Sash & Soul
Welcome to the "Fearlessly Authentic: Sash & Soul Podcast," the show that goes beyond the stage to prioritize mindset, wellbeing, and triumphs in the pageant journey. Each episode explores the power of embracing authenticity, sharing mindset tips, self-care strategies, and inspiring success stories to help you navigate the pageant world with confidence and resilience.
Sash & Soul
#49 Crowned & Candid: Jordan Naylor, Miss Alaska 2024
What happens when your dream comes true? For Jordan Naylor, Miss Alaska 2024, claiming the crown was just the beginning of a transformative journey – one that followed directly after her reign as Miss Alaska USA. With less than a week between titles, Jordan stepped into her role with a unique dual-system perspective and a crystal-clear vision: build a sustainable legacy for every future Miss Alaska who follows.
Unlike titleholders from larger pageant states, Jordan navigates the distinct challenges of representing Alaska – a place where rubber boots often replace high heels, volcanic eruptions can disrupt appearances, and reaching the state's 229 villages requires extraordinary commitment. Her candid reflections reveal the delicate balance between full-time work as a Development Director for Go Red for Women and her responsibilities as Miss Alaska. With refreshing honesty, she admits that being selective with her time and occasionally "selfish" with her choices has been crucial to her success.
The true value of Jordan's story lies in her practical wisdom. She meticulously built relationships with national coaches, secured new sponsorships, revived workshops for contestants, and formed unexpected partnerships with organizations like the Anchorage Fire Department. Her approach wasn't about maximizing appearances, but rather creating infrastructure that would outlast her reign – a strategy born from her professional expertise in relationship-building and development.
Jordan also addresses what many titleholders hesitate to discuss: the emotional "rut" that follows national competition. Having experienced both sides of the crown as a perpetual runner-up before winning her titles, she offers compassionate insight into the psychological journey of pageantry. Her analogy of Extra Tuffs – Alaska's iconic rubber boots that slowly mold to the wearer's feet – perfectly captures how each titleholder must create their own unique path.
Ready to embark on your own pageant journey or simply fascinated by what happens behind the crown? Listen as Jordan reveals why you should never give up on your dreams, how to navigate whatever the year throws your way, and why the value you get out depends entirely on what you put in.
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Welcome back to Sash and Soul everyone. I'm here with another, of course, episode in the Crowned and Candid series, where we are pulling back the curtain on what it really means and looks like to be a state title holder, to offer something that we don't usually get, which is real talk from the women that are in the role right now, as they're wrapping up this year and heading into the next awesome chapter of their life. So the goal is to bring you really candid conversations with the current title holders so that you get an honest and unfiltered look at what it actually means to wear the crown. So it's not just the stuff that we see on social media or the stage photos, but really the behind the scenes. Because when you're preparing for interview and for competition, what you should be focused on is that big picture of what is this actually going to be like, living in this position for 365 days. So that's what we are doing, and I'm glad that you're tuning in because I mean, at least I find these conversations incredibly valuable. I'm really enjoying myself and learning so much, so I hope you are too.
Speaker 1:Today, we have Miss Alaska 2024, jordan Naylor, with us. I'm excited because she is actually going to be able to share the perspective of being a Miss America affiliated title holder and a Miss Alaska USA. So we get to double dip here in the experiences and the conversation of what it means to be a title holder from two completely different well, I shouldn't say completely different. There's a lot of similarities but two different organizations, which is so fun. Jordan's overall message that she wants to share with you is to never give up on your dreams, be ready to navigate whatever the year throws your way and put in what you want to get out, which I absolutely love that sentiment. So let's dive in. Jordan, thanks for coming and being with me today in this conversation. Appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Absolutely All right. So you have the floor. My friend, Tell us about who you are and what you're all about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so well. Where do I start? I'm currently Miss Alaska 2024. And so I got to compete at Miss America with so many of the amazing girls you've been interviewing over the past few months. This last January, I am a born and raised Alaskan and then I graduated from Boise State with my marketing degree and I currently am a development director for Go Red for Women. So that made my year really fun and interesting, with the partnership that Miss America has with Go Red.
Speaker 2:I also I love to be outdoors, I love to travel. I've been competing in the Miss America system for a very long time. I started as a princess, actually in our princess program we have here in Alaska. I was one of the first princesses we ever had and I am the first princess to win the Miss Alaska title title. I was Miss Alaska's Outstanding Teen in 2012. So I've been to MAO Teen, I've been to Miss America now and I've also been to Miss USA. So a bit all over the place. But it's really exciting to be able to share kind of the knowledge that I've gained, maybe some knowledge that my mom has shared with me, because she has tons of it at this point, being a pageant mom and helping girls transition into this phase of their life as I transition out of it.
Speaker 1:That's so poetic too, because it is a transition and, like we keep talking about that, every single episode has been like you, trent, like it's a, you prepare so much for winning the title, you get the title and then it's like imposter syndrome, challenging, learning the position, learning the job, all that stuff, and then by the end of the year you're like a completely new person from when you were, when you started.
Speaker 2:In my year I had a pretty good idea of what the job entailed because I had just come off my Miss Alaska USA year, which I don't recommend. I had a week. It was literally five days. I crowned a new Miss Alaska USA on Saturday, and then we have our pageant on Thursdays in Alaska, because in the summertime you can't count on anybody being there on the weekends. It's our only time with sunshine. So we got to get out there, uh but right. So I crowned a new girl on Saturday and I won miss Alaska on Thursday, the following Thursday, and so I don't recommend that. Um, maybe take a little bit of a break, but I was aging out and so I just wanted.
Speaker 2:Miss America was always the dream and miss America was always the goal, and I didn't want to miss that opportunity when I had it. So I had a bit of an idea. I feel like more than most people do when they go into this position, but it's always a learning curve. Every year is different, every girl is different and, honestly, the board is different with every single title holder. Every board in every state has their values and what they focus on. The board is different with every single title holder Every board in every state has their values and what they focus on the size of their board, the positions on their board they're all relatively the same.
Speaker 2:They have the relatively same goal but in every state it's different. You know, in Alaska we're a really tiny pageant state so as a state title holder, I do a lot more work than, say, somebody in a big pageant state like Oklahoma or Texas or Florida. Those girls that have really long-lasting pageant communities and people understand what being Miss Florida or Miss Texas is and it's a bigger deal, I feel like, in those states. And so, as a state title holder, we do a lot more on our end, I feel like here, with the support of our volunteers.
Speaker 1:So it's a job like it's a full time job and it's a job in every state, but it's a little different up here, I feel like hearing the stories and the experiences from different states, because they are, they're run differently, they're different cultures, they're different backgrounds and, yeah, so I've been really excited to hear about Alaska. I feel like it's just this, like little corner of our country that I'm like what's going on over there?
Speaker 2:I feel like people got a little bit of the insight when Emma was Miss America and absolutely love Emma, I love her family. Our parents actually went to high school together. That's how like small town it is here. So people got a little bit of an insight into, like, what some events are like up here. But a lot of my events like they're not fancy.
Speaker 2:I don't wear gowns very often. Um, we have a lot of galas, obviously for fundraisers and things like that, but, um, you know, I'm preparing for a big event at the end of the month and the entire time they're like no, your boots are fine, your boots and your jacket is going to be just fine. And I'm like, okay, perfect, um, can't wait. Um, I'm going to the Kodiak crab festivalrab Festival at the end of the month in Kodiak, alaska, which is an island off our coast and so pretty different than like a normal event. It's the celebration of crab season and they start the crab season and, as a special guest, I get to like part in the crab this year, which means I get to pick which one lives that they pull out of the ocean.
Speaker 1:So, oh, my gosh, I've done things like what a responsibility though Joy that's. That's intense.
Speaker 2:Very Alaskan, um, you are the giver of life at that event.
Speaker 2:The one crab, just one. The other ones don't you know. Um, I've done what other fun like we have very Alaskan things here. Um, I've done what other fun like we have very Alaskan things here. Um, I was at this start of the Iditarod, which is a sled dog race, the largest sled dog race in the world. It's a thousand miles from Anchorage to Nome, um, so that was really cool. I ran with the reindeer, which is similar to like running of the bulls in Spain, but we run with reindeer here, similar to like running of the bulls in Spain, but we run with reindeer here. Some other thing, you know, just random Alaskan things that we do here.
Speaker 1:That are super cool, so it sounds like a completely different country.
Speaker 2:A little bit. We're our own little world.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little bit. I'm gonna have to travel there, I want to do like an Alaskan cruise.
Speaker 2:I have friends that have done that, and it depends on how much adventure you like. So Alaskan cruises are like the easiest way to see a lot of Alaska. But if you're really adventurous, I recommend just like flying into Anchorage and renting a car and like going, because you can reach a lot of places by car here and so you can just drive to all these cool places. Here, too, you can drive 12 hours and still be in the state of Alaska.
