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Speaker 1: Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in

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Speaker 1: partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.

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Speaker 2: You can find us on the iHeartRadio.

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Speaker 1: App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Speaker 2: Hey, what's going on?

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Speaker 3: Everybody?

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Speaker 2: It's your girls from the Foster Brasby what's.

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Speaker 3: Up, y'all?

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Speaker 1: It's your girls cheryls swoops Hey, And this is a

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Speaker 1: levels to this podcast. This is the show where we

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Speaker 1: talk about the various levels of shit.

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Speaker 2: That women go through.

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Speaker 1: And I am so excited about today's show. We have

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Speaker 1: a guest today that's very different from some of the

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Speaker 1: guests that we have had in the past, and that

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Speaker 1: makes me very excited to speak to her. But first, sure,

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Speaker 1: we got to catch up because I haven't talked to

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Speaker 1: you in a while, and I've been over here going

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Speaker 1: through it's this I'm battling. I don't know what the

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Speaker 1: hell this is. Shah hear it head Cole signings.

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Speaker 2: And you know where I got this shit from?

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Speaker 1: This right here is why I strongly advise against marriage.

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Speaker 2: Because your husband gives, you don't do that. We don't

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Speaker 2: do that. I'm doing it. You give. I don't give that.

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Speaker 2: I don't give that. Man, you do.

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Speaker 1: The only thing I give that man is love and affection.

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Speaker 1: I give that man love and affection. He gives me

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Speaker 1: a damn sign of his head cold.

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Speaker 2: That's what I get here, Ridsurn.

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Speaker 1: You know what's crazy is I had something also for

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Speaker 1: a couple of days.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but I guess maybe I sent it to you.

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Speaker 2: This is a bullshit, like what does we have?

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Speaker 3: What is?

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Speaker 2: And you know what's crazy? Where you're look? You look,

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Speaker 2: here's the thing.

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Speaker 1: The crazy thing is, as you know, alopecia is an

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Speaker 1: autoimmune deficiency disorder, and so my immune system is piss poor,

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Speaker 1: and so somebody can have like a basic, regular common cold,

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Speaker 1: and when I get it, it's like the flu. So

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Speaker 1: it's like you'll be sick for two days. I'll be

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Speaker 1: sick for two weeks. Like it just never, it can

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Speaker 1: never just be normal. So I've been over here eating

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Speaker 1: mucinex like it's skittles, like I'm just trying to drain.

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Speaker 2: Out. Please please, damn well, don't pass out on.

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Speaker 1: I bet it don't. I bet it don't taste like skittles. Oh, gir,

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Speaker 1: I be sleep at eight o'clock, I might as well.

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Speaker 4: Listen.

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Speaker 1: And I'm alternating between the tablet, I mean, alternating between

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Speaker 1: the tablets and the and the and the liquid girl.

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Speaker 1: I might as well just put a straw and as

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Speaker 1: ship at this point, because I'm just like, go away.

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Speaker 2: With am are. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, wow,

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Speaker 2: I'm so sorry. Other than that, how are you doing?

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Speaker 2: I think I'm good.

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Speaker 1: You know, I did all of my I do my Christmas.

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Speaker 1: You know, we had our Thanksgiving episodes. I do all

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Speaker 1: of my Christmas stuff the evening of Thanksgiving. That's my

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Speaker 1: mean time, all my decorations, all the things. So I

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Speaker 1: have all of my decorations up, treat everything nice. But

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Speaker 1: I yeah, but I'm not in the spirit.

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Speaker 2: Like I don't.

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Speaker 1: I just don't. I don't want to shop. I don't

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Speaker 1: want anybody to come into my house.

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Speaker 2: I don't know.

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Speaker 1: It's like really weird, Like Christmas is my favorite, favorite

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Speaker 1: favorite holiday.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, I'm just not in it yet. But hopefully

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Speaker 2: I will get there. I believe it. And here's the

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Speaker 2: other thing. And we need to have a.

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Speaker 1: Basketball catch up episode soon because I got so much

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Speaker 1: stuff on my mind about what's going on in the

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Speaker 1: basketball world. The WNBA, the CBA, Project b Unrival, New coach.

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Speaker 2: I just got so much on my mind.

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Speaker 1: I took a break from social media for a minute

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Speaker 1: because there was stuff on there, and I was like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: y'all full of shit.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, nothing exciting.

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Speaker 1: Well we definitely you ain't got to convince me to

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Speaker 1: have a good time. I will have a basketball conversation

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Speaker 1: any time, anyplace, So I'm definitely down for that.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, no, we.

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Speaker 1: Are multi faceted women where we can have a few

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Speaker 1: episodes about things other than basketball, and then we can

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Speaker 1: always come back to it because we know that if

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Speaker 1: it's one thing in this world that Ryl swoops nose

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Speaker 1: into Ricans is someday on basketball.

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Speaker 2: So that ain't a little bit. Look, we know a

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Speaker 2: little bit.

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Speaker 1: And you know what, it's so funny that we mentioned

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Speaker 1: being multi faceted because our guest on today's show also

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Speaker 1: is multifaceted, had a career in basketball, played basketball collegiately,

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Speaker 1: and now has moved on to pageantry, which is crazy.

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Speaker 1: So joining us on today's episode is none other than

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty five Miss New Jersey, Ivy Harrington. Since

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Speaker 1: is the oldest person to ever hold the title of

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Speaker 1: Miss New Jersey, She's thirty years old.

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Speaker 2: Now you not.

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Speaker 1: You already know how I'm about to say about that.

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Speaker 1: It's just because because how old this thirty you are,

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Speaker 1: you are just ancient. Gosh, how dare you be that?

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Speaker 3: Oh?

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Speaker 2: Dare you be thirty? I wish I could be thirty

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Speaker 2: a year.

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Speaker 1: But anyway, we are going to have a great time

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Speaker 1: shocking to Ivy, and so let's just go ahead and

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Speaker 1: take this thing to the next level. So, as always,

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Speaker 1: we are so incredibly excited to have.

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Speaker 2: A special guest joining us today.

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Speaker 1: And I mean, listen, I might not necessarily be the

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Speaker 1: one to walk the runway, but I think I got

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Speaker 1: I think if I was to enter a pageant, I

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Speaker 1: could probably do all right.

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Speaker 2: I think I could do all right. Put my money

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Speaker 2: on you, though you feel what I'm saying. I've seen

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Speaker 2: you shruck, you know, say, I.

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Speaker 1: Think I could get my six inch heels going on.

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Speaker 1: I think I speak articulate enough to be able to

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Speaker 1: answer a question or two, but I'm sure I will

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Speaker 1: not be as well as the wonderful Miss New Jersey

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty five joining us today, Miss Ivy Harrington.

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Speaker 3: Lady, Hello queens, as I like to refer.

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Speaker 2: To you, Yes, right back at you queens. I feel

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Speaker 2: like peril isn't good enough, Like you know, we really

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Speaker 2: need to find like the sound effects, like.

