Miss Represented: Miss Grand USA – Ivana Garcia [Episode 62]

Host: Lisa Opie
Guest: Ivana Garcia (Miss Grand USA 2025)
Special Guest Host: CJ Piazza (Miss Grand International 2024)
Release Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and empowering episode, host Lisa Opie sits down in Las Vegas with newly crowned Miss Grand USA 2025, Ivana Garcia. Together, they explore Ivana’s pageant victory, entrepreneurial ventures, immigrant journey, and vision for empowering women. The episode features a special “role-reversal” segment, in which Miss Grand International 2024, CJ Piazza, takes over as interviewer, leading to heartfelt reflections, fun rapid-fire questions, and advice for future beauty queens.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ivana’s Crowning Moment and Miss Grand Experience

• Post-Crowning Marathon: Ivana recounts a busy 24 hours post-crowning, including photo shoots, interviews, and fulfilling duties for upcoming international competition.
  “[After being crowned] I was doing photo shoot, I am doing now this interview and I was making sure I was doing all the requirements that the international competition needs from USA. So a lot of work.” – Ivana Garcia (01:52)

Entrepreneurial Ventures: The Business Side of Beauty

• Pageant Heel Company:
  • Ivana founded her own line of pageant-specific seven-inch heels, born from the struggle of finding stylish, comfortable footwear for pageants.
  • She spent a year designing her ideal shoe and debuted the product during the “Grand Pitch” at the national competition, receiving enthusiastic feedback.
  • Memorable shoebox moment: She added a light inside her pitch presentation shoebox—“When I opened the box and it was the light, we were like, I know they want shows, so I want to make sure that they're gonna have show during my grand pitch moment.” – Ivana (03:27)
• Modeling Academy:
  • Originated in her garage four years ago with her family’s support, now has its own studio near Icon Park, Orlando, and over 40 (mostly young) students.
  • Emphasis on being a role model and sharing the crown’s meaning with her students.
  • “This crown is not only my crown, but it's also my students’ crown.” – Ivana (04:19)
• The Value of the Grand Pitch:
  • Both Lisa and Ivana praise the pageant’s new business competition segment, inspiring contestants to imagine creative projects.

Life as a First-Generation Immigrant

• From Venezuela to USA:
  • Ivana moved to the U.S. at 14, embracing the role of a first-generation immigrant and facing language and cultural barriers.
  • Her journey is marked by resilience: “Setbacks, like I always say, are not the end. They are a motivation for you to actually keep working 100%.” – Ivana (07:14)
  • Family arrived with only $1,500; worked hard to build a stable life.
• Gratitude and Aspiration:
  • Credits her parents’ work ethic and support as key to her success.
  • Her drive: “They always remember me that we came to this country and we need to take as much opportunities as we can.” – Ivana (07:27)

Vision for the Future: Business, Philanthropy, and Empowerment

• Long-Term Goals:
  • Franchise her modeling academy around the U.S. and create an online coaching platform so more girls can benefit from her expertise.
  • Wants every pageant girl to “try my heels…and that’s my priority!” (08:26)
• Tech and AI in Pageantry:
  • Lisa and Ivana discuss the role of AI, agreeing its utility is limited: “AI—yes, you can use it for practice speech...but for things like makeup, hair, or maybe other things. Yeah, I don’t think so.” – Ivana (09:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Immigrant Struggles and Triumph:
  “When we came to this country, we just came with $1,500. My family was living in a small room…But that actually, it was resilience for us because we come back stronger than ever…and we are proof that here in the USA, the dreams really come true.” – Ivana (17:25)
• On Empowering the Next Generation:
  “This crown is not only my crown, but it’s also my students’ crown.” – Ivana Garcia (04:19)
• On Entrepreneurship & Pageantry:
  “That competition actually motivate[d] them to think about it and create how they can use their beauty to actually use it for business.” – Ivana (20:29)
• On Staying Grounded:
  “If your behavior is not connected with your commitment to the things that you do, then it's not gonna work.” – CJ Piazza (21:16)

Special Segment: Queen-to-Queen Interview

[10:31-25:47]

CJ Piazza, Miss Grand International 2024, takes over as host, guiding Ivana through reflections and playful rapid-fire questions.

Highlights

• Preparing for Miss Grand International in Thailand:
  Ivana is excited to travel to Asia for the first time, experience Thai culture, and represent both the U.S.A. and her Latino heritage.
  “I am so proud to represent Latinos here in the usa and that’s something that...that’s very beautiful in this country.” – Ivana (12:40)

• Leaving a Mark as a Queen:
  Both discuss the importance of being remembered not just for beauty, but also for meaningful impact, responsibility, and character. “You want to be remembered as a good queen…a queen that really make a meaningful impact in the organization.” – Ivana (21:45)

“This or That” Rapid Fire [22:31–25:14]

• On Stage Question or Runway:
  “Definitely on stage question. I love on stage question because I feel it gave you the opportunity and exposure for people to know more about you.” – Ivana (22:42)
• Glam night in heels or cozy night in sneakers?:
  “We are beauty queens. We wear heels all the time.” – Ivana (23:09)
• Red lip or nude?:
  “Definitely. I love to use red lipstick, but I use every day…I use more the nude.” – Ivana (23:16)
• Pageant gown or cocktail dress?:
  “Pageant gowns. I love it. I designed mine for the final night. Do you like it?” – Ivana (23:33)
• Early morning workout or late night gym?:
  “Late night gym session.” – Ivana (24:58)

Key Timestamps

• 01:52 – Ivana discusses her first day as Miss Grand USA 2025
• 02:27 – The story behind her custom pageant heels
• 03:57 – Launching her modeling academy
• 05:45 – Immigration story: From Venezuela to America
• 08:17 – Five-year vision for her businesses
• 09:04 – AI’s place in pageantry and coaching
• 10:31 – CJ Piazza, Miss Grand International 2024, joins as guest host
• 17:25 – Ivana opens up about her family’s struggle and resilience
• 22:31 – “This or That” queen challenge segment

Takeaways

• Ivana Garcia’s story is one of perseverance, vision, and using the platform of pageantry to inspire and empower others, especially young women and immigrants.
• Her blend of business savvy and public commitment points toward growing trends in pageantry—beyond beauty, into leadership and entrepreneurship.
• Both hosts stress the importance of authenticity, gratitude, and making the most of every opportunity, making this episode a motivational listen for aspiring beauty queens and ambitious professionals alike.

To follow Ivana’s journey: @Ivanabgarcia on Instagram and TikTok.