the business side of it look like for you? How involved were you in like the professional aspects of your role the booking, the, the seeking appearance opportunities, things like that?

Stephanie Finoit: 41:18

Yeah. So going in, I expected to be kind of the face of the organization, to be the person that's at the appearances, but I didn't really understand what happened behind the scenes and it's different in every state, but specifically in Ohio, we don't have a booking manager. We don't have our bookings, I guess, like pre-scheduled for us or anything. It's all about the girl that is the state title holder. She defines her entire year, she outreaches for bookings, she makes those connections, she finds her own sponsors and I wasn't aware of all of that. And so going in, that was something that was really hard for me. That I had to learn was one how to find sponsors. That's something that I had never done and really, like you know, going online, figuring out how to make a sponsorship sheet, how to outreach cold calls, sometimes getting ready, putting an outfit on, doing a full face of hair and makeup and going door to door to different businesses trying to outreach for sponsorships For my bookings. I will say in the beginning it was a little bit slow because I didn't have those connections made yet and I was also finishing up an internship. So the first, like two months, it was just sending out all these emails, going online, looking up events near me in Cincinnati, events in Columbus, events in all these different cities, things that I could reach out to try to be a part of. And one thing that happened was I connected with the American Heart Association early on to be part of one of their heart walks and after that event they liked me so much they gave my contact to every team of the American Heart Association in Ohio and it was kind of like a ripple effect. So I went to an appearance. It was really great. I got to know everybody, got to kind of you know network, give them all my business cards, and from there I got called, invited to different appearances. So it's kind of like in the beginning it was really slow. I had to outreach, I had to book myself, I had to find all these things. But once I started getting out there, putting my name out there, being on the news, kind of making my impact, I started. Everything was kind of a ripple effect and it started kind of coming into place and then I was getting all these booking requests and then everything kind of started happening. So that's something that you know. It was kind of like a bridge. I had to get over something that I didn't really know how to navigate and I had to figure it out for myself. But it ended up working out really well and I'm very pleased I've had so many bookings. I'm pretty sure I've set maybe like a record or something for how many bookings I've had this year.

Stephanie Finoit: 44:05

But you know, I have to say I was really grateful that I had money saved up enough that I could have quit my job, and I had enough saved up and I had enough support for my family and my community had this enormous fundraiser for me to help me afford, you know, my Miss America wardrobe and trip expenses and all that stuff.

Stephanie Finoit: 44:24

So I had so much support from my village, from my people, that I knew that it was okay that if I quit my job and really focused on being a Miss Ohio full-time so I could have all those bookings and appearances, that I would still be taken care of. And I know not everyone has that luxury, so it's different for everybody, but for me that was something that I had to learn. I had to kind of learn how to be a businesswoman. I had to learn how to negotiate for sponsorships, how to, you know, send out emails, how to leave voicemails with, you know bookings and requests and all the things, so behind the scenes work was definitely very hard for me, something that I had to learn how to do over time.

Raeanna Johnson: 45:07

I don't know about other States, but in Wisconsin, and it sounds like similar to for you too, there's no on the job training for a new title holder. They just like throw you to the wolves and like figure it out Good luck, bye. Like at least for some States. I mean I think you know there are. There are other States that have a lot more like already established. Did you, did you charge appearance fees for some of your appearances? This is a big question.

Stephanie Finoit: 45:33

It was in the beginning of my year. I felt like I really wanted to get more adjusted to the role. I wanted to get as many appearances as possible so I could get the practice in with all my keynote speeches, really just do the work at first. So I did not initially charge for appearances. Granted, some people that invited me to appearances paid me. I did not charge them but they did pay me for some of those appearances, especially if they were dance performances. They felt like they wanted to pay for the entertainment. So I really did appreciate that.

Stephanie Finoit: 46:09

But it wasn't really until now honestly until coming back from Miss America that I'm starting to kind of more charge for certain appearances. For, you know, some like coaching calls, if I'm ever put on a panel or anything like that. And throughout my year in the beginning it was a lot of smaller appearances, school appearances, but for those big keynote speeches I had an appearance where I had 13,000 kids at it once and so like those kind of appearances and kids at it once and so, like those kinds of appearances like 500 kids, you know me giving a keynote speech that's an hour long. Those appearances I, you know, tend to charge more for.

