August 20, 2025

Pageant Secrets Judges Won’t Tell You (But I Will): Why Most Contestants Lose Before They Even Walk on Stage (as a 5x Pageant contestant, 2x State Judge!)

55 minutes

The Pageant Tea You’ve Been Waiting For!!

The advice no one tells you about competing in pageants—I’m spilling the tea from behind the judge’s table. After judging Miss Michigan USA and Miss Ohio Volunteer, I saw the same mistakes and the same winning qualities show up in both systems.

I competed in five Miss USA state pageants across Ohio, California, and Illinois. I was a 5x semifinalist, 2x finalist, runner-up at Miss California USA, a best overall swimsuit/fitness winner, and a 5x Miss Congeniality. And yet… after judging two different pageant systems in two different states, honestly, I would have competed completely differently if I knew then what I know now.

In this episode, I spill the tea on:

The biggest mistakes I saw contestants repeat in both systems
Why professional hair and makeup are (unfortunately) non-negotiable
The importance of your headshot AND your styling!
The interview strategies that separate the winners from everyone else
What made me sit up and take notice as a judge—and what instantly lost me
The similarities across systems that no one talks about
What made me lose interest QUICK
What instantly caught my eye as a judge!!

If you’re serious about competing, this is the kind of perspective most people will never tell you. This isn’t the polished advice you hear from coaches—it’s the unfiltered judge’s POV. If you’re competing, this is what you need to hear before you walk on stage.

Show notes~

The Congeniality Approach: Social Media Branding Consulting by Kellie Sbrocchi: ⁠https://kelliesbrocchi.com/⁠

Mental Management & Interview Coach, Heather Sumlin: https://www.instagram.com/heathersumlin?igsh=MWphcXlxY3pnMDVjMQ==

Cyrus Frakes, Stylist & Walking Coach: Pageant Coach | Gowns And Crowns | Columbia

Body by Craig, Personal Trainer: https://www.bodybycraig.com/about-5

Enjoyed this episode? Check out kelliesbrocchi.com and follow me on IG at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kellie.sbrocchi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Loved the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@doboth.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠? Leave a review and let me know what you learned—I'd love to hear from you! #DoBothInstagram | Podcast | TikTok

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