21 minute read
WOMAN WHO INSPIRES
YOU ARE ENOUGH.BETH ESPADA
BY NICOLE HEROUX PHOTOS WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIOBY BOB SCHULTZ & SANDY ARENA
Tell us about yourself and your background.ings
My name is Beth Espada and I am the Pageant Director of Eagle Wings Pageantry. I am also a mother of six, blessed through adoption, so I am constantly on the go, wearing many hats each day. By day, I run an apartment complex with 225 units in Fairport NY and help facilitate my youngest three children’s education.
This involves advocating for special needs accommodations and special education programs and services. By night, I am diligently working on my 501C(3) Eagle Wings Pageantry, a program based solely on donations and fees. From ordering prizes and booking special guests, to sharing my system with the local community, there is always something to do. Because there wasn’t enough on my plate, I recently acquired my real estate license for both residential and commercial properties, furthering my education in the housing industry. With 10+ years of experience in property management and 25+ years in customer service, I have learned the art of marketing and selling while appealing to my customers wants and needs.
This is a business strategy implemented into my new role as pageant director and community service advocate. Marketing my vision, the platforms I serve and the pageant community to newcomers is a top priority into building my brand and reputation.
What made you decide to create Eagle Wings Pageantry?
When my son Eagle died, I couldn’t function, I even lost my memory of those next 6 months, and most of my identity. I couldn’t function besides the day-to-day monotony of work, chores, and parenting. Unable to feel joy, I needed to grieve and wanted to put my brokenness into something for my son. I toggled with charity ideas and names and ultimately designed Eagle Wings Pageantry hoping and praying for its success. During the process of developing my program, I began to find myself again and gained direction and a clear-cut mission of purpose. I felt alone in my grief, feeling no one was
hurting like I was, like everyone moved on but I couldn’t. I needed the world to remember my son, to know his story and to honor him and his legacy. Losing my faith in God and not understanding why my son had to be taken from me, I was unable to move past the feelings of emptiness and betrayal from God. I turned my back on my core beliefs and needed a new sense of hope and spirituality. Eagle Wings Pageantry would provide that and was created to heal.
What is the mission behind Eagle Wings?
The mission is constantly evolving and growing as time goes on. My goal is to raise money, awareness and to promote positive pageantry. On January 21st, 2018, my 3 daughters participated in their first beauty pageant. This non-competitive program opened our eyes to the pageant community, a whole new world to us. From there my daughters participated in 30-40 pageants meeting many new friends and gaining experience and lasting memories. Each pageant system was unique from one another, from the director’s efforts to the format and prize packages. We did not care for every system we tried and found our niche under the systems that welcomed us like family. One thing we found missing from many of the systems we participated in was positive pageantry. The emphasis on competition overshadowed the parts of the pageant that we enjoyed the most including encouragement, kindness, and respect.
I decided to create my idea of the perfect pageant by focusing on the three principles of pageantry PRIDE, POISE and PRESENTATION. My mission is to host an event that is so much more than a beauty pageant. Working daily to develop my event so all may enjoy and remember. I welcome participants of all ages, sizes, and abilities. From experienced pageant queens to special needs children and plus size men and women, they all are welcome and encouraged to participate. Our day is packed with entertainment in addition to the pageant. I want to entertain my audience by giving them a themed day of remembrance and joy. Eagle Wings Pageantry’s goal is to raise money for a scholarship in Eagle’s name through Dollars for Scholars. Spreading awareness about organ donation, mental health and substance abuse are equally at the
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What, in your opinion, is the most important quality of your business and the services you provide?
The most important quality of my business is positivity. If anything, I want to be remembered for, it would be that my pageant was a positive experience for all. I want everyone to feel like a winner and take from it the three principles of pageantry PRIDE, POISE and PRESENTATION. Take pride in all you do, applying yourself to be the best version of yourself you can be. Wake up each day thankful and ready to seize the new day, full force with drive and determination. How can you make someone feel good today, including yourself? Use poise as a tool in your arsenal. Knowing you have flaws and imperfections should not stop you from staying on a steady path to a balanced life. Presentation is the most important because anyone can seize the knowledge and discipline to present themselves.
Who brings your inspiration in all that you do?