Stephanie Finoit: 46:52

But I really am here to be a community servant so I knew going in that I didn't expect to profit from this year. You know it was really all about getting out there doing the work, leaving my impact. So I am grateful for every dollar that you know anyone has ever contributed to any of my appearances, whether it was paying a booking fee, helping cover gas or travel. That was more of what I asked for in the beginning of my year was are you willing to cover gas and or mileage? You know travel costs but not really trying to profit from it as much, and I know it's so different for every organization. Some organizations have it established where it's a specific fee for every appearance, no matter what. Some people charge for certain appearances and others don't. So I think for me it was more of you know, feeling it out and recognizing when it was an appropriate time to charge and when it was just me going out there and leaving my impact on my community.

Raeanna Johnson: 47:49

Yeah, absolutely. I had asked Rachel, ms Nebraska, last week like what her money mindset was like. If she struggles with money mindset, is that something that you feel you've really had to work through this year as well?

Stephanie Finoit: 48:04

Yeah, I will say. You know, I've been working since I was 16 years old, so I've always had that source of income. I've always been able to take care of myself, have been very independent in that sense. And this year, while I'm so grateful I had so many people supporting me and having my back, I had to ask for help a lot more often and a lot of what that looked like was my financial situation and you know, having, you know, my parents assist me with maybe covering my rent for the month or you know all that stuff. Just because we had that conversation beforehand of I only get this chance once in a lifetime. You know I only get one year to be Miss Ohio. I want to give it my all. Looking around at all my supporters and all my you know, my village, am I going to be able to not only support myself but get the support that I need throughout this year?

Stephanie Finoit: 48:58

A lot of what that looked like was when I reached preparing for Miss America. I knew that one. I wasn't working my full-time job anymore, so I didn't have that source of income and what I had saved up was just strictly for paying my bills. So I talked to my community and my high school's alumni association held a very, very large fundraiser over $15,000 to help my family is very poor. So they helped my family cover their expenses to Miss America, helped me cover my wardrobe expenses and even helped me cover those expenses of just daily living. So all of that. You know, I really could not have done it without all the people that helped me along the way. But for me it was really hard asking for help in the beginning because I've always been so independent, always taking care of myself, especially financially.

Raeanna Johnson: 49:49

Yeah, the struggle that I had with asking for help was that I thought it would look weak, thought it would look like I wasn't prepared or good at my job as Miss Wisconsin. That was definitely an internal struggle for me too, and I you've like recorded all of these answered prayers right, like the, the prayer that I'm going back to this again, because that powerful prayer of I personally, as a human being, do not feel prepared, but this higher power you're going to pour into me and you're going to give me opportunities and resources. Like, have you recorded and made note of all of these answered prayers that you've had throughout your year?

Stephanie Finoit: 50:26

Yeah, definitely. Now, looking back, it answered so many prayers that I don't even remember praying for Something that I consciously wanted and hoped happened this year, and a lot of that was because I'm hyper-independent, because I'm afraid to ask for help. I sometimes lose a little bit of my sense of community, especially. I grew up in Columbus in a very small town, whitehall, but I moved to Cincinnati for college so I kind of became a little bit estranged from my community members. That I was so close with being Miss Ohio brought me all of that back and it was really beautiful. My first year that I was so close with being Miss Ohio brought me all of that back and it was really beautiful. My first year that I competed I didn't even tell anyone that I was competing from my hometown, so they had no clue. They found out that I won Miss Ohio because I was in the news and they were like we know her. So it brought me back my community of all the people that uplifted me ever since I was a little girl.

Stephanie Finoit: 51:25

My parents, like I said before, they're immigrants, but I just want to make it very clear that all my family lives in Brazil. Not only are my parents immigrants, but they are the only family that I have here. It's my mom, my dad and my little brother. That's it. It was really really hard for me. You know asking for help, because it's one thing asking a family member for help but it's another asking complete strangers that become your family over time for help. But growing up I've had so many people, so many members in my community that have uplifted me in so many different things, and being Miss Ohio brought all of that together. And seeing that community come together to support one individual, one individual to represent their city, represent their state, it was just so beautiful and I don't know. I can't say in words how grateful I am for that experience, but it definitely is an answered prayer. It's something that I didn't know that I needed, but now that I've had it, I don't take any of it for granted anymore.

Raeanna Johnson: 52:29

There is absolutely something to be said for, like when you have to assess a situation or a circumstance that you're in and analyze what control do I have here? How can, how can I do something about this? What solution can I work on here? And then also recognizing there's so much outside of your control and that level of faith that you need to have that somehow, some way, everything is just going to work out and it's going to be okay. Otherwise, I think there would be a lot more falling apart and hiding under the covers and not getting out of bed. You have to have that faith throughout your year.

