Confessions of a Pageant King

Confessions of a Pageant King

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Confessions of a Pageant King episodes

  • Why the Judges Liked Her More Than You

    Earlier this year, I was working with a private coaching client who had spent months preparing for a particular pageant.

    She’d worked incredibly hard, had a heartfelt advocacy that aligned beautifully with the pageant’s mission, and had previously won one of the categories in the same competition.

    Naturally, she assumed that if she worked harder, improved herself, and returned as a better contestant, she’d achieve an even better result.

    Sounds reasonable, right?

    Well, one of the things she’d really thrown herself into was her gym routine. She was naturally very skinny, so she’d spent countless hours working out, trying to put on muscle mass and transform her physique.

    Then, whilst backstage waiting for the swimsuit competition, another contestant proudly announced that she hadn’t worked out a single day that entire year.

    Not once.

    Now, whether that was entirely true is anyone’s guess, but I think it’s safe to assume she hadn’t worked anywhere near as hard in the gym as my client.

    Guess which contestant won the swimsuit category?

    Spoiler alert: it wasn’t my client.

    And this brings me to something I’ve been trying to get pageant contestants to understand for years.

    Just because you worked harder, improved more, or believe you’re the better pick as titleholder doesn’t automatically mean the judges are going to pick you.

    In fact, sometimes the judges simply like someone else more.

    And here’s the part you might struggle to accept.

    There might not be much you can do about it.

    How Much of Pageant Judging Is Actually Objective?

    One of the biggest mistakes I see contestants make is assuming that there’s always a specific, logical, and ‘legitimate’ reason why they didn’t win.

    And when I say legitimate, I mean something they could take on board, work on, and improve for next year’s competition.

    Perhaps their interview wasn’t good enough. Perhaps their walk needed more work. Perhaps their styling wasn’t quite right.

    And sometimes those things genuinely are the problem.

    But what if the reason you didn’t win had nothing to do with any of those things?

    What if the judges simply preferred someone else’s personality, appearance, or overall vibe?

    To explain why this happens, I want to take you somewhere that might seem completely unrelated to pageantry.

    The dating world.

    What Does Dating Have to Do with Pageant Judging?

    Imagine you’re single, you’d rather not be, and you’re out at a restaurant or a social event.

    You look around the room and notice a few people you might be interested in getting to know.

    How did you decide who those people were?

    Did you pull up their LinkedIn profiles, examine their educational qualifications, check their employment history, and contact their references?

    Of course not.

    You looked around the room and, based on whatever information was available to you, decided who you were interested in.

    Maybe it was their physical appearance. Maybe it was their smile, their confidence, or simply the way they carried themselves.

    In other words, you have a type.

    And whilst you might not be able to articulate exactly what that type is, you know it when you see it.

    Here’s where things get interesting.

    Once you’ve identified someone you’re attracted to, you’re far more likely to want to get to know them. That’s when you start asking questions about their career, their interests, their family, and everything else that might make them a suitable partner.

    In other words, the initial attraction comes first, the facts come second.

    Now, obviously there are exceptions. People can grow on us, and our first impressions aren’t always correct.

    But the broader point is that our emotional reactions influence how we evaluate people, often without us being consciously aware of it.

    And, as I explain in today’s video, something very similar happens when pageant judges choose their winners.

    Pageant Judges Have a Type, Too

    I’ve judged pageants myself, including Miss Earth internationally, and one of the things I’ve witnessed is just how much personal preference can influence a judge’s decision.

    Some judges prefer contestants who are elegant and reserved.

    Others gravitate toward women who are bubbly, outgoing, and full of personality.

    Some might love a contestant who radiates ambition and determination, whilst others might find that same energy intimidating or overly intense.

    I worked with another young woman who was quite possibly the hardest-working person in any room she walked into, and had the receipts to prove it.

    She didn’t win.

    During our post-pageant debrief, I asked her whether she believed every judge would consider being hardworking a positive quality.

    She immediately said yes.

    So I challenged her.

