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5 Tips To Manage Your Mental Health and Well-Being During The COVID-19 Outbreak

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The world has certainly been turned upside down over the last couple of months. These unprecedented times have tested people and the impact of the pandemic will be seen for a long time. This has, however, given people a good opportunity to get to grips with their physical and mental wellness. If you are someone who exercises regularly then you will understand how important it is to a human being’s stability. Our emotional status is often very closely linked with our physical state.

Think about it, if you have a stressful day at work it is compounded by any physical ailment you may be experiencing. Stress is exponentially increased when we are out of balance with our bodies and the current situation has led to a lot of stress going around. We need to make sure that we are keeping tabs on our physical and mental well-being. This article will give you 5 tips to maintaining yourself during a pandemic and hopefully teach you to deal with stress a lot easier.

Here are 5 steps to get you going throughout the day:

Step 1: Wake up and make your bed.

Step 2: Eat a well-balanced breakfast.

Step 3: Take a moment to plan your day (without using your phone or technology).

Step 4: Pick a time to put on your exercise shoes and do it.

Step 5: Put on your shoes.

You do not have to be lifting weight or going for 2 hour runs every day. Simple exercises with simple movements can have a massive impact on your health and mental state. A good rule of thumb is that you should aim for half an hour of exercise every day. Regular exercise has proven to increase your brains ability to process serotonin and norepinephrine. These are the hormones in your brain that manage your ability to deal with stress. Simple exercise and getting the blood flowing can have a tremendous impact on your mood and stress levels. Another vital impact of exercise is that it will give you more energy. It may seem like a contradiction but the more energy you use, the more you actually have. If you spend all day on the couch your body will become accustomed to that lifestyle and you will find it harder and harder to get up and get going. During a pandemic, it is absolutely crucial that you keep your energy levels up because it is hard enough to deal with lockdown in a normal state, doing it while feeling tired and lethargic is much harder. Give yourself the boost you need by training your body and your mind.

Maintaining a healthy mindset is so important at this time. Everyone is dealing with the pandemic in different ways and you will find that those who are able to cope with the hardships are probably those people who have regular exercise routines. Taking care of your body creates a positive atmosphere and you will find that your mental state improves with each day that you spend on the go. You do not have to become a world-class athlete; you just need to get your body moving. Even a simple walk around the block can have massive effects on your well-being.

How to Use Social Media for Small Business: 4 Surefire Tips

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Social media marketing has exploded into the online marketing industry within the last few years and has completely redefined it. With well over 3 billion active users, the figures are set only to rise, and many companies have already begun to capitalize on its valuable assets, influence, and connectivity.

We have outlined 4 secrets below to growing your business with social media and ultimately improving your revenue and audience.

 1. Promote your e-commerce store

This point may sound obvious at first, but it is critical that this is executed correctly. Ensure users can easily find your store by linking to it in your profile descriptions, posts, stories, and tweets; However, you must keep in mind that consumers do not want to be ‘sold’ to. Some businesses swear by certain ‘content to hard sell’ ratios, for example, 5 posts of purely unique content and inspiration that your followers will value, then 1 post with a hard sell and direct link to your online shop or service.

 2. Content is King

Little and often, an age-old saying, but one that reigns true in the world of social media. Your customers and followers do not want to be bombarded every hour, they can quickly grow tired of your content, no matter how unique or engaging it is. You have to leave them wanting more.

In terms of what your social media posts should contain. Content really is king. The videos, photos or text that you post cannot be repetitive or flat. Some of the most popular types of posts that have gone viral include humor and creativity. Ensure though that you keep your target audience in mind when creating content and keep it relevant.

3. Influencers and Bloggers

Once a very misunderstood industry. Businesses are now understanding the vast potential influencer marketing has for their business. Influencers are everyday people from all walks of life, who particularly inspire a group of individuals who idolize or respect their values and opinions. By expertly selecting influencers who match your product or service values you have the ability to reach a very niche but widespread target audience.

4. Communication

Social media is a means of communication after all. It is important to engage in conversation with not only your followers but other businesses and brands too. Being polite, witty and friendly when interacting with others on social media is key.

