Junior Miss | Pageant [updated]
The bestselling book that transformed over a million businesses is bigger and better than ever
In 2017, Dave Ramsey called Building a StoryBrand the most effective framework for cutting through digital noise. Today, that noise is louder than ever, making the power of story more crucial than ever.
The proof? Over 1 million copies sold and global brands like TREK, TOMS, and The Economist using it to drive growth. Storytelling captures attention, transforms customers’ lives, and fuels business growth.
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The audience was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers. When they announced the winner—a talented dancer named Sarah—Maya felt a tiny pinch of disappointment. But then something surprising happened. The head judge walked to the microphone.
In the cheerful town of Willow Creek, eleven-year-old Maya was known for two things: her dazzling smile and her crippling fear of public speaking. So when her best friend, Chloe, begged her to enter the annual “Miss Willow Creek Junior” pageant, Maya felt her stomach flip.
Backstage, Maya saw the other girls in designer dresses and sparkling sneakers. Her outfit was a simple blue sweater and jeans she’d worn to a school picnic. “I look boring,” she whispered. Just then, a younger contestant named Lily tripped and spilled juice on her own fancy dress. Lily began to cry. While others panicked, Maya quietly handed Lily her own clean sweater. “Here, wear this. Blue is your color.” Lily smiled, and a judge nearby witnessed the small act of kindness. Helpful takeaway: The most memorable outfit you can wear is kindness. Pageants aren’t about who has the most sequins; they’re about who has the most heart.
The pageant had four parts: “Introduction,” “Talent,” “Casual Wear,” and “Community Spirit.” Maya quickly realized that the glittering crown on the poster wasn’t the real prize. The real challenge was much harder: believing in herself. 1. The Introduction (Finding Your Voice) For the introduction, each girl had to say her name, a hobby, and a dream. Maya’s dream was to become a marine biologist. But when she practiced in the mirror, her voice came out as a squeak. “What if I forget the words?” she worried. Her mom knelt beside her. “Then you say, ‘Excuse me, I’m a little nervous,’ and keep going. The audience isn’t a monster, Maya. They’re just people who want to see you shine.” Helpful takeaway: Nervousness is not a weakness. It’s a sign that you care. The key is to breathe, pause, and continue.
Maya walked up, not for a crown of rhinestones, but for a small wooden trophy shaped like an oak tree. The judge whispered, “That idea for the Brave Voices Club? The mayor wants to help you start it next month.”
The final category was a surprise question: “If you could give one gift to Willow Creek, what would it be?” Other girls answered: “A new park!” “More ice cream shops!” “A bigger mall!” When it was Maya’s turn, she thought of her fear of speaking and how many kids must feel the same. She took a breath and said, “I’d give Willow Creek a ‘Brave Voices Club’—a free workshop where kids can practice public speaking without being judged. Because every great idea in the world starts with someone brave enough to say it out loud.”
“By using the StoryBrand technique, we’ve been able to increase our extra product sales by about 12.5% just in the last few months.”
“I’ve won over $200k of contracts with the StoryBrand Framework.”
“Our [church] building campaign wasn’t going so great. About a year in, we restarted the campaign using the StoryBrand framework, did 3 big end of year giving days, and brought in about $2mm over projected needs to finish out the project.”
“This book landed me my first $1,600 client. It taught me how to tell my story in a way that got clients to engage with me.”
“We had a lot of internal messaging issues to work through and the StoryBrand framework was EXACTLY what we needed! We wrote our scripts about six months ago and just launched a brand new website on Monday. The impact has been IMMEDIATE! We are so thankful!”
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Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He is the author of multiple best-selling books such as How to Grow Your Small Business, Marketing Made Simple, and Building a StoryBrand.
He’s consulted with thousands of companies to help them clarify their messaging and grow their businesses, including some of the world’s top brands like TOMS Shoes, TREK Bicycles, and Tempur Sealy.
Companies all over the world now use the StoryBrand Framework to create better websites, elevator pitches and marketing collateral.
The audience was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers. When they announced the winner—a talented dancer named Sarah—Maya felt a tiny pinch of disappointment. But then something surprising happened. The head judge walked to the microphone.
In the cheerful town of Willow Creek, eleven-year-old Maya was known for two things: her dazzling smile and her crippling fear of public speaking. So when her best friend, Chloe, begged her to enter the annual “Miss Willow Creek Junior” pageant, Maya felt her stomach flip. junior miss pageant
Backstage, Maya saw the other girls in designer dresses and sparkling sneakers. Her outfit was a simple blue sweater and jeans she’d worn to a school picnic. “I look boring,” she whispered. Just then, a younger contestant named Lily tripped and spilled juice on her own fancy dress. Lily began to cry. While others panicked, Maya quietly handed Lily her own clean sweater. “Here, wear this. Blue is your color.” Lily smiled, and a judge nearby witnessed the small act of kindness. Helpful takeaway: The most memorable outfit you can wear is kindness. Pageants aren’t about who has the most sequins; they’re about who has the most heart. The audience was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers
The pageant had four parts: “Introduction,” “Talent,” “Casual Wear,” and “Community Spirit.” Maya quickly realized that the glittering crown on the poster wasn’t the real prize. The real challenge was much harder: believing in herself. 1. The Introduction (Finding Your Voice) For the introduction, each girl had to say her name, a hobby, and a dream. Maya’s dream was to become a marine biologist. But when she practiced in the mirror, her voice came out as a squeak. “What if I forget the words?” she worried. Her mom knelt beside her. “Then you say, ‘Excuse me, I’m a little nervous,’ and keep going. The audience isn’t a monster, Maya. They’re just people who want to see you shine.” Helpful takeaway: Nervousness is not a weakness. It’s a sign that you care. The key is to breathe, pause, and continue. The head judge walked to the microphone
Maya walked up, not for a crown of rhinestones, but for a small wooden trophy shaped like an oak tree. The judge whispered, “That idea for the Brave Voices Club? The mayor wants to help you start it next month.”
The final category was a surprise question: “If you could give one gift to Willow Creek, what would it be?” Other girls answered: “A new park!” “More ice cream shops!” “A bigger mall!” When it was Maya’s turn, she thought of her fear of speaking and how many kids must feel the same. She took a breath and said, “I’d give Willow Creek a ‘Brave Voices Club’—a free workshop where kids can practice public speaking without being judged. Because every great idea in the world starts with someone brave enough to say it out loud.”
