The Pageant Gal Podcast

What if winning the crown isn't actually the finish line?In this episode, Maria takes you behind the scenes of the Monumental Queen Retreat and shares the biggest lessons, breakthroughs, and mindset shifts that emerged from an unforgettable weekend with ambitious women from across North America.JOIN OUR NEXT RETREAT: Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, OntarioFrom dreaming bigger to overcoming fear, you'll learn what separates women who stay stuck from women who create extraordinary results on and off the pageant stage.In this episode, we cover:• Why pageants are the vehicle—not the destination• How to stop playing small and start dreaming bigger• The power of being witnessed as you pursue your goals• How to move through fear and insecurity with confidence• Why consistency and commitment always outperform motivationResources:✨ Nail Your Pageant Interview ProgramLeave Your Legacy ProgramApply for The Queen CollectiveInstagram: thepageantgalIf this episode resonated with you, send Maria a DM and share your biggest takeaway.Remember: your title is only one chapter of your story. Dream bigger, lead boldly, and keep becoming the queen you're here to be.Chin up. Crown on.

Hey Pageant Gals,If you’ve ever felt like you started “too late,” didn’t know enough about pageantry, or worried that your first experience wasn’t good enough… this episode is for you.In this episode, I’m sitting down with Miss Queen of the Screen 2026, Maddie Marcoux, to talk about what it really looks like to enter the pageant world as a beginner, build confidence quickly, and grow into your voice, your platform, and your purpose. Maddie shares her story of discovering pageantry, navigating the nerves of her first interview, learning how to prepare in a way that actually works, and stepping into the industry with a heart to make an impact.In this episode you will hear about...👑 How Maddie first discovered pageantry and why her journey did not begin in the traditional way👑 What her first interview experience taught her and how she grew from feeling unsure to feeling confident👑 Why knowing yourself is one of the most powerful pageant strategies you can have👑 The sisterhood and sense of community she found in pageantry that surprised her most👑 Her platform as a girls in sports advocate and why keeping girls in the game matters so deeply to her👑 What it looks like to use early pageant experiences as preparation for bigger opportunities ahead👑 What’s next for Maddie as she prepares for virtual provincials and continues growing in the industryIf you’re new to pageantry, building your confidence, or figuring out how to turn your passion into purpose, this episode will remind you that you do not have to have it all figured out to begin. You just have to be willing to start.DM me QUEEN on Instagram with your #1 insight or takeaway from this episode: https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgalFor all coaching and offers, visit the website: https://www.thepageantgal.com/

Hey Pageant Gals,In this episode of the 200K Year Series, I’m talking about one of the most powerful tools behind my business growth: content that converts.This is not about posting for likes. It is about creating content that builds trust, attracts aligned clients, and turns visibility into sales.In this episode you will hear about...👑 The 3 types of content that bring in paying clients👑 Why messaging matters so much👑 My thoughts on AI and content creation👑 How I track and repeat what is actually workingApply for coaching: https://www.thepageantgal.comApply for Empire Mastermind: https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/empire-mastermindDM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway

Hey Pageant Gals,In episode two of the 200K Year Series, I’m breaking down how I scaled my business to over $200,000 without filling my calendar with endless one-on-one calls.This episode is all about building a business model that creates more income, more spaciousness, and more freedom.In this episode you will hear about...👑 Why scaling does not have to mean working more hours👑 How group programs helped me grow👑 Why client journey and retention matter👑 The simplified strategy that supported my 200K yearApply for coaching: https://www.thepageantgal.comApply for Empire Mastermind: https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/empire-mastermindDM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway

Hey Pageant Gals,Everyone in the pageant industry wants to talk strategy. What to say in interview, how to stand out, how to be polished, how to feel confident, how to win. And yes, those things matter.But what actually separates the women who win in interview and win in life is the foundation behind the words. It is self belief. It is presence. It is walking into the room and owning who you are without shrinking, spiralling, or second guessing yourself.In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Michayla Del Guidice of Align Her Careers. She is a pageant competitor, a new mama, and someone who has built a best interview reputation over the years. Michayla opens up about how she went from struggling with confidence and communication growing up to becoming the woman who can walk into any interview room and leave a lasting impression.And what I love most, she breaks it down in a way that is real, practical, and replicable. Confidence is not something you are born with. It is something you build.In this episode you will hear about...👑 How Michayla developed interview skills early and how that shaped her confidence today👑 Her pre interview “tune out” method to lock in and deliver with presence👑 The biggest mistake women make in interviews, in pageants and in careers👑 The unicorn myth and why you cannot measure yourself by a job description or by comparison👑 Getting clear on your nonnegotiables so you stop talking yourself out of opportunities👑 The 100 wins practice that strengthens your identity and helps you speak from truth👑 Motherhood, ambition, and evolving into a new season without abandoning your goalsIf you have been doubting yourself, feeling like you are not qualified enough, or you want to become the kind of woman who walks into interview with presence and leaves unforgettable, this episode is for you.Connect with Michayla, Align Her Careers@alignher.careersApply for coaching: https://www.thepageantgal.comDM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway

