You're Practicing Pageant Interview Wrong

Each week, I share no-fluff pageant coaching that helps you win. Both on stage and off. After coaching titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and 350+ pageant interviews, this isn’t theory. It’s what works.

https://thepageantproject.com/subscribe

I see it all the time.

You’re putting in the hours, you’re grinding, you’re doing “practice” for interview… but you’re not actually getting better. Why? Because not all practice is created equal.

Let’s talk about it.

Why “Thinking Answers in Your Head” Doesn’t Work

Most contestants tell me they’ve been looking at questions, reading them, and practicing the answers silently in their head. And sure, that’s better than nothing. But let’s be real, it’s not preparing you for the pressure of a real interview.

When you’re in front of judges, you don’t get to run the perfect script in your head. You’re dealing with nerves, unpredictability, and actual human interaction. If you’ve ever nailed an answer in practice but completely blanked in the room, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Closed vs Open Practice

Here’s where my background as a tennis coach comes in. In tennis, we talk about closed practice (safe, predictable, controlled) and open practice (real match conditions, full pressure).

* Closed practice for pageant interview = you know the questions ahead of time, you rehearse them, you redo until you’re happy.

* Open practice = mock interviews, surprise questions, maybe even a panel drilling you under pressure.

Both are valuable, but if you stay in the “closed” comfort zone forever, you’ll freeze when it matters most.

The Single Best Tool You Already Own

If you take nothing else from this week’s email, take this:

Get out your phone. Record yourself answering. Watch it back. Then do it again.

Yes, it feels awkward at first. You’ll probably cringe at your voice, your gestures, your expressions. But that’s exactly why it works. The camera doesn’t lie. And until you actually see and hear yourself, you’re practicing blind.

When you record and review, you build self-awareness. You’ll notice things no coach can fully explain to you: your tone, pacing, filler words, even nervous tics like fiddling with jewelry. That awareness is the first step to real improvement.

Don’t Outsource Your Confidence

Look, a coach can be helpful. Feedback is useful. But if the only feedback you ever get comes from someone else, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. What happens if you follow everything your coach says, and you still score low?

Now you’re stuck.

Instead, build your own standard of what a great interview answer looks and sounds like. That way, even if the judges don’t reward you the way you hoped, you can walk out of that room saying: “I answered authentically. I put my best foot forward.”

That’s the mindset of a titleholder.

Up Next

On Thursday, I’ll show you how to take this even further using AI, specifically ChatGPT’s voice mode, to simulate interviews and create unlimited practice. If you’ve been waiting for a way to make your training more real without paying for endless coaching sessions, you’ll want to see this.

Until then, grab your phone, hit record, and face the truth. It might sting at first, but it will transform your interview game.

Timestamps

* 1:16 Why practicing answers in your head doesn’t prepare you for the real thing

* 2:41 Pressure vs practice, why nerves make you underperform

* 4:28 Closed vs open practice explained using tennis

* 9:35 The simplest way to add pressure: record yourself on your phone

* 11:44 Watching yourself back builds real self-awareness

* 15:32 Danger of relying only on coach feedback without self-review

* 22:22 Creating your own recipe for an authentic interview style

I offer a limited number of private coaching sessions per month for women serious about elevating their pageant journey. Click below to book yours.

https://thepageantproject.com/coaching

Pageantry is evolving, and you deserve coaching that’s more than surface-level. Book in if you’re ready to go beyond the crown.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thepageantproject.com/subscribe