Grace Lynn Keller is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism and mass communications. Grace is currently the crown holder for Miss Iowa USA 2023. She is also the Vice President of a media, marketing, and production company where she helps clients from around the world find their voice, tell their stories, and develop their brand. Her company, Executive Podcast Solutions, produces and oversees over 50 podcasts, YouTube shows, and Social Media and influencer marketing campaigns around the world. Grace is also a huge bookworm and traces her desire to study journalism and her success in the business world back to discovering her love of literature at a young age. This led to the creation of her platform, Read To Succeed. To date, she's traveled over 30,000 miles and worked with over 5,000 students across multiple states, presenting literacy programming for kids in rural and low-income communities. Her goal is to inspire students to understand the importance of strong literacy skills and how to use those skills as a springboard to discover their own passions and purposes.
It was great to sit down with Miss Iowa USA 2023, Grace Lynn Keller. Grace had some great stories about her time as a student and advice for listeners and young women looking to follow in her footsteps. If you would like to reach out to Grace be sure to find her on her social media platforms @missiowausa and @gracelynnkeller.
Some notes from the show:
02:00 Grace's time at Iowa
05:25 Start in pageantry competitions
09:00 Miss America vs Miss USA competitions
13:18 Breakdown of pageantry competitions
19:50 What it means to have a public image
23:55 Importance of being vulnerable and being yourself
26:00 Advice for younger women looking to go into pageantry
30:00 Representing Iowa's values and culture
32:45 2023 Miss USA competition
40:00 Read to Succeed Initiative
Books Grace recommends:
Confidence Code by Katty Kay
The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Anything Hemingway! (the best suggestion so far!)
Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast and visit our website www.hawktalkspodcast.com
Thanks for listening!