What if the biggest transformation of your pageant journey has nothing to do with the crown?In this episode, Maria sits down with Marie-Zoé, a microbiologist, scientist, podcast host, nonprofit leader, and Miss Canada 2026 First Runner-Up and People’s Choice winner, to talk about what happens when you stop preparing to become a titleholder and start showing up as one now. If you’re coming back to pageantry after a break, building a platform, or wondering how to handle the unexpected without losing yourself, this conversation is for you.In this episode, we cover:💛 Why pageant girls never really retire: and what brought Marie-Zoé back to the stage after several years away💛 Building your brand and platform **before** worrying about how you’ll present it on a pageant stage💛 How showing up as the woman you want to become can create opportunities you never expected💛 What to do when things go sideways: including having your pageant gown break just weeks before competition💛 Why your crown, your wardrobe, or your placement cannot determine your identity or your impactMeet Marie-ZoéMarie-Zoé is a French Canadian microbiologist, graduate student, podcast host, public speaker, and nonprofit leader from Quebec.After competing in Miss Canada in 2021, she returned to the pageant world in 2026 with a new platform: Balado Hors Labo (Outside the Lab Podcast). She went on to finish First Runner-Up and People’s Choice, while building a podcast that has opened doors to scientific conferences, media opportunities, nonprofit leadership, and so much more.✨ Resources + Ways to Work Together:Life After the Crown TrainingJoin Maria for Life After the Crown, where she teaches the three biggest components of building a personal brand that gets you known, remembered, and paid.https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/life-after-the-pageant)Apply for The Queen Collective:https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collectiveDM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal✨ Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario💛 Let’s ConnectIf this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it!Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know your biggest takeaway from today’s conversation. I love hearing what speaks to you and cheering you on in your own journey.

If you know deep down that you are meant for more than just winning a crown, this episode is for you. Maria breaks down what separates the top 1% of pageant women, the women who do not let the pageant be the peak, but use it as a launchpad for a bigger life, bigger brand, and bigger opportunities.Because the crown is never the destination. It is about who you become while earning it and what you choose to create once you have it.In this episode, we cover:• Why the top 1% of pageant women have a bigger vision and bigger goals after the competition• How creating a strong daily routine helps you move through the post-pageant transition without losing your momentum• Why your personal brand is one of the most powerful assets you can build and how it gets you known, remembered, and paid• Why continuing to invest in yourself through mentorship, masterminds, retreats, and expansive rooms is essential for continued growth• How to stop treating the pageant as the goal and start using it as the vehicle to become the queen of your life✨ Resources + Ways to Work Together:Life After the Crown TrainingJoin Maria for Life After the Crown, where she teaches the three biggest components of building a personal brand that gets you known, remembered, and paid.https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/life-after-the-pageant)Apply for The Queen Collective:https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collectiveDM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal✨ Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario💛 Let’s ConnectIf this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it!Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know your biggest takeaway from today’s conversation. I love hearing what speaks to you and cheering you on in your own journey.And remember your greatest transformation doesn’t happen after you win the crown. It happens in the woman you become while you’re earning it.Keep your chin up, crown on, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

If you've ever questioned whether you're "confident enough" to compete or felt like you have so much potential but don't know how to bring it all together this episode is for you.Today, I'm sitting down with one of my incredible Queen Collective clients, Alexandra (Aly) Sanchez Ruiz, fresh off her win as Miss Elko County.

We talk about the inner transformation that led to her crowning moment, how she found her voice, and why the biggest victory wasn't the title it was becoming the woman capable of earning it.

in this episode, we cover:

How Aly transformed from a shy competitor into a confident titleholder

The interview breakthrough that earned her the Best Interview Award

Why building a platform rooted in your own story changes everything

The power of mentorship, accountability, and community throughout your pageant journey

Why your growth doesn't stop after you win the crown

Meet Today's Guest

Alexandra (Aly) Sanchez Ruiz is the newly crowned Miss Elko County, a social work graduate student, ballet dancer, and founder of Steps of Strength a platform that uses ballet to help build mental resilience and support mental health through movement. Her passion for service, storytelling, and personal growth is helping her make an impact far beyond the pageant stage.

