Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this week's edition of...
"Monday Minutes with Miss Minnesota!"
It has been another fun week of appearances, training, and travel and I'm excited to update you all!
This week, with the exception of one more pageant happening this weekend, every Miss State titleholder has been crowned and the Miss America Class of 2018 is nearly complete! Thanks to the power of social media, many of us have been able to connect and get to know each other prior to our contestant orientation at the end of this month. These women are amazing in their own unique ways and based off of the positive comments, hilarious gifs and memes, and uplifting support, I cannot wait to meet them all in person! What a joy it is to be among all of them!
In the meanwhile, I have stayed incredibly busy with meetings, appearances, training, and of course, visiting with so many amazing people!
Monday (6/26)
As I mentioned last week, Monday was my "day off" from the public eye and a day to finish all of my Miss America paperwork with my awesome state executive director, Kathy! We accomplished so much that day and crossing all of that off my to-do list was a relief! Thank you to Kathy and her husband Don for keeping me on task that day! :)
Tuesday (6/27)
Tuesday was a fun day, as I did my first round of mock interviews in preparation for Miss America! Interviews can be nerve-wracking at first, but I have come to realize that it is not so much about the judges looking for the "right" answer. Rather it is about you sharing more about yourself and your views on the world around you with a group of people who genuinely want to know you better. How awesome is that?! However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare. You want to practice those interviews so you feel confidently comfortable!
For this practice interview, I was greeted by former Miss Minnesota Vicki Plaster Kueppers at Cafe Amore in downtown St. Paul and the panel of judges did a great job asking tough questions about my platform, family, values, and the world around me regarding politics and current events. Afterwards, Vicki hosted a wonderful evening at her home. Thank you to the mock judges and Kueppers family for taking time out of your busy day to help me!
Wednesday (6/28)
Speaking of interviews, I spent the morning with one of our incredible sponsors, Polly Meyer, from Image on Camera, to work on my speaking and presentation skills. Even though I have had years of speech training in high school, I learned so much from Polly about how to exude confidence, strength, and warmth in everything I say and do, and that was in one session alone! We had so much fun and the time simply flew by! I am eager to continue working with Polly this summer and refine my skills even more! Thank you Polly for your generous sponsorship and friendship!
Afterwards, I met up with Carissa Rasmussen and Melissa Paakh of Clean&Lean to discuss fitness and nutrition goals. I have known these ladies for a little over a year and they are the definition of motivating! As former competitors, they understand what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle both inside and out. The positivity they both possess simply radiates from them and I know that when it comes to my health, I am in very good hands! Thank you both Carissa and Melissa for your incredible sponsorship and much needed encouraging energy!
Thursday (6/29)
On Thursday, I had a productive conference call with the Arthritis Foundation about both platform appearances and additional service work as a National Ambassador during my year as Miss Minnesota. It was a great brainstorming session and I can't wait to continue the work we have already done together! Thank you to Lindsey and Claire for the awesome collaboration!
I then had a great workout with Melissa in preparation for Lifestyle and Fitness at Miss America! Man, did she get my heart rate going and my muscles working! If you need a great workout along with a great pep talk, Melissa is the one to see! She motivated me so much that after my first workout, I geared up to do it all over again! I'm so excited to continue working with her during the summer. :)
Friday (6/30)
I traveled up north for an executive meeting with DigiKey Electronics with both my parents and Miss Minnesota Organization president, Gina Cavanagh. Located in Thief River Falls, DigiKey Electronics is one of the fastest growing distributors of electronic components in the world since 1972. It was an incredibly successful meeting, as DigiKey Electronics is now our newest Miss Minnesota sponsor! In addition to the work I do advocating for the Arthritis Foundation through Brenna's Brigade along with the Children's Miracle Network, I will also be advocating for #GirlsWhoCode, inspiring women to become leaders in STEM-related fields! What an awesome opportunity to use my story as a female who codes music software to further the mission of a hometown business who has been supportive of my endeavors through the Miss America Organization! Thank you to Mark Schmikte and Kevin Brown for your time during our meeting; I am looking forward to our partnership!
