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

👉 pageantmock.com

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Let me break pageant interview into three levels.

Interview 101: Can you walk into the room and speak in coherent sentences without falling apart?

For most of you, that doesn’t take long to master.

Then comes:

Interview 201: Talking points. Stories. Structure. Keeping your answers tight. Sounding polished.

That’s where almost everyone stops.

* You improve.

* You feel sharper.

* You stop rambling.

And then you plateau.

Because there’s a third level.

Interview 301: Persuasion. Influence. Reading the room.Not just answering questions, but moving people.

Most pageant contestants are practicing Interview 201 skills over and over again, then wondering why they are not breaking through.

If you’ve felt stuck, this might be why.

In this week’s video, I explain what Interview 301 actually looks like and how to start building it.

Because good answers do not win pageant interviews.

Influence does.

Adrian.

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I offer a limited number of private coaching sessions for contestants who are serious about taking home the crown. Find out more:

👉 thepageantproject.com/coaching

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

Pageants & Tangents is an irreverential and honest take on modern-day pageantry, hosted by Adrian Kwan, Founder of The Pageant Project (https://thepageantproject.com).

Got a pageant issue or question you want us to discuss? Submit it here:

👉 https://pageantpod.com

OUR CO-HOSTS:

Morgan Morgan:

* https://www.instagram.com/morganmorganbonafide/

* https://www.morganmorganfitness.com/

Peyton Christen:

* https://www.instagram.com/peytonkaynec/

* https://www.instagram.com/missgavol/

Haley Poe:

* https://www.instagram.com/haleygracepoe/

* https://www.youtube.com/@haleygracepoe

For all media and sponsorship enquiries:

👉 [email protected]

--

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

👉 https://thepageantproject.com/subscribe

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

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

👉 pageantmock.com

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Most of you are getting better at interview.

* Your answers are clearer.

* More structured.

* Less filler.

* More polished.

And you’re still not winning.

Here’s why.

You’re practicing answers. But judges (and humans in general) make decisions emotionally.

By the time you sit down, they already have a feeling about you.

* Confident or unsure

* Magnetic or flat

* Titleholder material or not

And then your answers either confirm that feeling… or struggle to overcome it.

Interview isn’t a memorization contest.

It’s persuasion.

It’s presence.

* It’s how you walk in.

* How you sit.

* How you make eye contact.

* How you make them feel.

Logic matters.

But emotion comes first.

In this week’s video, I break down:

* Why 80% of the decision happens before you even open your mouth

* The soft skills most contestants never train and never know about

* And how to start working on the part of interview that actually wins

Watch it with one question in mind:

When I walk out of the room, will the judges think of me as the best and only logical decision to be their next titleholder?

That’s where interview is won. Or lost.

Until next week.

Adrian.

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I offer a limited number of private coaching sessions for contestants who are serious about taking home the crown. Find out more:

👉 thepageantproject.com/coaching

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

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

http://thepageantproject.com/subscribe

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👑 About Amanda

Amanda Higginbotham, a born and raised Texan reigning as Miss Texas Volunteer, has a passport full of stamps and a heart full for service. A summa cum laude graduate with dual degrees in Aeronautical Science and International Studies and language certificates in Chinese and French, Amanda currently works as a DFW-based airline pilot and a part-time model. Also, with almost 5,000 lifetime volunteer service hours, she's the founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Reach Out to Outreaches Inc., which has partnered with charities such as American Cancer Society, Civil Air Patrol, Angel Flight South Central, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, MPowered performance troupe, and more.

If she's not landing–or strutting–on a runway, Amanda loves to inspire others through her S.E.R.V.E initiative, "The Spark Initiative - Igniting Curiosity to Spark Empowerment". She is a self-described movie critic, sushi eater, country dancer, and just another coffee lover. With a passion for life and a heart for others, Amanda wants to prove that courage, commitment, and a LOT of caffeine can take you anywhere!

👉 Follow Amanda:

https://www.instagram.com/anhiggi/

https://www.instagram.com/misstxvolunteer/

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

Pageants & Tangents is an irreverential and honest take on modern-day pageantry, hosted by Adrian Kwan, Founder of The Pageant Project (https://thepageantproject.com).

Got a pageant issue or question you want us to discuss? Submit it here:

👉 https://pageantpod.com

Our co-hosts:

Morgan Morgan:

* https://www.instagram.com/morganmorganbonafide/

* https://www.morganmorganfitness.com/

Peyton Christen:

* https://www.instagram.com/peytonkaynec/

Haley Poe:

* https://www.instagram.com/haleygracepoe/

* https://www.youtube.com/@haleygracepoe

SPECIAL GUEST CO-HOST

* https://www.instagram.com/daviaesther/

For all media and sponsorship enquiries:

👉 [email protected]

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

👉 https://thepageantproject.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

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

http://thepageantproject.com/subscribe

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Let me ask you a question.