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Speaker 1: You know, what's the what's the There was this We'll

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Speaker 1: see you were in the Miss USA pageant.

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Speaker 2: I remember there was a song that was like there

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Speaker 2: she is.

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Speaker 3: Yes, now I'll petition to get a USA.

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Speaker 2: We need listen.

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Speaker 1: But not not nothing like that though, because yeah, when

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Speaker 1: I hear that, I can't even get excited because I'm like, really,

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Speaker 1: we need something more like get the energy.

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Speaker 2: Miss Ye remix. Yes, we don't work on a remix.

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Speaker 4: You know.

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Speaker 2: That your assignment got it.

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Speaker 1: Mission is well first and foremost. Thank you so much

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Speaker 1: for making some time to join us. We are really

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Speaker 1: excited to get into this conversation because there are so

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Speaker 1: many things about you that goes beyond the scope of

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Speaker 1: your title, but we definitely want to talk about that.

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Speaker 1: So let's just kind of get into it right Like

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Speaker 1: you were recently crowned Miss New Jersey, you were first

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Speaker 1: runner up in the Miss USA pageant.

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Speaker 2: Just kind of tell us about how you got into pageantry.

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Speaker 4: This is like one of my favorite stories to tell

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Speaker 4: because when I start from the beginning, I wasn't in

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Speaker 4: ballet class. I wasn't a toddler in Tierra's. I was

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Speaker 4: in my dorm room at Morgan State University in college,

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Speaker 4: just flipping through the channels and I stumbled upon the

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Speaker 4: Miss USA competition. It was the top five question where

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Speaker 4: they were answering on stage and District of Columbia Deshauna

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Speaker 4: Barber she won African American Woman, that's right. So she

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Speaker 4: was the winner in twenty sixteen and turned the pageant off,

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Speaker 4: went to class the next day, didn't think anything about it.

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Speaker 4: A year passes and I catched the pageant again, but

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Speaker 4: it was during the swimsuit portion, so I said, all right, well,

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Speaker 4: let me just get a gist for what this whole

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Speaker 4: pageant thing is. So District of Columbia won for a

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Speaker 4: second year in a row. Kira McCullough was the twenty

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Speaker 4: seventeen title holder and New Jersey was actually first runner

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Speaker 4: up that year. So I was like, there's a lot

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Speaker 4: that's happening here, and it really sparked my interest, and

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Speaker 4: I did some research, and I was studying broadcast journalism

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Speaker 4: at the time, and the one thing that I saw

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Speaker 4: that a lot of women in that space in that field,

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Speaker 4: whether it was production or hosting or anything in that realm.

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Speaker 4: They all had some type of connection to pageantry. So

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Speaker 4: I entered on a win because I said, I'm just

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Speaker 4: entering a pageant so I can get a job or

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Speaker 4: an internship.

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Speaker 3: Like I'm not.

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Speaker 4: I don't need the crown if I get it, great,

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Speaker 4: But I said, this can open up some cool doors.

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Speaker 3: So I compete it for the.

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Speaker 4: First time in Miss New Jersey, USA, and I placed

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Speaker 4: in the top twenty one, and then this switch flip.

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Speaker 3: I said, oh, if I can place, I can win.

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Speaker 4: And then I went on this snowball effect of just

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Speaker 4: pursuing and pursuing, and here we are today.

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Speaker 2: I love it, and you do have a crown, and

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Speaker 2: we going for more crowns.

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Speaker 3: That's right.

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Speaker 1: So okay, so listen because on this podcast we keep

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Speaker 1: it real. You have to, so I'm gonna keep it real.

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Speaker 3: Okay, all right.

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Speaker 1: So I grew up watching pageants like you did, and Tea,

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you did, and I don't think I ever

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Speaker 1: like watched and said, oh my goodness, someday I want

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Speaker 1: to be Miss Texas or something like that. But when

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Speaker 1: I watched, I watched because honestly, I was like in

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Speaker 1: awe of how beautiful these women were, Like, their bodies

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Speaker 1: were amazing, their face was gorgeous, the hair, all the

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Speaker 1: things right. So when you watched, was there ever a

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Speaker 1: point when you would like kind of look at yourself

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Speaker 1: and say, I'm not pretty enough to do this, or

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Speaker 1: my body type isn't the right body type to do this?

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Speaker 2: Because I think there.

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Speaker 1: Probably are a lot of young girls who may listen

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Speaker 1: to this or who watch pageants, and maybe somewhere in

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Speaker 1: their minds they're like, I want to do that, but

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Speaker 1: I don't think I'm pretty enough to do that. Did

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Speaker 1: that ever enter your mind at any point?

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Speaker 3: Always? Every time I compete it Honestly, the first time.

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Speaker 2: I was gorgeous.

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Speaker 4: It takes beauty period, I mean drop dead, but so

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Speaker 4: much every time I competed.

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Speaker 3: I think a little bit of that voice did pop up.

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Speaker 4: The first time, not so much because I was so green,

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Speaker 4: and I went into it thinking, oh, I'm not only

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Speaker 4: going to win Miss New Jersey, I'm aa win Miss USA,

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Speaker 4: like I'm going to Miss Universe. So I had that confidence.

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Speaker 4: But the more you do something and the more you

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Speaker 4: get under the microscope with yourself, you can pick things apart.

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Speaker 4: And I know for me, being somebody who was a

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Speaker 4: former collegiate athlete transitioning to pageantry, the way that my

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Speaker 4: physique just a little bit more defined, a little bit stronger,

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Speaker 4: very athletic. That was always a hurdle for me because

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Speaker 4: I didn't know if I looked too muscular. I didn't

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Speaker 4: know if I looked too strong. And when I saw

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Speaker 4: Miss USA twenty nineteen Chesley christ who was a former

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Speaker 4: Division I track athlete, I had never seen a body

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Speaker 4: so strong and so graceful and so poised. And instantly,

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Speaker 4: when I had that visual representation, I knew I could

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Speaker 4: get on that stage, and I hope that in my

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Speaker 4: pursuits can be that for somebody. I've even gotten feedback

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Speaker 4: before from judges, and I've seen comments online she's a

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Speaker 4: little too muscular, her arms are too toned, her biceps

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Speaker 4: are to this. But by the time I got to

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Speaker 4: Miss USA, none of the noise matter because I already

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Speaker 4: knew their space for me, and I have to create

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Speaker 4: a lane for who's coming behind me as well, So

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Speaker 4: it all does work for your good in the end.

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Speaker 1: I love that so much, especially the criticism. Criticism can

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Speaker 1: fuel you better than all the encouragements.

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Speaker 2: And compliments.

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Speaker 1: You get that one person to come at you sideways,

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Speaker 1: you like, I know this they did.

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Speaker 3: That's it, That's all you need.

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Speaker 2: Like, that's all you need. But I want to go back.

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Speaker 1: To something you mentioned, which is you being a collegiate athlete.

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Speaker 1: So first off, shout out to the HBCUs H.

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Speaker 2: Yes, but you Morgan State Bears.

