The Pageant Gal Podcast

What happens when you stop waiting until you feel ready and decide to bet on yourself?In this episode, Maria sits down with Ann, a former nurse, real estate investor, house flipper, pageant woman, and now real estate coach, to talk about turning lived experience into a business, finding the courage to be seen, and taking the first step before you have the whole path figured out.If you’ve ever thought, “Who am I to do this?”.. this conversation is for you.In this episode, we cover:✨ How Ann went from nursing to flipping houses and building a real estate portfolio✨ Why your story can become one of your biggest assets when building a personal brand✨ Overcoming the fear of being seen, judged, or misunderstood online✨ Why you don’t need to know every step before you take the first one✨ How mentorship, community, and accountability can help you stop waiting and start buildingMeet Ann FicocielloAnne is a real estate investor, house flipper, and real estate coach from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. After years of building her own experience through flipping, rentals, and property investing, she now helps others navigate real estate with personalized coaching and support.Ann and Maria first connected while competing at Miss Universe Canada and later began working together inside Maria’s Empire Mastermind.Follow Ann and learn more about her real estate journey:Instagram @annficociello444✨ Apply for The Empire Mastermind where pageant women are monetizing their brand and business:https://thepageantgal.kartra.com/page/empire-mastermindDM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

 The 3 Ts the Top 1% of Pageant Women Do DifferentlyIf you want to stop simply competing and start training to win, this episode is for you. Maria breaks down the three things the top 1% of pageant women understand about preparation, performance, and becoming the woman who can handle the crown.In this episode, we cover:Type: Choosing a pageant system that aligns with your personal brand and strengthsTimeline: Why the top competitors prepare 6–12 months outTransformation: Why winning requires more than checking off pageant-prep tasksHow to train your mind, body, identity, and energy to handle pressureWhy the goal isn't just to win one crown, but to become a woman who can win again and again✨ Resources + Ways to Work Apply for The Queen Collective where pageant women come to win, grow their platform, and become leaders creating global impact:https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collectiveShop on demand courses for pageant prep & brand growth: https://www.thepageantgal.com/programsDM me on Instagram your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal

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

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

If you've ever questioned whether you're "confident enough" to compete or felt like you have so much potential but don't know how to bring it all together this episode is for you.Today, I'm sitting down with one of my incredible Queen Collective clients, Alexandra (Aly) Sanchez Ruiz, fresh off her win as Miss Elko County. We talk about the inner transformation that led to her crowning moment, how she found her voice, and why the biggest victory wasn't the title it was becoming the woman capable of earning it. in this episode, we cover: How Aly transformed from a shy competitor into a confident titleholderThe interview breakthrough that earned her the Best Interview AwardWhy building a platform rooted in your own story changes everythingThe power of mentorship, accountability, and community throughout your pageant journeyWhy your growth doesn't stop after you win the crownMeet Today's GuestAlexandra (Aly) Sanchez Ruiz is the newly crowned Miss Elko County, a social work graduate student, ballet dancer, and founder of Steps of Strength a platform that uses ballet to help build mental resilience and support mental health through movement. Her passion for service, storytelling, and personal growth is helping her make an impact far beyond the pageant stage.✨ Resources + Ways to Work Together:Apply for The Queen Collective:https://www.thepageantgal.com/the-queen-collectiveDM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from this episode:https://www.instagram.com/thepageantgal✨ Ascension Retreat | September 25–27, 2026 | Windsor, OntarioFollow Aly: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasanchezruiz.05/💛 Let's Connect If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear about it!Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know your biggest takeaway from today's conversation. I love hearing what speaks to you and cheering you on in your own journey.And remember your greatest transformation doesn't happen after you win the crown. It happens in the woman you become while you're earning it.Keep your chin up, crown on, and I'll see you in the next episode.