Over the last year, a lot of you have joined The Pageant Project. Many of you are new here, and I realized I haven’t properly reintroduced myself or asked what you actually want to know.

So let me ask you directly.

What do you want to know about pageants?

* A question you’ve always had, but never felt comfortable asking

* Something about contracts, judging, or industry politics

* An issue you think gets ignored or sugar-coated

* A situation you’re dealing with and want an honest perspective on

Reply to this email, send me a DM, or submit anonymously at pageantpod.com.

If you want to stay anonymous, just say so. I’ll respect that.

Best

Adrian.

-

Looking to win your next pageant interview? We hold weekly mock interview sessions on Thursday evenings at 8pm EST. To sign up, go to:

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

Pageants & Tangents is an irreverential and honest take on modern-day pageantry, hosted by Adrian Kwan, Founder of The Pageant Project (https://thepageantproject.com).

Got a pageant issue or question you want us to discuss? Submit it here:

👉 https://pageantpod.com

Our co-hosts:

Morgan Morgan:

* https://www.instagram.com/morganmorganbonafide/

* https://www.morganmorganfitness.com/

Peyton Christen:

* https://www.instagram.com/peytonkaynec/

Haley Poe:

* https://www.instagram.com/haleygracepoe/

* https://www.youtube.com/@haleygracepoe

For all media and sponsorship enquiries:

👉 [email protected]

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

👉 https://thepageantproject.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

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

http://thepageantproject.com/subscribe

-

Have you ever noticed that the likelihood of a fanbase getting irrationally angry is directly proportional to how passionate they are?

Whether they’re Trekkies, Swifties, or Flat Earthers, there’s no point trying to convince them they’re wrong - you are.

The exact same rule applies to pageants. The industry may not be as big as it once was, but in many ways, that means the remaining people are even more passionate on average. And, make no mistake, they’re passionate about many things:

* Which pageant is the best

* Which pageant coach is the best

* Who the favorites/hotpicks are for any given pageant

* Who’s got the prettiest dress

* Who spoke the most eloquently

But here’s the question. Should you listen to any of it?

Forget pageant fans for a second. If you take on a well-known pageant coach, and they tell you that you entered the wrong pageant, would you take their advice?

What about if they told you your talent or platform was wrong, or they made you question things such as your food choices or your religious or political beliefs?

Unfortunately, pageantry is FULL of characters like that. There are far too many people with opinions, and far too few with the reasoning, experience, or critical thought to back them up.

All this to say - never let anyone tell you that your reasons are “wrong”, whether that’s your reasons for competing in a pageant, the career path your choose to take, or the life partner you choose to spend the rest of your life with.

And never let anyone tell you you’re a moron either… but you’ll have to watch or listen to this week’s episode to get the BTS on that one!

Adrian.

-

Looking to win your next pageant interview? We hold weekly mock interview sessions on Thursday evenings at 8pm EST. To sign up, go to:

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

Pageants & Tangents is an irreverential and honest take on modern-day pageantry, hosted by Adrian Kwan, Founder of The Pageant Project (https://thepageantproject.com).

Got a pageant issue or question you want us to discuss? Submit it here:

👉 https://pageantpod.com

Our co-hosts:

Morgan Morgan:

* https://www.instagram.com/morganmorganbonafide/

* https://www.morganmorganfitness.com/

Peyton Christen:

* https://www.instagram.com/peytonkaynec/

Haley Poe:

* https://www.instagram.com/haleygracepoe/

* https://www.youtube.com/@haleygracepoe

Special guest co-host:

Geanna Koulouris:

* https://www.instagram.com/geannakoulouris/

For all media and sponsorship enquiries:

👉 [email protected]

High-performance pageant coaching, shared weekly. Trusted by 350+ titleholders in Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, and beyond. This isn’t theory. It’s what works. Start your journey for free:

👉 https://thepageantproject.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

Our next mock interview is on Thursday 29th January at 8pm EST. If you’re serious about winning your next pageant interview, visit pageantmock.com (3 spots left).

Never ever enter a pageant purely to win.

I get it, I’m competitive too, but let’s be real. Pageant judging can be an absolute farce, and it’s often when you least expect it.

Are you honestly telling me you’re prepared to put in all the hard work, only to have it thrown away simply because a clueless judge picked the pretty girl who smiled at him?

I didn’t think so.

In my opinion, there are only 3 reasons you should be entering a pageant in 2026. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to win, or that you won’t win, it simply means that the win would be the proverbial icing on the cake.

If I had only one wish for you heading into 2026, it would be that you set up the game of pageantry in such a way that you walk away as a better person at the end of it, regardless of the result, and that you viewed the whole experience as ‘worth it’.

Watch this week’s video or listen to the episode and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Do you agree with my 3 reasons? Or would you make some changes?

Best

Adrian.

Got a question or issue that needs to be discussed about the pageant industry? Visit pageantpod.com. Questions can be submitted anonymously.

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