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Speaker 1: You played basketball and you were the captain of your

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Speaker 1: basketball team as a freshman. It's people holding down that

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Speaker 1: title that struggling as seniors. How were you able to

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Speaker 1: not only accept that role as a freshman, But is

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Speaker 1: there maybe something about you where leadership is always maybecame

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Speaker 1: natural to you?

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Speaker 3: Definitely.

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Speaker 4: I think for me, I've never been somebody who's tried

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Speaker 4: to force that role upon myself. I think the people

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Speaker 4: that were around they noticed leadership qualities in you before

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Speaker 4: you do, so it's nice.

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Speaker 3: When they speak to that.

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Speaker 4: My coaches, my teammates, my friends have always kind of

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Speaker 4: turned to me for advice or feedback on things, and

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Speaker 4: that gave me the confidence to know that I can

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Speaker 4: pour into others.

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Speaker 3: So when it.

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Speaker 4: Came to sports, I think leadership from the sense of

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Speaker 4: just encouraging my teammates is what I always took pride

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Speaker 4: in is what I always enjoyed. And when I stepped

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Speaker 4: on the court as a freshman at Morgan State, I

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Speaker 4: just wanted to see the floor. I said, I'm here

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Speaker 4: to prove myself. I'm here to show that I earned

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Speaker 4: this scholarship. But when my coaches announced me as one

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Speaker 4: of the co captains, you might have to insert a

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Speaker 4: meme of shock so that you could see my because

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Speaker 4: I could not believe.

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Speaker 3: I said, not this little old.

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Speaker 4: Girl from next to New Jersey who's just trying to

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Speaker 4: get some minutes. So it really just gave me some

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Speaker 4: more confidence that it doesn't matter how old you are,

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Speaker 4: how much experience you do or don't have. When others

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Speaker 4: see something in you, you should see that in yourself

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Speaker 4: just as much. So it helped the trajectory of my

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Speaker 4: basketball career in college.

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Speaker 1: You you have said, and I agree, that pageants are

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Speaker 1: a sport.

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Speaker 3: Always it's sport. It's a sport.

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Speaker 1: So being a collegiate athlete, right and then going being

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Speaker 1: in pageants, how would you say your sports background prepared

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Speaker 1: you for the pageantry world.

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Speaker 4: I tell people all the time, if I wasn't an athlete,

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Speaker 4: I wouldn't be missing New Jersey, USA, and I will

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Speaker 4: stick to that through and through. It's the discipline that

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Speaker 4: you get from being an athlete. It's the commitment, the dedication,

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Speaker 4: the work ethic behind the scenes, the stuff that nobody sees.

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Speaker 4: You present yourself in a way where it is. Some

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Speaker 4: people like to use the work perfect on stage when

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Speaker 4: it comes to pageantry, but it's the furthest thing from perfection.

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Speaker 4: It's just diligence and it's just persistence. So for me,

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Speaker 4: whether it was shooting extra free throws in the gym

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Speaker 4: after practice, or running stairs or just making sure I

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Speaker 4: was conditioned, I took all of those things and applied

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Speaker 4: it to the preparation that I needed to go onto pageantry.

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Speaker 4: Because you put a six in shield in front of me.

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Speaker 4: After playing in basketball sneakers from the time I was

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Speaker 4: nine to twenty three insane, but I knew how much

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Speaker 4: practice that I needed to go into it, and it

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Speaker 4: just really helped boost my confidence a lot more. And

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Speaker 4: it gave me the confidence to know, like, all right, well,

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Speaker 4: if something is foreign or unfamiliar, that background that I

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Speaker 4: have in athletics can carry over into anything that I

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Speaker 4: want to do in life.

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Speaker 2: One percent.

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Speaker 1: When I was online for Sigma Guymirea, there was this

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Speaker 1: one thing that we used to always say, pispoor preparation

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Speaker 1: promotes pissport performance, and you can literally take that into

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Speaker 1: any thing. And so the preparation that you get from

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Speaker 1: basketball from knowing what it means to be ready for

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Speaker 1: game day, I would imagine it's the same type of

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Speaker 1: preparation that it takes to prepare you for pageantry. I

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Speaker 1: then so share with us if you can, what does

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Speaker 1: some of that preparation look like from you know, do

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Speaker 1: you have special people who you work with, Like, what

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Speaker 1: does preparing for a pageant look like? So for me,

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Speaker 1: the first step that I took was research, and it

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Speaker 1: was figuring out what pageant system was going to be

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Speaker 1: the best to suit.

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Speaker 3: My goals and my needs.

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Speaker 4: I looked at the American system, I looked at the

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Speaker 4: USA system, and there's so many more systems now.

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Speaker 3: But after doing that.

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Speaker 4: Research, I said, all right, if you're going to compete

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Speaker 4: in the USA system, you know there's going to be

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Speaker 4: a private interview in front of coaches, So you probably

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Speaker 4: want to work with someone so you can know how

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Speaker 4: to articulate your thoughts and you know, be up to

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Speaker 4: date on current events, be nice and opprest. I knew

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Speaker 4: there was a swimsuit port, so being an athlete is

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Speaker 4: different than presenting yourself in somewhat of a vulnerable position

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Speaker 4: on stage in a bathing suit.

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Speaker 3: So I said, all right, you let me figure out.

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Speaker 4: I'm head to toe healthy is one thing, but cut

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Speaker 4: up and boring is another. Right, So it was switching

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Speaker 4: gears and saying, all right, you may be able to

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Speaker 4: run a full court sprint in twelve seconds, but you're

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Speaker 4: not running in a paget.

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Speaker 3: You're strutting.

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Speaker 4: So it's working with a walking coach, it's working with

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Speaker 4: a nutritionist and somebody who can help me present my best,

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Speaker 4: leanest tone and most confident self. So I hired one coach,

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Speaker 4: Sierra Nicole out of Baltimore, Maryland Crown Bound Consulting, and

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Speaker 4: then my last year preparing for this competition, I hired

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Speaker 4: Gina Melish Consulting to help with my marketing and like

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Speaker 4: the interview skills of it all, and it was the

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Speaker 4: perfect formula. So the same way you have a coaching

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Speaker 4: staff in sports, it's the same thing with pageantry, hair, makeup, wardrobe.

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Speaker 3: Communication, physical fitness. You really need a team in a village.

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Speaker 2: I love that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, if I.

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Speaker 1: Ever like I knew you had to prepare, but to

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Speaker 1: hear you say all the things that you did to prepare,

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Speaker 1: I don't know if I ever thought about it that way.

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Speaker 1: All right, So you play basketball, and to me, basketball

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Speaker 1: is this big sisterhood, right, And just like with sororities,

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Speaker 1: that is a big sisterhood. And I would assume being

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Speaker 1: in pageants and especially the more you do that becomes

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Speaker 1: a big sisterhood. Maybe. Yes, So I have some sisters,

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Speaker 1: is going Tea?

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Speaker 2: Come on?