Speaker 1:So I will have to discuss with my husband, because that does sound right up our alley for sure. Yeah. Yeah, before I hit record, jordan and I were talking about how, you know, we could dive in deep to like Jordan's experience as Miss Alaska. We've talked about my experience as Miss Wisconsin. We've heard from other women representing different states this year and about to give up their title and with the intention of helping you understand what it actually looks like to do the job.
Speaker 1:But, as Jordan already kind of alluded to and talked about, different states, different girl, different experiences, and so, with that in mind, I think my encouragement, my intention for this episode and for the whole series is for you to kind of like learn and gain valuable, like ideas of how you would approach certain situations and also, I think more importantly, switch your mindset to thinking that you need to be some level of excellence when you're crowned Like yes, that's true, but also know that it's going to be a year of growth and things are going to come at you that you weren't expecting, and you kind of reach a point of realizing like, oh, okay, so this is what it's about and this is how I approach this and you figure it out along the way of how to best take care of yourself so that you can show up and get the most out of the experience.
Speaker 1:So I just wanted to point that out because I think Jordan said it really beautifully about like every state's different, every board is different and the experience with each board of directors is going to be different depending on the girl, and that's the way that it's been in Alaska. So I just appreciated that and I really wanted to take a moment to highlight that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would also allude to the fact that it really depends on what type of title holder you want to be, and so, for me, I really wanted to make an impact on our organization. It was less about how many events I can attend and where can I be at all times, and more about how can I grow the Miss Alaska organization for every Miss Alaska after me, because I am fortunate enough to have a lot of experience. I've been doing this a very long time. I had just come off of a year as Miss Alaska USA where I met so many amazing people. I found so many coaches that resonated with me. That really changed me as a title holder and as a competitor. I found connections with people all over the US, obviously with the girls I've met and the sponsors I worked with, and so I was able to make those connections and my entire goal was to one boost our numbers, obviously because you want to give more opportunities to more women in our state, but I also wanted anyone to be able to step into this role, so I wanted any girl off the street that met me or thought like, wow, I want to do that would be able to walk into the role of Miss Alaska be supported, feel supported and be successful at Miss America and throughout her reign. So for me it was really a focus on building our sponsorships, getting our name in new doors and making partnerships with other organizations in town that maybe we haven't worked with before or that could really help us or really support us, or that could really help us or really support us Building the prize package for the next Miss Alaska, so that, because, again, we are so secluded, we don't have a lot of options here.
Speaker 2:So like we don't, we have like one gown store here and it's not. They don't carry like couture, like it's not Miss America level gowns, you know. So like you have to special order all of those things, providing them the opportunities to take a lot of photos so they can find that perfect headshot. No-transcript, what Miss America is looking for, what it's like to go to Miss America and then the rest of the people who are part of the pageant industry are like this is really cool and we really want to support these women doing really amazing things, but I have no idea what they want. I have no idea what they're looking for. You know, 90% of the time one of your judges is an engineer. They don't. They don't. They've maybe watched Miss America once or twice, and so it's a different environment here, because you have to be personable, you have to be able to articulate what you want to do, when you want to do it, but also be able to do it to an entire audience that has absolutely zero idea what it means to be in a pageant, and I think that's a little bit different here.
Speaker 2:So my year really was based on kind of the organization and helping it grow, because it did so much for me when I was younger and I just want to see it flourish and I want to see the next girl not have like stressors that I've had.
Speaker 2:You know, not struggle to find an evening gown, which I have. We have amazing evening gown sponsors and I was fortunate enough to fly all the way to Orlando and shop at Regalia and find my perfect evening gown with Carrie and David and they're amazing sponsors of ours. But you know, if you know, say somebody doesn't have the opportunity with six weeks to fly to Orlando to try on literally every single dress in the Regalia store, we have to figure out how to get them to them. You know we have to do those Zoom calls with Carrie or David and be like what's in your store, what can we get in six weeks, and things like that, and so that was really my goal as Miss Alaska is to make this experience better for the next person that comes after me. And I had an amazing year. My board is absolutely wonderful, I have a great support system, but, again, not everybody has that, and so I wanted to ensure that the girl who came after me felt as supported as I did.
Speaker 1:I want to know what hurdles and setbacks you experienced within this goal and goals within that goal. But first I want to hear, like what, what were your biggest successes in this effort to build up the organization?
Speaker 2:So I think my biggest successes, which I love telling all about the people who have come on board. Almost all of my coaches have come on as Miss Alaska sponsors or Miss Alaska coaches, official coaches. So my hair and makeup artist Artistry by Amanda Amanda Cave out of Washington is absolutely amazing. She has come on as Miss Alaska sponsor so she offers makeup lessons to our new title holders before they go to Miss America, which is like again in Alaska. I wear boots to 90% of my events. It's very different when you go to Miss America.
Speaker 1:Like it's a little more off-putting, I would say, then, to like show up full glam at an event is what I'm kind of piecing together show up full glam at an event is what I'm kind of piecing together.
Speaker 2:It's very different because we just don't. We do it once a year when we compete and then it's not even the same kind of glam because our stage isn't as big. We're not as big. It's not competing in Alabama, where you have the massive lights in the stage and our stage is beautiful. Our production team is amazing, but again, we're just not. We don't have a massive auditorium even here. It's not even built Like we. We only have so many options. So, um, you know we, we do our best, but we are, you know we, we have about as many people in our state as the entire state of Rhode Island. So it's a little bit different. But Amanda came on and she is so supportive and amazing and she travels to Alaska every year now for our state pageant. She came last year, she's coming again this year, which I'm really excited about, and she also offered a one hour little tutorial, a little information session for all of our contestants. I was able to build out, with the help of Elle Adkins, who is on our production team, and a former Miss Alaska who took over for Emma. We built out like a six to eight week I think there was eight of them one hour Sunday training sessions for all of our girls, so we were able to help them with hair and makeup, with styling, headshot information, paperwork, information, csi class. We did interview prep all starting in January, right after Miss America, to the last one is on Saturday with our workshop. So we brought the workshop back. We didn't have a workshop for the last few years, so me and Elle have worked really hard to do that.
Speaker 2:Um, my uh, fitness coach has come on as our nutrition and fitness coach, morgan Morgan um, from South Carolina, who is like the cheerleader that nobody ever knew they needed in their life. Um, she is always the loudest person in the room, even if she's not there. Uh, she is the most sustainable fitness person I have ever met because I'll call her and be like I need cake and she's not there. She is the most sustainable fitness person I have ever met because I'll call her and be like I need cake and she's like yes, you do 100%. You eat that chocolate cake. And I'm like this is great. She is absolutely amazing. And she's been my fitness coach since I went to Miss USA and probably the entire reason I didn't develop an eating disorder while I was Miss Alaska, usa, because it is such a pressure to be in a bikini. Now Miss America's a little different. We don't have to wear a bikini anymore, but she still was able to help me have a sustainable lifestyle where I have energy, where I feel healthy, where I can have, you know, a night out with my friends and not worry about the calories I'm counting while I'm there. Um, and also a gym schedule that I enjoy, um, and that I love to go do each and every week. And even the days when I don't want to go, she's like that's totally fine, just do yoga at home for 30 minutes, you know, take a day off, stretch it's okay not to go, um. So having her in in our corner and the Miss Alaska corner is insanely beneficial to anybody that steps into this role.
Speaker 2:Um, my walking coach, isabella Rodevon a winning walk has come on as our walking coach and our walking sponsor, so she will help the girls get ready for nationals, which is amazing. She's out of San Antonio, texas, and she has coached the likes of Miss USA girls. She's coached Miss America girls. She was Arbeny's coach when Arbeny won Miss Texas, usa and then went on to win Miss USA, so she is absolutely amazing. And then one partnership that I'm really excited about that's really based on my CSI this year but they've just been amazing is actually our fire department here in Anchorage. So my platform is Nation of Lifesavers teaching hands-only CPR, working with the American Heart Association to teach one person in every household hands-only CPR by the year 2030. And so I got connected with AFD this year when I did something called Fire Ops, which is like I got to be a fake firefighter for the day, which was really cool. They made me a sash. It's hanging right next to me, actually out of hose, out of fire hose.
Speaker 2:So it's oh my gosh that's so cool and it says says Miss Alaska on it, and so I got to do like I climbed the ladder, I cut up a car, I put out a fire. Um, we did, uh, a CPR like demonstration so I learned CPR. We did the whole paramedics like lift them and put them in the. It was super cool. Um, it was a whole day and after that I was like well, I want to help you guys do CPR and AED awareness and so I've been working with them all year and they actually are sponsoring one full day of our Miss Alaska week. So they gave us the training facility to hold like our orientation in and then they are doing a mini fire ops for all of our girls. They'll learn hands-only CPR, get to cut up a car, get to put on all the fire gear and have like a whole afternoon out of it, which is super cool and different.
