We were lucky to catch up with Jena Sims recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Thank you for having me! When I created the Pageant of Hope in 2005, I had just won my first pageant title. I was also working with kids facing challenges and terminal illnesses at the time. I knew that the confidence and skills I gained from competing had to be passed on, so I created the most inclusive pageant in the world- where every participant leaves a winner, celebrating the importance of inner beauty and self esteem.
Jena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have several irons in the fire. My background is in modeling. That led me to compete in pageants, which ultimately led me to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting for all of my twenties. I am a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild, and have worked with Morgan Freeman and numerous other award winning actors. After a successful stint in Hollywood, I met my now-husband on Instagram (lol! Another story for another time!) I moved to South Florida to start our life together. I’m also an influencer, which allows me to work from my phone creating ads for companies while I travel and support my husband who plays professional golf. I’m still hosting events through my non-profit, modeling, and acting. Some of my proudest professional moments include my own shoe line with Steve Madden golf, a recent swim collaboration with OneOne Swimwear designed for bachelorette parties and girl gangs, and continuing my acting career in FL. I travel almost full time with my husband supporting his career, while working on mine as well. We hope to start a family soon!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’m sure this is a common “pivot”, but the COVID pandemic had us rethinking how to run the Pageant of Hope. It’s such a heartwarming and touching experience. Since we work with kids and teens who could be currently sick, in treatment, or remission, we really had to get creative on ways to continue to do this during a time when these kids needed it most. We created a virtual event, and sent out “Pageant in a box” kits so they could host a pageant from the comfort of their homes, and we broadcasted this on zoom and had a nice audience! It wasn’t the same as in person, but it was still amazing. I’m so thankful we are back to in person events again!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Since a percentage of of my income comes from instagram, this is a fun one. I’ve plateaued, I’ve had flops I thought would go viral, and viral moments that I didn’t think twice about their potential success, blow up. With social media, you have to grow with the trends and be hyper aware of what works, rather than pushing content out that you think will work. You have to be flexible, as it’s ever- changing. In the beginning, a curated aesthetic was popular, now it’s a more raw and imperfect look. I was two years late to the TikTok game, so I’m learning and navigating that presently. It’s been a fun challenge. I find being real and relatable (i.e. talking to the camera without makeup on, not gatekeeping information, laughing at yourself- not trying to be perfect with filters and editing) go the furthest. People want to be a part of your whole story, not just the highlight reel. For me personally, I like to show my sense of humor as well. It’s my one trait that tends to shock people! My number 1 piece of advice for creators is this: answer your questions in the comments, DM people back (within reason), and engage with your following! They will stick around :)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pageantofhope.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenamsims
- Other: My TikTok handle is the same as instagram – jenamsims