However, you must ensure that any awkward or abusive comments and interactions from users are dealt with professionally and calmly. If you have an employee who controls your business account, it is of paramount importance that they understand this too. The world is watching, and social media has the power to spread rude or abusive reactions from a business very quickly. In the past it has even helped to completely destroy the reputation of brands, so count to 10 and reply with consideration and respect.

 In conclusion, social media incorporates a huge number of target markets, although different platforms appeal to different types of users (for example Snapchat appeals to ages 18-25, and Facebook pre-dominantly ages 18-45), social media as a whole is used by almost every culture, age, and nationality on Earth. As long as you are providing enriching content and utilizing appropriate marketing techniques like influencers or adverts, you will begin to see positive growth in followers and engagement on your social accounts, which should transcend to sales and profit for your business.

5 Surefire Ways To Tame Food Cravings So You Can Avoid Weight Gain

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It’s always important to consider the ways in which you can improve on yourself. And a common goal for anyone is to want to lose weight. And it is equally as common to find that weight loss resolutions are easily broken. Some of this failure can be attributed to the common misconception around weight loss is that you have to forsake everything you love in order to achieve your goal. Not only is this notion untrue, but it is also actually the opposite of the truth.

Below five ways for you to shrink your waistline without having to sacrifice your food cravings.

Exercise

The key to losing weight is to burn calories, and a good way to burn calories is to participate in moderate exercise. The most effective exercise to burn calories and belly fat is a combination of weightlifting and aerobic exercises. Prior to beginning an exercise regimen, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider to ensure that there are no underlying health risks for moderate exercise.

Keep Good Portions

There is a ring of truth to the phrase “all things in moderation.” Even if you’re eating what you want, smaller portions will have smaller amounts of calories and fats. But just because you eat smaller portions of your favorite things, that doesn’t mean you have a license to make that favorite food the only thing you eat. Instead, eat balanced portions of your favorite junk food, fruits, vegetables, and protein.

Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day

Conventional wisdom talks about eating three square meals each day, but conventional wisdom has more recently taken a back seat to the notion that light snacking throughout the day is the way to go. If you don’t eat throughout the day except for regular meal times, you may be inclined to eat more. But if you lightly snack throughout the day, you can avoid those big meal pig-out sessions.

Embrace Your Caffeine Habit

Coffee and other sources of caffeine can act as an appetite suppressant, making you want to eat less. If coffee or tea is one of the things you love, go ahead and have some. But remember to have it in moderation.

When you eat, Don’t Over Eat

This point goes right alongside the necessity of keeping good portions. Often times when we eat, especially bigger meals, we have the tendency to eat well past the point that we are full. Resist this temptation. If you only eat to the point that you are pleasantly full, you will have an easier time working off those calories.

A Final Word

Losing weight doesn’t have to mean losing your taste for the food and drink you love. And if you follow guidelines for responsible eating of all such tasty food, you will be able to go into next year with more than just a desire to stay thin, but a practical approach to making sure it happens.

How to Get More Facebook Likes & Followers: 5 Tactics That Actually Work

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Since its inception, Facebook has become one of the most successful social media sites to advertise on. With just under 17% of the population of the planet signed up to Facebook, you can get a much larger audience than any other site to view your posts and engage with your brand. But to make any waves on Facebook, you need Likes and followers. A popular way in recent years to gain Likes is to buy them, but not only is this not authentic, it also doesn’t get your brand noticed by actual potential customers. So how can you get the Facebook Likes that you need, without paying for them?

Here are some killer tips for creating a successful Facebook page for your brand without spending a penny.

Fill out your page

Filling out your page may seem obvious, but a mistake that a lot of people make is not to fill out their pages entirely. You can add plenty of information to your Facebook page including links to other sites that you have, and all the information that a customer needs, and this is what they are looking for. A sparse Facebook page makes it look like you aren’t taking this seriously and may even make them question if you are a legitimate business in the first place.

