The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - CVille Man Arrested - East Coast Prostitution Ring; Local Police Assist FBI With Prostitution Arrest

Episode Date: January 24, 2024

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Hey friends, welcome to the fourth episode of the Juicy Details. We're so excited. Thank you for coming back. I know I've gotten some comments from a few of you out there that have been listening to every podcast or live podcast thus far. So I'm really thankful to have a following. Small one, but it's still one. Our first episode in the beginning of January was with Jeff Tang he's an Emmy award-winning journalist turned entrepreneur and it was a great conversation if you're looking to listen to something that's going to help encourage you to find the best

version of yourself I would definitely check that one out episode two was with Dana Lewis and she is the author of a chapter called stop Faking Fine, has a podcast called Stop Faking Fine and really encouraged us how to figure out how to live a healthier us. Last week we had Allison Williams of Place and she talked a little bit about putting our cell phones down and being a part of our communities and how we can build communities that are meaningful. And this week I'm so excited to have Leigh Taylor Sigfusen on the show. Hi, how are you? So Leigh is Miss New York 2008. And then she went on to compete in Miss America in 2009. She also is Pi Beta Phi. Didn't wear my gear I should have. Yeah, so we met briefly, but then we met at a

tailgate at UVA when I just saw a Pi Phi sign and walked right up to them and said, hi, I'm a Pi Phi too. So we're sisters. And here we are. Here we are. So tell us, I mean, where do we even start at the beginning? Tell us everything about yourself. Oh, my gosh. Oh, wait, no, we always start with a shot, actually. Oh, a shot of Lume. Of Lume. Mom, I'm not drinking quite yet. Cheers. Cheers.

To health and wellness. So my mom became involved in the Miss Virginia organization when I was a little girl. And with two of my favorite people, Linda Haas and Tiffany Haas. And they're just like, how do I explain it? They were the biggest encouragers. The moms, the ones that would just push and push and push the people to their limit. But you saw these people prevail. I started probably watching them around eight years old.

Okay, so not like Jovenet Ramsey young. No, but I wasn't competing. I was watching them do this and work with these women that were part of the Miss Virginia organization. And it inspired me, truly. It really did. At the end of the day, thinking, okay, if these people are achieving these things post-Miss Virginia, post-Miss Hampton Newport News, which is what they were preparing them for, then the sky's the limit. Yes.

Yeah. Awesome. So are these women, they run the Virginia pageant still to this day? No, so it's preliminaries. Okay. So I have to, I don't know what. It started back at the beginning. Okay, so to compete at the state level, you have to win a preliminary,

which is oftentimes where you live. And how do you even get to a preliminary? You just sign up. Oh, okay. You're like, yeah, I'd just like to sign up. So you sign up for a preliminary and then you compete at the state level if you win, obviously, the preliminary. Okay. Then obviously you go on to Miss America. But that, it really is a step, a stepstool process, I should say. Okay, so when you go, let's dissect it a little bit. So when you go to preliminaries, what do you compete in? What do you have to do?

What do you have to wear? Do you have to do swimsuit competition? Well, not anymore, but you used to. Oh, they took that away? Yes, they took it away. It's completely gone. We get to have that conversation. Yeah, that's a good step stone.

You compete in interview, which has changed in time, but has always had an opening, an eight and a half or so minute interview, and then a closing statement. So things maybe you weren't able to get in that you wanted to be able to speak about, although that's another story. You should always be able to get in that you wanted to be able to speak about. Although that's another story. You should always be able to get in what you need to speak about. Yes. And then you close it up.

Okay. You have on-stage question. Yep. You have talent. Okay. Which used to be 40%. I should say that. Now it's 25%.

What was the scoring breakdown then? Oh, my gosh. My year, I forget. Because they started to really change things. But talent, I believe, used to be 40%. And then interview was the other largest, which I believe was 30%. And then 15-15. I believe that is how it worked.

And so those are, now I explained the other two parts of competition, which are evening gown and swimsuit. Okay, evening gown and swimsuit. Now swimsuit no longer exists. What did they replace it with? Fitness. Oh. Outfits.

