Also known as: pageantcoach
Okay, so this is going to be one of those situations where fact is stranger than fiction, but here goes… After spending years and years buying expensive conservative suits and silk blouses I decided to leave my six figure corporate job and become an At-Home-Mom. While hanging out in oh-so-boring t-shirts and jeans in full Mom-mode, a family friend who owned a pageant wardrobe boutique asked me to coach a couple of her clients on their pageant interview (public speaking) skills. They started winning. Before I knew it my small hobby business grew to a full-time international pageant interview coaching business. I specialized in working with elite level contestants (so NOT the ones you see on those dreadful reality shows) on their press-conference style interviewing skills. I worked with them to develop the balance between confidence and humility so they could break through and win at their pageant competitions. I started attending pageants all the time and quickly realized that my boring Mom look just wasn’t going to cut it. Plus there’s an unwritten rule in Pageant Land: once you’ve been photographed in an outfit you can’t wear it again to another event. I started shopping at beautiful upscale boutiques with beautiful upscale price tags. I hosted the #1 pageant talk show, Pageant Talk Radio, which was broadcast via the internet in over 80 countries around the world, so I was often interviewed when attending pageants and events. I’ve appeared on CNN’s Headline News, NBC, MTV, and ABC’s Good Morning America. I was attending pageants all the time, all over the country, and posing for arrival photos, event photos, and party photos. I quickly realized that I was going through outfits faster than even Melania Trump’s budget would allow. So I learned to strategically shop local consignment and thrift stores. I snapped up designer looks and created outfits for soooooo much less than anyone could guess. Because I wore my thrift store finds with the same self-confidence and poise as my designer beauties, everyone assumed I’d spent a fortune. Yes, your mom was right…Pretty Is as Pretty Does. Soon my pageant coaching students were begging me for tips on putting together outfits that wouldn’t devastate their pocketbooks. And then their friends wanted that same advice. And then their Moms started asking too. It’s because most people are confused and have it backwards: how you look doesn’t dictate how you feel about yourself. Oh sure, the upbeat feeling you get from a new outfit or haircut lasts about 48 hours, but that Makeover High evaporates as soon as you’ve showered and tossed your outfit in the laundry. It’s how you feel about yourself on the inside that really creates how you look on the outside! So I developed Beehive Chic for busy little bees like you who want to live a Queen Bee Life on a Worker Bee Budget. Becuase FABulous is a state of mind, not a budget; I promise. Pretty simple story, right? LOL XOXO, Valerie
Also known as: pageantcoach
Susan Cagna lives in Brentwood, TN, but has also spent time in Nashville, TN.