    Of course no judge would pick someone who was obviously lazy, but what if their idea of the perfect titleholder was someone who was warm, approachable, and had that girl-next-door personality?

    And what if my client, because of her incredible discipline and determination, came across as too intense?

    Does that mean the judge dislikes hardworking people?

    No.

    It simply means that my client might not match that particular judge’s preconceived idea of what a titleholder ‘should’ be.

    And the judge might end up rationalizing that mismatch by describing her as too intense, not relatable enough, or lacking warmth.

    Can you see how this becomes a problem?

    A contestant might walk away believing she needs to change her personality, when the real issue was that she simply wasn’t that judge’s type to begin with.

    But Surely the Judges Have Scoring Criteria?

    Yes, and I’m certainly not suggesting that pageant judging rubrics are useless.

    But there’s a significant difference between having scoring criteria and having objective measurements.

    In a hundred-meter sprint, the person who crosses the finish line first wins.

    It doesn’t matter whether the officials like their personality or think they’d make a good ambassador for the sport.

    They were the fastest. End of story.

    Pageant judging, however, involves evaluating qualities that are inherently subjective.

    * What’s the difference between being confident and being arrogant?

    * Between being passionate and being aggressive?

    * Between being poised and being stiff?

    I can tell you from sitting on judging panels that two judges can watch exactly the same contestant and come away with completely different impressions.

    Let’s take another example.

    A contestant falls on stage.

    One judge marks her down because she made a mistake.

    Another judge marks her up because she got back on her feet and demonstrated resilience.

    Same contestant. Same incident. Completely different interpretation.

    Which judge is right?

    And how exactly is a scoring rubric supposed to eliminate that difference?

    This isn’t an argument against having judging criteria. In fact, I think a well-designed rubric can help judges become more conscious of their biases and encourage more thoughtful decision-making.

    But let’s not confuse a structured opinion with an objective fact.

    Why You Shouldn’t Take Pageant Results So Personally

    I think one of the most damaging things a contestant can do is treat a pageant result as an objective assessment of her worth.

    And yet it happens all the time.

    A contestant works incredibly hard, returns to the same pageant as a better version of herself, and ends up doing worse.

    Her immediate assumption?

    Something must be wrong with me.

    And so she goes looking for answers, sometimes obsessively.

    She changes her dress. Changes her hair. Changes her interview answers. Perhaps even changes coaches.

    And whilst there’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to improve, I think it’s worth asking whether she’s actually correcting a problem or simply trying to become someone else’s idea of the perfect titleholder.

    Let’s go back to our dating analogy.

    If you’re interested in someone but they don’t feel the same way, does that automatically mean there’s something wrong with you?

    Of course not.

    You might be a fantastic person. You might be intelligent, attractive, successful, and have everything going for you.

    But if the chemistry isn’t there, it isn’t there.

    And I think we’d all agree that completely changing your personality to make someone attracted to you is probably not the healthiest approach to finding a relationship.

    So why do we so readily accept that approach when it comes to pageants?

    And please don’t misunderstand me.

    I’m not saying you shouldn’t prepare, research your judges, study your pageant system, or do everything within reason to give yourself the best chance of winning.

    Of course you should.

    But I am saying that you need to understand the difference between things you can control and things you can’t.

    You can control your preparation, your attitude, your work ethic, and how you present yourself.

    You cannot control whether five particular human beings happen to prefer you over everyone else who walks into the room.

    And, perhaps most importantly, you shouldn’t give those five people the power to determine how you feel about yourself.

    Because winning a pageant doesn’t automatically mean you’re better than everyone else.

    And losing doesn’t automatically mean you’re worse.

    Sometimes you were simply the right person, in front of the right judges, at the right time.

    And sometimes you weren’t.

    The Homework: Are You Improving Yourself or Chasing Approval?

    Here’s what I’d like you to do.

    Think back to your most recent pageant, particularly if the result wasn’t what you’d hoped for.

    Now ask yourself three questions:

    * What specific areas of my performance could I genuinely improve?

    * Which of those improvements would make me a better person, regardless of whether I ever competed in another pageant?

