The Hutch Podcast

Miss Iowa USA 2023 Grace Lynn Keller

Episode Summary

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.

Episode Notes

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!