Stephanie Finoit: 53:07

Yeah, and now that you say that I want to be completely transparent, this was my goal coming on this podcast was I'm nearing the end of my year and it's not about proving myself anymore. It's not about talking about you know what I have, that it takes to be the title holder, all this stuff. It's about being vulnerable. It's about showing the reality of being a title holder and for me, the most important thing is to be vulnerable and share that. It's been hard. One of the hardest things in my year that happened was um, I've always had so.

Stephanie Finoit: 53:41

I was in a couple of car accidents before Miss Ohio, just not me driving, but with others. That gave me a trauma of driving, so I hadn't gotten my driver's license. I'm 22 years old and I got my driver's license the week that I won Miss Ohio. I made a decision. I knew how to drive. I just had never gotten my license because I had a fear and I recognized this fear is holding me back from all of the work that I could be doing as Miss Ohio. I'm getting my driver's license the week of, so I was a very new driver this year and I have driven over 30,000 miles.

Raeanna Johnson: 54:18

Well, you certainly made up for the years lost of not having your license.

Stephanie Finoit: 54:26

Right before Miss America, a month before it was in November, I was in a bad car accident. I was rear-ended by a truck on the highway and it was terrifying. It was such a terrifying experience was terrifying. It was such a terrifying experience One I felt embarrassed because I was a new driver and I didn't want to. I didn't want anyone else to worry about anything during my year and in this moment I had to reach out to so many people to help support me but also the trauma that I got from that experience. I had to cancel all of my bookings for a week and just take care of myself and my mindset because I felt like I was falling apart, to almost the point where I told my director I don't think I can go to Miss America and he said we've worked too hard, you have worked too hard, we need it, we can do this hard, we need it, we can do this. And so really reaching out to my supporters, my family, my friends, my board, everyone to come together and help me get through that really hard moment right before one of the best weeks of my life.

Stephanie Finoit: 55:34

You know, getting over that was very, very, very difficult for me trying to get over the trauma. And even you know, before Miss America, after that happened, I was like I am not going to drive and from that, from that accident on, I had people, chaperones that drove me to appearances and all that stuff. And then, after Miss America, because I was so busy, so caught up with prepping and all this stuff, I had to sit back and really analyze did I actually heal from this trauma? Am I okay? And so it took, you know, the couple months after that for me to heal from that, to take care of myself, to get back to driving again, feel comfortable doing that without being afraid every single time that I got in the driver's seat of a car. So that's the kind of thing that I could have never planned for during my year, I could have never predicted, and it's something that could have gotten in the way of me prepping for Miss America, gotten in the way of my mindset or even caused me to not compete at Miss America because it was that bad.

Stephanie Finoit: 56:37

But that was a really large barrier where I had so many people pray for me in that moment and they told me you know, like you said, not everything happens for a reason, but you can find strength in those things that happen. And in that moment I was like this I'm going to choose to believe that this is happening because it's going to show me, one, how much I need my village, how much I need my people around me to support me. One, how much I need my village, how much I need my people around me to support me going into Miss America. But two, it's going to show me how much strength I truly have within me that if I can overcome this, I can do anything. If I can overcome this, I am ready to be Miss America.

Stephanie Finoit: 57:16

Right, like kind of feeding that into how can this prep me for Miss America? If I can overcome this big obstacle in my year in my life and still keep going, still keep doing the job of Miss Ohio, still keep prepping, that's going to show me how much grit I have and that's a true testament to my character. So I'll say you know, that's a flaw of mine, that's a mistake that I guess I made right. Getting into a car accident and having all these things that could have made me seem weak. In the moment I felt weak, I felt like a failure, but now, looking back, I can recognize that it actually made me so strong. And getting through that and still going to Miss America, still keeping my head held up high, still keeping a smile on my face after all of that really did show me how much I've grown throughout my years there is an unspoken at least not spoken often enough strength in recognizing when you cannot do it by yourself, yes, when you need other people to help you through it.

Raeanna Johnson: 58:22

And I'm so glad that I didn't reschedule this call with you because I needed this conversation. I needed the validation from you, even in just that story, that how I'm choosing to handle the circumstance that I'm in right now is appropriate for me right now. I told my mom this morning that I have actively decided I cannot show up as this really strong woman that has it all together. I have to let people know that I'm struggling when I'm struggling, and let people help me, because otherwise I will just, from the outside, looking in, it'll look like Rihanna's got it, she's good, she's going to keep us updated. All these things. No, I need to be reaching out to my family members and saying who's visiting today, because I need to run to the store, do whatever. It's not that I don't want to be with my dad all the time, but I need to make sure that I'm holding myself accountable. No-transcript.