Use Insights

Facebook insights is free to use and an invaluable tool to use when advertising on the site. You can access this through your business page on Facebook, and what it does is it lets you see what is working for your page. Which posts are seen the most, liked the most, what other pages your followers are interacting with and when. This is useful as you can schedule your posts for when the most people will see it, and also get an idea of the other kinds of things you could do in the future to gain popularity.

Use a great picture and heading

Appearance is everything these days, and even more so on social media. If you don’t already have a recognizable logo, you need to get one. Make your Facebook page look good, and people won’t mind liking and sharing. You can look at similar businesses to yours to see how they did theirs and how you can do better.

Invite likes

Make sure to invite those who like your posts, to like your page. This can be done by using other sites to drive traffic, or in your Facebook settings.

Share relevant content

Users like pages that share other things they want to see. If you can find videos or posts that are related to your area of expertise or your industry, users will find your page more engaging and entertaining, and thus, will interact more with it. Unless you are already an extremely popular brand, users will quickly get bored if you only ever share your own content. This can also help to build relationships with other users and businesses.

Beauty Queen Spotlight: Get To Know The Beautiful Kaanchan S Farkiya

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Kaanchan S Farkiya is the reigning Miss WorldClass and Ms. USA 2021. The World-Class Brand was established in 2016 by Derek Tokarzewski in Chicago, Illinois (USA) with a focus to empower, educate, and inspire. Miss WorldClass is an International virtual pageant that caters to established and experienced queens from around the world giving it a truly global reach. What she loves about being Miss WorldClass is the mentorship program which was established to help individuals focus on personal and professional growth through platform development. There are 3 core areas of the program: guidance, encouragement, and awareness which she enjoys doing. She’s thankful to those people who offered encouragement and supported her throughout her journey. Joining the pageant made her think deeper and connect with her core.

GEQ Magazine recently caught up with Kaanchan to discuss her journey in the pageant world and here’s what went down:

How did you first get into the beauty pageant scene? 

When I was a teenager someone from the television industry asked me to participate in a state-level pageant in India. I was not sure about whether I was ready to join a state-level competition at that time so I tried out in my first pageant just for fun. However, when I passed the selection process and the pageant team informed me that I did well in Miss Madhya Pradesh preliminary competition. In the final competition, I was placed as Miss Madhya Pradesh 1st runner-up as the first Princess in India. Since then, my new adventure of modeling and acting in television started. It was really an interesting experience. All in all, the support of my wonderful family and believing in me, made me think of participating in my first pageant. Working for something that I love to do and earning respect and support from people at a very young age was very invigorating.

What has been the most memorable experience of being in the beauty pageant industry so far?

In 2016, I have earned five subtitles as Mrs. Role Model of the Year, Mrs. People Choice, Mrs. Elegance, Mrs. Congeniality, and Mrs. Cultural of the Year along with Mrs. Asian San Diego 1st runner up.

In the same year, I went to Las Vegas for the Ms. Asian North America competition where I spent one of the best weeks of my life. I still can’t believe that I was the winner of Ms. Asian North America 2016 and the most rewarding aspect is giving pride to my country. It was exhilarating and my reign was so significant and laden with meaning and admiration with my vision to fulfill all my responsibilities as a queen. 

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while in your journey for Miss WorldClass Ms. USA 2021? This can be about the industry or yourself.

During my journey of Miss WorldClass, my dad passed away. My dad, who has been my source of inspiration. He taught me to never give up and he always had a positive outlook and to work hard towards my goal. That’s why I decided to dedicate my title to the memory of my dad. As I have learned so many life lessons from his life this year, faced all kinds of emotions of grief, but his guiding force kept me motivated. Some valuable lessons are as follows:

• Heath is the most important part of our life and we should start taking care from now.

• Surround yourself with people who uplift you. 

• Mental health is as important as physical health.

• Have patience and perseverance whatever you do.

Who is the biggest cheerleader in your journey to becoming a beauty queen?

My mother and my family members are my biggest cheerleaders who always motivated me for everything I do. My sponsors and some close friends always supported me directly and indirectly during my journey to becoming a beauty queen.