So I could wear my Lululemon pants? No, they had them in rhinestone shorts and crop tops this year. Oh, wow. Which was a, yeah, a choice. Okay. I didn't watch the Sears, which I should have ahead of this interview, but I did read about the woman who won, which was phenomenal, Miss Colorado, right? And she is an Air Force pilot.

Which is unbelievable. I mean, what a badass. I know. She's super smart. She's at Harvard, I believe, and she's doing incredibly well. But I do believe the narrative

for the pageant shifted pretty significantly with her because the dynamic that people have, the ownership has changed, and we do want to give her all of the with her because the dynamic people have, the ownership has changed and we do want to give her all of the credit for what she does. I mean, she's

literally fighting for our country. But there have been women changing the narrative of Miss America for decades. Like Kate Schindel in 98, I believe it was, her whole platform was promoting AIDS activism

and sitting down with people that were... How would I even put this? She was sitting down with people where... It sounds kind of crazy to say, but like Princess Diana, who was sitting down with these people. Listening to their problems. Not even just their problems, but just being a voice for them

and also touching. People wouldn't offer a hand, truly, an actual hand. And Kate did that, and she was Miss America. Which, I mean, I do think changes the entire narrative of what's going on, or rhetoric, or however you would want to put it. But I do think there have been women that have done this step by step by step by step, and this is amazing where we are. But we have to also reflect on the women that represented us before, I think. Yes, for sure. So let's get to you and back to you.

At eight years old, you started learning about these pageants in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where your dad is a famous football coach. He has the third most winning records for high school football in the United States. Mike Smith. So we had to plug him for a minute. Go coach. Yeah, go coach. Yeah, so did he coach you at all too?

I mean, well, let's talk about your talent. Did your dad help you with your talent? My dad coached me in powder puff for junior and high school or junior and senior year of high school. You were in powder puff football junior and senior year of high school. You were Powderpuff football junior and senior year of high school. Oh, and we won both years. Okay, wait, so Miss New York also plays football? No, no, no, just Powderpuff like for our junior, senior, but he coached us, which was so much fun. Yeah, so he's competitive.

That's where I get a little bit of my competitive edge. I think I get a lot from my mom, too. She's pretty competitive as well. She's also beautiful, your mother. She's gorgeous, put together. Always. Should have been Miss Virginia. She should have.

She didn't try. If she did, I'm sure she would have. She is. Wait, so, okay, so when you were eight, you started learning about these pageants. So when did you start competing? And talk to us about that whole process. Sure. So I started competing around 10.

Okay. And my mom let me do one a year. Just one? One a year. Okay. It was really to help boost my self-confidence and my ability to speak obviously to speak in front of people but also my talent in just general social to relieve general social anxiety I would say and then it grew from there I started I joined a theater company that I absolutely adored so I started to get the outlet

there it almost felt like that was enough for a little bit as well without having to compete once a year. And then I started really competing when I was in high school and then college. Okay. So can you tell us a little bit about those competitions and what was your talent? Yes, of course. So I sang and oh yeah I saw that tell us about your singing maybe you could sing us a song absolutely not a long time ago I I was happily a Virginia Bell here at UVA which I loved my time here but I haven't really sung since then or since Miss America, except in the car with my kids. I would say competing was so much fun. It was obviously different in each state, I should say.

Virginia, it is a full-time job. When you compete and you win, you are Miss Virginia. That is your, you get an apartment, you get a car. It is, you are paid for your appearances, every appearance. At least that's how it was. So now I don't know how it is now, but I believe it's still that way. For Miss New York, I had a full time job and I was 22 years old living in New York City, just scraping my money together to get places. And I would actually literally leave a venue with Hillary being, giving a speech with Hillary Clinton and go home on the train with this box that I have here.

With my crown box. And then, you know. So you'd be riding the subway with your crown box? Oh. Here, let's do your crown oh sorry I would just you know take my crown box home and like just in my big bag for from the day I would go from work and go and so my days were really different as what were you working like where were you working your your company would let you go and make these Miss New York appearances? No, so that was after. I did after.