✨ Resources + Ways to Work Together:

Apply for The Queen Collective:

https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

✨ Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario

Follow Aly: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasanchezruiz.05/💛

Let's Connect If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear about it!

Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know your biggest takeaway from today's conversation.

I love hearing what speaks to you and cheering you on in your own journey.

And remember your greatest transformation doesn't happen after you win the crown. It happens in the woman you become while you're earning it.Keep your chin up, crown on, and I'll see you in the next episode.

What if winning the crown isn't actually the finish line?

In this episode, Maria takes you behind the scenes of the Monumental Queen Retreat and shares the biggest lessons, breakthroughs, and mindset shifts that emerged from an unforgettable weekend with ambitious women from across North America.

JOIN OUR NEXT RETREAT: Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario

From dreaming bigger to overcoming fear, you'll learn what separates women who stay stuck from women who create extraordinary results on and off the pageant stage.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why pageants are the vehicle—not the destination
• How to stop playing small and start dreaming bigger
• The power of being witnessed as you pursue your goals
• How to move through fear and insecurity with confidence
• Why consistency and commitment always outperform motivation

Resources:

✨ Nail Your Pageant Interview Program

Leave Your Legacy Program

Apply for The Queen Collective

Instagram: thepageantgal

If this episode resonated with you, send Maria a DM and share your biggest takeaway.

Remember: your title is only one chapter of your story. Dream bigger, lead boldly, and keep becoming the queen you're here to be.

Chin up. Crown on.

The biggest mistake I made during my very first reign and what I would do differently today

Why every contestant should start planning their reign before they win

How building relationships and community opened incredible opportunities during my Miss Canada journey

The power of creativity, adaptability, and innovation when life doesn't go according to plan

Three practical lessons you can apply immediately in your own pageant journey

Featured Titles Discussed and The Key Lesson from Each Reign Shared:

👑 Miss Tecumseh 2016

👑 Miss Canada 2018

👑 Royal International Miss Canada 2021

✨ Ways to Work Together:

Apply for The Queen Collective:

https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario (send me a DM to apply)

On Demand Courses: https://www.thepageantgal.com/programs

DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:

https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

And when you're ready, head over to Part 2 where I'll share the next three titles in my journey and the powerful lessons they taught me.

Winning a pageant starts long before competition day, and it has everything to do with the woman you're becoming.

In this episode, Maria sits down with Queen Collective member Emily Mast to talk about what really happens when you stop chasing perfection and start building unshakable confidence, leadership, and purpose. If you've been wondering whether coaching is worth the investment, struggling with comparison, or feeling like you're capable of more, this conversation will show you what's possible.

• How to overcome comparison and build unshakable confidence
• Why mindset work matters just as much as interview and runway prep
• The power of accountability and community during pageant season
• How Emily transformed her platform into a bigger mission and legacy
• Why investing in yourself creates results that last far beyond the pageant stage

Emily Mast is the current International United Miss Michigan and will be competing at the International United Miss 10th Anniversary Pageant. After taking time away from pageantry to recover from surgery and build a new chapter of life, Emily returned with a renewed purpose and shares how her mindset transformation has completely changed the way she approaches competition, leadership, and life.

✨ Resources + Ways to Work Together:

Apply for The Queen Collective:

https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:

https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

✨ Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear about it!

Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know your biggest takeaway from today's conversation. I love hearing what speaks to you and cheering you on in your own journey.

And remember—your greatest transformation doesn't happen after you win the crown. It happens in the woman you become while you're earning it.

Keep your chin up, crown on, and I'll see you in the next episode.

Building your personal brand isn't something you wait to do after you win a title—it's the very thing that helps you stand out, create opportunities, and build a legacy that lasts long after the crown.