Speaker 2:Like you know, you don't really get to do that during pageant week, so that's really exciting. We've worked really hard on getting food sponsors for the week, um, and just getting our name out there more Um, and so I'm really excited about all of that Um. But I think one of the biggest hurdles that we find is that we are a very small community who loves to give but has a lot of limitations, um, due to the fact that we are so small, we don't have massive corporations we can go to and be like, hey, we need 10 grand for a sponsorship. We only have the one university system. So, getting scholarships for our girls, there's only one place they go to, you know. So we have a couple different options. But so we have a couple different options, but nothing compared to, like some big states. We don't have a lot of family donor funds. We don't have. We don't even have department stores, like we don't. We don't have Nordschleife, we don't have Dillard's, we don't have Macy's. So we have to get really creative with who we ask to support us. A lot of people that support us are former Miss Alaska's or former Miss Alaska families or people that we've interacted directly with within our years. So for me, thankfully, I am really, really active in the community, not only through Miss Alaska but also through the American Heart Association, so I was able to meet a lot of people and so I was able to share the message of Miss Alaska and Miss America and bring on new sponsorships.
Speaker 2:But you also kind of have to talk people over the stigma that follows a pageant girl around. You know that we are, we lack substance, that we do it to be pretty and to stand on a stage and smile and wave and we don't have goals and aspirations and we're uneducated and things like that, and that stigma is still very strong in our state. Um, it's getting better year after year. You know, less and less people think that. Um, but getting over that initial hurdle, I think, is something that all pageant girls struggle with. Um, but it is some. It's fun to see it click for people. When you're having that conversation. They're like well, how does this benefit anybody? And I'm like, well, do you have a sister? Does she want to graduate college? Because I did it pretty much debt free and she can too, and here's how she can do it. Um, it's also been really fun to.
Speaker 2:You know, there's always I feel like there's always one person. Nobody gets along with everybody right, and so changing the perceptive that people have had of former competitors or maybe they came across somebody somewhere or they've only seen toddlers in tiaras and seeing that change for them has been really rewarding for me, because I have been able to do so much and so, you know, getting more people involved and pulling them in and just creating this support system that I feel that any state title holder needs, because it is, it's a lot. It's not easy. As much as we all say that it's a dream come true, being a state title holder can be hard because you're not only in a state like Alaska, we don't get paid, so I'm doing it on my free time, I have a 40 hour a week job and I'm also Miss Alaska, so learning to balance that time management skills and also learning how to say no was really hard for me.
Speaker 1:How did you overcome like I don't want to put words in your mouth, I'm assuming like kind of the guilt of saying no?
Speaker 2:Oh, I think I still feel guilty every time I say no, especially because you're on a time crunch Like I have exactly one month left and there's so many things that I wanted to do that I didn't get to or that I haven't gotten to yet. There's so many places, our state is massive and you have to really try hard to get everywhere. We have 229 villages in the state of Alaska that do not get to see Miss Alaska every year and, as Miss Alaska, I wanted to reach those communities and show them that you didn't have to be. Anchorage is our main city, that's where I'm from, but I wanted them to see that you didn't have to be from Anchorage to be Miss Alaska, that you could live in on Kodiak, which is an island. You could be from Ketchikan, soldotna, which is kind of on our panhandle, or you could be from Juneau, which is our state capital. That's only accessible by air or boat. I didn't want people to feel like you had to be here to be Miss Alaska and unfortunately, due to weather and other situations that we have here in our state, we had a volcano warning last month that everybody was waiting for this volcano to erupt. We have everything. Yes, we have arctic circle and the ring of fire is here, so, um. And we have, um, all ecosystems here. So, like, southeast is a rainforest, there's tundra, there's technically high desert here, um, so yeah.
Speaker 2:So like learning that it's okay that I didn't reach every goal, because I got a lot done. I definitely still feel guilty every time I have to say no to something, but thankfully there's girls who want to do things. So a great example, like this weekend I had to say no to I believe I was handing out awards at the Special Olympics here at one of their events, but we have great local title holders who want to go do it. So, even if I can't be there, somebody can be. One of the greatest things I've ever heard in my years of competing, right before I won my teen title, it was when Teresa Scanlon gave up her Miss America crown. I don't know if you've ever heard this story. We heard it from our Miss Alaska 2011. At the time, teresa Scanlon took a rhinestone out of the back of her Miss America crown and had it placed in a necklace for every contestant that year so that they could walk around with a stone from the Miss America crown and I did not know that.
Speaker 1:I've not heard that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so what she said was, and I remember, like our Miss Alaska it probably looked just like the necklace I have on, actually, and it was just like you know, it's something for them but that we are state title holders, are people's Miss Americas because we are everywhere that she cannot be. Abby, my roommate. I love her to death. We are trying so hard to get her to Alaska, but there's a shot that she might not be here. She might not ever get to travel to Alaska as Miss America. She might not ever get to travel to Alaska as Miss America.
Speaker 2:So for everybody who never gets to meet Abby, but they get to meet me, I am their version of Miss America, I am what they see. And for anybody who doesn't get to meet me, the local title holders here are their Miss Alaska, and so I think, really instilling that it doesn't matter what level your title is, you could be a local title holder, you could be a state title holder, you could be Miss America, you are Miss America to someone. And so reaching out to the entirety of our state and showing them that they can be Miss America, they can be Miss Alaska, was something that I really wanted to do, and that part of it makes me feel guilty. Every time I say no, because there's probably somebody that I could have made that difference with. But beggars can't be choosers. I can't be everywhere at once, and so getting to the most amount of things was important to me that matched my goals as my year two.
Speaker 1:Well, I think it's really important for you and for anyone listening to recognize too that just because your year wearing the crown and sash is coming to a close doesn't mean that you can't continue building upon the work that you've done as Miss Alaska. For me, I always feel guilty. I think I will always feel a little bit guilty because I was so burnt out by the end of my year that I just didn't have it in me to come back and to keep like volunteering and contributing, like I needed a break. I was starting my first full-time job and I was just like really struggling with, with trying to heal myself from, I mean, a stressful year and some like untreated mental health struggles that I was experiencing too. But for you, you made the goal at the beginning of your year I want to build up this organization and now you have the opportunity to continue doing that and be a person that can support the next Miss Alaska in doing that as well, because part of what I experienced was you put things in place or you want to bring on sponsors, but bringing on sponsors and donors is majority relationship building, and when you are the one building those relationships and then all of a sudden you're done with your job after a year of having it. If someone isn't picking up that baton and carrying it forward, those relationships are going to fizzle and all of that work kind of is for naught. But you have the opportunity to continue doing that, especially after like really working to take care of yourself and balancing that, because often I'm hearing when I'm talking to clients or when I'm doing consults what are your goals?
Speaker 1:What do you want to achieve as a title holder? And it's everything under the sun, which, of course, we all have those aspirations. We are change makers. We want to be out there doing really amazing things and building our legacy and contributing. But the reality is and as you've already mentioned, you had a full-time job and there was only so much that you could do on the side. You had to be kind of choosy about what you made your year about. You couldn't do the I'm going to build up the organization and I'm going to do all the appearances that I could possibly do and whatever else. You had to choose and I think that's really aspirational and a really key thing to take away from your particular Crown and Candid episode, because that's how you burn out and that's how you reach the end of your year feeling so regretful and maybe even full of some resentment because you kind of look back and be like, well, did I really do anything of substance? Because I couldn't do it all.
Speaker 2:I always think, too, like a really big hurdle for most girls is comparing themselves to other states. And there's definitely been times in my year where I'm like, oh I, I haven't done an event in six weeks. Or I haven't done X, y and Z, maybe not six weeks, but um, and I remember, specifically before Miss America, I told my board I was like I will not be doing an event in December one. It's really cold in Alaska. I will not be standing outside for multiple hours at a time three weeks before I have to go to Miss America. The guy I did not want to be sick at Miss America. I was extremely selective. I was like I will not be sick, I will do everything to stay. And if you talk to a lot of the girls you've probably talked to, everyone was ill. Everyone was so sick at Miss America that some girls were, you know, they were loading up on every every cold medicine we could find and and I didn't, and I had heard that before that. You know you travel, especially me. I traveled the farthest probably besides Haley, from Hawaii. We're probably about the same distance from Florida. I knew that, that traveling and what traveling does to my system as somebody who travels all the time and I did not want to get sick, so I didn't do anything in December. I said I will. I will do these two things. One of them was indoors and one was like a very short, really fun, random parade that I like selectively picked because it's something like very small, very Alaskany of us. And so I told people I was like I will not be doing events and I will not feel bad about it.
Speaker 2:And then throughout the month of December, I saw these girls posting like oh, I've done 150 events in the last six months. And I was like where did you go? Like what did you do? Because we don't even have that many things in my state. Like we have really great and really really cool experiences here, but to find 150 events in six months, you got to dig or you got to create them yourself and so, like seeing other states do that, I was like am I not doing enough? Am I not going to enough schools? Am I not? And I had to remind myself that, like I made it a priority that I wanted to be one healthy at Miss America, because otherwise you don't get the same experience at Miss America, because it's already it's stressful.
Speaker 2:You, we did not sleep. I think I slept a total of like maybe 16, 12, 16 hours the whole week. You know we were running on little sleep, we had so much going on and it was an amazing experience, but I never would have made it if I was sick. And looking back, I'm really glad I prioritized my actual, like physical health, but in the moment I did feel like I wasn't doing enough, and so I think that, as long as a title holder sets her goals very clear or her boundaries very clear, although it may suck in the moment, in the long run you will be proud of yourself in that and that you stuck to those guns.
Speaker 2:Because there was girls at Miss America that I felt so bad for. They were so sick, they couldn't interact with some of us because they didn't want to get the rest of us sick. And then you miss out on that amazing life changing experience because you're like I don't want to get anybody sick and I don't want to be around anybody that's sick and I feel bad and and so it was a that was a big thing for me, like a big learning hurdle of like it's okay that I don't want to do these things. I think, specifically like my board was amazing and they were like 100%, we don't want you to be sick, that sounds awful, um, and so they were very supportive in that decision I made. Um, but when you're I think, when you're preparing for a pageant as well, like you said like everybody wants to do everything, a really big thing that we see up here is that competitors will just list, like everything the former Miss Alaska did.
Speaker 2:So last year, our wonderful Miss Alaska, hannah Utick, was able to visit a lot of villages in our state and she got to go to really cool places, and so a lot of girls came into competition and were like, well, I want to do that, like which? Yes, that's so cool and it's so cool that Hannah got to do it. But if you don't have a plan as to why you want to do that, it doesn't really make sense for you. But if you don't have a plan as to why you want to do that, it doesn't really make sense for you. So when I was getting ready to compete, I thought of three to five things that I wanted to do as Miss Alaska that was directly attainable for me, that directly related to me and that, if Hannah did it, I took from her experiences, like the time of year she went, the people she connected with and those kind of things, and I applied them.
Speaker 2:But I didn't completely just say, well, hannah went, so I want to go, and I think that's one thing, that contestants they have all these ideas but, like you said earlier, like you can get so creative with what you want to do with your year, especially in smaller states. I think that my Miss, south Dakota, is a great example of this. She is a huge wildlife supporter and it's her platform and so she's really done a lot in the state of South Dakota when it comes to the wildlife, when it comes to the endangered species that are in South Dakota and learning about the animals that are there that I've never seen that before in a title holder, like I've never seen somebody go out and specifically look for events that are surrounded around like wildlife and their platform in that sort of way.
Speaker 2:So I think that she's Jolene's a great example of that and for me, again, like we've never had a Miss Alaska really work with the Anchorage Fire that and for me, again, like we've never had a Miss Alaska really work with the Anchorage Fire Department and for me it directly relates to my platform, which is wonderful, but it's a relationship that I'll be able to help carry on for years because of the work I did this year. Like you said, and thankfully you know, I will take a slight step back. I will not be at every event in the next year, but I will be joining the Miss Alaska board and the Miss Alaska support team and helping our girls prepare for nationals and becoming almost a sponsor liaison, I guess you could say with all the relationships I built. Thankfully, my career is also sponsorship relationship through development with Go Red for Women, so I have a lot of experience doing it and so I'm excited to see that. But yeah, like you said, I think that when you're getting ready to compete, people think that to be unique you have to reinvent the wheel.
Speaker 2:But you don't. All you need to do is to find how it is unique to you, because there's only so many things that we can do as state title holders and there's a lot of really cool things out there that state title holders get to do. That are they differ state to state, but don't feel discouraged from doing something just because the girl before you did it. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, you can just add to it. You can make it more extravagant and you can build that relationship farther so that the girl after you can also do it and can also build onto that relationship and do really cool things.
Speaker 2:And because I did Fire Ops 101 this year, miss Alaska will be invited every year, and whether she goes or not, you know that's up to her, but it's something I got to experience and so, because it went well, they'll invite them again in the future and they'll be able to build on that relationship. Maybe she'll get to do more with them next year, maybe she'll get to ride in a fire truck in a parade, I don't know. But that's one thing I've really like tried to instill in the girls that are competing for the title of Miss Alaska. Like, I've done a lot, yes, and it's super cool and I'm really proud of everything I've done. But your year as Miss Alaska will be entirely you. It will look nothing like mine.
Speaker 1:I love what you were talking about like taking your strengths, and I kind of I didn't know in advance that you were a development professional, but I was just kind of assuming because you very much seem to understand the business behind developing relationships with sponsors and knowing kind of the ins and outs of donor relations and soliciting donor donations for a program and an organization and what the follow-through needs to look like with that and kind of the longevity of the process to maintain those supporters. That's something that I think a lot of us struggle with. I know I struggled with it until I also worked in nonprofit development, so now I have a better idea of that. But that's such a scary thing is to ask for donations, to ask for sponsorships. So that was a strength that you brought in that is unique to you and unique to the legacy that you will leave as Miss Alaska 2024.
Speaker 1:And as I'm listening to you, I'm like, oh yeah, like what were my unique passions that I brought to the table? One of them was public speaking. I just absolutely loved being up in front of an audience and I loved sharing my personal story and being vulnerable with that and then building like real, vulnerable, authentic connections with people in the audience and then networking and finding other events that were related to that where I could do more of that speaking. And then the other key piece that I know now, especially as a business owner, is that I love problem solving and I love creative problem solving, and so I had the unique experience of being Miss Wisconsin for six months, having been first runner up to Laura Kepler.
Speaker 1:Then I went on to win Miss Wisconsin again. So I had a very clear similar to you as a former Miss Alaska USA that you had an idea of what it actually means to be a state representative on that level and go to nationals and compete at that level, that you came in with a very clear understanding of what this job looked like. I had a similar experience, and so when I came in, there were just things that I was like I would like this to be better for the next girl Because I had two Miss Wisconsin's in between me. Be those two things. I think that's really important Know what your passion is, know what your skillset is and don't compare that to somebody else's whether it's the girl before you or the class coming ahead of you what they might be bringing to the table like, stay in your lane and bring what you are good at to the forefront bring what you are good at to the forefront.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think a really great example of that in my state, um are, she was 2017. Yes, miss Alaska 2017. Um, angelina Claprick amazing, wonderful woman. Um, she went on to place at Miss America. Um, her platform was called Compassion and her whole goal she wanted to get into the most schools as possible. I think she visited almost every school in our state, which is it sounds scary, but again, we're not that big of a state.
Speaker 1:But the biggest feat is connecting with someone at all of those schools and getting it organized and scheduled and actually making it happen, like the logistics behind that is crazy.
Speaker 2:And so she went to, I think, like 75 schools or that's probably not even close to what she did, but that was her thing. That was what she wanted to do. She wanted to get in schools. And now she's a counselor in a school district here and she's absolutely amazing with children, and so that was her thing. And now she's a counselor in a school district here and she's absolutely amazing with children, and so that was her thing.
Speaker 2:And I remember thinking like I'm not the biggest school, like, like you said, like public speak, I go to schools with our school engagement of the American Heart Association and we do hands only CPR and I get to help do that. But I'm not that person that you called to be. Like, hey, can you come run an assembly? No, I don't really. I don't really have anything to talk to elementary school kids about, maybe middle schoolers, because they're, you know, we can talk about the nation of lifesavers and hands-only CPR, but elementary they're pretty young and technically, by American Heart Association science, they're not big enough to do hands-only CPR. They just don't weigh enough. It's like fifth grade is like the estimate that they say. So that wasn't my thing and so I was like I can't do those. I don't really want to spend my time at all of these schools, that I feel like the events are really fun and I love being there to see the children and do those things, but I really again wanted to focus on the building of the program in general. So I really focused most of my events on where can I build those relationships, where can I find new contestants, where, you know, teenage and up was kind of like my thing and that's something, too, that when you look back on everyone who came before you and everybody that will come after you, they all had those things that they did. They all have the things that they love.
Speaker 2:I know that you talked to Stephanie from Ohio and she loves STEM. She talks about STEM, we've talked about STEM so often and so that's her thing, and for me, she had a great talent show that they did in Ohio for her and so for me it was really I wanted to work on building the experience for any Miss Alaska that came after me, because I had a year as Miss Alaska, usa, where I got to do all these fun things, and then I had a year as Miss Alaska where I got to do so many amazing things with the support of the organization that I wanted anybody to be able to have. Honestly, I just wanted any Miss Alaska to have the year that they want. You know, because you walk into it and sometimes they go those things aren't going to happen. So sorry, we can't connect you with those people, but I want anybody who comes after me to be able to have the year that they deserve and that they worked so hard to have.
Speaker 2:Every year you feel like it's really big shoes to fill, but I think that it's a better analogy to say that we're putting on a new pair, because we are not the people who come before us. We are all different in our own ways. We all win for different reasons. There's a group of my group, of my pageant friends up here I love. They have an organization called Any Other Day Pageantry and it's because simply because if they any other day, it would have been a different girl If I had a different set of judges, they probably wouldn't have picked me. If you know, when I was Miss Alaska, usa, if I had a different set of judges, they probably wouldn't have been my day. So any other day it would have been somebody else's, somebody else's ballgame, and so I think that relating to the Miss Alaska before you and learning from her experience was one thing, but I wanted to create my own, and I want every girl to feel empowered to create their own version of Miss Alaska.
