Are pageant queens just fake smiles, big hair, and backstabbing drama? That is what the movies want you to believe. Miss United Universe Brandi Babin is here to blow that up entirely.

In this episode, I sit down with Brandi — Northern Colorado native, founder of the Reclaim platform, and the inaugural Miss United Universe — to challenge just about every assumption most people carry about the pageant world. We get into the real sisterhood behind the sashes, the personal crisis she survived on the way to her first crown, and the platform she has been building and living for over five years without wavering once. Fair warning: this one gets real, fast.

What You'll Learn

• Why everything Hollywood taught you about pageantry is almost completely wrong — and what it actually looks like inside
• How Brandi went from a Word document she wrote in her darkest season to a published guidebook, a podcast, and an entire platform
• What suicidal ideation actually feels like from the inside — and the five-minute survival strategy that got her through it
• Why she won a national title in a $300 Facebook Marketplace dress doing her own hair and makeup — and what that says about what actually matters
• How self-talk is the single most powerful thing you can change, and why you should start with just one sentence

Chapters

• Intro: Meet the Woman Behind the Crown
• What Movies Get Completely Wrong About Pageantry
• From Mrs. Colorado to Miss United Universe: The Journey
• The Personal Crisis That Became a Platform
• The Word Document That Became a Book
• Reclaim: The Guidebook, Podcast, and Platform
• How to Get Started in Pageantry Without Losing Your Mind
• Butt Glue, Crowns, and the Reality Behind the Stage
• Final Words: Talk to Yourself Like a Five-Year-Old

Resources Mentioned

• Reclaim: A Journey to Self-Discovery (guidebook/workbook)
• Self Rediscovery Guide (mini version, $13)
• Shattered to Unbreakable Podcast (100+ episodes, Season 9 coming)
• Reclaim University (DIY video courses)
• Brainspotting resources (available on her website)

Contact and Links

• Website: thereclaimstrategy.com
• Instagram (pageant): Miss United Universe
• Instagram (personal): brandy.babin2
• Instagram (platform): thereclaimstrategy
• Facebook: Miss United Universe

If this episode challenged the way you see pageantry — or the way you see yourself — share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support keeps these conversations going.

#WomensEmpowerment #SelfLove #PageantryTruth