Sneakers, Sandals, Heels, Oh My!

I absolutely love wearing heels. Not only is it powerful, it makes me feel like a billion dollars. I created a workshop at the Index Art Center in Newark, NJ, to help women and young girls work on walking in heels. The fun twist to this workshop, we started in sneakers. Yes what heels workshop starts off that way? If you know of one, let me know. It was a great concept. Everyone brought their own mirror, to watch how they walk. Here's how I broke the workshop down.

Phase one

Regular street walk, notice what moves, what doesn't move. Do you slouch? Do you look at the floor? Does your hand twitch? Do you make a fist? Notice things about yourself in your comfortable shoes first.

Your Comfortable Runway, with provided instruction on how to work a runway in sneakers, (coming to my YouTube channel soon) notice how your hips move. Your shoulders. Your arms, Your head. Do you still have any similarities to your regular street walk?

Final Sneaker Showdown, taking tips from the first two walks, now it's time to work on your model walk. Muscle memory is a thing, by being able to perfect your model walk in your sneakers, will make walking in heels not feel uncomfortable.

Phase two

Working your way up to a higher heel, helps with your stability, ankle strength, foot placement, and muscle memory. Next phase, wearing a 3'' to 4'' sandal with a strap for your ankle. Apply all of the first walks to your sandals. You're up a level now! Air feels different you feel different. What feels different about your Sandal Street Walk? Do your hips move more? Is your head up? Shoulders back? Still making a fist with your hand? What about your Comfortable Runway? Notice if your shoulders move while you walk with more power. Do you feel more confident in your Final Sandal Showdown? Each time you practice with your heels on every walk should be even more powerful than the first.

Phase three

Take it higher! Time to wear your 5" heels or higher! Some of my favorite heels are by Chinese Laundry, and Johnathan Kanye. In higher heels take all of the experience from phases one and two, and implement it to your showdown walk. This is your pageant walk, or your runway walk. Notice how your hips move, remember your foot placement from the heel to the platform of the shoe. Are you hunched over or learning back?

If you follow my TikTok account, I show you how to properly walk in heels, a few turns and tricks, plus how to stretch in heels.

I was super proud of this workshop and the ladies that joined me. We had a great time, learned a lot about one another, and the positive energy in the room was so loud. Should I host another heel workshop?

Toot Toot. Ok!

A few weeks ago, I coached a client, Iliana Vega for a pageant. We rehearsed for 4 hours, making sure routines were spot on.

From facial expressions, to hand placements, to proper stage poses. I was sweating! At the pageant, she received Grand Supreme! When she wasn't called up for her age group, I knew that was good news.

The pageant was the Diamond Dollz Winter Winx pageant. Her mother made sure to read all of the pageant rules and guidelines to make sure Iliana's clothes and music was on point!

At the pageant, I like to watch the other contestants to see the competition. I can tell who is seasoned and who is green to pageantry. Pageants are really the best hobby/career in the world. Not only are you working on your confidence, you're working on your public speaking skills, and social skills. All of the contestants were super sweet and showed great sportsmanship.

Iliana left no crumbs... I think that's how they say it. The pageant was very successful and it ran smoothly. On to the next pageant!

Pageants are really magical. I am very proud of Iliana and all that she has accomplished. Her hard work, dedication, and discipline makes her a Queen. Keep on going Iliana!

#pageantcoach #client #pageantgirl #pageantsaremagical #pageantadvocate #competeinpageants

Paris holds the key to your heart

If you know where that song lyric is from we are friends.

We were only in Paris for a day, but it felt like a year. The smells, the people, the heels, the noises, the men! I'll stop. But I was ready to move and never look back. The cola was so fresh. The Eiffel Tower is so damn cool. I didn't go into the Louvre but I will when I go back.

For lunch we stopped at a really cute spot, called Cafe di Roma, ate outside, and had plenty of coloring paper for the kids.

I ordered a salad, this salad was so good. I wanted three more. It was so healthy and filling at the same time. I never had a salad where I ended up that happy.

I fell in love with how everyone was dressed. The women and their heels... what I've been saying all along I've finally saw it for myself. It felt right being in Paris.

I bought coffee in front of the Norte Dame, that was the best coffee EVER. Call me biased for being in France, but it was amazing. All of the bridges have stairways down to the water, it was cool to people watch in Paris. It doesn't feel like New York. It's a better feeling.

Photos of The Eiffel Tower do not do it justice. You must go and see it for yourself. I wasn't able to see it sparkle at night due to the stricking events but being able to sit on the grass, and to see my future on this side of the world was sparkling enough.

I really appreciated that most of the food carts, and restaurants had gluten free options readily available, and no one made a face or judged when I said I couldn't have a certain food. I felt welcomed everywhere we went.

Our time was short in Paris, I really could have spent an entire week there, c'est La vie. I saw a few Instagram post recently that mentioned Paris being a dead city to party and have fun.... I beg to differ. This is the ultimate 30 and up city. Drinking wine at noon, and lounging by a bridge with bread and more wine, is the ultimate party. Plus! Everyone wore heels.