    * Am I making changes because I genuinely want to improve, or because I’m desperately trying to become the sort of contestant I think the judges will like?

    There’s a big difference between the two.

    Best,

    Adrian.

    The Beginner’s Guide to Pageantry - Everything You Need to Compete in Your First Pageant With Confidence... Even If You’re Starting From Zero:

    👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0645070327



    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
    36 min
  • 67 Days Until 2027: Sharpening the Saw

    2027 is almost upon us, and I spent a good chunk of today writing down everything I’d like to accomplish between now and the end of the year.

    Some of these things need to get done before I fly to Miami next week, whilst others are longer-term goals that might stretch well into 2027.

    And let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like getting everything out of your head and onto paper (or, in my case, a whiteboard) to make you realise just how much stuff you’ve been carrying around in your brain.

    But as I looked at my list, something occurred to me. A surprising amount of what I’d written down wasn’t actually about achieving goals. It was about developing the skills I’d need to achieve them.

    Big Goals Are Sexy. Sharpening the Saw Isn’t.

    There’s a concept I first came across in one of those classic personal development books called “sharpening the saw.”

    The idea is simple enough. If you’re going to spend your day cutting down trees, you’d better make sure your saw is sharp. Otherwise, you’re going to spend an awful lot of time and energy working harder than you need to.

    I experienced something similar recently when I replaced our old hedge trimmer. The difference in efficiency was remarkable. What had previously taken an exhausting amount of time and effort suddenly became considerably easier.

    Same person. Same hedges. Better equipment.

    Now, think about how most people approach setting goals.

    “I want to make a million dollars!”

    “I want to get into the best shape of my life!”

    “I want to win Miss USA!”

    That’s great. I’m all for setting ambitious goals. But here’s my question: what are you doing to develop the skills necessary to achieve them?

    Because there’s a rather large difference between wanting to achieve something and actually being equipped to achieve it.

    The Boring Stuff That Actually Makes a Difference

    Looking at my own list, I’ve got quite a bit of reading to catch up on. I also want to digitise the passages I’ve highlighted in my physical books so I can reference them later, including when working with AI.

    Then there’s the small matter of keeping up with AI itself.

    Now, I’ve been interested in AI for longer than most people. In fact, my final-year college project was on artificial intelligence, and I’ve been using ChatGPT increasingly since its launch.

    But even I was surprised recently when I started exploring some of the newer AI productivity and brainstorming tools. Capabilities that I’d previously assumed weren’t possible had suddenly become available.

    Which got me thinking: if I’m finding it difficult to keep up with developments in an industry I’m actively interested in, what about people who aren’t paying attention at all?

    And this applies to practically every industry.

    If you’re a personal trainer, you should be continually improving your understanding of exercise science and nutrition. If you’re a life coach, you should be learning how to become a better coach, not simply collecting motivational quotes to post on Instagram.

    Whatever your chosen field, the question should be the same: what skills do I need to develop to remain valuable, not just today, but five or ten years from now?

    Confidence Is Great. Competence Is Better.

    One thing I’ve noticed about the personal development world is just how much attention we give to confidence.

    Believe in yourself. Dream bigger. Think positively. Manifest success.

    And whilst I’m certainly not against confidence, I think competence is wildly undervalued.

    Think about it. ‘Self-efficacy’ is that particular type of confidence that comes from knowing you really know your stuff. You don’t need to constantly remind yourself how amazing you are because you’ve put in the work to become genuinely good at what you do.

    It’s a quieter, more grounded form of confidence, and I’d argue it’s considerably more valuable than simply trying to convince yourself you’re capable of something.

    Here’s the thing: if you’re setting massive goals without developing the skills to match, you’re essentially writing cheques your butt can’t cash.

    Eventually, reality is going to catch up with you.

    What Does This Mean for Pageant Contestants?

    Let’s say your big goal for 2027 is to win a particular pageant title.

    Fantastic. But rather than spending all your time thinking about the crown, I’d encourage you to ask a different question.