Stephanie Finoit: 59:31

That is exactly true, and those are the things that you need to hear from your role models, from the people you look up to. I needed to hear that. You know, like I said, watching the interview with Simone Biles, realizing that she's coming out here, she's being vulnerable, she's being transparent, that she needs days off and like 100% off, what makes me feel that I don't deserve that as well, what makes me feel that I don't deserve that as well. And so, coming on here today, it was my mission. You know that I wanted to send the message of you are not expected to be perfect.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:00:05

There are so many things that are going to happen, whether you're preparing to compete for your state title, after you win your state title, preparing to go to Miss America or even just life. And there are moments that to go to Miss America or even just life, and there are moments that are going to humble you, that are going to teach you that sometimes your strength is relying on the people around you. Strength doesn't always come from within. Sometimes it comes from the outside, and that does not make you weak. It doesn't make you weak recognizing that you need help. It makes you strong, recognizing that you are able to ask for help, because you have people around you that want to help you, that are there for you, and allowing them to come into your life to be a part of your journey, to be a part of overcoming that barrier, is a strength in itself.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:00:54

I wanna round this out. I do not want to end this conversation I don't but I know I want to be respectful of your time and I'll have to have you back, because we have not even talked about your experience at Miss America and all of those things, and I know there's so much value that you can pour into, like your preparation and mindset going into Miss America. I know that. But something that you've said is that you poured everything into this year and you're so happy with everything that you accomplished. And yet you came back from Miss America and had a couple of months there of it sounds like self-care and some downtime. And I'm wondering during that time, did you struggle with any kind of guilt or frustration, that internal struggle of I'm not doing enough?

Stephanie Finoit: 1:01:41

Yes. So, coming back from Miss America, the same month in January actually two days after Miss America finals I had to start preparing for another really big accomplishment in my life, something that I've been working for for the past five years, which was presenting my research, an oral presentation, at a national science conference, and that was at the end of January, so two days after Miss America. My entire presentation was due, I had to submit it and I had to start working with the doctor that I work under to prepare for my oral presentation. So right after Miss America it was still go, go, go, go, go, but in a completely different way. After, that is when I was like, okay, I've done a lot of big things in just this past month, but you know, I've worked really hard for the past couple months for these two big moments in my life. I'm allowed to give myself grace. I'm allowed to take a period of rest, relaxation, so that I can get back up on my feet and finish the rest of my year out strong, up on my feet and finish the rest of my year out strong.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:02:57

And it was really difficult because for the first time I faced burnout, truly true burnout, and I thought that I was burnout sometimes in college. Just things got a little hard. It was harder to study some days than others, but I never knew what true burnout felt, and it was. It looked like me getting sick every week. Every other week I was sick like very, very sick, can't get out of bed, sick. My immune system was just failing because I was so exhausted. I was mentally exhausted, physically exhausted. I wasn't eating enough to take care of myself because I was trying to always be go, go, go and it was just a lot and I felt like I was crashing. I felt guilty for taking that moment to myself. But reaching out to my board and having a very honest conversation with I want to end my year out strong. I want to be strong for my class that's going to go and compete for the title Miss Ohio. I want to be there for them. I want to be strong for my class that's going to go and compete for the title Miss Ohio. I want to be there for them. I want to be that strong Miss Ohio that can give those speeches, give that motivation for them. I don't want to be burnt out at the end of my year. So I need this month, and that was the month of February. I need this month to just take some time to myself.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:04:15

Before Miss America, I was doing an average of eight appearances a week. The month of February. I did probably three appearances in that entire month and it was really hard. It was really hard for me to recognize that I needed time, that I needed a break. I needed a time to just take care of myself so that I could be there for others at the end of my year. But now I'm really grateful that I took that time because I feel like I have been rejuvenated. I feel like I'm ready to end my year out strong.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:04:42

I'm back to my appearance schedule, I'm doing all these bookings, I'm ending my year with a bang and I'm so grateful that I was able to kind of take my pride away for a moment and recognize that if I'm going to be there for others, if I'm going to show up as the Miss Ohio that others want me to be, that others expect me to be, that they, you know, look up to, I need to do that for myself. I need to put the work into myself. I need to take care of myself so that I can be that person and that's being a. That's the life of being a title holder. Honestly, you need to take those days for yourself so that you could show up for others. But even in your situation, you know to show up for your dad. You need to take those days for yourself and you might feel guilty, but give yourself grace. We all deserve it. You, you would give that advice to somebody else. If somebody else was taking a day off, you would tell them that they deserve that, that they shouldn't feel bad for it, that they should take as much time needed. Like I told you today, if you need time, take it.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:05:48