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Speaker 1: I have some sisters right in the sorority that I

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Speaker 1: played basketball with that are like my ride or dies,

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Speaker 1: Like Tea is my ride or die?

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Speaker 2: Right, But then I got some of the other ones

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Speaker 2: that girl, I just be like this here is my question.

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Speaker 1: Okay, Like as much as you want to see each

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Speaker 1: other succeed and do well, it's still a competition, yes, right. So,

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Speaker 1: and when I say sisters, I'm not just talking about

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Speaker 1: the ones on my team, I'm talking about the ones

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Speaker 1: that I played against.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and when we're not playing.

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Speaker 1: Against each other, like I'm gonna hold you down, I

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Speaker 1: wish the best.

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Speaker 2: For you all the things. But when we compete in

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Speaker 2: you in my way? You in my way for what

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Speaker 2: I'm trying to go get that part.

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Speaker 1: So I know the stuff we see where it's like,

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Speaker 1: oh wow, they all like each other and they all

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Speaker 1: get along and look she's smiling at her and she's

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Speaker 1: cupping for her.

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Speaker 4: But behind the scenes, uh huh, behind that curtain, Yeah,

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Speaker 4: behind the.

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Speaker 2: Scenes, what the folks, what's really like? How caddy? How petty?

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Speaker 2: And if it's not, then maybe it's not.

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Speaker 1: But do tell we want the tee is what we say, okay,

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Speaker 1: and I'll serve that. My experience on the state level,

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Speaker 1: which is a much smaller scale than like Miss USA,

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Speaker 1: I've always had really pleasant interactions with the girls, with

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Speaker 1: the directors, which made me want to continue to do

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Speaker 1: pageants because some people I've.

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Speaker 3: Heard horror stories. I mean from hairstylists to makeup artists

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Speaker 3: to other competitors. So there is a broad spectrum of

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Speaker 3: what you can experience. I've always had really positive ones,

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Speaker 3: even at Miss USA. But what I will say, and

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Speaker 3: I love that you spoke about the competitiveness because sisterhood

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Speaker 3: is inevitable. You do have a respect for everybody who

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Speaker 3: you are going up against, and you want to see

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Speaker 3: everybody do their best and be happy and joyful. But

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Speaker 3: the moment I signed up for a pageantry, like I said,

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Speaker 3: it's a sport, I'm coming to win.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I am hoping and expecting to make friends in

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Speaker 4: life long connections.

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Speaker 3: But my competitive edge. I like to refer to myself

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Speaker 3: as the silent assassin. I may not be I may.

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Speaker 4: Not be on your radar, I may not be in

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Speaker 4: your top twenty, your top five, whatever, but I know

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Speaker 4: exactly what's going down. I know what I put into it,

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Speaker 4: so I expect to yield and to reap exactly what

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Speaker 4: I want to get out of it, which is the crown.

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Speaker 4: And that mentality helped me stay locked in and stay

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Speaker 4: just hyper focused on it and to ignore anything else

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Speaker 4: that was happening outside of my mindset. So the cattiness

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Speaker 4: over here, I may turn my ear and just be

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Speaker 4: aware of it, like oh what.

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Speaker 3: Happened in the dressing room?

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Speaker 4: Ooh, and then I'm locked back in, and I'm immediately

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Speaker 4: locked back in.

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Speaker 3: I'm aware of my surroundings.

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Speaker 4: You know, every now and then you just want a

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Speaker 4: little tea, you a little ooh, so tell more. But

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Speaker 4: after that it stays there, and then I'm on stage.

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Speaker 2: I know that's right.

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Speaker 1: You got to keep your head on a slubl but

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Speaker 1: you did ooh sight, can't.

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Speaker 2: You gotta have uners?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, got too.

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Speaker 2: You gotta stay in that same kind of category.

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Speaker 4: Though.

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Speaker 1: Are there any misconceptions about pageantry? I think people, you know,

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Speaker 1: kind of have their idea of what things are or

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Speaker 1: are not. But there definitely feels like there could be

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Speaker 1: some things that maybe we see as viewers of the

436
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Speaker 1: show or thinking about what pageantry actually is versus what

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Speaker 1: actually does happen or what actually does you know benefit

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Speaker 1: you and each contestant in it.

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Speaker 4: I love this question because this was actually my winning

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Speaker 4: question for Miss New Jersey USA. And I remember when

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Speaker 4: I was standing on stage. I was the last one

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Speaker 4: to go, and it came from one of the judges

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00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,520
Speaker 4: and she said, what are some misconceptions that you want

444
00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,159
Speaker 4: to debunk and change as the title holder? And I

445
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,320
Speaker 4: can remember it clears the first thing that came out

446
00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,680
Speaker 4: of my mouth was what I love the most about

447
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,919
Speaker 4: pageantry is that something that was once a cornerstone for

448
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,679
Speaker 4: vanity has morphed and transformed into being a catalyst for

449
00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,879
Speaker 4: com confidence and capability. And I think that's the one

450
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 4: thing that people should open their minds up to understanding

451
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,120
Speaker 4: to make pageantry is a vehicle. It's not something that

452
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,199
Speaker 4: you have to put all of your value in and

453
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,359
Speaker 4: your complete identity, but it's supposed to get you to

454
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,240
Speaker 4: where you want to go in life. And the skills

455
00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,000
Speaker 4: that I've acquired from pageantry have set me up to

456
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,879
Speaker 4: do some great things later down the road, So from

457
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,399
Speaker 4: being just the prettiest girl on stage to being the

458
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:28,160
Speaker 4: most articulate.

459
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,160
Speaker 3: That's one of my favorite.

460
00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,160
Speaker 4: Another thing is the women who I've competed against, their

461
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 4: business owners, their attorneys, their leaders in their community, their politicians,

462
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,240
Speaker 4: and pageantry honestly is the least interesting thing about them.

463
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,240
Speaker 4: It honestly is kind of just like this cool side

464
00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,960
Speaker 4: quest that women do just to you know, further promote

465
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,520
Speaker 4: their philanthropy, their initiatives. So it really is just something

466
00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,760
Speaker 4: to put you in a position to further expand on

467
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:53,600
Speaker 4: what you're already doing in your everyday life.

468
00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:55,840
Speaker 2: If I can follow up.

469
00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,520
Speaker 1: Talking about like how your brand is what it comes to,

470
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,200
Speaker 1: because that's I think it's a huge misconception, is that

471
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,600
Speaker 1: folks think that this is all you are. You just

472
00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,560
Speaker 1: think it's your pretty girl and you know, maybe you

473
00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: come from a very expensive, stellar background because a lot

474
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:13,879
Speaker 1: of you know, I think there's a thing where they

475
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 1: think a lot of women who enter pageants have been

476
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,480
Speaker 1: doing it a long time ye and it cost a

477
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:19,560
Speaker 1: lot of money as if.

478
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,400
Speaker 3: They had the means, and they have.

479
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,159
Speaker 1: The means, So I definitely think that that's a misconception.