It wouldn’t be fair to name only one person who drives the inspiration in all I do. I am inspired by so many and soak in the traits of others like the sun absorbs water on a hot day. To name one person it would have to be myself. I am the only one who can truly inspire who I am and what I do. Having a love hate relationship with myself and being my own worst critic, I have to overcome myself to inspire myself. I can easily be nothing, do nothing surviving without a purpose. I have days where that is exactly what I do. Those days while flipping from side to side upon my pillow, I have to forgive myself and know that I am human, bringing many imperfections to light knowing I can always try harder tomorrow. I inspire myself to be a better manager, mother, wife, director and overall person. The inspiration can come from a core memory, something I see or hear or just a desire to do better.
What are your top three priorities in business and personally?
My top three priorities are having a feeling of accomplishment, caring for my family, and having a few moments to myself each day.
Feeling accomplished is something I strive to achieve daily. I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing I completed a task to the best of my ability. This can range from work related items to organizing a closet or collecting the kids iPhones at 8pm, the feelings are the same for all. Setting small goals that can easily be achieved helps me on a path to larger scale items and projects. My end goal is to have a feeling of accomplishment to soothe my soul.
Within my goals, my priority is my family’s wellbeing, happiness, and financial stability. After losing a child, the fear and anxiety regarding the fragility of life is always front and center. Worrying that a simple bicycle ride could turn to tragedy, or a car ride could be deadly, is a paralyzing fear that has not subsided. Prioritizing family stability is a critical part of my day.
Lastly, I always take time for myself daily. It could be a few minutes sitting on my swing or watching Friends on Nick at Nite. I need those moments of clarity to process everything and to create an action plan for tomorrow. Spending time with myself is one of the best parts of my day that I cherish and look forward to.
How do you balance being a female entrepreneur and your family life, especially being a property manager, new real estate agent, and the pageant?
I think all moms are used to balancing things so it is something I am already accustomed to. I have always been extremely resourceful using my surroundings to “make things work” and continue to do so under the many hats that I wear. Multitasking is something that I am very successful at. I could be preparing a lease for a resident while making notes about the pageant and sending an email to a teacher. Being a true advocate for the post-it, I often must scribble a note to have something to refer to throughout my day. It is always fun deciphering the one word clues I left behind, oftentimes raising one eyebrow while thinking intently about what I could have meant. I also have great assistants in my life that I task with things to do for me. My husband of 25 years is great at picking up the kids from their endless parade of activities. He will start dinner and with a friendly text reminder from me, see that everyone turned in their electronics, showered, brushed their teeth, and did their homework. In a constant sea of crashing waves, he helps keep me afloat. The same can be said for my sister and coworkers. I may be the ringleader, but this is not a one man show.
“What is your ‘why? ‘” Why do you do what you do
My why is simply a desire to be successful. Driven by determination, I hold myself to the highest standards. I want to lay my head down at night knowing I had a successful day but falling asleep is always a difficult task. With a continuous stream of things to do compiling in my mind, I must listen to Pachelbel or Thunder and Lightning sounds to try to achieve the sleep I constantly long for. Success to me lies in my ability to master so many moving parts, which makes it not always easy to measure my success. This pageant is one way I can truly feel the success I covet, because my passion lies in my pageant system by building my brand, gaining new contacts, and spreading awareness.
. As a new director, being given a chance to prove myself, while having my son’s legacy live on is my true why!
So in addition to creating the pageant system, you have recently become a real estate agent. What made you decide to pursue that?
I have been at my current job as a Property Manager for almost 10 years and love so many aspects of my position. I truly love the positive interactions with my residents and helping people find a home that suits their needs. Though apartment living is not always permanent it is important to me, for folks to feel comfortable with my property and their home while they reside here. I enjoy meeting new people, showing them the property, speaking of our amenities and talking about Fairport in general. I felt pursuing my real estate license would be the next step in my career. Taking the classes in the evening was enjoyable and my daughters and husband were very encouraging. They would bring me cold drinks and snacks while I was nestled in on the couch. I am interested in residential real estate but am also interested in commercial real estate. My future goal is to do real estate full-time, allowing me to use the best parts of my current job while enjoying a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home.
What has been your biggest challenge to overcome?
