Jonathan Breeden: [00:00:00] So what were um, some of the things that you had to do to prepare either for Miss North Carolina teen or for Miss America’s Teen?
Hanley House: One thing that I found that was actually really fascinating was the interview portion of it all. Learning so many fun facts about the greatest nation that we live in. And then of course, learning so many things about North Carolina was so fascinating to me.
And it made the process go by so much easier because I knew that if I didn’t win, I’m getting all of these interview skills out of it so that one day I can walk in for a job and feel confident in my interview skills, knowing that the Miss America opportunity has prepared me for this job.
So I knew something was coming out of it no matter what, win or lose. And that was definitely the best part for me.
Narrator: Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston County, brought to you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area [00:01:00] that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it’s a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community.
Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Best of Johnston County podcast. I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden, and today we have a special guest, Miss America’s Teen Hanley House.
She has recently been crowned that, down in Florida. And we’re gonna talk about how you go from growing up in the Cleveland community to Miss America’s Teen. And it’s a fascinating story. I think you will find it as enlightening and as enjoyable as I have gotten to learn it. And so that’s what we’re gonna talk about here today.
Welcome.
Hanley House: So nice to be here today. I cannot wait to tell you all about my journey. All about my story. It’s gonna be so fun.
Jonathan Breeden: Cool! We’ll start with, I guess, we always start biographical, normally we have business people and they went to college here and they moved here. But I think, you were,
you were born and raised right [00:02:00] here, right?
Hanley House: I was born and raised right here in Johnston County. I am Cleveland girl. I’ve attended Cleveland Elementary School, Cleveland Middle School. I go to Cleveland High School now, and I’m duly enrolled at Wake Tech Community College, getting my college credits.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, that’s awesome. And I guess for people that don’t realize that if you have a child in high school in North Carolina, they can take any class in a North Carolina Community College for free. Sometimes you have to pay for the books depending on which county. But even in Johnston County, I think Johnston County pays for the books. And you could start earning those college credits. College Career Promise or CCP for short classes, I was had the fortunate thing to be on the Johnston Community College Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2019. And that was a huge program for us back then and more and more children have gotten into it, and so you’re taking part of that. What are some of the classes you’re taking Wake Tech?
Hanley House: So, as of right now, I’m taking just English one-twelve. Last semester, I took English one-eleven and then I went ahead and started my Spanish courses there. Getting my Spanish [00:03:00] credits to graduate high school. But as of right now, I’m super busy, traveling the nation really as being Miss America’s Teen.
And so, just really focusing on my education, but co-partnering with the Miss America opportunity as well.
Jonathan Breeden: Well, that’s cool. Yeah You know it’s, interesting when you say English one-eleven and English one-twelve. You know, now that all these classes directly transfer. Those were the same two Englishes I took at NC State 30 years ago. what,
I mean it’s like, it’s like I remember English one-eleven, you had to write a persuasion and you had to write an argument and all that stuff.
and
we have a friend here in the C-community who teaches those classes at Wake Tech. And it’s fun to talk to her because it’s the same basic syllabus with the same course numbers 30 years later. It’s like deja vu.
So anyway, so how many hours of college credit do you think you’ll end up with?
You’re only a junior by the time this is done.
Hanley House: I am a [00:04:00] junior. I really don’t know right now because I am taking an EV or this semester. This is so new to me, the Miss America opportunity. I was just crowned literally a month ago. And so, literally just being able to figure it out, adjust to this new lifestyle, coming back to school and everybody knowing who you are now, it was crazy to me because I’m always the girl that I get up literally, this is fun fact by the way. I get up about five minutes before I have to leave. I brush my teeth, put on deodorant, and I get out the door.
So I am literally like, I wear sweatshirt, I put my hood on at school, I’m like, nobody look at me, and now everybody’s oh,
oh. you’re not hiding from us anymore.
So anyways, I’m definitely that girl, but you would never know seeing me on the Miss America’s Teen stage. I actually texted my mom the day before I left for Miss America and I sent her a picture of me at school. I was like, you would never know I’m competing for Miss America tomorrow, you would never [00:05:00] know.
Jonathan Breeden: you never, You never do. So anyway, when did you decide, or when did you start in the pageant business? Some people start when they’re four or five, some people start when they’re 15. When did you start?