But when we give advice to ourselves or when we're looking on ourselves, we don't give ourselves as much grace as we give others. We say, oh, if others take a break, that's fine, but me, no, I can't take a break because that's lazy and it really came to. You know it's treat others the way that you'd want to be treated, but kind of the opposite. Treat yourself the way you would treat others. And as a title holder, you're such a community servant. Your year is all about giving and giving and giving. But I will pour out my cup until it's empty and there's nothing left. And when there's nothing left, I have nothing left to give to others. So if I don't fill that cup up for myself, I have nothing left to give, and it's equally as important. The balance is so important.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:06:35

Oh, my goodness, like I said, I think you and I could sit and talk for hours, days, and I absolutely want to have you back on Sash and Soul so we can dive in even more into some of these key themes that have come up throughout our conversation. But as we're coming to a close today, I want to give you the mic to speak directly to our listeners, to this beautiful Sash and Soul community, this family, these women from across the country, around the world, that may be going through a difficult time right now, that may be preparing for a competition, that have this dream in front of them, that maybe it's their last opportunity to achieve it, and I want you to speak directly to them from your heart and what your message is for them.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:07:23

From now until the time where you are competing, where you are on the stage, or for any goal that you are trying to achieve. Starting from the moment that you listen to this, I want you to recognize that, first off, what will happen is already written. What will be will be. There is nothing that you can do to change an outcome that is already written. And in saying that you are enough, something I had to learn was that there was nothing that I could do to be more than who. I was right.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:08:02

But really, hearing that and recognizing that you are enough just the way you are in this moment, you are enough to hold a state title. You are enough to achieve whatever goal you are trying to achieve and in that, whatever fear that you have that is holding you back, know that your dream is bigger than all those fears, bigger than all those barriers in your path. You have exactly what it takes to achieve that goal, to achieve that dream. So, by overcoming those fears, by overcoming that self doubt, that imposter syndrome, recognize that you are enough and you are ready and release yourself from any outcome that you are tied to and know that there are so many other things that you can gain from this journey, and the biggest thing is knowing that you have what it takes. You are strong enough to overcome those barriers and, no matter what happens, at the end of the day you are enough.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:09:04

There's nothing else to say for today except for thank you.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:09:08

Thank you so much, stephanie, for being here, for truly pouring your heart into this conversation. If no one else found value from it, I did, and I certainly needed to hear a lot of your messaging and, just like the inspiration that I feel from you and knowing like man, you have spent a year pouring that same level of love and heart into every single person that you have met along the way, like there is a trail behind you that is just covered in light and love and there is wide open spaces in front of you to continue doing the same thing, and I'm so excited for the next chapter for you and can't wait to see what you accomplish and to have you back on the show to share more of your vulnerability and insight, because vulnerability begets vulnerability. Vulnerability was the theme of my year as Miss Wisconsin because I knew that it opened up windows of opportunity for others to share their hearts and feel connected, and that's exactly what you do and what you did today, and it's a gift. So thank you.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:10:10

Thank you so much, and I just want to thank you, of course.

Stephanie Finoit: 1:10:13

Starting off the conversation strong and vulnerable and honest really helped open the door for me to be vulnerable and honest as well. So thank you so much for doing that did. Coming to the end of my year, these are all the things that I've been holding back, that I've been too afraid to say because I didn't want to be seen as weak or that I wasn't prepared enough, like we said over and over again. But now, at the end of my year, looking back, I know that if there's one thing that I wanted to hear, it was that you don't have to be perfect, and it really is how you respond to situations, how you respond to all the things that happen, that make you strong, that define your character. So this conversation healed me. I'm so glad that we got to have this conversation. I am looking forward to our next call, our next conversation that we have, and, of course, I'm sending you my best wishes, my prayers, my good vibes, all that you need to help you get through this time in your life as well.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:11:17

Thank you.

Raeanna Johnson: 1:11:18

Oh I appreciate that and I appreciate all of you in the Sash and Soul community and this beautiful family. Thank you for tuning in, for listening to, following along, reach out on social media, reach out on Instagram. I want to hear, like, if you're going through something and what's helping you get through it and what, what are your little wins? We have to celebrate the little wins, even in those times of darkness and in struggle. So please tag Sash and Soul, hashtag Sash and Soul, dm me. I want to hear from you. This is a community and it is full of love and support, no matter where you're at on your journey and what your goals are. So thank you for tuning in. We'll be back again soon with another episode from our crowned and candid series and we'll talk with you then. Until then, be well, take care of yourself, find that balance, practice that self-care. We'll talk to you soon. Bye.