It’s been a while since we’ve last spoken, and if you know me at all or have read previous blogs, you know I love to be booked and busy, and that rest is really hard for me (real talk). But I’m so proud to say I’ve taken the time to rest and I’m back, fully ready to take the world head-on!
The last blog you read was me deciding to jump back into Miss Kansas USA and I promised you all a recap blog (which will still happen at some point, I promise) but for now, let me re-introduce myself to all the new faces here! I am probably most well-known for being the longest reigning Miss Kansas of all time; I served as Miss Kansas 2019 and 2020 (cue ‘pandemic queen’ vibes). To achieve that status, I competed for seven years in a row vying to one day be Miss Kansas (which is another blog in itself). When I gave up my crown for my title in 2020, I decided to take a few months to actually breathe deeply, recoup, and resettle - which was amazing in every sense of the word (but you know me, I couldn’t stay in that resting phase for long). I decided to start a pageant coaching business with my best friend and compete one more time in Miss Kansas USA.
I love the buildup to a competition, it’s a feeling that will never get old to me; that process is such a rush! To put the entire experience in a nutshell - I ended up placing in the top 9 and ultimately didn’t win, which led me to the decision to officially close the books on competing in pageants. But don’t make the frowny face yet, I am so happy with where I am in life! That moment on stage when I was standing there clapping for someone else who had achieved what I worked so hard for (as well as everyone on that stage) gave me this huge ‘a-ha’ moment. I had this sudden realization that the winner gets swooped up in this magnificent moment and is fully catered to, while everyone else is walking away having worked just as hard, with nothing. There was zero support built in for the women who didn’t win, and it truly changed how I looked at everything, especially coaching strategies. Now, I focus on goals that are much larger so it’s impossible for these women to walk away feeling like they lost anything at all.
Keep your ears perked and your eyes peeled because we will be dropping something new here soon! Consider this your first official hint (and yes, it has to do with the physical and emotional side of pageantry).
Since that moment, we have been propelled into the next season of our business and I’ve been doing what I do best, remaining insanely busy. I’ve been pouring so much of myself into my full-time job with Lead for America and just got back from Washington D.C. to kick of the year with our fellows at our Summer Institute Trainings. It’s funny and exhilarating because once I clock out of my full-time job, I clock back in with Crown the Nation and work with those clients which is truly the best of all my worlds. We also got to visit Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Dallas, where we got to watch a former client compete and live her dream! It was so fun to watch her network and compete at that national level in Dallas. We’re still waiting to hear when the Miss America dates will be announced, and Miss USA. is coming in a couple of months as well; in other words, the big pageants are about to happen to round out the season and it’s such an exciting time!
Here's the coolest part of everything - I get to do business with my best friend of nine years, and we’ve been able to develop this amazing balance and cadence between work and friendships that allows us both to simply flourish in these roles with our team. We are navigating this new venture together, but I can say with confidence that we’re just getting warmed up. I’ve also been fortunate to still have my two best girlfriends always by my side. We make time to see each other or have girl-dates at least once per month (but we’re always talking in our group chat). I’ve also jumped back into "Therapy Thursday's" and have fully embraced it. I’ve been doing EMDR Therapy and have loved connecting with people on social media about this treatment (if you’ve done it, send me a message on Instagram!). All-in-all, I’m doing wonderful (still) and am always counting my blessings for the people who help remind me that I don’t have to work all the time and can, and should, have these moments of rest.
Stay tuned because it’s about to get really good, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone other than you.
Xoxo, Annika