480
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,639
Speaker 1: But what you have done is turned the ability to

481
00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:34,920
Speaker 1: kind of morph yourself into a nonprofit and a program

482
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,919
Speaker 1: that will allow you to give this knowledge to younger kids,

483
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:43,520
Speaker 1: into other teens and to athletes, specifically young women who

484
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,600
Speaker 1: also want to find their identity in doing something other

485
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,840
Speaker 1: than being a basketball player. And that's with the most

486
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:53,199
Speaker 1: valuable pivot. Can you give us more information with why

487
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:54,399
Speaker 1: this was important to you.

488
00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,120
Speaker 3: It's so important because it's it's my story and it's

489
00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,840
Speaker 3: my testimony. And and I was always encouraged to have

490
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,320
Speaker 3: interest outside of sports, and that helped me have different

491
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,560
Speaker 3: friends and different groups. It helped me to just know

492
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,479
Speaker 3: more about the things around me. So when I was

493
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,240
Speaker 3: coming towards the end of my college career, I said,

494
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 3: all right, well, you know, you got to get a job.

495
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:17,240
Speaker 3: You're not going to.

496
00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,919
Speaker 4: Play pro, You're not going to go overseas. This is

497
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,760
Speaker 4: really going to be the end of the road for sports.

498
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 4: So I said, pagetry could be cool, and I know

499
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:26,720
Speaker 4: what I want to get out of it, But then

500
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,080
Speaker 4: what happens if you don't win, or what happens if

501
00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,200
Speaker 4: you don't want to compete anymore? So once I started

502
00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,720
Speaker 4: coaching middle school basketball and lacrosse, I said to myself,

503
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,879
Speaker 4: this is who I once was, so how can I

504
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,600
Speaker 4: be who I needed when I was younger? And I

505
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,480
Speaker 4: piloted the program MVP with my lacrosse and basketball players

506
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,800
Speaker 4: and through that just helping them to have the tools

507
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,240
Speaker 4: that they need to be the architects of their identity

508
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,159
Speaker 4: and just knowing that their worth is not rooted in

509
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,520
Speaker 4: like performative success or achievement, because with sports or anything,

510
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,679
Speaker 4: we tend to assess our value based off of how

511
00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,119
Speaker 4: many points we score or how many awards you get

512
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,919
Speaker 4: at the end of a season, And that's not the

513
00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,240
Speaker 4: point of life at all. The point is to know

514
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,280
Speaker 4: who you are, no matter what team you're on or

515
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,960
Speaker 4: no matter what facet you pivot into. So that's really

516
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,520
Speaker 4: the premise of it. And I absolutely love it because

517
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,240
Speaker 4: I'm teaching them something. But I'm also benefiting from the

518
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,160
Speaker 4: work as well, so it's incredible.

519
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:22,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's awesome.

520
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:23,320
Speaker 3: I like you.

521
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,000
Speaker 1: On a more serious note, and I go back to

522
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 1: what you said about pageants being a sport, because we

523
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:38,720
Speaker 1: know in sports there's always injuries, accidents, and most recently,

524
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,320
Speaker 1: I believe Miss Jamaica had a fall at a Miss

525
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:50,600
Speaker 1: Universe pageant. Yes, two things. One, do you know how

526
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:53,399
Speaker 1: she's doing and can give us an update? And two

527
00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,919
Speaker 1: is that something that in the back of your mind

528
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,160
Speaker 1: you kind of think about every time you enter a paget.

529
00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,480
Speaker 3: I don't have a recent update.

530
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,119
Speaker 4: When they were updating us when she was at Miss Universe,

531
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 4: they did her national directors put out a statement and

532
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,359
Speaker 4: said that she was hoping to return to the competition.

533
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,360
Speaker 4: I don't believe she did because they wanted to make

534
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,399
Speaker 4: sure that her health was the priority, which, at the

535
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:21,960
Speaker 4: end of the day, is something When you take a

536
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,000
Speaker 4: fall like that, it's like, you know what, I don't

537
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,160
Speaker 4: ever goes it was, And when I watched it back,

538
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:31,159
Speaker 4: it scared me because you don't think about injury when

539
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,000
Speaker 4: you think about pagets. You think about knowing where your

540
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,959
Speaker 4: mark is and knowing how to smile at the camera,

541
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 4: but when something like fath exactly exactly, but that's not

542
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:45,800
Speaker 4: the viral moment that you anticipate. So I do hope

543
00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,080
Speaker 4: that she is doing well and wishing her all the best.

544
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:54,119
Speaker 4: But thinking about your steps, your choreography, something that I

545
00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,520
Speaker 4: have been reluctant to share since winning. I actually slipped

546
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:03,479
Speaker 4: on finals night Miss New Jersey USA prelims. I couldn't

547
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:08,879
Speaker 4: have asked for a cleaner, smoother, more on point performance.

548
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,800
Speaker 4: I mean I was twirling what can you Moore say?

549
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:18,919
Speaker 4: Twirl whirling? And that gave me the charge that I

550
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:20,960
Speaker 4: needed going into finals because I said, oh, if you

551
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,400
Speaker 4: can do this once, then you can do it tomorrow.

552
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 4: So I noticed my energy was a little bit higher,

553
00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,439
Speaker 4: and it probably was nerves too. So I remember they

554
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,760
Speaker 4: give us a sarong in finals, you know, have it

555
00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,159
Speaker 4: in prelims. So now I'm dealing with a prop. So

556
00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,400
Speaker 4: I get to the end of the runway and my choreography,

557
00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,560
Speaker 4: I had a double turn when I'm walking off. That

558
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,840
Speaker 4: second turn could have been a turn for the worst.

559
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,800
Speaker 4: I kid you not, and when you look at it

560
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:47,640
Speaker 4: on camera it's not as bad. But in my head,

561
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,920
Speaker 4: I said to myself, did I just lose this competition

562
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,480
Speaker 4: because I tripped. But I went backstage right before I

563
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,120
Speaker 4: put my evening gown on, and this is what I

564
00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:58,000
Speaker 4: said to myself. You missed a free throw, but you

565
00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,320
Speaker 4: didn't lose the game. Hey, you have you have to

566
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,600
Speaker 4: have that comeback, bounce back mentality because everything's not gonna

567
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,720
Speaker 4: go perfect, but it's how you reassess what your game

568
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,760
Speaker 4: plan is and how you come back stronger in the

569
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:12,400
Speaker 4: next phase.

570
00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,400
Speaker 3: And I said, you still have evening.

571
00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,240
Speaker 4: Gown and if you're lucky enough to get called for

572
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,440
Speaker 4: top five, you better bring that question home. And everything

573
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,800
Speaker 4: came together and worked in my favor, so I definitely

574
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,160
Speaker 4: can relate to fumbling a little bit.

575
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,959
Speaker 2: I love that. Gee, I just want to follow up

576
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,760
Speaker 2: real quick. Yeah do, I'm sure you do. What was

577
00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:32,280
Speaker 2: your question?

