Strategy for Success | Strive for Success

WElcome to carlie's strategy for success as miss north carolina

Overarching mission

Be an engaging, dynamic, and intentional Miss North Carolina while balancing a legal career and nonprofit organization, in order to show up at Miss America as the philanthropist and professional with pizzazz the organization needs!

3 pillars for success:

distinct goals

Spokeswoman for department of education

continued legal advocacy - A Miss North Carolina that can do it all!

implement strive for success curriculum in classrooms across north carolina

media tour/media engagement

Full Strategy for success

In an effort to be an engaging and intentional Miss North Carolina and a fierce competitor at Miss America, the following has been prepared for a seamless transition from Miss Dunn to Miss North Carolina.

I am originally from Alabama and now reside in Raleigh, North Carolina. I work full time as a family lawyer in Wake, Johnston, Harnett, Durham, and Orange county to name a few. I thrive in my client's adoption proceedings and child custody cases. I intend to maintain my employment as a legal advocate throughout the year at a 20% reduction in salary and billable hours to free up time during the week to take on Miss North Carolina resposibilities. I am also a partner and the Chief Marketing Officer of a tech-start up company, but this role can be performed remotely. This will be a learning experience for us all, but I do intend to be as flexible as possible so I can be an outstanding Miss North Carolina. I believe my ability to juggle my personal, professional, and pageant life is what makes me the right woman for this role. In my admittedly bias opinion, Miss North Carolina deciding to allow the winner to maintain her job full time was one of the best decisions. I believe in my heart that Miss America did not raise the eligibility age for women like me to compete in order to halt their careers if they become a state titleholder but instead to find a woman up to the challenge of juggling her philanthropic efforts, her professional career, and her pageant responsibilities. I believe Miss America was making a bold proclamation with the age increase that there is a place for working women to shine within the Miss America program. I also think that’s exactly the type of woman Miss America hopes to crown in January 2024. That’s why I’m here. I am a woman who can truly juggle it all, to be an engaging and relevant representative in NC, but also competitive at Miss America.

As Miss Dunn on the quest to becoming Miss North Carolina and Miss America, I humbly present my goals-in-progress and distinct plans for continued growth and elevation of my non-profit and the Miss North Carolina brand:

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S SPOKESWOMAN: Create a partnership with the Department of Education to establish Miss North Carolina as the State's Spokeswoman on Character Education and Striving for Success within the public school system.
- DONE: Proposed idea to committee chair for the Department of Education in 2021 and received a positive response. Since then, I have developed numerous contacts that can facilitate a meeting post-crowning to ascertain viability.
- DONE: After research and conversations with state titleholders in various states with similar partnerships, I have drafted a pitch that is ready to be presented Day One on the job.
- This partnership is intended as a quasi-volunteer activity. This is something our public schools NEED; however, one of my goals is to leave a legacy behind for other Miss North Carolinas to thrive. I believe negotiating a small stipend per visit allows this sort of partnership to be financial possible for the department and also for future Miss North Carolinas.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TOUR/TEACHING SERIES:
- This is a two-fold initiative: (1) Teach practical professional skills to our North Carolina Community College students and (2) Expose eligible candidates to the Miss North Carolina program.
  - The North Carolina Community Colleges Office is downtown Raleigh and easily accessible.
  - DONE: After teaching seminars for pre-internship and pre-job interviews at Fayetteville State University only a few weeks ago, it is clear there's a unique opportunity for collaboration between my non-profit and Community Colleges across this state.
Influence pledges from a public school in 20% of North Carolina counties to adopt the Strive for Success Curriculum into their standard courses by the end of my reign.
- DONE: Already advocated for curriculum in Washington, DC and at the General Assembly to collaborate and further develop the practicality of the three tiered curriculum.
- DONE: Already dicussed the content, distribution, and applicablity concerns of educators in North Carolina to make adjustments and alterations.
- DONE: I have a handful of educators that are prepared and excited to be pilot classrooms for the curriculum this upcoming fall semester.