In this episode, I'm sharing the #1 thing I wish I had done much sooner in my pageant journey, along with the five pillars of a powerful personal brand that will help you become unforgettable on stage, online, and beyond pageantry.

• The #1 thing I wish I had started sooner in my pageant journey
• Why building your personal brand is more important than ever in the age of AI
• The five foundational elements every standout personal brand needs
• How your story, message, unique edge, tone, and visual identity help you become unforgettable
• Why building your brand now creates opportunities that extend far beyond your reign

✨ Ways to Work Together:

Apply for The Queen Collective:
https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario (send me a DM to apply)

On Demand Courses:
https://www.thepageantgal.com/programs

DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:
https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

And remember, pageantry is just the beginning. The most successful queens don't just build a title—they build a brand. I can't wait to see what you create, and I'll see you in the next episode. 👑

In this episode:

Part 2 is here! After recently passing on my sixth pageant title, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the final three reigns that shaped who I am—not just as a queen, but as a coach, entrepreneur, and leader.

From learning to say yes to bigger opportunities, to realizing you never have to be "done" competing, to finding gratitude when life doesn't go according to plan, these are the lessons that changed my pageant journey forever.

• Why your pageant title should be a catalyst for bigger opportunities—not the finish line
• The lesson my international title taught me about saying "yes" before you feel ready
• Why you never have to be done competing, growing, or chasing your next dream
• How gratitude transformed one of the most challenging reigns of my life
• The powerful lessons from my final three pageant reigns and how you can apply them to your own journey

👑 Featured Titles Discussed and the Key Lesson from Each Reign:

👑 Royal International Miss International Role Model 2021

• Say yes to the opportunities your title opens and make your pageant journey bigger than the crown itself.

👑 Miss Regional Canada 2024

• You never have to be done. Keep learning, growing, and saying yes to becoming the next version of yourself.

👑 Miss Via Italia 2025

• Gratitude will always create a more meaningful reign than perfection ever will.

✨ Ways to Work Together:

Apply for The Queen Collective:
https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, Ontario (send me a DM to apply)

On Demand Courses:
https://www.thepageantgal.com/programs

DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:
https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

And if these six lessons reminded you that pageantry is about so much more than winning a crown, I'd love to hear which reign or lesson resonated with you the most. Send me a DM, and I'll see you in the next episode.

SPOTIFY DESCRIPTION

Winning the crown is only the beginning.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to create a title reign that actually feels fulfilling, impactful, and aligned — instead of spending your year overwhelmed, burnt out, or wondering where the time went.

I’m sharing the mindset shifts and strategies that helped me through six title reigns, including how to create opportunities, build your legacy, and lead with confidence beyond the stage.

In this episode, we cover:
👑 Why your reign is your responsibility
👑 How to avoid burnout and comparison as a titleholder
👑 The importance of planning your reign before you win
👑 How to balance your personal life with pageant responsibilities
👑 Creating signature events and meaningful impact
👑 Why leadership and confidence don’t stop after crowning

If you’re competing, currently reigning, or preparing for your next level as a leader, this episode will help you create a reign that people remember long after the crown comes off.

✨ Resources:

Leave Your Legacy Program:https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/leave-your-legacyApply for The Queen Collective:https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collective

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

What if pageantry wasn’t just about the crown… but about building an empire?

In this episode, I’m sharing the biggest lessons behind making $20,000 in one month while building my coaching business in the pageant industry. We’re talking about passion, consistency, self-trust, client connection, and what it really takes to create long-term success doing work you love.

In this episode, we cover:
👑 The mindset shifts behind building a profitable business
👑 Why passion and consistency matter more than perfection
👑 The truth about money and scarcity in the pageant industry
👑 How to create offers people want to stay invested in
👑 Why commitment is the foundation of growth and abundance
👑 How pageant women can turn their influence into opportunity and income

If you’ve been thinking about building your brand, monetizing your gifts, or stepping into more freedom and leadership, this episode will expand what feels possible for you.

✨ Resources:
Apply for the Empire Mastermind:
https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/empire-mastermind

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal