Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Murrell.
Donna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into the world of pageantry began long before I ever became a Pageant Coach. In many ways, everything I have done throughout my career has prepared me for where I am today.
My career began at 15 years old when I entered the modeling industry as a professional runway model and modeling instructor for major modeling schools in Charlotte. What started as a young girl’s introduction to modeling eventually grew into a lifelong passion for helping others develop confidence, presence, and professionalism.
That passion led me to entrepreneurship and the creation of Montezic Model Management, a modeling agency I proudly owned and operated for 10+ years. As an agency owner, I had the opportunity to work with aspiring and professional talent, helping them develop the skills, presentation, discipline, and confidence needed to succeed in a competitive industry.
My path later expanded into pageantry, all while working a full-time job for 33 years with the City of Charlotte’s Community Relations Department. I spent approximately 15 years serving as a pageant judge for a number of pageant systems. Sitting on the other side of the judge’s table gave me an invaluable perspective. I learned firsthand what makes a contestant memorable – not simply beauty, but confidence, authenticity, communication, preparation, personality, and the ability to walk into a room and truly own who she is.
Eventually, those years of experience came together in what has become one of the most rewarding chapters of my career: Donna Murrell Pageant Coaching.
My philosophy has always been about much more than winning a crown. I coach girls and women to recognize their own strengths, develop confidence, communicate effectively, command a stage, and present the very best and most authentic version of themselves. The crown may be the goal when they first walk through my door, but the confidence they gain along the way is something I hope they carry with them long after the competition is over.
In just 5 years of coaching, I have had the privilege of coaching 80+ Queens. Every one of those crowns represents a different journey, a different young lady or woman, and a different story of growth. While I am incredibly proud of the titles my clients have earned, I am equally proud of the transformation I have witnessed – the shy contestant who discovers her voice, the first-time competitor who learns to believe in herself, and the experienced queen who realizes she is capable of even more.
Today, my journey has come full circle with my newest role as State Director of the North Carolina United USA Pageant. My first pageant will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 26 – 28, 2027. It is an exciting opportunity that allows me to take everything I have learned as a model, agency owner, judge, event planner, coach, mentor, best-selling author, and businesswoman and use it to create opportunities for even more girls and women.
When I look back at the 15 year-old girl who first stepped into the modeling world, I could never have imagined exactly where that first step would lead. But I can now see how every runway, every model I represented, every judging panel, every coaching session, and every queen has been part of my journey.
For me, pageantry is not simply about crowns. It is about confidence, purpose, personal growth, and helping girls and women discover that the most important crown they will ever wear is the confidence they carry within themselves.
And after all these years, I still feel that I am just getting started. Remembering what my Mom would always tell me: “Keep the Faith and Don’t Forget to Pray”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“One of my biggest challenges as a pageant coach is helping contestants understand that their value is never determined by whether a crown is placed on their head. Every girl and woman comes to me with a different personality, level of confidence and life experience, so I cannot coach everyone the same way. My responsibility is to discover what makes each contestant special and help her confidently present the very best version of herself. There are also times when I have to manage expectations, encourage someone through disappointment and remind both contestants and parents that judging is subjective. I can prepare my clients, but I cannot control the outcome. What I can control is making sure they leave the experience more confident, polished and prepared than when they came to me. For me, that is a win that lasts much longer than the crown.”
My saddest setback, which has been my most recent in April 2026, my mom passed away…one of my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. I will truly miss her being there to talk to about some of my hurdles, obstacles and challenges but also remembering she taught me about not giving up, keeping the faith, and continuing to make a difference for others…AND she is always listening.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
After retiring from a rewarding 33-year career with the City of Charlotte, where I served as a Community Relations Supervisor with the Community Relations Department and Event Planner where I coordinated the Annual Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Community Relations Awards Program for 24 years, I entered a new chapter that allowed me to fully devote myself towards my passion that I have loved for many years – helping girls and women discover their confidence, presence, and potential.
Today, I am the owner of Donna Murrell Pageant Coaching and the newly appointed State Director of the North Carolina United USA Pageant. While pageantry is at the center of what I do, my work goes far beyond preparing someone to compete for a crown. I specialize in confidence development, interview and communication skills, stage presence, runway and modeling techniques, poise, posture, wardrobe preparation and helping each contestant discover what makes her uniquely memorable.
I believe confidence cannot simply be taught from a script. It has to be developed from within. My specialty is seeing something in a person that she may not yet see in herself and helping bring it forward.
Every contestant is different, so I don’t believe in creating “cookie-cutter” pageant girls. Whether I am working with a young child entering her first pageant, a teenager finding her voice, or an adult woman pursuing a longtime dream, my goal is to preserve her individuality while giving her the skills and confidence to command a room, an interview and a stage.
I believe I am best known for developing confidence and stage presence and producing well-prepared, polished and authentic contestants. My background in modeling, decades of pageant judging, professional experience in community relations, and years of coaching have given me the opportunity to understand pageantry from many different perspectives.
I know what judges notice, but most importantly, I understand people. I teach my contestants that a winning presence isn’t only about how beautifully you walk into a room – it is about how you communicate, how you connect with others, how you carry yourself and how you make others feel.
My philosophy has become something of a personal signature: “Confidently Creating Crowns.” Sometimes that crown is an actual title, and sometimes it is the confidence a young lady carries with her long after the competition is over.
Of course, I am extremely proud of the many titles and crowns my contestants have earned. In just five years, I have had the privilege of coaching 83 Queens, an accomplishment that still amazes and humbles me.
But what makes me proudest isn’t simply the number of crowns. It is watching the transformation that happens along the way. I have also had the privilege of building relationships with contestants and families that have continued long after a pageant ended.
When someone tells me, “Coach Donna, I didn’t think I could do this,” and then I watch her do exactly that, that is one of the greatest rewards of my work.
What sets me apart is that I coach the person first and contestant second.
I don’t measure my success solely by crowns. I want every person I coach to leave me stronger in confidence, communication and self-belief than when she arrived. Those skills can take her far beyond a pageant stage – into a classroom, college interview, career, boardroom, community leadership position or whatever dream she chooses to pursue.
My 33 years in community relations taught me the importance of listening, communicating, understanding people and building meaningful relationships. My modeling background taught me presence and presentation. My years as a pageant judge taught me what happens on the other side of the judges’ table. And coaching has allowed me to bring all of those experiences together.
Now, becoming State Director of the North Carolina United USA Pageant represents another full-circle moment in my life’s journey. I have gone from modeling, to judging, to coaching contestants, and now to creating an opportunity where girls and women across North Carolina can have their own pageant experience.
At this stage of my life and career, I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed that retirement didn’t mean the end of my professional story. Instead, it gave me the opportunity to begin another one – one centered around purpose, confidence, mentorship and helping the next generation of girls and women recognize that they are capable of far more than they may have imagined.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a happy, friendly and outgoing young girl who loved school, people, fashion and being involved. Some of my fondest memories are from high school, where I was a Letter girl Captain, which was a cheerleader who performed with the school band. I absolutely loved performing, and those experiences gave me an early appreciation for confidence, presentation and the excitement of being in front of an audience.
Fashion was another love that started very early for me. Fashion merchandising was my favorite class in school, and I was voted “Best Dressed” all three years of high school. Looking back now, that probably surprised no one! I loved putting outfits together, expressing myself through fashion and making an entrance. That passion eventually led me into modeling at the age of 15 and became the beginning of a journey that would influence so much of my life.
Even today, I still believe in “dressing to impress,” but for me, that means much more than the clothes you wear. When you walk into a room walk in with purpose. Before you ever say a word, your posture, your presence, your smile and the confidence you carry tell people something about who you are. I believed that as a young woman, and today it is one of the principles I teach the girls and women I coach.
Personality-wise, I don’t think the heart of who I am has changed very much. I have always been happy, friendly, loving and someone who genuinely enjoys people. Those qualities have followed me through every season of my life, as a wife, a daughter, a mother, a grandmother “G-Ma” and throughout my professional career.
Most importantly, my faith is at the center of who I am. When people see me, I hope they see a woman of God, a woman who loves her husband, her family, loves people and finds joy in life. I want the happiness I feel on the inside to be reflected on the outside.
When I look back at that young girl who loved fashion, modeling, dressing up and walking into a room with confidence, I realize she was already becoming the woman I am today. I just didn’t know yet where all of those interests would take me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DonnaMurrellCoaching.com
- Instagram: Dmurrellcoaching
- Facebook: Donna Murrell