What was your reaction when the host announced that you were crowned for Miss WorldClass Ms. USA 2021?

It was a dream come true and surreal! I was beyond happy at that moment. For a moment, I wasn’t expecting at all that I was the title holder for this prestigious pageant as Miss WorldClass Ms. USA. I am extremely grateful for having received such an eminent and unique pageant system of Miss WorldClass. I am beyond thankful that I have been getting enormous love and appreciation from friends and fans around the world.

If you could go back in a time machine to when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

I have worked as an actress in state-level tv serials and ad commercials in India. It used to telecast in the morning and prime time television every week. During that time, I was a science major student doing my bachelor’s degree, where I started working for tv. It genuinely took up a good amount of my time, but I felt as though dipping my toe in the water for so many other extracurricular activities along with studies had let me gain insight into other experiences and outlooks for life. 

If I could go back in a time machine to when I was just getting started, I would take my acting career more seriously, and I should have made a plan to balance both my studies and acting career. However, I believe that God always has a plan for you and whatever happens, it happens for a reason and today I am happy about all my decisions.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice I have ever been given that mindset can change the way of handling things in your life. With a positive mindset, it’s possible to view an obstacle as an opportunity. A new mindset works wonder and everything on the outside will change along with it. I applied this valuable advice and worked for me.

What are your plans/responsibilities for Miss WorldClass Ms. USA 2021? 

I think being a representative of Miss World-class is a responsibility and leadership opportunity to drive change. Currently, working as one of the board of directors of MM Town Council reinforces the positive outcome in my community. My dedication towards Miss World-class is based on humanitarian work and to work based on my platform. Since last year, people around the world have been suffering from pain, losses, and financial challenges. This has certainly affected the morale of the people around them who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. For this, we organized a global prayer for world peace through devotional songs, and the purpose of this program was to encourage those who have been struggling to regain the last breath of their lives in hospitals. I am working with few organizations where I will be helping in food distribution to needy people in hospitals and orphanages. I am also planning to help and support people who are suffering from mental health around the world through video conferencing. In addition, as a member of the Global Executive Committee and IATB President of California, I support, promote and help talented artists to realize their worth to reach new heights. Together with this, I am going to create virtual visits to the hospitalized children and I will provide an avenue for them to feel connected through my storytelling events. I will also be a part of hosting a video talent show to give the young and adults the opportunity to showcase their singing talents and share their stories of inspiration. Currently, my reach is for helping people on local, national, and international levels.

What advice would you give to the girls who are thinking of joining the competition?

I would like to say that no matter who you are and where ever you are in the world, you will know to some degree that you are unique and you are special. To all women – no one is like you and you never know that people are lookup at your story that you have overcome what you are going through now, and it could become part of someone else’s source of inspiration.

The Lightning-Fast Round: 

Last good movie I’ve seen: THINK AND GROW RICH: The Legacy 

What do you consider beautiful and why? I consider all feelings of giving is beautiful because it generates expression and feelings of joy, love, care, and dedication. Moreover, it gives inner peace and contentment that must be felt with the heart.

What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? I have so many to-do lists that I haven’t done. My pageant director Derek Tokarzewski says “Dreams do come true” and I believe in dreaming and keep working towards it. 

Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” hug all wild animals who need love.

What is the one trait you wouldn’t change about yourself? One trait I wouldn’t change about myself is being an empathetic person.

Dear beauty Queen: Posing Tips For How to Look Your Best In Photographs

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Posing can be a struggle both for the model and the photographer. This is because some of the less-experienced models tend to wait for the direction of the photographer before striking a pose. They normally freeze in front of the camera and are mostly clueless about what to do. This situation makes it difficult and troublesome for the photographer to produce good photos.

The preparation for any photoshoot starts even before the photoshoot. You need to be aware of what kind of shoot it is. You can start looking at the related f magazines on the type of pose that they are doing. Not all of the tips here will work for everyone since the right kind of pose will vary in every genre.

