Valerie Hayes, The Pageant Coach™

My career as a pageant coach started out innocently enough! With over 20 years of corporate experience coaching executives on their interviewing and communications skills, I’ve seen a lot of good and bad interviews. Then a family friend and local winner asked me to help her prepare for Miss Texas Teen USA. So I coached her on her interview and she won! Soon her friends, and friends-of-friends, were calling for help to prepare for their pageant interview too! So I decided to leave everyday suits and pantyhose behind and started working full-time with pageant contestants!  Since then, I’ve achieved success at the local, national, and international levels in all the major pageant systems.

I’m the Interview Award Sponsor for the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen national pageant and interview instructor at the Teens in Training Camp sponsored by Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.  I’m the official pageant interview coach for Miss Arkansas USA, Miss Arkansas Teen USA, Miss Kansas USA, Miss Kansas Teen USA, Miss Miss Missouri USA, Miss Missouri Teen USA, Miss Nebraska USA, Miss Nebraska Teen USA, Miss Oklahoma USA, Miss Oklahoma Teen USA, Miss Teen Texas International, Miss Texas International, Mrs. Texas International, Miss Teen Oklahoma International, Miss Oklahoma International, Mrs. Oklahoma International, Mrs. Kansas United States, Mrs. Missouri United States, Mrs. Tennessee United States and Mrs. Texas United States.

I’ve been featured on CNN multiple times, appeared on NBC, MTV, and ABC’s Good Morning, America.  I’ve been interviewed by both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and have been a regularly featured author for pageant magazines.  My pageant coaching practice has been featured in two business books as an example of how to be a successful business woman.

I’m the host of Pageant Talk Radio, the #1 pageant talk show worldwide, which is broadcast to over 85 countries.  Yes, I have fans and followers in India, New Zealand, Great Brittan, the Philippines, and everywhere there’s a pageant.  Why?  Because while local and country pageant formats may differ, the public speaking, modeling skills and confidence required to score in pageant competition are consistent across country boundaries.  Women everywhere seek information and coaching that will give them a competitive edge during their pageant!

I developed my techniques based on a combination of professional speaking skills, press conference strategies and techniques, and monologue skills (used in giving memorized pageant speeches such as in National Teenager, National American Miss, Coed, and Rodeo Pageants). I’m very familiar with the different styles of all the major pageant systems and have successfully coached students at the local, state, and national level.

I have a B.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (which is just a fancy way of saying “helping people to excel based on their own personal gifts and talents”) from the University of Minnesota. I love working with pageant contestants because I think pageants are really about personal development and learning important life skills. I’ve won several Toastmaster’s public speaking awards as well as the Dale Carnegie “Outstanding Performance” award.

You can find my inspirational and motivational posts on Facebook on my fan pageant Valerie Hayes: The Pageant Coach or on Twitter at Valerie Hayes.

I have lived in California, Utah, and Minnesota, but currently live just north of Houston in The Woodlands, Texas (think wooded forest in a suburban setting).   And yes, if you’ve heard the rumor it’s true: I have 5 toy poodles all named after Jane Austin characters that I spoil each and every day.

I love how pageantry changes lives and makes dreams come true and I look forward to contributing to Your Pageant Success!

XOXO,

Valerie Hayes

The Pageant Coach™