Interview with Brittany Daniel Miss Auburn USA

I met Brittany Daniel while on set of a television show. She was wearing her actual pageant gown when I met her, so of course this started a conversation of how I was planning on doing Miss Polonia CA later that year. I wanted to interview her because she has competed in many local and regional beauty pageants and I wanted to know what her experience was like! She is also a very sweet southern belle with a lot of exciting upcoming projects!

Brittany Dawn Daniel is of Native American descent, and originally from Tuscaloosa, AL. She recently moved to California in June in persuit of her dream of becoming an actress. She is a former Miss Central High School (Tuscaloosa, AL), Tuscaloosa Junior Miss contestant (Tuscaloosa, AL), Miss Tuscaloosa Cinderella (Tuscaloosa, AL), Miss Auburn University contestant (Auburn, AL), Miss Auburn-Opelika contestant (Opelika, AL), Miss Auburn USA 2013, Miss Alabama USA 2013 contestant, Miss Pelham 2013 (Pelham, AL). She has appeared on Queen Latifah's talk show, The Doctors, and has a role in the new feature film, Helicopter Mom. She is also a spokesmodel for Alabama's Youth Drug Prevention Program.

Q. How did you start doing beauty pageants? I was influenced by my mother and grandmother! My mother started putting me in beauty pageants when I was a baby, and I’ve always had a lot of support from friends and family.

Q. What is the most important thing you have learned from doing beauty pageants? The most important thing I have learned from doing beauty pageants is that you MUST have self-confidence, and always believe in yourself. Usually only one queen is crowned, therefore not everyone can be a winner, but my advice is to never give up on your dreams.

Q. What was it like competing in the state pageant? It was a wonderful experience! I met so many smart beautiful ladies from all over the state of Alabama, as well as, other titleholders that came to cheer us on, such as, Miss Louisiana USA, Miss South Carolina USA, Miss North Carolina USA, and former Miss Alabama USA, Katherine Webb. We all had fun joking around with each other during the weekend, learning our opening number dance, and making friendships & memories that will last a lifetime. I was very nervous competing at a state level, but once you hear the crowd cheering for you, your nerves seem to calm down a little, and you want to show the judges that you’re the one who deserves the crown!

Q. What are some beauty tips & tricks? If you are going to spray tan, I recommend not waiting too close to the pageant date because you don’t want to have any streaks or look like an orange. Make sure to take care of your skin with a daily cleansing regimen, even after long days, you don’t want break outs. Drink, drink, and drink some more water, and challenge yourself to cut sodas completely out of your diet. Your skin will look beautiful and it’s great to stay hydrated. Make sure your evening gown and swim suit are the best for your body type. Many girls make the mistake of just grabbing what looks good on the hanger, take the time to see if it brings out your skin tone, hair color, & body shape. Everyone is unique, and deserves a unique dress! If your hair has no volume, is thin, or not exactly the length you are going for, then you should invest in hair extensions. They are easy to style, and you can remove them if you want to switch up hair styles for each stage of the competition. Bring at least two sets of fake eye lashes and your own make up mirror because it always helps to have extras, it can get extremely crowded backstage. Don’t forget pageant swim suit glue (butt glue), you will need this to keep your pageant suit in place as you walk across the stage.

Q. What are some networking tips and sponsorship ideas you used?

I started by creating a Facebook fan page and inviting all of my friends and family, while encouraging them to share my page with others. I made sure to keep my page updated as much as possible because people wanted to follow my entire journey to the crown. I held a cake & sweets sale, and volunteers donated their baked goods for me to raffle off. A family friend offered to cook boston butts & holiday hams, so that I could sell them, and I covered the cost of the meat, which was also discounted for me. I contacted all of my family & friends, and sent out packages to members of my community, so that I could gain their support & sponsorship, while I represented my title area in the state pageant. Lastly, I designed a t-shirt, which not only supported me as Miss Auburn USA 2013, but also supported the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk, where half of the proceeds went to the foundation

Q. How do you prepare for a pageant? First of all, I start by watching what I am eating, to ensure that I am eating healthy and no junk food. Secondly, I combine healthy eating with a strict daily exercise routine. I made sure to keep up with current events. I sent out a sponsorship package along with my pageant headshot to potential sponsors to help cover all my expenses for the pageant. Right before the pageant I did something to calm my nerves and take a break from the upcoming competition, I went hunting! Make sure you take a small break from the pageant world and clear your mind.

Interview by : Mia Danilowicz