    What skills would you need to develop to become the kind of contestant who’s capable of winning that title?

    Maybe it’s your communication skills. Maybe it’s your ability to think clearly under pressure. Maybe it’s your stage presence, your ability to connect with people, or your understanding of how to use AI to become more effective and productive.

    And, importantly, how much time are you actually setting aside each week to develop those skills?

    Because you can spend all day writing down goals, making vision boards and imagining yourself wearing the crown, but none of those things automatically makes you more competent.

    It’s the boring, repetitive, often unglamorous work that develops the skills you need to succeed.

    What Happens When Your Skills Become Obsolete?

    There’s another reason I think continually improving your skills is so important, and it’s one that concerns me considerably.

    Technology is changing at an extraordinary rate, particularly with the development of AI.

    Skills that were extremely valuable just a few years ago may become considerably less valuable over the next few years. And people who don’t keep up could find themselves in the uncomfortable position of needing to learn an entirely new set of skills, urgently.

    Now, I know there are legitimate concerns about AI, including ethical and environmental issues. I’m certainly not suggesting we ignore them.

    But I do think there’s a difference between raising legitimate concerns about a technology and simply rejecting it because you’re uncomfortable with change.

    I’ve seen plenty of the latter, including within the pageant industry.

    And whilst you might be able to ignore technological change for a while, that doesn’t mean the rest of the world is going to stop moving forward.

    The good news? You don’t necessarily need to spend hours every day studying.

    Even thirty minutes a day, or a few hours each week, deliberately developing valuable skills can make an enormous difference over time.

    Tony Robbins calls it CANI, or Constant And Never-ending Improvement. It’s closely related to the Japanese concept of kaizen, which emphasises continual, incremental improvement.

    Not particularly sexy, perhaps, but enormously powerful.

    The Homework: Make Time to Sharpen Your Saw

    Here’s something I’d encourage you to do before 2027 arrives.

    * Write down your most important goals for the coming year.

    * Identify the skills you’ll need to develop to make those goals achievable, particularly skills that will remain valuable in the future.

    * Block out some time in your weekly calendar to deliberately work on those skills.

    And here’s the important bit: don’t simply leave it until you’ve finished everything else on your to-do list.

    Because we have a tendency to prioritise what’s urgent over what’s important. And when we ignore what’s important for long enough, it eventually becomes urgent.

    That’s usually when the crisis begins.

    I’d much rather spend thirty minutes a day sharpening my saw than discover, twelve months from now, that I’ve been trying to cut down a forest with a blunt one.

    Wouldn’t you?

    If you have any questions or want to join in the conversation, remember to join our new community:

    👉 https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/

    Best,

    Adrian.



    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
    16 min
  • 70 Days Until 2027: A Trip Down Memory Lane

    Nothing profound today. Brain empty.

    So I thought we’d take a trip down memory lane.

    Best,

    Adrian.

    Join our new community:

    https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/



    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
    29 min
  • 71 Days Until 2027: Taking Advice From the Wrong People

    I’ve been trying to resolve a conundrum in my head for the last couple of weeks. The type of conundrum where you have a few choices, they all seem roughly equal in merit, and regardless of which one you pick, you’re going to have a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out).

    Can you relate?

    We All Have Different Definitions of Success… and That’s OK

    Getting advice is great in principal, but sometimes we make the mistake of getting too much advice. In particular, we get or take advice from people who might be massively successful, but their definition of success is completely different to our definition of success.

    For example, one person’s idea of career success might look like a company with a hundred employees, multiple locations, hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, and staff meetings every day.

    Another person’s idea of career success might be a one-person business from home doing $100k per year in high-margin revenue, talking about their favorite board games.

    Here’s the thing: neither option is better, and neither option is more morally virtuous, but the advice for achieving Option A is going to be significantly different to the advice for achieving Option B.

    Why Would You Take Advice from People Who Haven’t Been Where You Want to Go?

    When it comes to goals, clarity is power. The more specific you can be, within reason, the better. Compare the following two goals:

    “I want to lose weight.”