1. Your Mirror is Your Friend

Stand in front of your mirror, take a pose and see how you highlight the shape of your body. The mirror is an ideal tool to show you the thing that the camera can produce. Consider the features and things that can be seen depending on the angle. For instance, in case you put your feet closer to the lens, then there is a possibility that your feet will look larger in the photo.

2. Create a Space on Your Limbs and Body

Squashing your limbs closer to your body will make you appear to look fat. Separating your limbs from your body will also create a slimmer appearance. This is a tiny cheat in the modeling world that can make a huge difference.

3. Understand the Light

For instance, in case you raise your arm on the light, it will basically look brighter compared to your face. There is also a possibility that it will cast a shadow on your face and body. A simple way to counteract this is by using your other arm. You may also adjust your arm backward to avoid the casting of the shadow. Having an understanding of how the lighting falls is a basic necessity in modeling. Ask the photographer about the key light and think about how you can work with it.

4. Elongate the Neck

In order to show class, poise, and height, elongating your neck would be a great solution. It is also one of the most difficult things to remember when modeling since this action feels a bit unnatural. Look in front of the mirror and stand in a normal position. Let your face come forward by rolling your shoulder backward. By now you have seen the huge difference in the neck’s width. You may even advance your pose by popping the jaw in front of the camera to create a shadow that will highlight your jawline.

Hopefully, the modeling tips that we provided above can provide some help for our aspiring models. These are just some of the tricks that most professional models wish they knew when they were just starting out.

Buckle Up, Australia: The 2021 Australian Golden Sash Awards Is Set To Hit Sydney In 4 Weeks!

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The AGSA (Australian Golden Sash Awards) is a ceremony aimed at showcasing Australian beauty queens who have made the most outstanding contributions to the pageant industry during the year.

To provide integrity in the judging of the categories, National Directors are typically invited to nominate beauty queens who have competed in their respective pageant systems in the specified categories.  

This annual event is the first of its kind in Australia. The ceremony is brought to you by MS Entertainment Network in collaboration with StarCentral Magazine.

Unfortunately for 2021, biosecurity measures and travel restrictions have been put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thus, Australia’s borders are closed and sadly, other National Directors and beauty queens from interstate and overseas are unable to join our 2021 celebration.

Since we have COVID-19 restrictions in place, this year for AGSA, we have not opened nominations and there will also be no voting open from the pageant community; for 2021, each National Director can nominate their own champions from their respective pageant systems and they can award their champions during the AGSA ceremony. The National Directors who are unable to attend AGSA will be able to nominate their respective champions and AGSA certificates will be issued to their chosen winners.

On the day of the event, the attendees will be able to vote for special titles such as AGSA’s beauty queen of the year,  international beauty queen of the year, role model of the year, and humanitarian of the year from within the attendees present at the event. You must be a National Director, a titleholder, or a beauty pageant contestant to be eligible to vote on the day and the nominated person must be present at the event.

On a happy note, we look forward to seeing the pageant community celebrate with us again! 

What: The 2021 Australian Golden Sash Awards

Where: Dockside Darling Harbour (2 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000)

When: August 1 (11 am to 3 pm)

Tickets: $95

Beauty Queen Spotlight: Get To Know The Beautiful Diana Omuoyo

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Diana Omuoyo is a Sydney-based IT professional and the recently crowned Ms. New Zealand World Universal 2021.

Diana has a keen interest in socio-economic initiatives around quality education and reducing inequality in communities and spends her time supporting global and local organizations that promote STEM and education programs. She has been recognized for her achievements professionally, personally, and as an instrumental contributor to communities around the world. Her mission is to continue to be a catalyst to change and a global advocate for women and under-represented communities. GEQ magazine recently caught up with Diana and here’s what went down:

How did you get into the pageant industry?

A few years back, I was having a conversation with someone at a community event and they asked me what I wanted out of life. I explained my goals and ambitions in working with a foundation and/or starting one in the future and their advice was to join a pageant that year. Having never been in or ever imagined myself doing a pageant before and my lack of knowledge of the industry, I was surprised by that recommendation so I graciously declined. Thankfully, we had a few follow-up conversations and I did a lot of research about pageantry and gained a better understanding of the industry. When the opportunity to join the Ms. World Universal came up, It was an easy decision for me. The platform’s mission and vision are in alignment with my goals, passions, and values. The rest, as they say, is history.