STRIVE FOR SUCCESS SCHOLARSHIP (TEN $1000 scholarships):
- To be awarded to ten North Carolina high schoolers in the Spring of 2024.
GROW BRAND: Increase Strive for Success's reach from 15 million lives to 100 million lives during reign as Miss North Carolina. Prioritize media interviews and articles to keep Miss North Carolina in the headlines.
- Considering creating free professionalism training courses on Teachable platform.
- SOCIAL MEDIA :
  - On @missdunn_nc page in only 4 months:
    - 167% reach increase, 74% engagement increase, 7% follower increase
    - Translation on @missamericanc - I've watched the follower count on the page remain around 27k for the last two years. With the exact same growth rate I've achieved on the Miss Dunn account (that I anticipate will be siginificantly higher on the Miss NC page), I would theoretically grow the account to at least 40k before Miss America in January of 2024. This is a larger following than the majority of current state titleholder accounts.
- On personal pages: I have 60k across platforms and hope to double this following before Miss America (120,000) to show the judges that I am media savvy and ready to reach new and bigger audiences as Miss America.
News Media: On-air interviews
- WRAL - Can't you see it now: "New Miss North Carolina is set to be the first ever licensed attorney to compete for Miss America!"
- CBS17 interview on My Carolina segment in July!
Print Media: Story coverage
- News & Observer
  - ajohnson@newsandobserver.com (Raleigh/Wake County)
  - jbanov@newsandobserver.com (Features Editor)
  - Circ: 77,000 (published daily)
- The Carolinian
  - infor@caro.news - Publisher - Adria Jervay
  - Circ: 15,000 (published Mon and Thurs)
- The Indy Weekly
  - sedwards@indyweek.com (Arts and Culture Editor)
  - Circ: 45,000 (published Wed)
- The Triangle Tribute
  - bonitta.best@triangletribune.com
  - Circ: 12,000 (published Sunday)
- The Wake Weekly
  - kzepezauer@retorationnewsmedia.com
  - Circ: 10,000 (published Thurs)

STRIVE FOR SUCCESS SUMMIT: Organize and host 2 large-scale Strive for Success Summit Events - Potential locations: Raleigh and Charlotte
- Collaborate with a head shot photographer for professional headshots onsite.
- Collaborate with Dress for Success to have simultaneous professional clothing drive/shopping event.
- Collaborate with other titleholders for speaker spots/breakout sessions to teach attendees pratical professional skills.
SEASON THREE OF THE STRIVE FOR SUCCESS PODCAST: Season three of the podcast has launched.
- As Miss North Carolina, the goal would be to record and post bi-weekly episodes to teach young people professional skills and expectations to prepare for the real world.
- DONE: Spreadsheet already created with over a dozen guests and topics.
SUCCESSFUL SUZIE - Children's book on power of perseverance:
- DONE: The DEI-friendly edition of Successful Suzie is offically released!
- Fundraise enough to donate a copy of Successful Suzie to at least one elementary school in all 100 counties in North Carolina!
- Read Successful Suzie (virtual or in-person) at at least one elementary school in all 100 counties in North Carolina!
- Fundraise to donate a copy of the book to every state titleholder to bring with them to their own school visits.
NATIONWIDE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: Expand the Strive for Success non-profit's Nationwide Professional Mentorship Program to benefit more than 100 mentors and mentees during reign as Miss North Carolina.
SPONSORSHIP: I would like to work with the board to bring on the following new sponsors:
- 5 - Bronze
- 5 - Silver
- 3 - Gold
- 2 - Platinum
- 1 - Diamond
- Ideas:
  - Kane
  - Kurtz and Blum, PLLC
  - City Club
  - Blue Comet/Omega
  - Raleigh Women's Club
  - Med Spas
  - Dentist Offices
  - Matthews Motors

Miss North Carolina/America Bible Study
- Start a Bible Study with the North Carolina Class of 2023 and new state titleholders that are interested.
- Invite a guest state titleholder each week and locals from that state.
- Each week goal is to grow the group with the addition of each state.
Expand the Professionalism 101 Webinar Series
- Expand through reign by inviting 2-3 state titleholders per installment to share their top personal and professional development tips.
- Post via Youtube and encourage state and local titleholders to utilize the free resource in their own school visits.
High School and College Success eBooks
- DONE: College eBook is complete and available for download.
- High school eBook is outlined. Needs to be completed, edited, and compiled. Goal date of release is July 30, 2023.
  - To be added to Amazon for Kindle download by August 31, 2023.
Women Empowerment Content/Segment of Strive for Success
- Content is king! I hope to launch a women in the workplace empowerment series of videos with comedy and hands on tips for success to continue to grow my following as Miss North Carolina.
TED TALK: Give an official TED Talk on my life's passion: Strive for Success. As Miss North Carolina, this new exposure will bring positive publicity to the organization and hopefully encourage new candidates to compete.
- DONE: Already applied 3x.
- I am hoping with the Miss North Carolina title and board behind me I can facilitate this bucket list item coming to life and have the opportunity to promote and grow the brand.
POWER OF PURPOSE SERIES ON AMAZON
- DONE: TWO books in the series already published and live on Amazon!
- Goal: Write and publish 3 more books in the series before Miss America in January of 2024.
Enhance VALUE of Miss North Carolina Brand
- Discuss and increase the value of Miss North Carolina's time for speeches, appearances, and events. She is a professional spokeswoman and brand ambassador. It's time she's valued as such! The general increase in value of Miss North Carolina's time is intended to help offset crucial pro bono appearances in underpriviledged areas that cannot afford to pay for Miss North Carolina's time, but that need to meet and interact with Miss North Carolina.

Strive for Success Pitch Packet