Hey Pageant Gals,Let’s be honest, pageants are expensive. Life is expensive. The cost of everything is going up. But the problem isn’t the price tag, it’s the mindset we carry about it.In this episode, I'm giving you a perspective shift that will change how you approach your pageant journey. Because you get to decide whether rising costs make you shrink your desire… or expand your capacity and rise to meet the standard.In this episode you will hear about...👑 The mindset shift: how to stop living in “this is unfair, I’m broke” energy and start getting clear on what you’re prioritizing in this season👑 Cost creates commitment: why women who invest tend to show up differently, and how to use that to your advantage👑 How to fund your journey: practical ways I made it happen (working multiple jobs, bartending, fundraisers, sponsorships, and getting intentional with gifts and savings)👑 The standard: why crown level outcomes require crown level decisions, and why “expensive” does not mean “impossible”If you’re ready to stop resenting what you think you can’t have and start making intentional moves toward what you want....Apply for coaching: https://www.thepageantgal.comDM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway!

Hey Pageant Gals,What would it look like if you stopped waiting for the perfect opportunity in pageantryand instead created the space you wish existed.In this episode, I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Marnoch for a real end of year pageant chat. Liz has been in the industry for over 15 years, she is a professional hair and makeup artist, and she is the founder and director of Canadian National Miss.This conversation is honest, unfiltered, and so needed as we head into 2026.In this episode you will hear about...👑 How Liz went from fun glitz pageants to competing for national and international titles👑 Why so many Canadians compete in United States systems and what Canada is missing👑 The gap in Canadian pageant hair and makeup and how Liz built a business from it👑 The moment she created Canadian National Miss out of pure frustration👑 The lack mindset in pageantry and why there is room for everyone to win👑 What being a director is really like the best parts and the parts nobody warns you aboutIf you are competing in 2026 or building something in the pageant industry, this episode will hit.Follow Elizabeth !@Liz.marnoch@canadiannationalmisspageantDM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway!

Hey Pageant Gals,What would it look like if you stopped standing safely in the sand…and let yourself be fully seen running straight into the water for your big dreams?In this episode, I’m sharing the real story from my mentor’s retreat in California, where I found myself on a beach at 8am, headphones on, in a 90-minute movement practice… and felt an undeniable pull to sprint toward the waves while everyone else stayed planted in the sand watching me.That moment became my leadership initiation into a new level of bigness, visibility and being seen going for what I’m here to create in pageants, business and life.This isn’t just a feel-good retreat story. This is what it actually looks like to move first, be seen, and hold the bigger challenges that come with bigger dreams.You will hear about:👑 The exact “beach moment” that cracked open my next level of leadership🌊 What it really means to be the woman who moves first while everyone else is still standing in the sand🧠 How to move through thoughts like “Am I doing this wrong?” and “Am I too much?”🔥 Why you can’t call in bigger titles, income and impact without being willing to hold bigger challenges🏰 Two reflection questions to help you choose where you need to go first and what room you need to put yourself in nextIf you want to be the woman who leads herself bigger—on stage, in business and in life—this episode is your invitation to stop waiting for permission and start moving.✨ QUEENS TAKEOVER PODCAST CHALLENGE – FINAL EPISODE ✨We’re wrapping up the Queen’s Takeover Podcast Challenge, and this is your last chance to enter to win a 1:1 intensive + a week of Telegram coaching with me.Listen to this episode, then:• Share your biggest takeaway on Instagram Stories• Tag me @thepageantgal• Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsEach share and review counts as entries. One queen will be chosen next week for a full week of jamming on her pageant strategy, empire moves and leadership.👑 READY TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE ROOM? 👑If this episode activates you to stop standing in the sand and finally move first, this is your sign to step into a room that stretches you.DM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with the word QUEEN for current ways to work with me in pageant coaching, business and leadership.DM me your review screenshot and tag me in your Stories: @thepageantgal