What do you like most about being a beauty queen?

The beauty queen is a title that is synonymous with leadership and service to others. As Ms. New Zealand, I am privileged and excited to now have a platform that I can leverage to amplify my voice and those of others to promote causes, spread awareness and impart change. I also enjoy having a forum where I can share my life experiences, journey, and passions. Pageantry has also afforded me great opportunities to participate in the community, charity, and social events where I have met like-minded individuals. Throughout this journey, I continue to grow and learn a lot about myself as I interact and share with people from all walks of life.

The beauty queen is a title that is synonymous with leadership and service to others. As Ms. New Zealand, I am privileged and excited to now have a platform that I can leverage to amplify my voice and those of others to promote causes, spread awareness and impart change. I also enjoy having a forum where I can share my life experiences, journey, and passions. Pageantry has also afforded me great opportunities to participate in the community, charity, and social events where I have met like-minded individuals. Throughout this journey, I continue to grow and learn a lot about myself as I interact and share with people from all walks of life.

The downside to being a beauty queen?

full-time job, personal/community commitments, hobbies, family/friends, and the pageant. But because this role is very important to me, I always make time to be present and committed which simply means multi-tasking and better time management. Another downside that I experience is that, while pageants continue to gain popularity, there is still some lingering stigma about beauty queens and pageantry. So, I find myself constantly debunking myths and educating others about the platform – and even when I fail to change the perception of others; I find that it is important for me to continue to believe in myself and what I stand for as a beauty queen.

What has been the most memorable experience of being in the pageant industry so far?

I have had a lot of monumental experiences – the biggest one being crowned Ms. New Zealand 2021. I hit a lot of milestones along the way and had a lot of amazing moments that culminated in that glorious moment. One of the most memorable experiences I have had on the journey so far was a time when, at an event, I met and had a chat with mothers from a minority group. They expressed their utmost faith in me and were hopeful that their daughters would be inspired to dream big
after seeing someone that looks like them on a stage like this. At that very moment, I knew that my decision to vie for the title was the right one.

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

● Robbie Canner – Ms. World 2018/19, Director, Ms. World Universal
● Sue Turner – Businesswoman, beauty queen, and celebrated humanitarian
● Other title holders including former Miss USA
● The other pageant contestants, directors, and judges

Is your family supportive of you being in the pageant industry?

My decision to join the pageant world surprised a lot of people but I am lucky to have had a lot of support from friends and family along the way.

What are your future plans? Inside pageantry or out of it.

I will always support and promote the Ms. World Universal mission and vision during and long after my reign as Ms. New Zealand. My ultimate goal and ambition is to have a seat on a board of a charity organization/foundation where I can leverage my experiences and passions to continue to support Education, Equality, and STEM initiatives on a local and global scale. I believe that education plays a key role in socio-economic wellbeing within our communities. However, Education is not limited to textbook/school learning but also includes knowledge sharing around cultural & societal issues. It is important to continue to create awareness around the dangers of exclusion, discrimination, single-story, and bias.

Meet The Woman Behind The Cover Of The May 2021 Issue Of GEQ Magazine: Sarita Ram Menon

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Sarita Ram Menon is the owner/director of Amogh Financial Services Pty Ltd and she has received various recognitions for contributions to society due to her art-based activism. She has been featured in mainstream newspapers such as Daily Telegraph, Western Weekender, Deccan Chronicle, Indian Express, and The Hindu and they have published articles about her journey and success in the plus-size pageant world.

A trained classical dancer, and a plus-size model cum actor – Saritha has been highly praised for her runway walks, as well as for being a body-positive influencer who offers a blend of culture and fashion. She’s a woman of substance for the world to see.