It was after hours. It was like 5 o'clock. I would leave. I would do that. And then I would go to the gym. And then I would go home. And then it just was a cyclical thing. So my days were super different.

I cannot compare both of the states I competed in. Not that they didn't work. They worked really hard. Miss Virginia's Tara Wheeler, my year, I know she just traveled across the whole state constantly. She should run for governor. It was a very different feeling to be Miss New York than it was what I had grown up seeing. Yes, I mean, it sounds that way.

So Miss New York didn't get any stipend at all? Or were you? We got a bit of a stipend. But a lot of the events that I did were, I mean, I was at a full security prison in Staten Island talking to these prisoners. Women prisoners or male prisoners? Male prisoners. That's bizarre they had you go talk to them. It was awesome.

It was so awesome. Tell us about it. And going in and just talking, really having a genuine conversation from someone that is, well, A, new in their environment, which is lovely for them most of the time. Yes.

And then someone's father had passed away, and he wasn't able to go home, and he talked about his story about not being able to go home and actually be with his mom, who was still at home with his kids. Meeting some of these people, I shouldn't say these people, meeting these people who are awesome, awesome, good, really genuinely good human beings that are trying to rehabilitate themselves was impactful for me. You walk through life thinking sometimes it's so easy, and it's not for a lot of people, obviously. So that was an awesome appearance, or I should say appearance, but visitation. I don't even know

what you call that. And they sent me a card and flowers at Miss America. That's nice. That group of inmates. It was a group of inmates. And they put money together to do that. That was... That was nice of them. Well, it makes you feel like you've done something and had conversations that matter.

For sure. For sure. For sure. So when you went from Virginia and while you were at UVA, you were competing in Virginia pageants. But one a year like you used to or many? In Virginia, once I was in college, I did two preliminaries. My first year that I competed for Miss Virginia and won my second and then the next year I won the first and then I was third runner up both times then was third runner up at Miss America but that's you know lucky number three I guess

that's better. I was telling Lee Taylor that when I thought that it would be a good idea, I had a neighbor that was Miss Kansas back in the day. I mean, this was like in the 40s, like a long, long time ago. And she was like, oh, Hillary, you should be in a pageant. And so for her, I signed up for one, and my mom drove me to Orlando, Florida. And, you know, I had my ball gown. I had my talents playing the clarinet.

I'm horrible at it. No, no. I walked in and saw these, like, really just confident, glamorous, smart people all around me. And I was just like this, about-faced and walked out. I was like, Mom, I'm not here for this. I'm not going to. But you're confident and glamorous and so put together. Thank you.

I do think that we tend to sit on, I mean, I was told, or I felt so much so in elementary or middle school and high school, I was 6th to 12th grade school, that I was average. And what makes me stand out? I don't know. What are we trying to find out from 6th to 12th grade? That's a lot. And they asked me when I was Miss New York to come back to my high school

and speak at the cum laude ceremony and asked me, I was never, I didn't even get an award in my high school or it was my middle school as well. I never got an award. And so the whole feeling was like, this is great. So I talked about, and I talked to kids, not just girls, but also boys about what it feels like feels like not to be a failure, but what does it feel like to feel average? It's okay. We all have our strengths, and we have to find them, but it doesn't mean being Miss New York. It doesn't mean getting a scholarship to play baseball in college or swim or whatever it is. We are all capable of making our impact on this world

without feeling, you know, that stretch. So I went and I talked about failure. And then I became an honorary cum laude. So now I'm putting that on my resume forever. I mean, that's a really powerful message that you're capable of being great, even though you might seem like you're average in school. And you just, you went on and went and won Miss New York after you were Miss Brooklyn. So that was your regional competition. And then you went on to be Miss New York. And then you get to compete in Miss America. And you guys, Lee Taylor told me the statistic before the show.