578
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:38,920
Speaker 4: My question was what are the negative stigmas in pageantry

579
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,280
Speaker 4: today and how are you going to work to change them?

580
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 3: You know, in this role.

581
00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,480
Speaker 4: And it was a two part question, so you you

582
00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:49,200
Speaker 4: never know which way it's going to go. Sometimes it

583
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,200
Speaker 4: can be political. Sometimes they can ask you about yourself.

584
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,360
Speaker 4: But I loved that because it gave me the opportunity

585
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,480
Speaker 4: to talk about what I loved about pageantry and not

586
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,480
Speaker 4: the negative stigmas in it. And then it also gave

587
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,080
Speaker 4: me a chance to show them how I do that

588
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,040
Speaker 4: in my everyday life with MVP. And then I brought

589
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,479
Speaker 4: it home and let them know, as your Miss New

590
00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:15,760
Speaker 4: Jersey us, Yes, this work, it's furthering this work. That's

591
00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 4: that's like the elevator pitch all in one.

592
00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,120
Speaker 2: Yes, I love that.

593
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,080
Speaker 1: I love that and it helps me too. Here's another

594
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,560
Speaker 1: misconceptionion that you just debunked. It didn't even know you

595
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:27,600
Speaker 1: did it. For some reason, I thought that you guys

596
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:31,680
Speaker 1: got the questions in advance. I knew like that y'all

597
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,960
Speaker 1: like knew which question was going to be asked. But

598
00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 1: like in my head, I was like, maybe they give

599
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,880
Speaker 1: them like a list of things that God asked, and

600
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 1: you just have to be prepared for whatever any one

601
00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: of those questions.

602
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,840
Speaker 3: I will say to you, do have a coach.

603
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,440
Speaker 4: The coaches that I've worked with, they have workbooks and

604
00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,280
Speaker 4: different things that they set up for their clients, over

605
00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,120
Speaker 4: two hundred questions to study just in case you get it,

606
00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,400
Speaker 4: whether it's in like the private interview or on stage.

607
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,880
Speaker 4: And I can remember every question that I've gotten in

608
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,240
Speaker 4: the top five. So I remember the first time, which

609
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:08,000
Speaker 4: I completely bombed, it was what is something that's happening

610
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,280
Speaker 4: in our state or in our country that you think

611
00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:15,520
Speaker 4: is like a prevalent issue? Rambled from my life? Four

612
00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,640
Speaker 4: run up and deserved it? And then the second time

613
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,840
Speaker 4: it was what did you learn and deserved it? Second

614
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,680
Speaker 4: question was well, what did you learn from the pandemic?

615
00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:28,520
Speaker 4: And I was like, okay, well I can kind of

616
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,200
Speaker 4: talk to that really liked my answer, But this question

617
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,960
Speaker 4: that I've got this time, I said, that's my winning question.

618
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,480
Speaker 4: That is supposed to be the home run slam dunk.

619
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:38,080
Speaker 4: That's how I want to be remembered as what I

620
00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:39,480
Speaker 4: want done.

621
00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,520
Speaker 2: And I love that. I love that. What color was

622
00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,600
Speaker 2: your evening dress?

623
00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:50,160
Speaker 4: Evening gown for New Jersey was a It was a

624
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,320
Speaker 4: nude gown, almost like sheer, but it had all of

625
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 4: these crystal embellishments. And then I had a white ballero

626
00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,760
Speaker 4: that went over my arms and I was the only

627
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,840
Speaker 4: one had that, and I said, oh, you're gonna remember me.

628
00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,440
Speaker 3: This is going to be it's going to be unforgettable.

629
00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:10,560
Speaker 4: Okay, And then like down my gown for Miss USA

630
00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,280
Speaker 4: is what I consider to be unconventional because in the

631
00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,360
Speaker 4: history of the pageant, only one other woman has won

632
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,280
Speaker 4: a brown gown. It was a chocolate brown gown with

633
00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:24,120
Speaker 4: caramel and bronze beating. And it was the last dress

634
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,000
Speaker 4: that I tried on at my appointment. But I do

635
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,640
Speaker 4: remember flipping through the racks and I said, oh, brown

636
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,880
Speaker 4: is interesting. But I just left it there. So the

637
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:32,959
Speaker 4: woman who ran the showroom went upstairs. She said, all right,

638
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,320
Speaker 4: here's one more. I just want you to try it

639
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 4: on to.

640
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,040
Speaker 3: See if you like it. I put that dress on

641
00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,120
Speaker 3: and started crying.

642
00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,640
Speaker 4: And I'm not even the type to get emotional over

643
00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,320
Speaker 4: like a garment or even when I see women cry

644
00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 4: when they put their wedding dress on, I'm like, it

645
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,479
Speaker 4: touches a nerd. But when I put that dress on

646
00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,640
Speaker 4: and saw myself in the light, I said, this is

647
00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,560
Speaker 4: how I want to be crowned, is Miss Usa if

648
00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:56,240
Speaker 4: it gets to that point, And.

649
00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:56,840
Speaker 3: I just knew.

650
00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:58,400
Speaker 2: I knew.

651
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,560
Speaker 1: I want to tell you that the whole time that

652
00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,920
Speaker 1: you were talking. While listening, I googled and this dress

653
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:10,520
Speaker 1: is fabulous and it is gorgeous faith you, and I

654
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,320
Speaker 1: think I would probably take the same approach where like

655
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,800
Speaker 1: if it were if it were me, just given how

656
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,080
Speaker 1: I am the LEO and me always needs to stand out,

657
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,640
Speaker 1: and I would probably be the person to be like,

658
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,080
Speaker 1: whatever I'm wearing, it's got to be something that I

659
00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,480
Speaker 1: know nobody else is going that they're gonna be like, Oh,

660
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:29,360
Speaker 1: I remember I Michigan.

661
00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,200
Speaker 2: That's on from Detroit. I remember Miss Michigan.

662
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,280
Speaker 3: That's right, so right.

663
00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:38,400
Speaker 1: There's this one picture that I found though, that is

664
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:43,840
Speaker 1: with you and Miss Jersey, Miss New Jersey teen USA. Yes,

665
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:47,080
Speaker 1: it is a gorgeous picture. She looks amazing. You look

666
00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,160
Speaker 1: amazing with your both with your crowns. And it makes

667
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,040
Speaker 1: me think of what your message would be to someone

668
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:57,720
Speaker 1: who wants to come after you, whether that is in basketball,

669
00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,880
Speaker 1: whether that's in pageantry or just trying to figure it out.

670
00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,080
Speaker 1: Just what would be your advice for someone that's looking

671
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:06,360
Speaker 1: to follow in your footsteps.

672
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:12,239
Speaker 4: The first thing that comes to mind is, whatever you

673
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,800
Speaker 4: do want to attempt, don't seek to emulate the person

674
00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,360
Speaker 4: who was before you, the queens and the title holders,

675
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,320
Speaker 4: and if you want to go to athletics, even the

676
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,160
Speaker 4: basketball players who were on teams or in roles before me.