Speaker 2:As somebody who was a teen, I had an amazing mentor and my Miss Alaska really pushed that it's not what the crown can do for you, but what you can do with it. So we didn't go to a lot of events with our crown on when I was a teen because, simply, she said we don't need it. There's no need Like it got us into this room, but we're here to volunteer, we're here to support, we're here to be a part of this day. Um, and sometimes it wasn't the time or the place for them. And I think learning that balance of it's really cool to have a sparkly hat it's my favorite accessory. I don't know what I'm going to do when I don't have one that I can wear all the time anymore but it's also, like you said, like building those relationships and creating something sustainable for the future. So, yeah, I would. I would almost challenge every single person to try on their own pair of shoes and to see, like, how they can make it their own.
Speaker 2:Extra Tufts are like the staple boot in Alaska. I have this little key chain right here. I'll show it to you. They look like this. That's literally what they look like. They're rubber boots and they mold to your feet and so when you wear them a lot, it becomes your boot and, like my friends can't wear mine, my mom can't wear them without getting blisters on their feet, and so they may all look the same. They're all brown, they all have different. You know, some are steel toed, some are whatever, but they're all like wet rain boots, right. But on the inside they're also different and they mold to your feet, and so that would be my analogy of being a state title holder is the shoes may look the same, but they're all different, if that makes any sense.
Speaker 1:It holder is the shoes may look the same, but they're all different. If that makes any sense, it does, and I love that analogy too, because that's not going to mold to your feet immediately. It takes some wearing and getting used to and using them.
Speaker 2:And I always laugh because girls are like, oh, you seem to like jump right into it and I was like, well, yeah, I never stopped, like I never took a break, I went from one to the other to it. And I was like, well, yeah, I never stopped, like I never took a break, I went from one to the other. But even the most simple things like how to wear your crown, like how to put it on, how to get it to stay, it's not easy. Um, you, you learn that, like you know, oh, it sits on my head a certain way, or I like it back here versus like up here, and, um, those are all things that you learn as a title holder and as people support you through that journey. Um, it's not just like what kind of title holder you want to be, it's everything that goes along to it, and eventually it just becomes second nature because it is, it becomes part of you, um, and you leave that lasting impression that, hopefully, is what you want it to be.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, everyone's different and I think that's also the beauty of pageantry is that you can't hold it forever. I love that. You know they keep people keep rumbling like, oh, usa is going to open it up more. They're going to allow formers to come back and compete and I love the fact that a former can't compete or that you know, if I've won Alaska, I can't go win a different state and go back to Miss America, because that's not the point of it. The point of it is having a year that you work so hard for making lasting impression. It will change your life and then you get to watch it as it changes somebody else's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I love the word that you used sustainability. I think that is a beautiful way to describe the effort that should, in my opinion, go into the work that you do to improve an organization as a state title holder, because, as we've already discussed, you only have that crown and sash on your person for 365 days and then you're done. And so if you're going to go in and try and influence and bring in sponsors and partnerships and all of these things, make sure it's sustainable. And I think that's something where I look back at my year and I'm like man, I really pushed for a lot of things. Was it sustainable? Did it stick?
Speaker 1:And some things did and I think, helped the you know Miss Wisconsin's that came after me, but there were other things that, like, the organization just wasn't prepared for in the infrastructure to keep up with. And so we as title holders come in with all these big aspirations and dreams. We're only one person. We also have to remember that this is an organization that has been established before us and it will remain after we leave, and making sure that we are providing value in a sustainable way. I think that's really important to remember.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think too. The other thing that people have to realize is some partnerships will not be sustainable. Some people come on specifically for the relationship they have with one girl, and so even I have relationships that will not be sustained for years because they came on because they're supporting me, not supporting the organization, and that's okay too, because every girl is going to have those right, like I love my family. They're not going to donate a bunch of money next year to the next girl to go to Miss America, that's just. You know any family businesses that donated, but every girl is going to have those. And so when you're bringing on sponsors as well and as somebody that you know you have nonprofit experience, making sure you understand deliverables for every single sponsor, no matter the level of sponsorship, is really important and it's okay if they don't, if it's not a sustainable partnership, because it can support you in this year in a way that maybe it leads to something else. So something that makes it easier your life means okay, we're going to take this pressure off of you here and support you in a financial or with physical items way so that I can focus my time over here and get something that is sustainable or I can attend 18 more events, or I can do X, y and Z over here. And it's okay to be a little bit selfish with your time. I think it's a little okay. I think girls think when they are, we are public servants as title holders. But it's okay to also be selfish with your year and to be selective with your year. It's okay to be selfish and bring on sponsorships that will benefit you in your year and that you are not sure will continue, because maybe it will. You don't know. Some of them, not all of them will. It's okay to be selfish and saying no to events that really don't interest you, because you're not going to be excited to be there. And the whole point is for you to be excited and somebody else might be excited. So pass it on to local title holders, see if they would like to attend. If you don't want to attend something, be selfish in your time. Be selfish.
Speaker 2:I think one thing that I am really glad I learned very early on in my pageant career is to be selfish. In my prep I was very clear on what I wanted when I won and granted, I've grown up in this organization. They knew that's how it would be. They were like, yeah, it's going to be. Whatever you want to do, you have the experience. I was very selfish in. This is what I will wear. These are the people I will work with. This is what I'm going to do for my headshot. This is where I'm going.
Speaker 2:I knew when I won that I wanted to go physically to gown shopping because unfortunately, I had a very awful gown experience at Miss America or Miss USA. Miss America was wonderful, absolutely amazing. Perfect Love Lorgalia. When I went to Miss USA, I had a very dramatic gown experience. That was awful, that so many girls experience that they don't talk about. I had a gown that came in three days before I left. It was extremely expensive and it did not fit and it never fit right. It still doesn't fit right and there's nothing I can do to fix it now, and I spent a lot of money on it. And on stage, the moment I walked off stage, they were like you can't put that thing back on, you can't wear it again. If you make finals, you have to wear something else and it just it was just like what? And that was my experience with my gown and thankfully I opened up about it to other girls and they said, oh, that's the same experience we had, and so that was something.
Speaker 2:When I was going to Miss America, I was like this will not happen again to me. I will not be. I will not go through this stress. I will not go through the crying two weeks before. I will not go through the stress of even knowing if my gown is going to arrive on time. And so it's OK to be selfish if you've had negative experiences that you want to avoid, and as long as you're upfront and honest about them, there's only the worst they can say is this is actually how we need you to do it, or maybe we can find a different way.
Speaker 2:For me, it has always been my dream. I started competing. I went to Miss America's OCEAN18 in 2012. So I've been through a couple boards with Miss America, a couple different experiences. It was always in my goal in my head that when you win Miss Alaska, you go shop at Regalia. That's how long they've been a sponsor. You shop at Regalia and you wear a Regalia gown at Miss America, and that was what I wanted.
Speaker 2:And I sat down and I said this is what I'm going to do. I know Carrie and David are amazing and they will support it and we have a great relationship with them, and so it wasn't a problem. But I told them all. I said this is the experience I had at Miss USA. It will not happen again and if it does, I will just go somewhere else Like it, and if you don't support me through it, I'm so sorry that this relationship like I, I just can't do it again. Um, I told them that the moment I got into regalia, I said this was what happened at Miss USA and they said that will not happen again. And they stuck through me through the entirety, the entire process of it.
Speaker 2:Um, and it was completely different and it changed everything at Miss America, because when I put on that gown, it wasn't a oh my God, I'm so stressed out, I'm so worried. What's going to happen? Is it even going to stay on? Does it even look right to? This is perfect and I would never change anything about it.
Speaker 2:And so I think I think the biggest things for me that they don't tell you enough of is that it's okay to be selfish and it's okay to be selective, because you want to do so much and you want to do everything in your year and you want to make every sponsor happy and you want to build every relationship, but you can't do that without burnout and you don't want to burn out.
Speaker 2:You want to enjoy it and you want to make every sponsor happy and you want to build every relationship, but you can't do that without burnout and you don't want to burn out.
Speaker 2:You want to enjoy it and you want to take it all in and you want to love every experience. And even for me, it got to a point where I have a really great relationship with our local title holders and they are wonderful and they want to learn so much and they want to do so much. But at one point I was like I I need you all to talk to somebody else because I'm two weeks out of Miss America. I can't, I can't help. I'm really sorry, but I asked me in a month, you know and so it was one of those things like creating boundaries for myself that allowed my year to go smoothly, so that I'd never hit that burnout phase was really important, and I don't think title holders are selfish enough, which sounds really weird. But we want to give and do so much for our orgs and for our state and we want to get so much out of our year, but we can't do it successfully unless we're selfish with some things.