Why don't you tell us about Miss America? You're more likely to have a son compete in the Super Bowl than you are to have a daughter compete at Miss America. Okay, so you are more likely, moms out there there to have a son compete in the Super Bowl. So Chris Long, you have two sons and a daughter and then have a daughter compete in Miss America. So Lita, you went from feeling like you were an average student to go on and be in beyond the Super Bowl of, of, of, of being an empowered woman and above average and just crushing life. So that is so great and powerful.

I mean, you just went and did it. I'm so proud of you. I'm so lucky to call you my sister, my bye-bye sister. I don't know. I just do it. It didn't feel like it happened like that. It was a lot of, and I don't want to say losing but it was a lot of taking blows and saying my mom I will never forget my mom told me I said when I moved to New York I

said I don't want to compete anymore and she said well you must just not want it that badly well then what puts fire under your butt like that she knew how how to get you. I'm like, I'm going to show you. And then, you know, I competed, and I was lucky enough to win Brooklyn and then move forward. But it wasn't without adversity. The Brooklyn, they have mayors. So Brooklyn mayor or president or whatever,y markowitz he was like well she's not even from brooklyn i could see how i mean i was it was a little confused why a virginian

won because i moved to new york in 2008 too and yeah i so you know i followed you then i knew what was going on yeah virginia girl went you know wins miss brooklyn's onto miss new york totally so you imagine though this well, at the time it was 18 to 24 year olds were able to compete. You're like a carpetbagger. Yeah, but the opposite. Okay. Carpetbaggers were going south. Yeah. I was going north, but I, I mean, they, it was 18 to 24 year olds. And so what am I going to do? I I'm I'm moving to New York City I was a theater major yes I wanted to be up there and so I moved and you have to live there for six months you have to be a resident for six months before you can compete and so that's how I was able to compete

so there you go and then what did he forgive you when you were third runner up at Miss America? The articles changed really interestingly, articles. My mom made a hilarious, well, I shouldn't say it's hilarious, but she made a great scrapbook for me that it's kind of the three phases. It's like Manhattan won in Brooklyn, and then it was Manhattan by way of Brooklyn is Miss New York. Or, sorry, Virginia by way of Manhattan and Brooklyn has won Miss New York. I mean, these were all the titles. And it was in the Brooklyn paper. I saw myself sitting.

I was sitting on the train. Yes. On the subway, I saw a man with the Brooklyn paper, and it was my swimsuit. I was on the front of the page, and it was me in a swimsuit. And I thought, oh, my gosh, I got off and got on the other car. Like, I just moved. But, yeah, it was. And you were runner-up in the swimsuit competition for Miss America, right?

No, I won. Yeah, you won. Oh, hot bot alert. Well, one of three. One of three. So we compete on different nights. Oh, so we don't see that. We don't see that on the TV all the time. No.

So actually, I do think this is quite an interesting thing. It's done by, they draw cards. And you're on a Zoom. Before Zoom was even zoom. I don't even know what we were on to be honest. Skype. Probably to be honest. And we were all on there and we were called pretty late.

New York was called pretty late. And you, there's a lot of strategy and where you compete and perform because my talent is probably my weakest set of what I do. Okay. Or weakest competition, I should say. So, so what was swimsuit? Do they choose your swimsuits that you wear? They did. Oh, really? So why did they give you black? Did you want to wear black? No, no. That was ugly. But you can, you choose how you choose your order of competition. Oh, really?

Yeah. So people get picked. A lot of people want to go last in their group. There are three groups. So where did you like to go? I didn't know. Was there a strategy that your mom would tell you to do? No, no, no.

It was at my mom's. So I worked with Kate Schindel. And she was like, hey, let's be clear. We both know your talent. And this is not a put down from her. She knew what my strengths were. She sounds like a good coach. Yeah, she's great.