    “I want to lose twenty pounds of body fat within the next six months, whilst maintaining or increasing my lean muscle mass, and I want to do it in a way that’s totally enjoyable, where I don’t even feel like I’m working out.”

    Which one gives you more power? Heck, which one sounds more exciting? And, to drive my point home, can you see how the second goal, because of its specificity, would cut out a lot of the generic weight-loss advice that’s out there?

    What About a Pageant Example?

    I see contestants get this wrong all the time. They choose to work with a particular pageant coach simply because that coach won a title at some point in the past, but they don’t take into account what that coach’s definition of success in pageantry looks like, and whether it’s anything like their own.

    Or they choose them for interview coaching, when either the title they won had a negligible interview component, or they completely bombed interview and only won the pageant because of their on-stage performance.

    Just because a particular coach had their own personal success, or success with a particular client or system, doesn’t automatically make them the best coach for you.

    The Homework: Modeling vs Copying

    I talk about the concept of modeling in today’s video, as in modeling someone who has already achieved the very same thing you want to achieve. It’s a concept I came across early on in my personal development journey, and it’s the secret to compressing decades into days (it’s also how I was able to teach myself tennis and eventually became a head tennis coach, something that most coaches would tell you is impossible).

    If that sounds intriguing to you:

    * Do a search for “modeling vs copying”.

    * Learn what modeling is, and how it differs from copying.

    * Pick someone to model for your most important 2027 goal, and compress decades into days.

    If you have any questions or want to join in the conversation, remember to join our new community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/).

    Best,

    Adrian.



    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
    19 min
  • 72 Days Until 2027: I Forgot My Purpose

    It’s so easy to get blinded by vanity, particularly in today’s social media world where we’re constantly online. In fact, there’s a name for all those numbers that don’t really serve a purpose other than pampering our ego - vanity metrics.

    Fortunately I stumbled across an Alex Hormozi TikTok the other day that reminded me of the folly of chasing views, follows, and likes above all else. But what exactly is the harm in chasing them?

    Selling Feet Pics Isn’t a Sustainable Business Model

    In today’s video, I tell the story of a good-looking friend of mine who had grown a large Instagram following (over 100K) and was struggling to raise money for her pageant. When she sent me a DM, I was puzzled. Surely someone with that large of a following could just put up a couple of posts or stories, and get some money rolling in, right?

    Well, apparently not, unless she was willing to sell photography related to her feet (yes really). What I had failed to realize was that it’s not just the size of your following that matters, it’s who your following is actually comprised of.

    Given that my friend tended to post rather racy photos of herself in lingerie or swimwear, together with fairly suggestive captions, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the bulk of her following was men, and that most of the men following her had no interest in her philanthropic work.

    Yes she had grown a large following. But it wasn’t particularly useful in helping her achieve any of her goals.

    Get Clear On Your Purpose

    It’s easy to set goals. Goals simply state WHAT you’re trying to achieve:

    * Make a million dollars

    * Get a six-pack

    * Find the love of your life

    But what my friend had failed to take into account was that your WHY or PURPOSE for achieving those goals is probably even more important than the goal itself.

    If you tell me that your goal is to get a six-pack, but you don’t have any real purpose for doing so, chances are you’ll be one of the many people who have that as one of their New Year’s resolutions year after year, until you finally decide to get rid of it because seeing it on your list every year just reminds you of how you failed to follow through.

    On the other hand, if you tell me that you absolutely need to lose twenty pounds, and that your purpose for doing so is that your doctor said you’re going to die from diabetes and high-blood pressure unless you do so, my guess is you’re going to achieve it.

    Most of us don’t want large follower counts just so that we can brag about our numbers. We want them because we think it will somehow help us achieve fame, fortune, impact, or all three. I have no moral judgment on which one you choose to chase, but it is important that you yourself have clarity on it.

    As a side note, there are a lot of influencers out there with large follower counts, but very small bank accounts. Followers don’t automatically become money.

    How Knowing Your Purpose Will Make Your Life Better (and Easier)

    Knowing your purpose will immediately help you do two things:

    * You’ll become more decisive.

