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Conversations with the Inspiring Victoria Mendoza

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Mendoza.

Victoria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My career working in the pageant and modeling industry began when I started competing in pageants 10 years ago. I’ve held several state titles, including Miss Jr. Teen Arizona and Miss Arizona. However, my life changed dramatically when I went from being Miss Arizona to win one of the most prestigious titles in the country, Miss World America 2015. I competed at Miss World in China and placed in the Top 20 overall, but it was my year of reign as a national queen that inspired my business.

During my tenure as Miss World America, I learned more about myself than ever before. My confidence exploded, I was in exceptional physical shape, and I felt empowered. Every week, I met important political leaders, traveled to a new city and was stretched to become a mature, polished, poised adult at the ripe age of 19-years-old. I also gave back more than I ever had, becoming the national spokesperson for Feeding America and spearheading charity projects all over the country.

I’ve had many life experiences that shaped me… but pageantry has positively changed my life in ways I never could’ve ever imagined.

So, after handing over my crown in 2016, I founded VM Consulting, a pageant coaching company that exists to build young women and girls’ confidence and make them the most competitive version of themselves. In only two years of existence, we’ve helped hundreds of women along the path to their dreams. We’ve had many successes, including winners nationally and internationally, though some of the successes I treasure most do not end in a “crowning moment”. To me, success is seeing a young girl who was strikingly shy prior to competing in a pageant, emerge from her introverted nature and begin engaging in conversation with strangers because of the skills she’s learned through our coaching. What we do is extremely rewarding because we witness young girls transform into beautiful ladies, right before our eyes. I hope we can continue to empower women, support women and equip them with the tools they need to thrive- not only in pageantry but in life.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Like any dream, mine came with many obstacles. One of the hardest hurdles I’ve had to jump has always been my age. Winning a national title at 19 was no easy feat, as I competed against women who were well into their 20’s and had already achieved their educational degrees and were actively working in their career field. But I’ve always felt that if something is in your heart, it’s there for a reason… and nothing, not even your age can stop you if you work hard enough and pray even harder. So, I trained harder than anyone else. I spent hours working on every aspect of myself, mentally, emotionally and physically. And, I prayed every single day that God would step in where I fall short. And, it worked.

That same practice I use every day with my work. Being 22-years-old now, and “competing” in the professional world as a young entrepreneur, I still face a lot of the same struggles. People don’t typically take a twenty-something-year-old seriously. So, I have to be even more diligent, more disciplined and keep myself educated in order to stay competitive. Through dedication, I was able to balance building my business while also finishing my Bachelor’s Degree. In December, I graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU Magna Cum Laude, and simultaneously, moved into my first commercial space for VM Consulting. It definitely was not easy to manage to go to school and growing the company… I didn’t sleep much. But it was worth it.

My advice for women is to go. Go FAST. Go FIERCE. Go FULLY. There will always be a million reasons why you can’t do something. You have to cling to the reason why you should.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into VM Consulting story. Tell us more about the business.
We walk young girls and women through every phase of pageantry, including interviewing and public speaking, to walking and posing confidently, to creating a winning résumé and curating a wardrobe that flatters them. We are the place where you can come for all of your pageant needs.

Beyond that, we also frequently work with women who simply need help figuring out how to apply makeup properly or what their body shape is, or how they can look professional, yet fashion-forward. We love working with professional women on fine-tuning their interview skills. We’ve also done some great work with college grads who are looking to break into their respective industry. We help them look, dress and act the part.

Essentially, we work with women from all backgrounds to help them become the classiest, best-dressed, most well-spoken version of themselves.

Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
I’d like to thank my parents for who they’ve helped me become. Truly, without their support and honesty when I need it most, I wouldn’t be here. My parents are my biggest cheerleaders and also the most outspoken critics. When I mess up, they aren’t afraid to tell me why. Yet, when I succeed, they are always there to celebrate with me. I think that blend of tough love and unconditional love is exactly why I’ve been able to do the things I do.

Additionally, my culture has influenced me incalculably. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and I am of Mexican descent. Most of my extended family grew up with little to nothing. On top of facing racial scrutiny, they also grew up poor and influenced by gang violence and drugs. I remember that my dad worked three jobs, and my mom used to take the bus… just to be able to afford for us kids to play the sports we wanted and be in extracurriculars. They sacrificed everything to give us a better future, and no matter how tired they were, found time to help us with our homework.

They always told my siblings and I that we were in charge of creating something better, that it was our job to provide our kids with even more someday. Their words keep me motivated and incredibly humbled.

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Image Credit:
AJ Photoz, PG Photography

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