The biggest challenge I have had to overcome is my fear of failure. I often worry about how I am perceived by others. I worry that I am not enough or am “too much” at times. I have an overwhelming need to be successful and I always want to present myself in the best way possible. The pageant community is small where everyone knows each other, so if you fail or succeed it will be known very quickly. Pageantry can be a beautiful experience but can also be very competitive. I know that I have an uphill battle to prove my system to be worthy and acceptable in the pageant community. The uniqueness of each pageant system has been fun to see and watch my daughters participate in. One of the challenges I faced was to design a system of my own ideas, not copying other directors. I know I am not a big system, but I am happy with the challenges I have overcome in the introduction of Eagle Wings Pageantry to the pageant community.
Mental health is a huge issue right now, especially after all that has happened in the world over the past few years. What is one important piece of information you would give to people struggling right now?
My son suffered from mental health and substance abuse issues since he was a young boy. He was bounced around from foster home to foster home wanting to be accepted and loved in a forever family. Coming to us at the age of 14 he had so many challenging behaviors and emotions. Eagle needed intensive therapy and support and began to thrive in our care with a lot of hard work as a cohesive family unit. Seeing him through his high school graduation, 1st job, 1st apartment, steady girlfriends and other milestones was very rewarding for us to see. Despite the stability and love he received, he still battled with mental health and substance abuse issues often drinking and feeling depressed. Eagle was living on his own and working but was unhappy without a girlfriend and didn’t have a lot of close friends to turn to for support. On that fateful night, Eagle was highly intoxicated and walked into oncoming traffic, being struck by a vehicle. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to be saved. A question in my mind lingers wondering if he intentionally walked into traffic to get hurt or did he do it because he was drunk and unaware. This is a haunting thought I live with every day. Mental Health is extremely neglected in our world, and I am a champion for change. Spreading awareness about mental health and the stigma associated with it is one of my focuses with Eagle Wings Pageantry. I often share posts regarding mental health awareness and acceptance. My advice to anyone suffering is to know that it is okay to not be okay. There is help available and support out there. I also encourage people to truly LISTEN when someone is speaking to you about their concerns. They may not need your advice or to solve their problem, they may just need a listening ear and to feel heard.
Tell us some of the things that you believe in and that have brought you to this point in your journey.
Struggling with my faith since the death of my son has been challenging and concerning. I don’t understand why my son had to be taken from me and at such a young age. I don’t understand so many things regarding the world we live in and the constant negative energy, horrific crimes and pure hate being spread. My faith has been challenged and shaken to the core however my beliefs in charity, kindness and spirituality remain intact. It is important to me to instill these values in my everyday life and in my children’s upbringing. There is such a “what is in it for me” culture where your value is determined by likes and followers instead of being valued for being a good person. Though it is important to market yourself and your business, stepping out of your beliefs for popularity is not something I would be willing to do. I believe in my vision, my platforms, and my overall message. I like helping others, volunteering, and making a difference. My belief in being a good
person has helped me with my struggle with religion since my son’s death.
What is something that noone knows about you?
This is the hardest question in this article I have had to answer. We are a very close family, and my husband and children know all of me. My sister Kate is my person, my confidant, my soul and knows EVERYTHING about me. We have been together forever and rely on each other for everything, including celebrating the milestones and crying on the let downs. We count on each other to be a constant support of unwavering love and commitment. There is no truer friendship in the world. Thinking there is something she does not know about me is unfathomable. We discuss everything from the smallest of issues to reviewing and deciphering our bloodwork, all while discussing future and ambitions. There is not a subject that is off-limits. I suppose the one thing she may not know is that I contemplated entering the Miss Spirit Pageant as a contestant for a few moments but quickly changed my mind knowing I would be a nervous wreck. I am better as a director or pageant Mom and am not sure I would walk the stage with confidence or grace. I think I will stick with behind-the-scenes pageantry.
If you had one piece of advice for a young entrepreneur, what would it be and why?
My advice to a young entrepreneur would be to create an action plan and timeline. Though it is fun living in the moment and being resourceful, organization can really assist in the long run. It is also okay to say No. That has been difficult for me, but it is important to know your limits. I have many things on my plate but to stay focused on my career, pageant, and family, I have to say no at times. I also think that having a vision or mission statement for your business is vital. It is imperative that people know what you are doing and why. Sharing these details can lead to a successful business. I am a big fan of taking risks and trying things out. Some ideas may be a hit and other ideas may flop. You will never know unless you try.
If you could pick one quote that describes you, or speaks to your vision, what would it be?