Speaker 1:I think there's also a fear of how we are going to come across, like how, as a title holder, you would come across other people if you did advocate for yourself not wanting to be rude, not wanting to step on toes, not wanting to get in trouble, not wanting to cause problems, not wanting to get a bad reputation, like all these fears that that keep you from advocating for yourself. Did you struggle with that? Or was that something that you really worked to overcome your first time around as Miss Alaska, USA? Like where did that come from?
Speaker 2:I really struggled with it as Miss Alaska, usa, because I preparing for Miss USA is a different kind of beast. It's a different kind of burden. It's very well known that Miss USA is very expensive. It's very expensive to go to. It is a fashion show everywhere you go, and I didn't have the budget for that. I don't, you know, I just didn't. And I didn't have the sponsors to do it either. I had great sponsors, I had people who were in Mike Warner to help me, but no, I couldn't spend $1,000 per outfit. I couldn't. So I had to get really creative.
Speaker 2:And before going to Miss USA, it was kind of like I was too afraid to say anything to a lot of people. I was like I want to look the part, I want to look great, I want to be great, but I don't know how I'm going to afford it. And then, when I got there, it was like everybody was feeling that. Well, not everybody, but a lot of girls were like, oh no, like I had the same thing. I had to get really thrifty. And this is where, where this is how I did it. And so, once I was there, it was really eye opening as to like I'm not the only one who struggles with this and I'm not the only one going through it, and if I had just opened up, maybe that these girls would have shared and they would have my Miss USA class is amazing. They would have shared how they get around it and how they were like, yeah, I couldn't afford it, but this is like I found it on Poshmark or I found it on Depop or Queenly at the time. They're like I wanted this outfit, so I dug and I found it, and this is how I did it. There's a lot of people out there that will help you do that, and so I think when I was Miss Alaska USA, I was really afraid to do it. I didn't have the greatest experience as Miss Alaska USA when it came to some of the people I worked with. I did butt heads with people trying to advocate for myself but not wanting to step on those toes, and so I felt really worn out. By the end of my year. I was exhausted, really worn out. By the end of my year, I was exhausted. I think that we my year specifically we had a lot more struggles than other people did as well with the changes nationally, and so when I won Miss Alaska that I told them. I said this is what happened the last year and I will not do it again. Point blank, simple.
Speaker 2:Thankfully, my Miss Alaska America board are people that I have grown up with, that I've known a very, very long time, and I said this is what I want to do. These are my expectations of who I'll work with sponsor-wise, who I'm going to get my headshot with, who I'm going to prep with. This is where I'm going to get my outfits. I'm going to do it this way. And I just laid it all out for them and I was upfront, I was transparent and I said I know that you have these relationships, but this is what my year will look like.
Speaker 2:And they said perfect, how can we support you? And I know that's not everybody's experience and I'm extremely lucky to have a board that just said, of course, how can we support you? How can we make this easier on you? Do you need us to call somebody for you? Do you want us to do x, y and z? Um? You know, when I told them, I was like I want to go to Florida and I want to shop at Regalia and I'm going to get my headshot with Carlos Villas. They said, okay, we'll call Carrie and David for you. And I said perfect, thank you, wonderful, this is great. And you know, the former Miss Alaska hadn't used them, and so they were like, we'll call them, we'll see what they say and we will let you know, but we will get it worked out so that you can, you can do that and that's what you're going to do, and this is when you're going to do it.
Speaker 2:Um, if I wanted to do any event this year, I was like this is what I'm going to do. Um, they would say is there somebody you want us to call on your behalf? Do you want us to reach out to anybody we have connections with? Do you? Here's the people we know that might be able to help you with this, and so they're very, very willing and able to work with me, which I think makes me very, very lucky in our position, because I know not every girl has that experience, and I know firsthand that some girls in my year don't have that experience, and so I continuously tell everyone that wants to compete at Miss Alaska. I'm like it is really what you want it to be. Don't feel pressure to do 1900 events or every single thing in our state, because our board sits down and says what are you capable of, what is in your wheelhouse, what do you want to do and how can we support you in doing it? They have no expectations of you Except for the fact, literally they sit down and they go. Here's the events we really want you to go to. If you can't make them, that's okay, but you do have to go to Miss America. They're so like everything else is just whatever you want to make it, and so I think that you know every day. I'm extremely thankful for them.
Speaker 2:The Adkins family Holly Adkins is a former Miss Alaska 1990, and her daughter, elle, took over for Emma when Emma won Miss America in 2021. Um, alyssa parents and Bonnie Falk are all amazing people. And then the rest of our board you know that have been there for years. Um, all of our volunteers are so supportive and they just want us to have the best year and the best year that fits us.
Speaker 2:And it really sucks when you hear that other girls don't have that. And I know it's different depending on state because of what you know, what partnerships they have and the requirements they have. As a title holder, you know I don't have to quit my job. I don't move into an apartment, and so I think that I just I had a great experience because I have a great support system, and the Miss Alaska board is a support system that, year after year, wants to make it amazing and we want girls to continue to come back and we want them to love it, and so I think that is a specialty for the state of Alaska is we're very lenient on things like that, because I have heard I don't know how Wisconsin is, but I have heard some stories of other states where their boards are not like that, and so I'm extremely grateful for mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you. It really does sound like you had a wonderful experience with the relationships with your board and were able to accomplish a lot of your goals. And you had a wonderful experience with the relationships with your board and were able to accomplish a lot of your goals, and you had a very clear perspective going in, which was also obviously very, very helpful. So now you're a month out from the next chapter of your life. How are you going to be approaching your life now that your year is just about over?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with all my free time. I got to pick up some more hobbies. Somebody asked me the other day. They're like what are your hobbies? And I was like well, for the past two years of my life I've been preparing to compete at national pageants, so I don't really have any, but I'm really excited to continue working with the American Heart Association and building Go Red for Women in the state of Alaska and the initiative work that I get to be a part of with the American Heart Association advocating for women and women's heart health in our state, with Miss Alaska to grow and to bring new girls into the fold and support the next Miss Alaska as she goes and competes at Miss America, which is only in like six weeks after she's crowned eight weeks.
Speaker 2:It's a very quick turnaround. They're going in August this year. So, um, I'm really excited to do that, um and to step into that role. Um, and yeah, I'm definitely going to travel more. I'm going to, you know, find some new things to do here in our state. Maybe I'll pick up skiing or snowboarding, since I live in Alaska and that's probably what I should have been doing my entire life. A lot of hiking, a lot of fishing this summer, a lot of being outside camping. That I didn't get to do last year, um, but yeah, I'm really excited to see how the organization itself like grows and changes with. You know, robin is still so new with the organization but she's doing a lot of really cool things and, um, I've stayed connected with Abby her entire, the entire time since she's won and she's been out doing so many amazing things. So I'm hopefully going to attend Miss America this year. That's the goal, sorry.
Speaker 2:And then, yeah, I just I don't know living it's so. It's really hard to picture because, so, my specialty I have a marketing degree. My specialty is sports marketing, and the way I explain it to people is like the day you decide to stop playing your sport. You know, because most people they grow up in a sport. The day you decide to start playing it is it's pretty traumatic one and it's also very eyeopening because you learn so much about yourself and you're able to look back on your time and see the growth and see the changes and see what you've learned, the connections you've made. My favorite thing is that I actually got my job through pageants, so I got my career through pageantry and that's how I met my boss and that's how I got hired at the American Heart Association and that's how I met my boss and that's how I got hired at the American Heart Association and so being able to build on that and help the org as a volunteer and as somebody who has benefited from everything they have to offer.
Speaker 2:It's also a bit crazy to think about like and it living a dream come true is shocking because everybody talks about it and they talk about all the work and all the effort to make your dreams a reality. And when you do it because I have been dreaming about going to Miss America since I was 12 and being Miss Alaska and being able to do all these things you get to make a new dream. And being Miss Alaska and being able to do all these things, you get to make a new dream. And so this year has been a lot of like what is that next dream going to be for me? And so I'm still figuring it out because I've been trying to focus on this year and making this dream, like you know, the biggest possible Disney fairy tale that I could. But I think that's that's one thing that's going to be a little bit weird is dreaming a new dream if that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's going to come with its own grieving process and growing pains as well. It's a very interesting shift.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think one thing that I'm a very transparent person, so I will just be upfront, honest. Any of the local title holders ask me questions. I'm like, yeah, no, please don't do that. Like, love you, that's really cute. Maybe not for this, maybe another time. And so I try to be really transparent with them about the experience in general.
Speaker 2:And one thing I really learned after Miss USA and after Miss America you go through the highest highs of your life in this position. You win, which is like insane, pinch yourself. You're going to Miss America. And then you go to Miss America and for two weeks you are a celebrity. You are in full hair and makeup every day, you are dressed to the nines, you cut every line, you get to be at the front of everything, you're taking pictures, you're eating, you're hanging out with these beautiful, amazing women who do so many amazing things. And then, if you don't win, it's over and that's it, yep, and you just completed a lifelong dream for a lot of people Maybe not a lifelong, but a current dream for a lot of people and then you're just done and nobody really talks about the aftermath of that. And one thing that I loved about my Miss USA class is that we were so open about that rut that you hit like right after, because you are, it's like a rollercoaster on the highest highs and then you, you're done and like.
