Family dynamics:
Single mother of 3 adult children, 26-year-old son Justin and 20-year-old twins Jayona and Joshua, and two dogs Biscuit and Bruno
Hobbies/Pastimes:
All things pageant, fashion, and beauty.
Business/Talent?
I am the CEO and event planner for Royal Productions and Events by NM. We produce an array of national and international beauty pageants. Where are you from? I’m a Florida native. I’m originally from St. Petersburg, I was raised in Panama City, and now my home is Tallahassee, FL.
What are you passionate about? What’s the driving force behind it?
My passion is to advocate for the voiceless. I feel the driving force is that for so many years, I thought that I couldn’t advocate for myself. Now that I have a new outlook on life, I will do anything in my power to give others the confidence to speak up for themselves.
What’s your skill set?
My skill set is the gift of gab. My background is in sales and marketing, and the skills I have from that background are honestly a natural part of my personality. I also enjoy being a resource for everyone but mostly women and mothers. No matter if it is assisting in improving women’s health or the best moisturizer, I am the woman that will not lead you wrong. I have a heart for the people, and I’m susceptible to the physical and the mental needs of women.
What set you apart from others in your same field?
I would say what sets our organization apart from the others is our culture. It is essential that everyone is included and feels welcomed during our foundation events, which are our pageants. We do not tolerate mean girls, and even a part of our overall score is pageantitude, which is your attitude virtually before the pageant and in person during pageant week. We encourage all the contestants and reigning queens to get to know each other by name, platform, and state.
Another thing that sets us apart is we don’t use a lot of the terminology that other pageants use. We don’t say “delegates”; we prefer to use contestants; it sounds more modern and up-to date. We have fun and more modern optional competitions, and we step out of the box, old school pageantry. We also removed risers for the stage, and we have implemented a runway to have more of an authentic fashion show feel. I love pageantry, but I feel things have become much more modern since I was competing. We often change and add our areas of competition and concepts. Just because you have always done something one way doesn’t mean they must stay that way. We understand that most women have never competed in pageants. It’s a dream that we love making come true, and even if you have competed before, Royal Productions Pageants will be a different experience than others, and we pride ourselves on that. What’s your purpose in life? My purpose in life is to empower women truly. Most women have no idea just how powerful they are. I feel like most women feel like their value is based on if they are accepted and valued by a man. I was once guilty of it too. I am a heterosexual woman, and I consider myself a powerful and talented woman. It still takes daily redirecting not to become consumed with the desire of wanting to be chosen by a man. I have made it my mission to remind women that they are relevant at this moment.
If you could choose any career in the world, would you still prefer the career or talent you have?
If I could choose one career in the world, it would be to be an investor. I would love to allow new inventors to show their gifts and talents, and I would be able to invest in their business or product. I love to see the glimmer of hope in their eyes and desire to have the opportunity to have someone invest in them.
What would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self, “You are smart, resilient, and brave, and you can just be you without thinking that you need anyone else to complete you. You, my dear Natasha Monique, need to focus on yourself and put all the energy you are willing to give to others back into yourself.”
Knowing what you know now, would you change anything in your past?
If I could change anything after knowing what I know now, it would be agreeing to get married directly after high school. I missed out on so much of my life as a young woman. I feel like I have made an impact in the world, but as a young woman, the lines were blurred about the importance of knowing yourself as a woman and being considered complete if you are a wife. All of my goals and aspirations were put away, and I was taught to focus on my husband to make him better. If I could change that, I would.
Who are your role models?
My first role model is my mother, Blannie Mamie King. She has the strength of 100 oxen but is still as soft and dainty as a butterfly. My mother’s resilience is unmatched. I have mimicked her work habits and generous heart in recent years, which has moved me to the next level mentally; I pray that God gives my mother all her heart desires because she deserves it all. I also see Oprah as a role model not only because of her fame but because she started from the bottom, and she is now one of the most wealthy and inspiring women in the world.
What would you say to those that are starting in your field?
I would tell anyone looking to start in the pageantry industry to make sure they are well-versed to be prepared to do it all on their own, and if people show up and help, be thankful. Also, be ready to have the pageant no matter what. I have had our pageants after a category five hurricane flattened the city where I lived and where the pageant was supposed to take place the day before, I have had the pageant in the middle of the pandemic, I have had the pageant during a divorce, and I have had the pageant after losing a sister and very close friends in death. Although most people understand, you still need to be sure to put on a quality event no matter what personal issues you are facing. I would tell them to be prepared to be spread thin and expected to make everyone happy, which sounds impossible, but you have to have thick skin to be in this industry and be okay with people being upset. Owning pageants is so much more than meets the eye. But I am honored each time I can highlight women who are making a difference in their community, no matter if it’s their physical community or virtually. I am very blessed to have the best staff in the pageant industry.
What is your favorite quote? Explain?
Don’t be afraid to start over again; this time, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. This is my favorite quote because when I made my first life-changing decision when I was 17, I had no standards, and how my life ended up showed. Now that I have had the opportunity to see others and experience other situations, I can see that I settled for less than the bare minimum for far too long. Still, I am very proud of myself for remembering that I am valuable and I deserve much more than I was tolerating.
If you could leave a lasting impression, what would that look like?
My lasting impression would be sitting down with a group of homeless and less fortunate women and encouraging them that the life they are currently experiencing is temporary and that better days are coming. I would bring lunchboxes with a sandwich, chips, and lemonade, and I would leave them with a bag of unique soaps and lotions and $100 gift cards to Walmart so they can get other things they need. I love to share and give.
If you are interested in competing in any of our pageants:
American Beauties National (sizes 0-10)
American Beauties Plus (sizes 12 and up)
National Sorority Pageant (all sororities and Order of Eastern Star)
America’s Select Veteran (all branches of the military)
American Beauties Elite Educator (all certified educators)
Majestic Majesty Pageant (ages 0-17)
Royal Productions Prevailing Queens (pageant from previous queens of all Royal Productions pageants)
Classic Beauties International (virtual international pageant)
Natasha Monique
CEO Royal Productions and Events by NM
thenatashamonique@gmail.com
PO Box 16184
Tallahassee, FL 32417
Leave a Comment