Summary In this engaging podcast episode, Kimberly Chatto and Ashton Pankratz explore the themes of friendship, women's ministry, prayer, and personal growth through the lens of their experiences. They discuss the importance of supportive friendships, the impact of women's ministry in fostering community, and the power of prayer in their lives. Additionally, they share insights from Kimberly's pageant experiences, highlighting the emotional challenges and triumphs that come with competition. The conversation emphasizes the significance of building connections, celebrating each other's successes, and navigating life's challenges together. In this engaging conversation, Kimberly Chatto and Ashtin Pankratz delve into the multifaceted experience of pageantry, discussing the challenges and triumphs of competing, the importance of body positivity, and the significance of community and friendship. They also explore the complexities of dating and relationships, including the pitfalls of matchmaking services, while emphasizing the need for self-acceptance and personal growth. The discussion is rich with insights on navigating life as a single mother, the pressures of societal beauty standards, and the joy of forming meaningful connections.   Keywords friendship, women's ministry, prayer, pageants, personal growth, community, support, faith, empowerment, Christian women, pageantry, self-confidence, body positivity, community, dating, matchmaking, relationships, personal growth, motherhood, friendship Takeaways Friendship is a strong support system.Engaging in women's ministry can foster community.Prayer is a powerful tool in faith.Pageants can be emotionally challenging but rewarding.Building friendships in adulthood is important.Community helps in personal growth and faith.Comparison can be a struggle in competitive environments.Support from friends is crucial during challenging times.Intentionality in prayer can lead to personal transformation.Celebrating others' successes is vital in friendships. The pageant experience is both challenging and rewarding.Body positivity is crucial in competitive environments.Community and friendship play a vital role in personal growth.Dating can be complicated, especially for single parents.Matchmaking services may not always be reliable or professional.Self-acceptance is essential for mental health and confidence.Women should feel empowered to embrace their bodies.Pageants can foster incredible friendships and networking opportunities.It's important to be intentional about forming connections.Life experiences shape our perspectives on dating and relationships. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Friendship Dynamics02:48 Bug Encounters and Friendship Support05:56 Women’s Ministry and Community Building10:03 Empowerment Through Ministry and Personal Growth20:03 The Power of Prayer and Spiritual Warfare28:26 The Power of Prayer34:05 Creating a War Binder39:13 Intentionality in Prayer44:56 Community and Friendship in Faith48:13 Pageant Experiences and Personal Growth55:41 Navigating the Pageant Experience01:00:21 Body Positivity and Self-Confidence in Pageantry01:05:00 The Challenges of Dress Shopping01:10:52 The Importance of Community and Friendship01:15:47 The Joys and Opportunities of Pageantry01:20:05 Dating and Matchmaking Adventures01:22:36 The Matchmaking Experience01:28:11 Reflections on Dating Preferences01:30:23 Navigating Dating in Your 30s01:33:07 The Role of Intentionality in Dating01:38:40 Conversations on Kindness and Relationships01:45:39 Finding Joy in Motherhood01:47:53 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

Re-released episode! Crystal is a dear friend of Kim's and while working together, Kim came to realize that Crystal is also a Christian. Through their friendship Kim realized how incredibly powerful Crystal's testimony is and could be to so many. The Highly Favored Team is so incredibly excited to have her on today's episode. Crystal discusses many challenging topics such as abuse and overcoming incredible adversity. Her resiliency will inspire you and she also shares about strength found in communities such as Christian-based organizations like Celebrate Recovery. https://celebraterecovery.com/ 

As we wrap up the pageant series, we are excited to welcome Ashlee Stratton, Mrs. Spanish Fork, with this episode releasing the day before the Mrs. Utah America/n and Miss Utah for America Strong pageant. Ashlee's platform, "Frozen to Forward," discusses actionable steps to reaching your goals and it is the perfect head space leading into the pageant.

Today's episode is dual hosted by Kim and Mrs. Vineyard, Aubin Palmer. As both women prepare to compete is the Mrs. Utah America/n and Miss Utah for America Strong pageants, they discuss empowerment and standing tall together as they overcome insecurities and grow as they go after their goals.

Michelle Jones, Mrs. Herriman, shares her pageant experience as she competes in the 2025 Mrs. Utah America and Mrs. Utah American pageant. She has a passion in advocacy against child abuse and believes in using her voice to inspire others to overcome their abuse. "Be Brave, This is not your ending...it's theirs. Yours has yet to come!"

Today's episode highlights one of the amazing women competing in the 2025 Mrs. Utah America and Mrs. Utah American pageant, Portia Blanchard. As Mrs. Maple Mountain, her platform, You are Worth Living For, shares the same title as her internationally-selling book as she advocates for making the most of your life and seeing yourself in the best light. As a mother of seven, Portia also shares the experience of going through a pageant through the perspective of her children.

Can you believe that the 2025 Mrs. Utah America, Mrs. Utah American, and Miss Utah for America Strong Pageant is in 11 Days? I am thrilled to interview Mrs. Utah America, Chelsi Rasmussen, as we dive into advocacy work, her pageant experience, the influence being a title holder and Queen has on her daughters, and the sisterhood found in pageantry.