Speaker 2:For some people they have a really long time after Miss America. This year the girls will have a great like eight months after Miss America, but for us we have like six. You know, like we've been airing for six months and then we have six months of what? What did we not do before? And now we have to switch into just being not just being, but you switch into the other role of appearances and fun things you get to do in your state.
Speaker 2:But it's different, it's not the same, as you have this potential to be Miss America and then you're not Miss America, and I think that there's a lot of feelings there that people are afraid to talk about, and for me it was a lot of like soul searching, finding you feel like you're, cause you're also built up before you go to miss america, which I I'm sure you understand is everybody builds you up as like the one who could do it, especially when you're from a smaller state. Um, emma won a couple years ago and it created this. It created this. Well, we can do it again, which 100% we can.
Speaker 2:But to go into an experience being like am I the one that's going to do it again? Can I do it that quickly for Alaska? Everybody thinks I can, but can I do it? That was really difficult for me is almost that imposter syndrome of like following a Miss America. I wasn't right out I would. I don't think I could ever go the year after Like being the next state title holder to go after your state wins Miss America. I could never imagine that pressure.
Speaker 1:I didn't have that pressure, but I had the pressure of I was first runner up to a Miss America and then I was a state title holder for six months and then I had two years of a break, so we had two Miss Wisconsin's in between, but then I came back and now I'm going to Miss America, having been first runner up to a former Miss America and already having six months under my belt at the job. And so, yeah, it was a lot of me thinking that fear of it not being near there was that buildup and then the self-doubt, and so it was just like this whole mess of things going on in my head. And you're totally right, there is this drop off and this rut and this very real emotional experience that happens after Miss America that we don't talk about. And I, for me, I think one of the reasons that it's not talked about very much is because there's like this idea that we're just supposed to be grateful that it happened.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, and you don't want to ruin it for the next girl, you don't want to ruin her dream, like you don't want her to be like, oh, but I don't want to go through the down and it's not forever because you do. Then you turn around and, like I said before, like you are Miss America to your state, like everybody's so proud of you, they're so, they're so grateful for everything you've done and they want you at everything and especially like, if you do well at Miss America, you look good at Miss America and for me it was one of those I was told like I had. I think that everybody has a shot at Miss America. That's my other thing is like girls are like, oh, I could never, and I'm like you don't understand. Everybody has a shot at Miss America. That's my other thing is like girls are like, oh, I could never, and I'm like you don't understand. Everybody has a shot at Miss America. You never know what they're looking for. And it could be your day, like you walk into that interview and one judge on the end could have decided I want a redhead. This year there's two of you, you know, like you never know, they could have walked in and been like. I want a girl who's passionate about her CSI. This year I want a girl who tap dance it. You never know, like, what a judge is looking for when you walk in, and so I tell everybody that I know competing for a national pageant or looking to compete for a state pageant that it is literally anybody's game anytime you walk in. So never feel like you couldn't do it.
Speaker 2:Prepare yourself as you're going to and that you can, but also don't be devastated if it's not you. Somebody on our board here has a great saying. She says it every year at State it's. You can be disappointed, but you can't be devastated because it is somebody's game every day. And you can be disappointed that today was not your day, but you can't be devastated because it's not you. It doesn't change who you are. It doesn't change what kind of person you are. You are so much more than the crown and I think that needs to be reminded more of when you're going to.
Speaker 2:Miss America, yes, it's so cool, it would be so cool to be Miss America, but you have a life outside of being Miss Alaska or being Miss Wisconsin or being Miss Texas or being Miss Alabama. You are also your own human and there is life after this, and so I think that playing up and being really excited and focusing on that, this is one dream, but you're going to have so many dreams in your life that are going to come true and that you get to work towards and that you get to be a part of and maybe you're lucky enough to even be a part of somebody else's dream and you get to help these girls make those dreams happen. If you stay on, or if you are supporting your board in some way or you're bringing on sponsors for somebody else, you could make their dreams come true. Right, and also realizing that we all have different goals and aspirations. When you're at Miss America For me, I was like, well, it'd be really cool to place or to win and I know I could do it, like I could be in this position, but I just wanted to look good all week.
Speaker 2:That was my whole goal. I was like I just want to look good, I want to feel good. I want people to look at Alaska and think, oh yeah, she looked great at Miss America. You know like she looked the part. I didn't want to stand out as somebody that like showed up in her rubber boots which, granted, I probably would have for some things but I just wanted to look my best and I wanted to feel my best the entire time I was there, and that's what I did. My mom always jokes she's like I had random people coming up to me telling me they liked your outfit and I don't even know what you wore and I was like that's the goal, mom. That was.
Speaker 2:The goal Is that other people enjoyed it, that people, you know, remembered things, and I wanted people to remember us, even though we're a small state. Um, cause, we did have a Miss America a couple of years ago, but before that we hadn't had any. You know, we've placed but we had never won. You know, emma's absolutely amazing and she's, um, she is our Miss America, but we had never really done anything prior to that besides placing. You know, top 10, top. I think we had maybe a couple, maybe one top five place.
Speaker 2:I don't know the actual thing there, but representing smaller states that don't have as much support, because when you look good at Miss America, more people want to support locally, and so the better I looked at Miss America, the more my local title holders are going to benefit from that, the more that the next Miss Alaska is going to benefit from that, because I shared some sponsor 18 times on my social media page and they're going to be like take it again, here you go, here's another one.
Speaker 2:Um, here's another thought, you know, whatever their sponsorship was. And so I think that creating realistic expectations for yourself and goals that minimize that low after Miss America, um, because what is it? Everybody learns smart goals. Any business major knows smart goals simple, measurable, attainable, realistic timeline. Um, and so, yeah, I think one thing I would urge, like any anybody competing make realistic goals for yourself, because then anything above that is just a bonus. Yeah, cause then it's. You're not disappointed at anything, you're excited that you made it there, you're excited that this happened. You know, for me I just wanted to walk the Miss America stage, so it would have been a bonus if anything else happened, but I got so much out of it still.
Speaker 2:I think we could do an entire episode on the rut after like after you hang up the heels honestly, when everything is done, I know I think that, um, a great like I would love to sit down with like three or four title holders and be like this is how I dealt with my rut. Because it is rut which, yeah, people like we said they don't like to talk about it and they kind of brush over it. They're like, oh my gosh, my year is amazing. I went to Miss America and then I got to do all these things and that's true.
Speaker 2:But there's about a three week time where you never feel I have a TikTok that I made right after Miss America and it was a trend for a little bit, but it's like I'll never be as pretty as I was at Miss America and you feel like that for a while. You feel like you'll never be that pretty. I got my hair and makeup professionally done every day at Miss America and you know it's not true, it's not how I actually feel about myself, but when you look at pictures you're like, oh, I guess I could try a little harder this week. And so I think that that experience dealing with a rut is also as somebody I didn't really touch on it, but I was the perpetual bridesmaid. That's why I talk about like never giving up. I think I was first runner up like six times.
Speaker 1:Oof, that'll really get in your head.
Speaker 2:That kind of rut is so different because I it took. I started competing in Miss when I was my first one was 17. I was 17, I was a senior in high school and then I didn't win Miss Alaska until I was 26, turning 27, yeah, so I think I did in place once. I've been first runner-up twice. I was second runner up to Emma and then Miss Alaska USA. I was first runner up before I won that one as well, um, and then I ended up winning Miss Alaska USA and then Miss Alaska America.
Speaker 2:But being first runner up is a different kind of rut that like, yeah, also, people don't talk. I always try to make an effort to sit down with first runner-ups because that turmoil that you put yourself through after being first runner-up is one you probably don't deserve it, because being first runner-up is extremely, extremely amazing because you made it there and you should be really proud of yourself for being that far. But it is a rut of what could I have changed? And the answer is nothing. You can't change anything and it doesn't matter. If you had changed one thing, those judges probably still would have picked that girl on that day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that honestly could be a whole nother series is the runner up club.
Speaker 2:The runner up club.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Cause it's I mean, you understand like and then too, I remember like being on Emma's court, like and again, Emma is the most amazing human, she is absolutely wonderful. Text me post Miss America. I talk to her mom all the time but like I remember being on her court and like feeling defeated that one I had gone down because the year before I was first runner up and then she went and won Miss America and we were all kind of like, so do I feel as bad now? Or like you're, she's Miss America and like I placed to Miss America. So does that make me really great too, which it does. I think placing anywhere makes you really great. Even just stepping on the stage makes you really great, because that's the whole. Another hurdle, like competing in your first pageant, is a whole other hurdle you got to get over and coming back year after year is like this whole other thing. But yeah, being first runner up is like honestly, like very similar to the rut after Miss America. I would say.
