Interview Practice Just Got Smart

Each week, I share no-fluff pageant coaching to help you lead, speak, and leave a legacy. With 300+ interviews and coaching across Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss America, this isn’t theory—it’s what works. Free subs get tips, interviews, and ad-free access. Paid subs unlock mini-courses, priority Q&As, and direct support.

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Timestamps

* 0:00 Week recap and intro

* 3:55 Why messaging matters

* 7:50 Practice interview focus

* 11:45 Get the ChatGPT app

* 15:40 Recording limitations

* 19:34 Tips for concise answers

* 23:30 Ask better questions

* 27:25 Don’t skip the paperwork

Back on the Interview Train (and Trying Not to Derail)

Happy Friday. Hope your week’s been less chaotic than mine, which included fumbling through my first interviews in half a year. Yes, I said six months. The last time I interviewed anyone, I was probably still pretending to enjoy spinach smoothies.

But I’m officially back. I’m heading to Miss Volunteer America in Tennessee next month, and I’ve been using the lead-up as an excuse to talk to some of the state titleholders and not feel like a total stranger when I get there. So far, I’ve chatted with Bayley Joy Martin (Miss Ohio Volunteer), Lydia Fisher (Miss Michigan Volunteer), Haleigh Ryan Hurst (Miss Virginia Volunteer), Christine Williamson (the National Contestant Liaison), and Berkley Bryant (the current Miss Volunteer America).

Turns out, remembering how to interview is like riding a bike — except the bike's on fire and I’m questioning my life choices, especially with some of the tech issues we’ve been having with the new software.

Why Interviews Still Make Me Sweat (and Maybe You Too)

Let me level with you: talking is not my issue. Shutting up? Slightly more of a problem. I tend to approach interviews like a TED Talk with a looming time limit. My thoughts show up in tangled, messy webs, and pageant interviews demand perfectly wrapped 30-second soundbites with a bow on top.

Whereas my longest interview so far has been 1 hour 47 minutes long.

And look, maybe you’re on the other side of the fence. Maybe you go full deer-in-headlights the moment someone asks you a question. Either way, interview is one of those deceptively simple things that can totally screw you. Or make you. Depending on how much work you’ve put in.

Your New Interview Coach is an AI and I’m Not Even Mad About It

Here’s where things get interesting. And maybe slightly controversial. I’ve started recommending ChatGPT to practice pageant interview. And not just any ChatGPT. I’m talking voice-activated, feedback-giving, can-you-just-shut-up-now ChatGPT.

This thing costs around $20 a month. You can talk to it like a coach. Practice your answers. Get instant feedback. Adjust. Repeat. Before this, you'd need someone like me (yes, I’m outing myself) to sit down for an hour and charge you a couple hundred bucks. Now? Your AI coach lives in your phone. And unlike me, it doesn’t need coffee.

Also? It can connect via Bluetooth. So you can practice while driving. Or walking. Or running away from your responsibilities. No extra time required - put that time on the treadmill to good use.

Cosplay Your Interview (It’s Not That Weird)

Here’s the tea: real practice needs to feel real. So wear your interview outfit. Sit the way you plan to sit. Video the whole thing from head to toe. Why? Because you’ll never know you shake your head like a bobblehead on a bumpy road unless you’ve seen it on screen.

And yes, ChatGPT has a camera feature now. It can see you, sort of. It’ll tell you if you’re smiling or slouching. But let’s not rely on robo-judge to catch all your nervous tics. Record it. Watch it