677
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,520
Speaker 4: Sometimes you can get compared to those people. How you

678
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:29,680
Speaker 4: fit in a program, how you fit in a system,

679
00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:34,000
Speaker 4: but who we are just as individuals is the value

680
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,759
Speaker 4: that we're bringing to set team or to the organization.

681
00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,160
Speaker 3: So really just making.

682
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:40,840
Speaker 4: Sure that you know who you are so that you

683
00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,560
Speaker 4: don't waiver or try to morph into somebody else once

684
00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,600
Speaker 4: you do get into that role. I think the individuality

685
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,319
Speaker 4: that comes with identity is what makes it special and

686
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,960
Speaker 4: it just makes the journey so much more memorable. Also,

687
00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:58,920
Speaker 4: the second thing is it always seems impossible until it's done.

688
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,560
Speaker 4: It's a true testament to that persistence that we talked about.

689
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,160
Speaker 4: And if you start to doubt yourself, but once you

690
00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:09,800
Speaker 4: do cross that threshold or that finish line, you realize, dang,

691
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:13,120
Speaker 4: everything that I went through was preparing me for what

692
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,960
Speaker 4: I was asking for all along. So not trying to

693
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,640
Speaker 4: go against the process, but allowing the things that may

694
00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:21,799
Speaker 4: seem like hurdles to know that it's forming you to

695
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,279
Speaker 4: fully operate in what you're asking for. And I think

696
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:30,360
Speaker 4: the last thing would be to do your best to

697
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,400
Speaker 4: stay present. When you're somebody who has a job title

698
00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:36,920
Speaker 4: or just a role, sometimes you feel the need to

699
00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,520
Speaker 4: be on all of the time, and then it's not

700
00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,919
Speaker 4: until an event is over or an appearance is done

701
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,000
Speaker 4: where you're like, I don't even remember anybody's name, or

702
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,399
Speaker 4: you know, I felt like I looked great and maybe

703
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,600
Speaker 4: I said the right thing, but did I enjoy myself?

704
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,120
Speaker 4: So just making sure that you can cherish each and

705
00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:54,440
Speaker 4: every step of the things that you're able to do

706
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,320
Speaker 4: when you're in that position. I think that's important because

707
00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,000
Speaker 4: all you're going to have one day is memories, and

708
00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,240
Speaker 4: you don't just want to remain you know, how you looked,

709
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,000
Speaker 4: but how you felt when you were there?

710
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:08,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just I think you're amazing.

711
00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:10,400
Speaker 3: Thank you so much.

712
00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,759
Speaker 1: I like your story, I love your journey, I love

713
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,200
Speaker 1: your energy, I love everything about you, and I know

714
00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:17,920
Speaker 1: someday we will be seeing you.

715
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,360
Speaker 2: When Miss USA and Miss Universe.

716
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:23,839
Speaker 3: Put get out there.

717
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,839
Speaker 2: We're putting it out there. I love it. I love it.

718
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,439
Speaker 2: Last one before we get you out of here? What's

719
00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:34,080
Speaker 2: next for you? Like, what is what can we expect

720
00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:34,759
Speaker 2: next from you?

721
00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:39,480
Speaker 4: I am assessing how I'm going to pivot into the

722
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:43,600
Speaker 4: next phase of my purpose. But something that's really exciting

723
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,200
Speaker 4: for me is working on an ebook and a workbook

724
00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,520
Speaker 4: for athletes. MVP is something that I'm able to pour

725
00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,360
Speaker 4: into people when it's in person. But I want somebody

726
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:58,120
Speaker 4: to have like a tangible something that they can actively

727
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,920
Speaker 4: write down their goals, and some think that they can

728
00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:04,880
Speaker 4: almost create a blueprint for themselves. I love to journal,

729
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,360
Speaker 4: and I love writing down a plan because once you

730
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,000
Speaker 4: put it on paper, that's when you know it's real.

731
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,759
Speaker 4: So coming putting this workbook together is something that I'm

732
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,120
Speaker 4: learning even more about myself. And I hope that people,

733
00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,800
Speaker 4: over time will be able to just have the confidence

734
00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:20,080
Speaker 4: to go after whatever they're excited about in life. So

735
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:22,799
Speaker 4: be on the lookout for that workbook, and hopefully one

736
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:24,520
Speaker 4: day if I send you all a copy, we'll be

737
00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:26,320
Speaker 4: able to see how you're going to pivot into whatever

738
00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:26,839
Speaker 4: you have next.

739
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:27,520
Speaker 3: Because y'all are.

740
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:32,160
Speaker 2: Killing y'all are killing it. I love it. I love

741
00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:33,680
Speaker 2: it so much.

742
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,080
Speaker 1: Well, Ivy, thank you so much for joining us for

743
00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,960
Speaker 1: has been such a fun conversation. I'm going to be

744
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:44,640
Speaker 1: following your journey to see what you're doing, where you're going.

745
00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:47,600
Speaker 1: So when you see me all, when you see all

746
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,279
Speaker 1: these twenty nine thousand likes on.

747
00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:51,879
Speaker 2: Your iv be like, that's just Tarita, She's just.

748
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,120
Speaker 3: That's the sea. It's a mutual spam.

749
00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:54,879
Speaker 4: That's it.

750
00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:56,000
Speaker 2: It's just see it's it.

751
00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 1: But tell you I just want to just ask Ivy, like,

752
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:05,439
Speaker 1: if people wanted to get involved with MVP, how can

753
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:05,960
Speaker 1: they do that?

754
00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:09,400
Speaker 4: Oh, so you can actually find me? Social media is

755
00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:13,320
Speaker 4: all about Ivy on Instagram or the Miss NJUSA page,

756
00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,520
Speaker 4: but contacting me directly is the best way, whether it

757
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:18,520
Speaker 4: is for public speaking. If you want me to come

758
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,680
Speaker 4: to do a workshop, my contact information can be found

759
00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,920
Speaker 4: on those platforms, but a quick plug would be Miss

760
00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:29,239
Speaker 4: NJUSA twenty five at gmail dot com. So I love

761
00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,160
Speaker 4: to travel, I love to spread it, and however else

762
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,480
Speaker 4: I can help the next generation is what I'm all about.

763
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,920
Speaker 1: I love that we will definitely make sure our listeners

764
00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:40,200
Speaker 1: know how to get in touch with you.

765
00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:42,600
Speaker 2: And thank you again so much for joining us.

766
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,040
Speaker 4: Thank you so much. It has been an honor. I

767
00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:47,640
Speaker 4: just cannot even believe I'm amongst the queens today.

768
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,600
Speaker 3: I love this. Thank you so much.

769
00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,600
Speaker 1: That was such a great conversation when Ivy, you know,

770
00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,239
Speaker 1: I never, I never once ever thought about being in

771
00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,959
Speaker 1: a pageant, but I did. Used to love Vanessa Williams

772
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:16,799
Speaker 1: when I was like, like she was they she was

773
00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:18,080
Speaker 1: the Miss America.