She's like, your talent is not your strongest suit. Let's compete in talent. We competed in a 10-minute interview. What were the questions you were asked? Oh, gosh, I don't even remember, to be honest. I keep asking for it. Actually, Miss America, I keep asking for my interview. Miss America, Lee Taylor would like her interview on tape. I really would like my interview on tape. What would you change? We don't know. I don't think I would change anything. I felt super confident coming out. Kate had me so prepared for that. I mean, I felt very prepared. Good. Then I, but the first night then was talent and it's not my strongest, but I had to pick, I was, had all these options.

She was like, you're going to go second and tell it. So that would second out of all competitors. So they don't break it over three nights. It is, it is, but everyone competes. And, and, um, so some people compete in talent, some are doing swimsuits, some are, so everyone wins awards different night. She's like compete in talent the first night they haven't like not, not to be naughty. She was like, but no one's seen any talent. No talents have gone yet. So go. And so I competed. And then. What song did you sing?

I sing something called, it's called Say the Word by a Broadway duo that created this amazing. Songs. Not just songs, but like a show. But now it's morphed into a different show it's awesome though but it's it was called say the word say the words name of the show and the song no the song it was called the unauthorized biography of samantha brown okay and now it's called mad we're gonna watch it and now it's called mad ones okay and it's really brilliant they're both kate kerrigan and brian lotter milk and he he worked with me brought me into his studio and was just super And it's really brilliant. They're both Kate Kerrigan and Brian Laudermilk.

And he worked with me, brought me into his studio, and was just super amazing. He was awesome. So you had a coach. Is this the song you sang for years, or is it the song you just did for Miss America or Miss New York? No, just for Miss America. This was Miss America.

So, yeah, Kate was actually in Legally Blonde on Broadway at that time, so the one that was helping me pick my songs and work on all of those things with me. And I popped into her stage door just to grab a couple of CDs with songs. What am I doing? I'm here with Miss America's giving me these songs. I can't believe it. So wait, Kate was in Miss America too? Yes.

She was the one from 1998 that was the AIDS activist. Oh, this one. I can't believe it. So wait, Kate was in Miss America too? Yes. She was the one from 1998 that was the AIDS activist. Oh, this one. This is Kate. Okay. Just as she's brilliant. We didn't put that part together earlier. No, no, no, no, no.

So Kate, your coach, was the 1998 Miss America winner. She's a path. She's amazing. Yes. Sounds that way. I mean, obviously, I don't personally know her, but she's also. Yes. Sounds that way. I mean, obviously I don't personally know her, but she's

also a badass. You'd be a badass to have on here, to be honest. She's much cooler than me. I don't know about that. No, but I picked up these CDs and that's how I got my songs. But that's how she strategized it for me, is to leave on your highest

note. So the last night would be my highest note before finals so what was in that was swimsuit that would be my swimsuit because it just had been it had been working not anymore but after two kids it's not the same no but it it worked and she was like also just you feel confident in that in that space so for sure do that and then you have there was a night off and then it was finals night so she's like and on a high note yes totally and then you have all the buzz the media buzz behind you because you had just won your night of swimsuit that's awesome good for you okay so. Okay, so but with Miss, then when you were Miss like you won the Brooklyn Miss New York

was that the same song? Did you have to keep the same song? No. Okay. There should be rules and things. Tell us everything. No rules there. You can change your song and I actually changed my song after Miss New York

to go to Miss America. Okay, awesome. Yeah, so that's when I got those CDs from her from some of this original music and such. It was great, yeah. So tell us about a little bit about the friendships that you made during the Miss America pageant or just being Miss New York. I'm sure they're both separate friendships, same friendships. Like do you start meeting other Miss of States? Of the four, like, right away, when you win your title, Miss New York? It takes a little bit.

I feel like it takes a little bit of time. But, yes, you do, and we were on a reality show. So we lived on the Queen Mary for almost three weeks together. Oh, my goodness. Tell us all the juicy details. So we were on teams. They split us on to four different teams. Nothing like a good competition.

Nothing like a great competition. And I was on the blue team. I had an awesome group of girls. Who was your team on the blue team? Oh, gosh. I have to remember all of them. I can't remember all of them. But I had West Virginia.

