Learning how to drive, for me, was the most annoying process. I was ready to put the petal to the metal and just go. However, my Dad drilled one lesson into my head: The number one rule for driving is knowing where you are going. It turns out that rule is true in pageantry as well.  Your pageant interview can go wherever you want it to only if you know where you are going.

Driving, like pageantry, isn’t hard. It is a series of very manageable tasks.  One of the biggest tasks in a pageant is taking control in your interview.  Tough political and platform questions are expected which we are prepared for. It’s simple questions that can sideswipe you such as “What makes you tick?” and “if you were a blank..?”. Below are some questions you need to ask yourself before you step into interview:

How to Prepare for a Pageant Interview

1. The Number One Rule: Where are you going? If it were impossible for you to fail what would be your aim? How does this title and platform help you in this goal?
2. Where are you today? What are you doing right now to benefit your future and build upon your platform?
3. Where are you from? What in your past has shaped you? Where exactly did your story begin?

Armed with your own story, you can answer any question with grace and honesty. Just tell your story. Maybe it’s a story about a shy southern girl who blossomed through service to others and wants to help young women, like you, achieve their potential on the stage of pageantry and life. Take the wheel in your interview and take the judges on a journey through your life. Believe me, they will enjoy the ride.

This article was written by Kristen Darden, a pageant coach out of Tennessee. To contact Kristen for a consultation, email Kristen.Darden@gmail.com.