We recently connected with Abigail Fellows and have shared our conversation below.

Abigail, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I started watching Toddlers and Tiaras as a young child, and always loved pageantry. My mother always told me no. When I turned fifteen, I needed a new hobby, so I finally convinced her to let me start pageants. I met my coach in 2o16, when I was 16. During COVID in 2020, I moved in with my coach, who taught me her pedagogy. I knew that I wanted this career path. I have since garnered over twenty-five clients, in nine states.

Abigail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into pageants myself at 14 years old, when I was at an impasse in extracurricular activities. I loved watching pageant TV shows as a child, so it seemed like fate when I signed up for my first pageant. After living with my pageant coach during COVID, I learned her pedagogy. It was a natural progression for me to become a coach.

I coach babies through elders, in modeling stage events, interviews, public speaking, talents, and more. I help with wardrobe selection, resume writing, and anything the client may need. A lot of my job is also parent counseling.

I absolutely love what I do. Seeing girls and women come into their own while learning skills like confidence, poise, and speaking, is so rewarding. Being a small part of their large successes is wonderful. Our team is incredibly hands-on, mores than the average pageant coach. In the past year, I have traveled to many states to help my clients in person at their competitions.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Watching my clients succeed.
One of my first clients in Las Vegas, Bradleigh Santos, competed at Miss Elementary America, the leading children’s scholarship pageant, in 2023. As a kindergartener, she placed second runner up out of over 30 hardworking little girls. I felt so fulfilled watching her take command of a large stage and audience, and do exactly what she needed to do.

Recently, my client Ashlyn Hart won Miss Oregon Teen USA. This is a monumental title, and this was her first pageant ever. I got to coach her for Miss Teen USA, In Hollywood, CA., and it was a dream. Streaming on the CW, Ashlyn got to showcase her skills and my choreography on mainstream television, and being there in person was the most surreal and incredible experience.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I quickly learned after graduating from college, that being in love with what I do is much more important to me, than being monetarily stable ate this point in my life. After graduation, there was insane pressure to get into the workforce, make a lot of money, and do that forever. I have seen my friends get drained from working jobs they hate, and are already burning out in their mid-20s. I love coaching. It doesn’t keep me as comfortable as I would love, but I can get by and I am extremely fulfilled every single day. And to me, it’s worth it. I don’t have a ton of responsibilities yet (just my own apartment and cats), and this is truly my time to feel alive and love what I do, even if I can’t only live off of coaching forever.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @missabbyfellows
• Facebook: Abby Fellows
• Linkedin: Abigail Fellows

Image Credits

All credit to myself.