Who's still your friend who might be listening. She might be. She knew you were doing that. Miss West Virginia knew that you were on still your friend who might be listening. She might be. She knew you were doing that. Miss West Virginia knew that you were on. She might be listening. She wrote me something really, actually, I think, pretty powerful about the sisterhood. And that was really our, California was one of the girls. I mean, we had, gosh, who were all, Utah.

There were, now I'm forgetting. I mean, there were girls that were still in Utah. There were, now I'm forgetting. I mean, there were girls that were still in college. So they were actually studying on the boat. They had tutors. So they were off and doing things. I wasn't in college. I should have been working. It would have been nice to make a check, but I wasn't.

And yeah yeah so we were on there it was awesome it was really fun and the relationships are very it's just like you would feel in pi pi five yeah there are girls that you're gonna vibe with yeah they're girls you're not gonna vibe with and that doesn't mean you don't like them it's, we're not. It's just not similar spirits. I mean, pie-file, let's say. We all love each other. But no, but it's not as similar. Yeah, totally.

Yeah, sister bond. And West Virginia, Kayla, one of the greatest people. Where in West Virginia is she from? Oh, gosh, why are you asking? I mean, I love West Virginia. It's like one of my favorite places. I don't know her town. Oh, Kayla, Why are you asking? I mean, I love West Virginia. It's like one of my favorite places. I don't know her town. Oh, Kayla, I'm sorry.

Kayla, I'm sorry, too. That's how most people feel about West Virginia. But I know I have some listeners in West Virginia. So I'm just going to say we love you, West Virginia. Sorry, we do. I love my girl. One of my greatest friends is Miss Vermont. She won talent the night I won swimsuit, but we had just bonded immediately.

What was her talent? She sang God Bless America because they actually took her. Her talent didn't get approved, meaning the song couldn't be played on TV. Because it was God Bless America? No, no, no, no. The track couldn't be. And so then she did God Bless America acapella in one, and then I married the, my sister-in-law was DC, and I married her husband's brother. But they weren't married yet, so tell us that. No, she introduced us. That was so fast. Let's

start at the beginning of how you met Paul. That was interesting. So, okay, so Miss DC became one of your friends but did she was she dating Paul's brother at the time she was and she'd been dating him for I want to say for a couple of years I believe yeah okay so you met Miss DC were you guys on the cruise ship together the Kate Marie was on that ship with me yeah yeah okay and so were you on was she on blue team or no no she was not on my team. But we all did things together. Okay, so then Kate, and then she was in D.C., and then how did you meet Paul? Did she introduce you after the thing? No, so Steve, my brother-in-law and her husband now, Steve, he lived in New York,

and he lived with Paul at the time. And so she said, you've got to meet my boyfriend's brother. That was it. Well, I had been dating someone. Yes, but it was it. It was it. So you were dating someone. No, no, no, not when I met Paul.

No, actually, this is, if you want the juicy. So this guy wouldn't buy. I went to college with him, and really great guy. I am not. He's a good guy. But he didn't buy tickets to come to Miss America. And we were like, why? And he was financially stable, so it was fine.

That's why it's going on. And he was like, I can't. He had already broken up with me once. Yeah. He actually told me the juicy details you've already started down the path you gotta finish it he and this I actually should not laugh at this and I think a lot of women deal with this but or have to take this on and said I just I think you're doing things that are bigger than us, bigger than me, and I don't.

And that's respectable. That's totally, I mean, that's like a really good type of witness. Thank you for giving me that information, but it was after he wouldn't buy tickets to Miss America, which is also in itself completely fine, like not a big deal. Yes. But I thought, okay, well, that just doesn't feel, I always want someone to think that they are my partner to propel me.

I mean, Paul always wants to make me be better. And I'm sure your husband does as well. Yeah, yeah. Like, be better. Do these things. Like, do good. So we broke up. Then I met Paul.

And here you are. So what is it, 10 years? We've been married for 11, but we've been together for 15 now. Wow. Broke up. Then I met Paul. And here you are. So what is it, 10 years? 11 years? We've been married for 11, but we've been together for 15 now. Wow. And two kids. Two kids. Smith and Xander.