I also visited with the Logan Kalinowski Farmers Insurance Agency and the Kalinowski family as well! Logan and his family helped to build our house nearly ten years ago, so it was fun to revisit him and spend time with Kennedi and Tallon as well. I am convinced that Miss Kennedi is going to be a future Miss Minnesota someday (and Tallon, her brother, agreed). Thank you for the beautiful flowers and big hugs!
Finally, I closed the day with a visit from Julie and Maddie David at the Wired Bean in downtown Thief River Falls. Both the David family and Julie's parents, Dan and Ann Hible, have been so supportive of me during my pageant journey, with Julie helping with mock interviews and Dan and Ann chaperoning me during parades and appearances! Not to mention, Maddie gives the best hugs and snuggles! It was great to catch up with them as well as well as have a frozen hot chocolate! Thank you for the wonderful visit!
Saturday (7/1), Sunday (7/2), and Monday (7/3)
This weekend was fairly quiet, spending time with family and friends both in Thief River Falls and Moorhead. My entire family is here for the 4th of July and I spent time with my significant other's family as well, so it was very special to see everyone and have some rest and relaxation, along with that humble grounding that comes from being with loved ones. I am savoring every little moment, as this upcoming month is incredibly busy with appearances and training galore; in fact, there is something on my calendar every single day from now until Miss America! So it was great to enjoy this time while I could. I am so looking forward to celebrating tomorrow's festivities in both Greenbush and Warroad, Minnesota, along with honoring those who have served our great nation. Thank you to those who have, are, and will continue fighting for our freedoms and rights.
Remember to follow me on social media for daily updates on:
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat --> @missamericamn :)
Thanks for tuning in to this week's "Monday Minutes with Miss Minnesota!"
Until next week, keep shining!
Brianna
"Monday Minutes with Miss Minnesota!"
It has been another fun week of appearances, training, and travel and I'm excited to update you all!
This week, with the exception of one more pageant happening this weekend, every Miss State titleholder has been crowned and the Miss America Class of 2018 is nearly complete! Thanks to the power of social media, many of us have been able to connect and get to know each other prior to our contestant orientation at the end of this month. These women are amazing in their own unique ways and based off of the positive comments, hilarious gifs and memes, and uplifting support, I cannot wait to meet them all in person! What a joy it is to be among all of them!
In the meanwhile, I have stayed incredibly busy with meetings, appearances, training, and of course, visiting with so many amazing people!
Monday (6/26)
As I mentioned last week, Monday was my "day off" from the public eye and a day to finish all of my Miss America paperwork with my awesome state executive director, Kathy! We accomplished so much that day and crossing all of that off my to-do list was a relief! Thank you to Kathy and her husband Don for keeping me on task that day! :)
Tuesday (6/27)
Tuesday was a fun day, as I did my first round of mock interviews in preparation for Miss America! Interviews can be nerve-wracking at first, but I have come to realize that it is not so much about the judges looking for the "right" answer. Rather it is about you sharing more about yourself and your views on the world around you with a group of people who genuinely want to know you better. How awesome is that?! However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare. You want to practice those interviews so you feel confidently comfortable!
For this practice interview, I was greeted by former Miss Minnesota Vicki Plaster Kueppers at Cafe Amore in downtown St. Paul and the panel of judges did a great job asking tough questions about my platform, family, values, and the world around me regarding politics and current events. Afterwards, Vicki hosted a wonderful evening at her home. Thank you to the mock judges and Kueppers family for taking time out of your busy day to help me!