Speaker 1:I did do a Sash and Soul episode about, like, the runner up mentality and mindset as a runner up and I think I just I always want to emphasize that, like there's no recipe for success in pageants and the scoring, though it's Olympic style, doesn't have any specific criteria. It is all personal opinion and each judge's unique perspective, which is why we say different day, different judging panel, different outcome, and so, even like that, even you know, looking at and this is not to downplay anyone that wins Miss America or anyone that wins a state title, but it it's we can't rank ourselves in terms of value and in terms of ability, in terms of preparedness, in terms of like, I just don't see anyone that doesn't win as losers or as failures.
Speaker 2:And one thing that I tell people all the time I'm like I like I didn't win a lot, I have not won a lot, and but I've also win a lot. I have not won a lot and, but I've also won a lot. And so, looking at both sides of it, you really have to, you have to be willing to hear people out, but take it with a grain of salt Because, again, this is the only sport where we literally sign up to get judged by five people.
Speaker 1:Yep, Like you're like our personalities and our skills and the way we look and everything.
Speaker 2:And you're the way you speak, potentially your opinion on certain topics, if cause, nobody is completely unbiased, even though they're supposed to be, and so they you're. It's the only sport that you train like an Olympic athlete, because we do, we train that hard that it's for somebody's opinion. And if you really look at scoring rubrics, um, for me, I call myself a talentless Miss Alaska because I have not trained, like I'm not a trained dancer, um, and so I figured it out and I had a great time doing my talent. But, like, abby is a trained dancer and she's absolutely beautiful every time I watch her dance. Um, could never be me, I could never do those things. I get too dizzy. I can't turn like that. Not for me. Um, there's, if you look at the scoring rubric for talent, now, not one thing about technique. It's like entertainment value. It's how they utilize the stage. Do they use a prop? Are they engaging? Does she have great facials? Does it like there's? No? Did she point her toes?
Speaker 1:Well, no, because, like the judges, all have different backgrounds and expertise, and so it's not fair if you have a full panel of singers or musicians or people with absolutely no artistic ability, and now they're judging dancers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so it's really interesting to see like. It's simply like an opinionate, it's all opinion and it could be. I know, here in the state of Alaska too, like we run into the problem of when you bring in a certain judge that doesn't agree with sustainable living or subsistence living, they used a gun when they were 12, because we go out into the woods with bears and you have to know how to protect yourself. And somebody in a different state was like I can't believe you know how to use a gun at 12. And it's like well, yeah, but it's not. Like I'm not using a gun to use a gun, I'm in the woods. If a bear tries to maul me, I would like to know how to protect myself. The same, I'm sure, in Wisconsin.
Speaker 2:Um, you run into the problem of like, depending on what you put on your fact sheet, you never know who's a part of PETA or you never know who doesn't like that, that doesn't like that. You hunt and you fish and you do all those things that are normal Alaskan lifestyle. And so, yeah, I think that, talking about first runner up syndrome, I would say that it's very, very close to the rut after Miss America. Um, but yeah, it's, that could be a whole dealing with that rut out of it. It's a whole thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is. I have a lot of clients this year that are runners up from last year, and so that's a lot of our conversations. Is that mindset? So yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 2:I would say that the last time I placed first runner up, because the other thing that you run into is, um, they're pretty strict about feedback, right? So depending on the state you're in, depending on the system you're competing in, it depends on how much feedback they can actually give you. For me, year after year, I was like what can I change, what can I do better? And it was always you're great, we'd love to take you to Miss America one day, keep trying. And at that point it's like, well, I can't do anything with that and so I can't change anything. I can't better myself. Um, right, and for me, what I tell a lot of girls is like invest in yourself, invest in the coaches, invest in you know a gown. It doesn't have to be the most expensive gown, but it needs to be one that you feel confident and beautiful in. Invest in somebody to help you style, invest in your hair, invest in the makeup, because it does make a difference, whether it be that you are just spending three hours learning how to do it yourself online, so you feel more confident when you step into a room. That goes a long way For me, when it went from I was first runner up at Miss Alaska, usa, and I was like I don't know if this is for me.
Speaker 2:And I had that conversation of is this something that is actually made for me or is it something I'm forcing into my life? Is it something that I need to give up? Is it the time where I need to move on and find the next dream, because this one isn't going to happen? And it was sitting down, finding my why again and reconnecting with why I started, why I continue to compete, why I love competing, what I love to do with the title and the community and why I put so much effort into it. And then it was turning around and being okay, how do I make myself the best version of me with the most support? And that was when I really sat down and was like I need to find coaches and all of these aspects. I can't just.
Speaker 2:Einstein says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Well, einstein doesn't say that, but maybe cut that part out because that's not right. But you are quite literally going insane if you do the same thing over and over again and expecting to win. And so I really like. Sat down, I figured out that you know there is a special sauce for me and I found the people that I needed in that room that needed to help me cook that special sauce and you know it worked out for me in the long run of your first runner-ups it's really it's okay to also be done is the other thing that nobody says you don't have to go until you can't compete anymore.
Speaker 2:It's okay that it's not for you, it's okay that you give up on one thing to try another, because that was a big hurdle too. I competed at Miss America for so long and then people were like this is not for you at this moment. You should do USA. And so I took a break from America and I went to USA, ended up winning that one, went to Miss USA and then I was better as a Miss America title holder because of that experience I had going to Miss USA. So I think that there's a lot of things that people don't talk about enough, and that's why I love like that you're doing this podcast, because there's a lot as a title holder that, like you, kind of hold your tongue until you're done Right, but I try not to. You don't want to ruin anybody's experience, but you want them to be well prepared for the experience that they're going to have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I don't think you know any of these conversations so far. I think are just valuable there and I don't think they're ruining anything, and there there is a lot of harm and that's why I said to you before we hit record I'm like I'm not interested in the tea. I don't need the tea. This isn't about the drama or the rumor mill or anything like that. I don't care about any of that. I genuinely want to have conversations that will be beneficial for our listeners. So, if nothing else, what do you want our listeners to take away?
Speaker 2:I think that anybody that listens to this as an interested competitor to just send it, because you will regret that you don't do it in the future as somebody who was considering not competing for her state title for the last time. If you think like if there's anything in you that says this is what you want, that you should go for it, because you never know how it will turn out. You never know you could be exactly what they are looking for and then you could literally make your hopes and dreams come true. But it's okay if it's not for you as well, and that if you decide it's time to move on and it's time to do something different, that you can step into a role, a different role in this organization, because we are always looking for volunteers and we are always looking for help in so many different aspects, and that everybody has something to offer, whether that be as a state title holder, a ED, a treasurer, somebody on the board, you know, an events coordinator. There's so many aspects that you could benefit and maybe help somebody else's dream come true.
Speaker 2:I would say that the rut is normal. It's okay to feel down after a major thing that happens in your life. When you go to Miss America. You will feel down after Miss America when you go to Miss America. You will feel down after Miss America when you give up your title. You will feel down after you give up your title. That's all natural parts of doing this and that we all feel them. So reach out to literally anybody, and I think one thing that we didn't touch on that is huge for me is don't be scared of a title holder, because if you reach out to me on Facebook or if you reach out to my Instagram, as long as I see it, I will respond to you, like I want to help every girl be successful. I want all of their dreams to come true, just like mine have, and so if you want something, if you want information, if you want to know how somebody got something or where they got it from, or an outfit that they're wearing, or how do you get connected with the fire department, who would you call Ask? Because every single title holder wants to share the knowledge that we have with you.
Speaker 2:I love anytime anybody's like hey, can I sit down with you for an hour and ask you about Miss Alaska? Because I think I want to do it. I will spend all afternoon with them answering any question. They have anything that comes to mind, because I want them to get the most out of the experience, because it truly changed my life and I really think it can change other people's lives. And I don't want to see pageantry die out, because we are in a generation that we are moving away from things like this, and I want it to be there for my niece, who is three months old, and my other niece who's seven. I want them to have the same opportunities that I did. So I would say just be fearless in anything that you want in your life and chase after it, but also don't be afraid of having a team to get you through it.
Speaker 1:Oh, jordan, thank you so much for joining me today. This was an awesome and such a valuable conversation. I swear like every single episode in this series so far has come with a different theme, a different set of insights that are valuable. So there's something in this for everyone and it's just. It's valuable and it's appreciated. So thank you.
Speaker 2:Of course, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely All right. Listen to Jordan. She said if you have questions or want advice, reach out to her cause. She'd love to hear from you, so do it. Uh, and then for me, I'm a head out. I'm going to go say goodnight to my dad and, uh, I will talk to y'all later. Thanks again, jordan. Everyone, take care. See you next time. Bye, thank you, yeah, I love that. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Oh, my gosh, I think we could keep talking for hours. Um, so I'll have to have you come back on and we can dive way more into your year as Miss USA. We can talk a lot more. I think we could do an entire episode on the rut. After, like, after you hang up the heels when everything is done, mm-hmm no-transcript.
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