That's crazy. Smith is in my daughter's class. They're besties. I think mainly because he gives her food for lunch. It's true. You are a better packer of lunches than I am. Mom, you literally don't give any of the good snacks. No, Blaze told

Smith the other day, your mom didn't text my mom back. About a blade eight. And we laughed so hard. We couldn't stop laughing. And Paul, or not Xander or Paul,

Smith was like, Mom, you got to text her back. I might have said that. I know. I said we actually chatted. Exactly. So we got to get a play date scheduled. Okay, so let's get back to

I don't know if you want to take the crown out of the box and show the crown. Was this the Miss New York crown? Did you get one at Miss America? Did you guys have to wear crowns? Or do you wear your Miss New York crowns in evening dress competition? No, you didn't really wear them. Look how dark. My kids have taken this to show and tell.

And it's missing half the stones. But this is it. Yes. And I actually didn't know. So this stone goes in the front and there's no stone in the back it sits on your head better that way I guess I don't know we're wearing our fake tiaras right now guys I'm feeling great in an effort to uh just you know be a part of the Miss America craze right now yeah so that's that and then there is I actually did bring this in the box as well it's just um this is a preliminary one so you can see and then the Miss America one's a lot different too

so this one doesn't have the bottom base to it okay I. I mean, it looks ridiculous. It's missing half of its stuff because my kids have played with it, but yeah. That's so cool. And you have your sash as well. Sash as well. You don't have to pull it out unless you'd like to. I mean, it's very, well, I will pull it out

because I am proud of how dirty it is. This is how much I, my kids have not played with this. It's stayed in the box. But it's how dirty it got while I was. Oh my gosh, that's so beautiful. Miss New York though, but it just is so dirty and it got dirty because I was traipsing around town

doing work in it. Yeah, riding the subway. I know. I put that in the bag when I got on the train. For anyone who's not watching the show live with video, it's a Miss America sash that is Miss New York, I mean. It has Class of 2008 on the top. It does, yes.

And then it's all bedazzled. Very gorgeous. I would have loved to see you on the subway wearing it. I never wore it on the train. And as we are starting to wrap up a little bit, can you talk to us about, you had said about this feeling average in high school and then going on to do something extraordinary.

I mean, what's some advice that you have and that you think others took away from being in Miss America pageant? I'm not totally confident I did anything extraordinary. I think I worked to meet a goal that I had wanted to achieve. I do believe one thing that we can tell kids is to constantly, and it sounds so silly to say out loud, but to believe in who they are

because we try to mold our kids often into what we want them to be or what they think they should be, what they can be, but the directive really comes from them. And then encouraging them in that path forward. Some things, I mean, my oldest, my nine-year-old loves baseball. I don't know anything about baseball, but I've learned it. And I will cheer him on every day at the ball field.

If he decides he doesn't love it, we'll find something else he does. I just believe encouraging them on that path. And I encourage, you know, the Lisa Smiths of the world. My mom, I never saw her stand up like this ever, ever, ever to anyone. She is the nicest, the most warm human being. But when that college counselor told me I couldn't get into the University of Virginia my mom said we're done thank you so much for your time I'd gone to that school for almost seven years yeah and she said thank you so much for your time she was very polite and walked out and she

knew we like it could it could happen yeah so I just think just believing in our kids at the end of the day. And we will all feel average. This is a long answer, but we will all feel average at times. And we will be average at things. There are things that we're going to be average. I was below average at my one pageant I walked into. I know. I mean, we're all going to be average at some things. Yes.

We have to find our strengths. For sure. Encourage your kids at their strengths, but also encourage them in being average. Yeah. So I would say that would be it. I mean, I would say one of the things that I appreciated the most during this whole process was meeting people I would never have met before and then getting encouraged to do something that they were pursuing I ran a couple of marathons pregnant with my kids but it was because these people were

doing it that were blind and that I got to chat with and that were blind and have someone that runs with them like oh my oh my gosh what what's my excuse yeah I think it's that every day all day it's just saying to your kids and you don't have to win it yeah I I just I know that's like a diatribe and I think it's because my kids are nine and five and I'm like how do we like get through this but but I think that's all I mean that's great and that's applicable to even if you don't have children and even if you are just struggling with yourself about, am I average, or what can I accomplish to be a better version of myself?