    * You’ll achieve your goals faster.

    Why will it make you more decisive? Because not only will you know what your goal is, but your true purpose for wanting to achieve it in the first place. That sort of purpose gives you clarity, and clarity helps you be decisive.

    Why will you achieve faster? Because once you know your purpose, there’s almost always a way to achieve it right now, and that will give you the emotional juice to go after your goals even harder.

    (I go into both of these concepts in more detail in today’s video, so make sure to give it a watch. As a bonus, you’ll also get a guided tour of my basement (you’re welcome), and a sneak peek at the fishing boat I was in the whole of last week.)

    Your Tasks

    * If you haven’t done so already, list your goals for 2027.

    * For each of your goals, write down your purpose for wanting to achieve it. Is it impact? Fulfilment? Excitement? Love?

    * For each of those purposes, write down a way you could experience them right now, without having to wait until you achieve your goal.

    If you have any questions or want to join in the conversation, remember to join our new community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/).

    Best,

    Adrian.



    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
    22 min
  • Should You Enter a Pageant in 2027?

    The end of the year and the beginning of a new one traditionally means many things to many people. We’re coming up on Halloween. Then there’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, and, of course, New Year’s.

    It’s also the season for:

    * Eating like it’s going out of style.

    * Setting New Year’s resolutions.

    I can’t help you with that first one, but I do know that many of you will be considering entering a pageant in 2027, and some of you may have already done so. So before this year goes any further, let’s get back to some basics.

    What are your priorities for 2027?

    Making a decision, whether it’s to do with pageantry or not, is usually nothing more than a values clarification exercise. What does that mean? It means that if you’re clear on what matters to you most, it’s normally easy to make decisions.

    Let’s take an example. Imagine you and your friends are trying to decide where to go for dinner. Outside of having a personal favorite restaurant, where you decide to go depends on whether you’re after:

    * Something quick and easy

    * Something fancy

    * Something new and unusual

    * Something that’s great bang for your buck

    Decisions are hard when you don’t know what your values are, or when two or more of those values are in conflict. So, before we make a decision on whether to enter a pageant or not, we need to know what our values are going to be in 2027.

    Or, said differently, what are going to be our 2027 priorities?

    Write them down.

    Will entering a pageant help you achieve those priorities?

    I go into more detail on this in this week’s video, but suffice to say, if entering (not necessarily winning) a pageant would help you achieve your priorities in 2027, I say go for it. If it doesn’t help you achieve any of your priorities, then you should probably really think about it (after all, pageants are hardly a cheap hobby).

    Quick note: people will sometimes say that entering a pageant will help them to do more volunteering, or something similar. Let’s be honest. Whilst that might technically be true, it would be easier, more efficient, and more effective to just do the thing (whatever the thing is) directly.

    In other words, you don’t need to do a pageant to volunteer. Just go and volunteer.

    Don’t join the cult

    My main goal with this week’s article and video is to help you make better decisions. To me, that means making decisions with your eyes wide open, not simply doing something because your coach or a friend told you to. It’s totally acceptable to do pageants simply because you enjoy them, just don’t pretend that they’re the cure for everything that’s wrong in the world.

    If entering a pageant will truly help you achieve your 2027 priorities, that’s great. If not, you may want to pause and consider putting your time and effort into something more aligned with them, at least for now.

    Best,

    Adrian.

    Looking to win your next pageant interview? We hold weekly mock interview sessions on Thursday evenings at 8pm ET. Sign up at:

    👉 https://pageantmock.com



    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
    24 min
  • 74 Days Until 2027: Heading Back to Miami

    Tony Robbins was the beginning of my obsession with psychology, mindset, and the personal development industry in general. I had a recording of one of his seminars spread across six CD’s, and I used to listen to them so much that, even to this day, I could almost recite them word-for-word.

    I was fascinated by how he could create real lasting change in someone’s life in just one conversation, whether it be someone looking to scale their business or someone contemplating taking their own life. Many people might be great speakers, but few have the power to affect real change, and so it will come as no surprise that I ended up getting my life-coaching qualification from his school.

