When the word “pageantry” is mentioned, images of Miss America, Miss Universe, or “Toddlers in Tiaras” flood our minds. If you aren’t involved in the pageant world, you might not know what a pageant system is or that there are hundreds of them out there. There is literally a system out there for every woman of every age.

Women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s+ are typically well established with careers and families. They don’t need the “stepping stone” to a modeling career or the scholarship prize that comes along with the crown. Competing in pageantry is a huge investment of time, money, and heart. So why compete as an older contestant? This is a question I get asked all the time, so here are five reasons to compete in pageantry when you’re over 30.

Self-discovery

I didn’t start competing in pageants until I was 35, and up until then, I thought I knew myself. I knew I loved Ben & Jerry’s ice cream but hated bananas. I knew I was fascinated by airplanes but fell asleep during movies. I knew a lot of what I liked and disliked. However, the idea of who “I” was seemed a bit fuzzy because I never took the time to truly define me or my brand. Competing in pageants forced me to really search my soul and define in words who I was.

During the interview portion of pageantry, you have as few as three minutes to tell the judges who you are, so everything has to be on point. Three minutes go by FAST, and it’s impossible to convey who you are and what’s important to you if you never consciously thought about it. In addition to what you say during an interview, non-verbals are critical when three minutes are all you get. Body language, hair, makeup, and outfit selection all come into play.

People (and judges) like others they can trust. Portraying a consistent image is very important when you have just minutes to make an impression. It’s easier to trust a contestant when they’re consistent and on-brand because you know exactly what you’re going to get! And this requires you to know exactly who you are.

Confidence

Even though I spent the past thirteen years as a military pilot and have been through the best leadership training our country has to offer, I struggled with confidence every once in a while. When I started to doubt myself, impostor syndrome and comparison would poke their ugly heads into my brain. But let me tell you, nothing helped raise my confidence levels like pageantry.

In order to be competitive, you have to be comfortable in all phases of competition. The phrase “fake it till you make it” doesn’t fly in the pageant world unless you’re a trained actor. It’s hard to fake confidence on stage, so you genuinely have to be comfortable with strutting your stuff in a bikini or evening gown.

If you’re a true competitor, this requires training not only your body but your mind as well. The mind is like a muscle, and it CAN be trained with hard work and the right techniques. Train your mind, and your confidence will shine.

Resource Management Skills

Prepping for a pageant is similar to prepping for a mini-wedding. You get to feel like a princess in a gorgeous dress and get all glammed up. But it also requires tons of planning and budgeting. In order to compete, you’ll need to figure out how to fund entry fees, headshots, hair/makeup, tanning, waxing, wardrobe, and the list goes on. You’ll also need to find the time to practice walking, select your wardrobe, meal prep, work out and promote your platform.

Pageant prep will test even the most organized mom’s or CEO’s skills. If you aren’t up to speed with time management and budgeting, pageantry will force you to learn how to do it or be in for a rude awakening.

Community & Charity Involvement

As we get older, we tend to get busier. We advance in our careers and grow our families. Sometimes, we get so focused on what goes on in our own lives that we forget that there’s a whole big world out there that could use our help.

Through platform development, pageantry forces us to think about our community and how to use our skills to benefit others. Many older women are incredibly accomplished and have skills that are desperately needed in our communities. Pageantry allows us to share these skills with those in need.

Sisterhood

And last, but certainly not least…one of my favorite reasons to compete in pageantry is the sisterhood. Pageantry takes a lot of work! But, it’s also a mini-vacation from the husband, kids, pets, and job. During the competition, families are not allowed backstage, so all your time and focus is on you and your fellow sister queens.

It’s a way to do something for YOU and to form a bond with like-minded women with who you’ll maintain friendships for life. The sisterhood is real!