“Try and fail, but never fail to try” by Jared Leto sticks out to me and is a strong message. When I started Eagle Wings Pageantry, I had no idea on how it would go. I am a natural “Tom Boy” obsessed with sharks, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and I hate the color pink. What experience or business do I have running a beauty pageant? I knew I had to earn people’s trust and acceptance building my brand and my reputation. I tried and succeeded, instead of failing to try and am so pleased that I took the risk and look forward to continuing down this journey for my son.
Name one woman in history that has inspired you and why.
It is hard to name one woman in history since most of my inspiration has come from current women including JK Rowling, Lady GaGa, Zendaya and Michelle Obama. One woman from history that stood out to me was Madam CJ Walker. She made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women. The business she founded was named Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company. She became known also for her philanthropy and activism in New York. She made financial donations to numerous organizations and became a patron of the arts. Madam CJ Walker took many risks and they paid off to her great success.
Where can we see you next?
I plan to continue working on Eagle Wings Pageantry developing my program and sharing my son’s story. I love planning my annual pageant and advertise it as “so much more than a pageant.” I pack in a full day of entertainment and fun into the event. This year’s theme is “Do you believe in magic” a Harry Potter referenced day. Normally at 1-day pageants the participants do their events including formalwear, outfit of choice, swimwear, etc. Then the judges do the scores, and crowning is commenced. At Eagle Wings Pageantry there is Formal Wear, Fun Fashion, Two Optionals including Harry Potter Wear and Costume plus so much more. We have two guest speakers, a visit from the wizarding students of Enchanted Princess Parties of Rochester, a video visit from actors/actresses that starred in the Harry Potter/ Fantastic Beasts Franchise, Dance Performances, a Fantastic Beasts “Hot Topic” fashion show and a Live Magician Show with balloon animals that will be made for all the contestants. It is a full day of fundraising fun. All proceeds go to the Eagle Wings Pageantry Scholarship fund for community events and dollars for scholars. I have already planned the next two years themes and look forward to coming up with fun ideas to implement. I want the day to be enjoyed all and something people look forward to annually. I will crown 13 Queens, 1 King and 1 Judges Choice as the Eagle Wings Royalty. Those 15 will have the option to do community service from September 2022 to the 2023 pageant. They will also receive a new sash pin mailed to them each month and gifts too. Though not everyone will receive a title, I want everyone to walk away feeling like a winner and having enjoyed their day. Each contestant will receive a
goody bag filled with fun prizes, snacks, and merchandise. Every contestant will also receive a tiara for trying their very best. In addition to the pageant, I have developed other programs under Eagle Wings including:
Crowns Around Town
Providing crowning moments in our community. Eagle Wings Pageantry runs “Crowns Around Town” a wonderful program bringing joy and love to community members. This FREE program is done by nominations. Nominees are selected and brought an Eagle Wings Pageantry tote bag filled with some goodies and a crown. Giving someone a crown reminding them they are loved may be needed more than you know. This program is great for people fighting illness, grief or just to cheer someone up. Eagle Wings Pageantry. $24.00 annual subscription fee (includes monthly postage). Receive 12 sash pins in the mail (1 mailed per month).Receive important information regarding the sash pins and the platforms they represent. Each month will include a different pin. Start membership at anytime. Proudly display your pins on any pageant sash you have! Great gift for any pageant king or queen. Purchase this membership on our sales page.
Annual Silent Auction
August 15th 2022 - September 10th 2022 On August 15th, 2022 our silent auction will go LIVE. We work with 32 Auctions making our online platform user friendly. We are accepting donations of NEW items, gift cards and more to list on our auction website.
Donation Station
Helping Us, Help Others Donation Station is open by appointment only. Eagle Wings Pageantry accepts donations of clothing, shoes, household items, books and much more. EWP helps distribute items to various organizations in the community. We are happy to receive you drop offs, sort them, and find them a new home! (all items should be CLEAN) *receipts available upon request
Little Free Library
Sharing the love of reading We opened the Eagle Wings Pageantry little free library on July 23rd and are so excited to share our son’s joy of reading in our community. Our son loved reading fantasy novels and books about political conspiracies. Eagle loved discussing books with me and I miss that so much.
I hope readers will visit my website eaglewingspageantry.com to read more about Eagle Wings Pageantry.