Hey Pageant Gals, We have a special guest today. Meet Amber Martenson, founder of The Joy of Art (501c3) and CEO of Winning Spark Branding. Amber went from Iowa gal and art teacher to New York Fashion Week designer and brand strategist for pageant queens and women in business. In this episode we break down brand versus branding, how your visual identity creates credibility, and the exact mindset that takes you from playing small to building your empire.In this episode you will learn -✨ The real difference between brand and branding and why both matter on stage and online✨ How visual identity creates recognition, trust, and momentum for your platform and your business✨How pageantry skills transfer into entrepreneurship and client attraction✨ Behind the scenes of launching a New York Fashion Week line✨ What to do when you are scared and do not know how yetFollow Amber Martenson here ...https://www.instagram.com/winning.spark.branding/Ready to rise beyond the crown and build your empire? Book a free discovery call with me here: https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/calendar/discovery-callPodcast Challenge November giveaway!Share this episode to your stories with your top takeaway and tag @thepageantgal Leave a five star review on Spotify and DM me a screenshot so we can count your entry.One winner will receive a Queen Takeover one on one intensiveDM me your review screenshot and tag me in your Stories: @thepageantgal

Hey Pageant Gals,We’re kicking off our first-ever Queen’s Takeover Podcast Challenge all November long! I’m doubling episodes this month so you can binge strategy, branding, and stories of women doing big, audacious things in and out of pageantry. Get ready to move now, not “someday.”How to Enter:1. Leave a 5-star review on Spotify for The Pageant Gal Podcast, screenshot it, and DM me @thepageantgal. That screenshot = 5 entries. If you’ve already left a review, screenshot it, and it will still count.2. Share any episode to your Instagram Stories, tag @thepageantgal, and include your biggest takeaway. Each story share = 10 entries. Share as many times as you like this month for more entries. This kickoff episode counts too!What you’ll win:The Queen Takeover Intensive, a private, one-week experience with me:• A 60-minute 1:1 to map your Queen Takeover Plan heading into 2026• 7 days of Telegram implementation with me so you don’t just plan..you move!Why we’re doing this:Because queens don’t wait for January 1st. We lead now. We build now. We take up space now.Shoutouts: Anne-Marie Turcotte and Aria Patel, thank you for sharing your takeaways. Strategic queens don’t throw spaghetti at the wall. 💗DM me your review screenshot and tag me in your Stories: @thepageantgal

Hey Pageant Gals,If you’ve ever wondered how a pageant coach can build a half-million-dollar business, this one’s for you. In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my journey, and how I went from charging $500 per client to generating nearly $500K in under seven years. This isn’t luck; it’s brand, strategy, consistency, and a client path that actually scales.Shoutout to Mava (whose question inspired this ep!) and Maya Karen, Miss Competence Canada, your support means the world. 💗DM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway!Want to learn how to build queen-winning confidence, grow your brand and platform impact, and learn the elite-level strategies needed to WIN your pageant? Join the Make it Reign Membership → https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/make-it-reign

Hey Pageant Gals, The biggest shift in my pageant journey happened when I realized my legacy had to be bigger than just the crown. Winning titles is incredible, but what happens when the crown comes off? In this episode, I share the story of how I went from chasing wins to building a lasting brand, business, and empire that continues far beyond the stage.You’ll learn why the crown is just the beginning and not the end goal, the mindset shift that led me to four pageant wins in a row, how investing in myself changed everything, and why it’s time to think bigger than the stage so you can start building your legacy now.DM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway!Ready to rise beyond the crown and build your empire? Book a free discovery call with me here: https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/calendar/discovery-callWant to learn how to build queen-winning confidence, grow your brand and platform impact, and learn the elite-level strategies needed to WIN your pageant? Join the Make it Reign Membership → https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/make-it-reign

Hey Pageant Gals,I’m spilling the five big things you didn’t see that went down during Miss Universe Canada week. From losing my voice on day one to navigating unexpected drama, physical pain, and even the behind-the-scenes tea. This episode has it all: the fun, the lessons, and the downright unbelievable moments.If you’ve ever wondered what really happens at pageant week beyond the stage and spotlight, this is the episode for you. And of course, I’ll share the lessons I learned so you can take them into your own journey 💕Tune in for laughs, some spice, and a reminder that pageantry is as much about resilience as it is about rhinestones ✨DM me on Instagram @thepageantgal with your top takeaway!Want to learn how to build queen-winning confidence, grow your brand and platform impact, and learn the elite-level strategies needed to WIN your pageant? Join the Make it Reign Membership → https://mariagiorlando.kartra.com/page/make-it-reignReady to take your brand, name, impact, and even your business to the next level that captivates millions of people and makes thousands of dollars? Apply for coaching here: https://mariagiorlando.com/apply/