And I think another question is right now there's obviously a lot of stigma with things that are womanhood in nature, right? And I think Miss America is just so inspiring. These women work hard they have to be articulate they have to have a talent they have to have a like they have to have a look good you know I mean like presentable and that that takes effort and a lot of hard work but it's presenting you like that's like any job interview you need to look presentable you need to speak well you need to be articulate and educated right speak you know your mind well

speaking your mind is debatable when it comes to your job, but should be able to speak your mind on your job, but, like, what do you want to tell people and say, I'm for Miss America, and I feel like there's a lot of things that have not been for Miss America, but, like, what would you tell people that I talked to my parents last night and I truly believe it was it just was really informative because I said okay it was scholarship I got to go back to school you know at Parsons School of Design I went to UVA paid for a lot of that schooling what do you though think you paid for a lot of these clothes what was beneficial out of this what what did like you change you you got it like you figured it out yeah and that's the Miss America organization one of the Miss Miss West Virginia said it's a people community it's not

about you compete on stage she said for four minutes and then 10 minutes in an interview. What you gain out of, I mean, you gain a ton out of the preparation for that, but what gets you there? It's the preparation and how do you leave? And that I believe was, it's the greatest, greatest thing you can get out of the Miss America organization. You don't have to win. Now, do you want to? Yeah. So yeah, of course you do. And don't go thinking you're not going to, but don't, you gotta, you gotta take that community out with you and the people that you love with you. I mean, I'm leaving for, I shouldn't make this longer, but I'm leaving for California tomorrow,

where we live for seven years, and there was a girl in Miss New York, we're off, but in Miss New York, or two people from Miss New York organization that I love that are in their 60s, and they're going to be out there, they're out there. I get to see them and go to a fundraiser with them. And that's the community that you gain with Miss America organization.

And we have about four minutes. We got our four-minute warning from Judah over here. Yeah, we can finish it, tie a bow around it. I think there's just so much to learn from this. I mean, you followed your dreams, and you stuck with it, and you had determination, and you were in a harder competition to be a part of than the Superbowl, which is just so impressive. And, um, I think also you have, you know, Olympic athletes, you have people that are working corporate athletes, right. And how hard people have to work to just show up and be successful at their jobs

every day. And this is what you just stuck with something. You made a goal and you made it a reality. And yeah, it sounds like your mom lit a little fire under your tush, but that was definitely accurate. Yeah. And it's, and so I think, you know,

what are yours? What is, um, just to finish the show, since we only have a minute left, tell us, um, what's next for you.

You're a great mom, and I know you're focusing on that. You're very kind. I work a lot with the school at St. Ann's Bellfield. Thank you. And I love the community there. But I am going to go back to work. I worked while I was in California. We did just relocate here about 18 months ago, and I'm excited to go back to work. I worked while I was in California and we did just relocate here about 18

months ago and I'm excited to get back to work. I do signage and event planning and I'm going to get back into that. Yes. You know, sometimes it takes a little bit to just get back into the group of things, especially moving somewhere now. Perfect. Yeah.

Well, that's exciting. Well, thank you so much. Lee Taylor, Sig Fison. Perfect. Yeah. Well, that's exciting. Well, thank you so much, Lee Taylor Sigfusson. You got it. For joining us and telling us that, hey, it's okay to be average at some things and you're going to figure out what you're extraordinary at in other things.

So we really appreciate you coming on. Love you, mean it. Friends, thanks for watching. As always, write me a message if there's a topic you'd like to hear, if you'd like to come on the show, and I'd love to have you. Thank you. Thank you for joining me. Thanks for having me.

Yeah. Do we wear these to pick up? Thank you.