774
00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,239
Speaker 2: For me as a kid. She was it. Yeah, she

775
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:20,880
Speaker 2: was Miss.

776
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,279
Speaker 1: America, and so Vanessa Williams was like, you know, that

777
00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:27,759
Speaker 1: was the And then there was what's her name, She's

778
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,600
Speaker 1: from Detroit. I love her Kenya Moore. She was another

779
00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:35,440
Speaker 1: black woman who was in the pageant space. Yeah. So

780
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:37,640
Speaker 1: I was just like, you know, and so it just

781
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,080
Speaker 1: does my heart good to see all these incredible women

782
00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:43,400
Speaker 1: who look like me and look like us that are

783
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:46,000
Speaker 1: just really coming in and killing a game in a

784
00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:48,160
Speaker 1: pageantry space. And I love that she brought up to

785
00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,800
Speaker 1: Shauna Sigma Gammeroau woman, come on girl, who also went.

786
00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:55,560
Speaker 2: To an HBC. So I love it, just, you know,

787
00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:58,840
Speaker 2: such a fun episode for a lot of reasons.

788
00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,560
Speaker 1: I loved why watching the pageants, but I was like,

789
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,239
Speaker 1: I could never compete in a pageant for a lot

790
00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:08,919
Speaker 1: of reasons because and this was one question I should

791
00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,680
Speaker 1: have asked, but I didn't. I always thought you had

792
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:15,560
Speaker 1: to weigh a certain amount and couldn't eat. And I

793
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:20,360
Speaker 1: love my food too much. Gray listen here the group,

794
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,920
Speaker 1: the better, the fatter, the better, all the things. But anyway,

795
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:28,279
Speaker 1: they do have those I have seen recently over the

796
00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:31,000
Speaker 1: last at least six or seven years for sure that

797
00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:34,040
Speaker 1: they have like these full figure pageants, they like miss

798
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:38,760
Speaker 1: full figure whatever. But here's the thing, Sis, they full figure,

799
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,800
Speaker 1: be like the size ten, and I'll be like, bitch,

800
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:43,200
Speaker 1: a ten, I'm not full.

801
00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,239
Speaker 2: A tall figure to me is a fourteen, sixteen, eighteen too.

802
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:48,359
Speaker 2: So girl, I.

803
00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,919
Speaker 1: Lived a full nine lifestyle for a very long time.

804
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,719
Speaker 1: I don't know what this is. This a ten, a

805
00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:56,719
Speaker 1: ten in twelfth grade. I'll re honest with you. I'm

806
00:40:56,719 --> 00:40:58,879
Speaker 1: gonna be honest with sis. Let me just be honest

807
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:04,040
Speaker 1: with you. Besides all that, here's the other thing. They

808
00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:05,799
Speaker 1: smile a lot at each other.

809
00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,000
Speaker 2: Okay, looks so cute. Oh what you did so good?

810
00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:12,800
Speaker 1: I might have to stick my foot out and trip

811
00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:17,759
Speaker 1: you walk in and be like, nah, don't talk, bitch.

812
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:20,200
Speaker 2: Don't you talk to me.

813
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:21,560
Speaker 3: You're in my way.

814
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,920
Speaker 2: You are staying between me and my crown. No, ma'am,

815
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:27,960
Speaker 2: I love that. I love that.

816
00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:28,360
Speaker 3: Well.

817
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,640
Speaker 2: Thanks again. I just love having her on.

818
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,880
Speaker 1: Yes, definitely, definitely, I love it. I love it well.

819
00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:40,359
Speaker 1: With that being said, she is leveling up people who

820
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,800
Speaker 1: she works with her middle school and high school students

821
00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:47,160
Speaker 1: with her MVP program, and Cheryl always leveled us up

822
00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:49,960
Speaker 1: with a positive word of affirmation at the end of

823
00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:50,479
Speaker 1: every show.

824
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,880
Speaker 2: So, Cheryl, what you got for us today, I'll just

825
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:58,000
Speaker 2: get right to it. There's something about this that I

826
00:41:58,040 --> 00:41:58,480
Speaker 2: don't know.

827
00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:01,759
Speaker 1: I think I need to hear it and need to

828
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:05,279
Speaker 1: kind of remind myself of of who I am at times.

829
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:11,320
Speaker 1: So hopefully this will resonate with somebody. And it says

830
00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:16,040
Speaker 1: she didn't climb the mountain to be seen, she climbed

831
00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:20,520
Speaker 1: it to remind herself what she was capable of. I

832
00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:24,040
Speaker 1: love that I need. I need to remind myself sometimes,

833
00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:28,160
Speaker 1: and especially during this time of year, you know, holidays,

834
00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:31,000
Speaker 1: and I don't know, I've been in a little funk lately,

835
00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:36,759
Speaker 1: So yeah, I needed that. Yeah, I mean, I like

836
00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:38,680
Speaker 1: that a lot because at the end of the day,

837
00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:42,720
Speaker 1: it isn't always about everybody else. Sometimes it's just about

838
00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:48,480
Speaker 1: remembering who you are, Okay, Yeah, doing this for you, right,

839
00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:50,600
Speaker 1: It's for me, It's for me. I love that one

840
00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:53,200
Speaker 1: hundred percent. Well, guys, thank you all so much for

841
00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: listening to levels to this. We will be back next

842
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,120
Speaker 1: week with more next level conversations about the ship that

843
00:42:59,160 --> 00:42:59,879
Speaker 1: we go through as.

844
00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,879
Speaker 2: When and on next week's.

845
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,840
Speaker 1: Episode, we will also be announcing who won the thousand

846
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:10,040
Speaker 1: dollars in our pageants, so you definitely want to tune

847
00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,600
Speaker 1: in if you submit it for the contest and you

848
00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:16,560
Speaker 1: want to know if you won. You will find out

849
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:21,000
Speaker 1: next week whether or not you won. So continue to

850
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:23,759
Speaker 1: reach out to us and let us know what you

851
00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:26,359
Speaker 1: think about our show, because remember this isn't just our show,

852
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:27,400
Speaker 1: it's our show.

853
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:28,280
Speaker 2: So you can.

854
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:32,480
Speaker 1: Definitely send us an email at Levels to This podcast

855
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:34,400
Speaker 1: at gmail dot com and let us know if there

856
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:36,320
Speaker 1: are topics or things that you want to talk about.

857
00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:39,360
Speaker 1: You can also leave us a review in Apple Podcasts

858
00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:41,319
Speaker 1: and tell us what you think about the show, and

859
00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:44,600
Speaker 1: please follow us on Instagram at lttpod.

860
00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:46,120
Speaker 2: But until then, keep.

861
00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:48,960
Speaker 1: Your Mitchell's ground level and we'll be back next week.

862
00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:53,480
Speaker 1: Please listen to Levels to This on America's number one

863
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:57,280
Speaker 1: podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search

864
00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,160
Speaker 1: Levels to This with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster as

865
00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:01,320
Speaker 1: we and start listening