The Founder’s Journey

Tell me about Anthony before pageantry. Anthony Aka Twiin before pageantry... hmmm 🤔 well, I was a baby still, early 20s. I was a part of a nonprofit youth organization who introduced me to Continental when Kalil was reigning. I think outside of that, I just worked in restaurants and was hitting the pier. What first attracted you to the pageant world? The Beauty, The Grace, The Talent, The Pace! I was backstaging for a Continental Prelim—y’all know how fast that is—and it was in NYC at the tiny, lol, Legendary Stonewall. When did you realize pageantry was becoming more than a hobby? I think that pageantry will always be a hobby of mine. The biggest thing for me now is serving my community that serves my community. Why did you start Let’s Talk Pageants in 2017? I started Let’s Talk Pageants because at the time we were in a messenger group talking about Continental. When it ended, the joy of everyone was still there, and people were posting throughout the year about other pageants. Facebook Groups was a new thing back then, and because there were almost 200 people in that chat, I decided to create the group for us to share moments of pageants in real time with those of us who couldn't be there. What problem were you trying to solve? I wasn’t trying to solve anything at the time, but maybe just being able to share pageants in real time. Where did the name “Let’s Talk Pageants” come from? "Let’s Talk Pageants" came right off the dome, as that was exactly what we were doing in the group! What was your first interview or big break? Kyle Haggerty’s Crowning Concepts was our very first interview and series!!!! What has been your proudest LTP moment so far? My proudest moment thus far is hosting The People's Choice Awards. What has been the biggest challenge? The biggest challenge during this journey has been the support. How has LTP changed you as a person? How has Let’s Talk Pageants changed me? Ummm, I’ve gained a lot of friends from this community. Idk if that’s the right answer to say, but I’m sticking to it, lol! What does leadership mean to you? Leadership to me is someone that can guide others and learn along the way. What do you hope someone says about LTP 25 years from now? 25 years from now, I want the people to say, "Yo, you remember when..."