Miss America’s Teen Success Stories: Pageant Coaching, Confidence, and God’s Timing

In this fireside-chat episode, Coach Megan sits down with two of Powerhouse Pageantry’s standout success stories: Kirra McCarty (Idaho) and Gabriela “Gabby” Swift (Nebraska), current titleholders in the Miss America Organization teen program.

You’ll hear two completely different journeys:
Kirra: a competitor who placed high early, faced loss and disappointment, then returned with a deeper faith and stronger identity.

Gabby: a first-time competitor who stepped into pageantry late, went all-in, and won on her first try—while navigating body image struggles and major life challenges.


They’ll talk about what actually creates winners: identity, community, perseverance, and faith.

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:
How Kirra went from podcast listener → Pageant Academy → Mastermind → titleholder

The heartbreak of losing, the fear of trying again, and the mindset shift that changed everything

The unexpected “God timing” twist when the Miss America teen age rules changed—twice

Why Gabby knew she couldn’t DIY her prep: structure, reps, interviews, and staying grounded

How Mastermind friendships created daily motivation and accountability during prep

The truth about “sisterhood”: what it’s actually like in a high-level competitive room

Gabby’s story of eating disorder recovery and why she shifted her CSI to match her real life

Kirra’s “if I lose, I can’t show my face” fear—and the blunt coaching moment that freed her

How both girls learned to balance authenticity + excellence (style, wardrobe, hair, makeup)

What makes Powerhouse coaching different: personal strategy, faith-forward identity work, and becoming well-rounded

Get Your Mastermind Ticket Here ➡️ https://howtowinyourpageant.com/event

Connect with Kirra + Gabby
Kirra: @kirradmccarty @kirramccartypageant @missamericasteenid
Gabby: @gabriellagswift @missamericasteenne

Apply to Work with Us: sessions.powerhousepageantry.com/strategy

Click here to access 25 Courses for $47 👉 howtowinyourpageant.com

Follow Me on IG:
www.instagram.com/meganswansonrhodes

Watch on Youtube
   / @powerhousepageantry  

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On this podcast, we talk about…
pageant winner story, faith testimony, Christian women’s empowerment, pageant interview tips, Powerhouse Pageantry Podcast, Megan Rhodes, women of faith leadership, resilience after trauma, pageant interview questions, how to answer pageant interview, pageant platform example, current events pageant questions, pageant storytelling, pageant coaching, miss interview tips, identity work for women, faith and identity, purpose over performance, self worth vs achievement, you are not what you do, values alignment, limiting beliefs, belief reprogramming, identity shift, core state change, inner child work, mindset reset, confidence from identity, purpose driven life, Christian identity coaching, life after pageants, life after big goal, rebuild confidence after failure, how to find purpose again, sustainable success habits, daily check-in routine, evening reflection practice, morning identity routine, goal setting that sticks, break perfectionism paralysis, progress over perfection, achievement addiction, identity work, mindset coaching, pageant mindset, dopamine trap, burnout recovery, confidence, Christian coaching, neurolinguistic programming