She recently represented Australia in the Mrs. United Nations Pageant where she ended up being crowned as the Mrs. United Nations World 2019. She was proud to represent Australia where she competed against other “Mrs. contestants” from Asia, Europe, South East Asia, Africa, America, etc…

Apart from being Mrs. United Nations World, she has also won other titles such as Mrs. South Asia India, Mrs. Talented and Mrs. Vivacious at the Mrs. India Worldwide pageant, and she will be the only South Asian queen who will be representing Australia at the “Mrs. Globe Australia Curvé” pageant to be held in California (post Covid-19 travel bans).

She’s a body-positive influencer and a plus-size model who’s proud to be Australian and quite happy about the multiculturalism in Australia.

GEQ magazine recently caught up with Saritha to discuss her journey in the industry and here’s what went down:

How did you get into the pageant industry? How were you actually ‘discovered’?

Even though in this day and age, married and plus-size women are slowly becoming a trend, the fashion and modeling industry is still dominated by slim-fit women and this is why many curvy moms do not get enough chances to be recognized and appreciated. Hence I got inspired by many successful famous curvy models to strive for what I wanted to achieve and make my passion into an achievement of a lifetime.

What do you like most about being a beauty queen?

Pageants teach women to be active and give back to the community. All of the women who participate in pageants are women with intelligence. Competing in this pageant and holding this title makes me a beauty queen who is held to a higher standard in the public eye thus I can impact the community positively with my goodwill.

Downside to being a beauty queen?

To be fair, it can’t be easy to think on your feet while many are watching at you during various pageants so small mistakes do happen but never had any big blunders. But yes, I just want to keep improving, to keep getting better as a queen.

What has been the most memorable experience of being in the pageant industry so far?

To win that titles and have that crown on my head is a validation of my hard work. It’s like the judges thought I was worthy of the crown and those feelings are akin to winning anything that takes effort-exhilaration and pure joy..”I did it!”

Pageants have given me confidence, made me a better person, and helped me become recognized within my local town and countries also helped me make amazing connections around the world. Pageants are hard work but they are so worth it!

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

I have met many famous and influential people throughout my runway shows and fund-raising events, to name a few: Mathew Hayden (Australian ex-cricketer), Barry O’Farrell (ex-premiere NSW and current Australian high commissioner to India, Julia Finn (MP), Jodi Mckay (Nsw labour leader), Julian Leeser (MP), Prue Car (MP), Sue Turner (Mrs. Universe Australia finalist) as well as many Bollywood celebrities.

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while in the pageant industry. This can be about the industry or about yourself.

I learned to support and love the very girls I was competing against. I looked past all my fears and learned to accept criticism, carry myself and walk confidently. Actually, Your everyday life is a lot like a beauty pageant the experience is invaluable.

Working in an industry whose only emphasis is on the outside characteristics of a person, how have you stayed grounded?

I feel very confident in who I am and what I represent. I try to balance that confidence with a dose of humility. Grace and elegance, tact, and flexibility and be your best version. The best rule of thumb I have found is to be genuine.

Is your family supportive of you being in the pageant industry?

The support of each family member has likely been impacted me positively. being loved and them getting involved in my mental care benefits me so much. Winning previous pageants and titles was just because my family helped me to believe ‘don’t wait to lose weight or until your life is just perfect to make changes. Pursue your dreams right now!

What are your future plans? Inside pageantry or out of it.

I am due to become the face of a couple of plus-size clothing brands and I also modelled for the local fashion industry in Sydney. I’m also investing in women’s education and supporting victims of domestic violence. I also want to provide guidance with genuine love to all those plus-size moms who aspire to step into the pageantry world – I want to mentor them.

I want to continue the legacy of helping the needy and also convey this empowering message to all curvy girls and moms- “Feel confident enough to strut your stuff on stage and never let your size determine your swag.”

The ‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:

1. Last good movie I’ve seen: Godzilla Vs Kong.

2. What do you consider beautiful and why? Good Personality is beautiful as beauty fades after a certain time, but personality is forever.

3. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? Be a part of the army.

4. Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” have climbed Kilimanjaro during my Tanzania stay!

5. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? Being curvy, as I have to never worry about getting padded.