After a two week break, we are excited to welcome Ashtin Pankratz to the podcast! Ashtin is a military spouse, Christian, and shares with the Highly Favored listeners her experiences with neurodivergence and getting diagnosed as an adult. She also promotes healthcare advocacy with a diagnosis of mold exposure with her brain and her journey through symptom treatment. Plus fun hyper fixations like the amazingness that is Costco.

Vanessa is a military spouse and Christian mother who started homeschooling her children as a calling from God. With humor and humility, Vanessa shares her experiences - the good, the challenges, and the misconceptions that accompany homeschooling. Vanessa is a great friend of the show host's and one of the top reasons Kim brought her on the wad not only is Vanessa hilarious and so personable, but the Jones family taught her so much about homeschooling and really opened her perspective on it. Even if you're not a Christian, this episode will share a lot on deciding to homeschool.

Join us as we interview the lovely and talented Miss Nebo Valley, Jaimee Beard, as she shares her platform, Dance with a Purpose. Jaimee has an absolute heart of gold and through this journey saw a need within the dance communities of California following the destruction created by the wildfires. Through her efforts, she raised awareness for the need of donated dance supplies and collected them throughout the state of Utah to bring to Los Angeles. Jaimee shares the impact of her faith and the importance of dance in her life and lives of her students as she makes a difference in her community through her passions. 

We are so excite to have Charlotte on the podcast to speak on her immense pageant experience, being an adoption advocate, her career as a professional chef, and her platform of celebrating neurodiversity. As someone who also dabbles in "neurospiciness," our host Kim Chatto loved the discussions from this interview and how we can better advocate for one another.

Episode 14 features Mrs. Utah County, Clarissa Thomas with her platform, Build it Beautiful. She is strong, bold, and committed to helping women build their best lives as leaders. She presents everyday tools for everyday leaders for everyday life. We had the best conversations as she shared her unconventional pageant journey and how beneficial the experience in competing in pageants can be. Our favorite takeaway is being empowered to break down the thing you've built or to continue building. 

Episode 13 with Miss Bountiful, Kimberly Wirfs, covers her platform of being prepared for the unexpected. She has developed an emergency preparedness binder so that you are ready regardless of what life throws at you. Her bubbly personality and fun demeanor make this episode a blast to listen to and we know you will enjoy everything she has to share. We cover everything from being a military spouse, the passing of her husband and becoming a widow, owning her own business, and even dating as a single mom.

Episode 12 continues the pageant series featuring Mrs. Daybreak, Amanda McCombs. We cover so much in this episode and many of the topics are heavy such as single parenthood, societal expectations, faith and religion, stalking, losing a loved one, grief, and recovering from live-changing illnesses. Despite this, Amanda is so incredibly resilient, fun, and such a light.

Episode 11 was recorded after a longgg day of driving after doing a custody swap of my kids back to their dad after Christmas break. If you saw my National Parks video, it’s like a mini documentary of the complex emotions you run through over a seven hour drive back home without the two people who mean the most to you in this earthly life. If you ever wanted to gain some perspective on what that is like and how hard it is - this is the episode. The only way to get past it is to go through it. For those navigating co-parenting and single parenthood, I see you and you’re doing a great job. 

Ashley Butler, Mrs. Mountain Ridge, discusses how experiences with abuse became the motivating factors to be a chain-breaker and to change her perspective on life. Going through therapy helped to become the foundational premise for her platform and to inspire others. Ashley is also our first guest on the podcast who is a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and we navigate conversations on faith and different backgrounds, which was such a fun opportunity being new to the state of Utah.

Abbey's platform and ministry, Not Yet My Daughter, provides Biblically-based hope for those experiencing infertility, miscarriage and baby loss. Through her platform, and as she competes in the Mrs. Utah America and Mrs. Utah American pageant system, she has created and distributed "Hesed" kits that are self-care kits for women who are navigating challenging experiences. We also dive into her Christian walk as a Masters of Divinity student We're thrilled to have Abbey on the podcast to share her resiliency story and bring hope to others in our celebration of Faith.

Kaylyn is a southern girl through-and-through, hailing from Alabama and now has several Utah pageants under her belt. We think you are going to love her charming self in Episode 8. As a military spouse, Christian, and nurse her platform, Reclaimed, is an opportunity for her to share how to navigate intimate conversations with the goal of strengthening relationships. #WarEagle

Episode 7 kicks off the special pageant series leading up to Miss Utah for America Strong, Mrs. Utah America, and Mrs. Utah American 2025 with podcast host Kim Chatto sharing about why she is doing a pageant as a 35-year-old single mom. Kim dives into insecurities, showing up confident, moving into a new community and calling it home after serving in the military, and the beauty of competing for yourself, surrounded by incredible women. Special Note from Kim: I give shout-outs to Punchy Blonde, Fiiz, Hydrojug, Liz Tomforde's "Mile High," The Lovebound Library Bookstore, and all of my amazing donors. If you would like sponsor me or donate, please reach out! @highlyfavored_official and @kim_chatto

We are back with Part 2 where Emily continues to share from her military experiences, but this time under the lens of navigating service as a woman, approaching mental health resources, community, rising above toxic leadership, and taking care of yourself. We leave you with the message that you deserve to be here!