    In early November, I’ll be heading back to Miami for the second time this year (the first was for Miss USA) to attend Tony’s Unleash the Power Within (UPW) event. This will probably be the sixth or seventh time I’ve attended UPW, but the first time I’ve attended in approximately a decade, and definitely the first time since COVID.

    Suffice to say I’m super excited to attend and finish 2026 off strong, but I wanted to ask you one question:

    Who inspires you?

    Whether it be a speaker, coach, author, or just someone you met in everyday life, who’s someone that’s inspired you to create real change in your own life?

    Hit reply to this email and let me know - I’d love to expand my horizons heading into the new year.

    Best,

    Adrian.

    JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

    👉 https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687



    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
    8 min
  • 76 Days Until 2027: I Spent 3 Days Fishing. Here’s What I Learned.

    First off, make sure you’ve joined our Skool community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/) if you’d like to interact with like-minded people and get some direct feedback from myself. Doesn’t have to be about pageants.

    As for today’s video, I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say it actually has very little to do with fishing, and everything to do with how I carved out my own unique niche in the pageant space, as a guy from Australia (hardly a pageant powerhouse) with no prior training or experience.

    Your task for today:

    * Watch video.

    * What was your biggest takeaway?

    * Leave your answer in the community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/).

    Adrian.



    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
    21 min
  • 77 Days Until 2027: Why Routines Matter More Than Goals

    We’ve talked about hunger. We’ve talked about sacrifice.

    How do these two qualities manifest?

    They manifest as CONSISTENCY - day in, day out, no holds-barred and no excuses given consistency.

    Said differently, they show up in your routines:

    Show me your routines, and I’ll show you your destiny.

    I firmly believe that, for a large percentage of the population, goal-setting is an ego-driven exercise:

    * We put our goals up on a vision board or in our journal and applaud ourselves on a job well done.

    * We create content on social media talking about the importance of goal-setting or showing people our goal-setting process.

    * Or we compare goals with our friends and get super excited.

    But have you noticed - we haven’t actually DONE anything?

    That’s where routines come in:

    Goals set the direction, but routines are what makes that direction a reality.

    Your task for today:

    * What are your current routines, both empowering and disempowering?

    * What routines could you put in place that would guarantee you achieved your goals in 2027?

    * Leave your answers in our Skool community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/) so we can learn from one another.

    Adrian.



    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
    15 min
  • 78 Days Until 2027: No Sacrifice, No Victory

    I’m shooting today’s episode whilst I finish simmering my butter chicken - yes it’s been one of those days.

    Today’s subject is sacrifice. As the subject line says: “No sacrifice, no victory.”

    (Bonus points if you get the movie reference.)

    Bottom line - if you have the audacity to dream big, you need to accept that there will be a price to pay, and the bigger the dream, the bigger the price.

    From my experience, both personally and as a coach, that price or sacrifice almost always involves giving up your comfort zone:

    * Sleeping in

    * Eating or drinking in excess

    * A story of victimhood

    In today’s episode, I reference my first-ever 1 million view post on Instagram, which came from moving out of my own comfort zone:

    But here’s the kicker - my very next post received a mere 13 likes. You might think that’s quite a drop, and you’d be right, but that’s my exact point.

    No sacrifice, no victory - very often the thing you will be called on to sacrifice is your comfort zone, and when you do that, your path will rarely be straightforward. It will have highs, and it will have lows.

    Most people can’t deal with that level of uncertainty.

    And that’s why most people will forever remain stuck living a smaller life than they truly deserve.

    Your task for today:

    * Write down - what are YOU willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your dreams in 2027?

    * Leave your answer in our Skool community (https://www.skool.com/the-pageant-project-1687/) so we can learn from one another.

    Adrian.



    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
    12 min

About Confessions of a Pageant King

From the publisher's feed

Pageant coaching and a healthy dose of pageant tea with Adrian Kwan, Founder of The Pageant Project.