Wednesday (6/28)
Speaking of interviews, I spent the morning with one of our incredible sponsors, Polly Meyer, from Image on Camera, to work on my speaking and presentation skills. Even though I have had years of speech training in high school, I learned so much from Polly about how to exude confidence, strength, and warmth in everything I say and do, and that was in one session alone! We had so much fun and the time simply flew by! I am eager to continue working with Polly this summer and refine my skills even more! Thank you Polly for your generous sponsorship and friendship!
Afterwards, I met up with Carissa Rasmussen and Melissa Paakh of Clean&Lean to discuss fitness and nutrition goals. I have known these ladies for a little over a year and they are the definition of motivating! As former competitors, they understand what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle both inside and out. The positivity they both possess simply radiates from them and I know that when it comes to my health, I am in very good hands! Thank you both Carissa and Melissa for your incredible sponsorship and much needed encouraging energy!
Thursday (6/29)
On Thursday, I had a productive conference call with the Arthritis Foundation about both platform appearances and additional service work as a National Ambassador during my year as Miss Minnesota. It was a great brainstorming session and I can't wait to continue the work we have already done together! Thank you to Lindsey and Claire for the awesome collaboration!
I then had a great workout with Melissa in preparation for Lifestyle and Fitness at Miss America! Man, did she get my heart rate going and my muscles working! If you need a great workout along with a great pep talk, Melissa is the one to see! She motivated me so much that after my first workout, I geared up to do it all over again! I'm so excited to continue working with her during the summer. :)
Friday (6/30)
I traveled up north for an executive meeting with DigiKey Electronics with both my parents and Miss Minnesota Organization president, Gina Cavanagh. Located in Thief River Falls, DigiKey Electronics is one of the fastest growing distributors of electronic components in the world since 1972. It was an incredibly successful meeting, as DigiKey Electronics is now our newest Miss Minnesota sponsor! In addition to the work I do advocating for the Arthritis Foundation through Brenna's Brigade along with the Children's Miracle Network, I will also be advocating for #GirlsWhoCode, inspiring women to become leaders in STEM-related fields! What an awesome opportunity to use my story as a female who codes music software to further the mission of a hometown business who has been supportive of my endeavors through the Miss America Organization! Thank you to Mark Schmikte and Kevin Brown for your time during our meeting; I am looking forward to our partnership!
I also visited with the Logan Kalinowski Farmers Insurance Agency and the Kalinowski family as well! Logan and his family helped to build our house nearly ten years ago, so it was fun to revisit him and spend time with Kennedi and Tallon as well. I am convinced that Miss Kennedi is going to be a future Miss Minnesota someday (and Tallon, her brother, agreed). Thank you for the beautiful flowers and big hugs!
Finally, I closed the day with a visit from Julie and Maddie David at the Wired Bean in downtown Thief River Falls. Both the David family and Julie's parents, Dan and Ann Hible, have been so supportive of me during my pageant journey, with Julie helping with mock interviews and Dan and Ann chaperoning me during parades and appearances! Not to mention, Maddie gives the best hugs and snuggles! It was great to catch up with them as well as well as have a frozen hot chocolate! Thank you for the wonderful visit!
Saturday (7/1), Sunday (7/2), and Monday (7/3)
This weekend was fairly quiet, spending time with family and friends both in Thief River Falls and Moorhead. My entire family is here for the 4th of July and I spent time with my significant other's family as well, so it was very special to see everyone and have some rest and relaxation, along with that humble grounding that comes from being with loved ones. I am savoring every little moment, as this upcoming month is incredibly busy with appearances and training galore; in fact, there is something on my calendar every single day from now until Miss America! So it was great to enjoy this time while I could. I am so looking forward to celebrating tomorrow's festivities in both Greenbush and Warroad, Minnesota, along with honoring those who have served our great nation. Thank you to those who have, are, and will continue fighting for our freedoms and rights.
Remember to follow me on social media for daily updates on:
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat --> @missamericamn :)
Thanks for tuning in to this week's "Monday Minutes with Miss Minnesota!"
Until next week, keep shining!
Brianna
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