IT’S HER BRAND MAGAZINE North Dakota Edition
December 2018
#HerBusiness
Andrea Volk
Quotable Kids Speech & Language Clinic
“celebrating the joy of communication!”
Bonus Issue 1
SCAN ME
CELEBRATING THE NORTH DAKOTA, FEMALE, BUSINESS OWNER
Her Role As Directors of the North Dakota International Pageant System, their day-to-day responsibilities are endless. However, Janelle and Meg’s primary role is to encourage women and young ladies around the state to make a difference in their communities by volunteering and serving through a cause they’re passionate about. In addition, they help contestants find value in their story and discover their ‘why’ as it relates to their unique purpose in pageants and in life. As co-Directors and business partners, Janelle and Meg are thankful for one another and the unique abilities that they each contribute to the job. “We couldn’t do it alone,” they say almost simultaneously. “We work great together,” says Meg. “Even though she’s typically the yin to my yang, we can still be totally opposite people with completely different ideas at times.” In those moments, they do their best to communicate their own views and ideas, while being open to seeing things from another person’s point-of-view. “When having disagreements, we remember to focus on our purpose and the reason why we started this adventure together in the first place,” says Janelle. “When we remember to base our decisions on what’s best for our overall mission, it makes the decision making much less complicated.” They might be business partners, but at the end of the day what makes their partnership work so well is that they’re friends first who ultimately trust one another and enjoy one another’s company. Her Challenges While being Directors of the North Dakota International Pageant could be a full-time job, both Janelle and Meg have careers in addition to their pageant responsibilities. “Although this limits the amount of time we can commit to our duties, we do our best to rely on our partnership to give the system and our contestants what they need and what they deserve,” says Janelle. In addition to finding more hours in a day, the feeling of loneliness and isolation is another hurdle they have to overcome. “Not only do we have to overcome stereotypes and reeducate people on the purpose of pageantry, but owning this type of business can make it difficult to find people to relate to who understand the industry-specific challenges you face,” says Meg. “Most days are an uphill battle, but we push through because we know that what we’re doing matters, and it’s making a difference in people’s lives.” Both Janelle and Meg believe that the benefits of competing in a pageant are endless for their contestants, and ‘winning’ a title is not a requirement to experience those benefits. “Pageants are a great way to build confidence and develop the discipline necessary to achieve goals,” says Janelle. “They’re also a wonderful way to build character and poise while becoming the best individual you can be.” Her Network In addition to working closely with the International Pageant System on a national level, they do their best to partner and collaborate with various groups, organi-
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HER BRAND . HER MOVEMENT . HER IMPACT
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zations, and businesses across the state of North Dakota to grow their business on a local, state level. Meg has also been involved with CoStarters and coached for a period of time with It’s Her Brand Coaching. One community organization in particular that they work with is the state and national Platform Partner of the International Pageant System, the American Heart Association and their Go Red for Women campaign. Her Balance In addition to having full-time careers outside of the pageant, both women are married, and Janelle is a mother of six. Naturally, balancing all of these roles would be a challenge for any woman. For both ladies, the pageant has become a family-affair in many ways. “It’s another aspect of the International Pageant System that we love,” says Janelle. “We celebrate family and support the many other roles and responsibilities we have in our lives, which makes it easier to balance them.” Her Message Whether one’s starting a new business or participating in a pageant, the ladies stress the importance of knowing your WHY. “You need to know your WHY and always believe in it,” says Meg. “When times get tough, your WHY will keep you motivated and focused, and it will keep you true to your mission and purpose.” North Dakota International Pageants: To Make a Difference! IHBM
DECEMBER 2018 - BONUS ISSUE 1
ItsHerBrandMagazine.com
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