Hanley House: Well, I would have to say I’ve always enjoyed watching toddlers and tiaras but pageants have never been my thing.
They’ve just never been my thing. I’ve never really found an interest in them. But seeing the Miss Cleveland High School pageant and seeing all of the former Miss Cleveland high schools being able to represent our great school in such a way.
I don’t play a sport, I dance 17 hours a week. And so, I stay at the dance studio, I don’t have time to play a sport other than I was a volleyball manager my freshman year. And so that was a really fun opportunity. But other than that, I really haven’t been able to get really involved in school that way.
And so, I went out on a limb and I competed for Miss Cleveland High School, and I [00:06:00] lost. And Miss Cora Godwin, my assistant principal at the time, asked me to come into her office the next day and was like, I see something in you. I want you to come compete for the Cleveland-Johnston County Organization, which is a prelim to Miss North Carolina.
I was like, what if I, thought about it over and over again. I was like, what happens? What will happen? I can’t even win my high school project. How am I gonna win a prelim to Miss North Carolina? And I just prayed about it a lot and I have everything. I prepared so much, let’s just do it, let’s go out on another limb.
So, I competed for Miss Cleveland’s Teen on January 28th of 2023. And I won, and so, I prepared for six months after that and I went to Miss North Carolina’s Teen. That was the best week of my life, and I won that as well. And then I competed [00:07:00] for that, I,
I knew
that that meant I was gonna have to go to Miss America’s Teen.
And one of my thinking in my head, I’m like, oh my goodness. I didn’t win my high school pageant, and here I am competing for Miss America. So it’s definitely a full circle moment in such a way. And coming from a girl that hasn’t been able, hasn’t done pageants, but hasn’t had somebody telling her how to walk her whole entire life, how to look a certain way, how to stand a certain way, in front of a pond.
So a pond is literally in our backyard, in our neighborhood. And I grew up going fishing in that pond, literally getting my hands in the mud in that pond. That’s just been my life, I’ve spent it at the studio or I’ve spent it outside at my house basically.
And so, I would never would’ve thought I would be in pageants, but here I am. And so, I prepared for six months and I won Miss America’s teen.
Jonathan Breeden: Well, it’s not too late. Some people start when they’re three or four. Sounds like you started just maybe a year ago, a year [00:08:00] ago,
I mean that’s, absolutely crazy that
you can, you can go from having not done it to winning a national competition. But that’s the thing, you have talent and you do it right, you don’t have to do it forever.
he famous The famous thing is Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player to ever to live was cut from his high school basketball team.
Hanley House: I think me and Michael Jordan’s story are a lot alike. I like to say, I have a Michael Jordan story, so
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, he, he is interested if he’d had just gone to NC State and not Chapel Hill.
But anyway, that’s another story. But anyway, Chapel Hill? I don’t know. Me in NC State graduate, it’s tough, but anyway. sort of
a fast rise.
So what were some of the things that you had to do to prepare either for Miss North Carolina teen or for Miss America’s Teen?
Hanley House: One thing that I found that was actually really fascinating was the interview portion of it all. Learning so many fun facts about the greatest nation that we live in. And then of course, [00:09:00] learning so many things about North Carolina was so fascinating to me.
And it made the process go by so much easier because I knew that if I didn’t win, I’m getting all of these interview skills out of it so that one day I can walk in for a job and feel confident in my interview skills, knowing that the Miss America opportunity has prepared me for this job.
So I knew something was coming out of it no matter what, win or lose. And that was definitely the best part for me. Just being able to and then also seeing my parents find it so cool that I’m 16 years old and I go into mock interviews every single night at 10 o’clock preparing for Miss America.
And so, when I won, the long nights, the early mornings, it was all worth it. I say, the blood, sweat, and tears just because there was so much work that was put into it and it just felt like it was all worth it.
Jonathan Breeden: Right! So who were some of the people that helped coach you through these mock interviews and what to do that helped you get ready?
Hanley House: Okay. So definitely [00:10:00] with the titles that I won, comes with the committee and I wouldn’t be here without the Miss Cleveland, Miss Johnson County Organization Committee. Miss Cora Godwin, that got me started on the whole entire right process. And then also my Miss North Carolina board was believing in they would never stop believing in me no matter what.
Coming from a literal girl that just competed from her high school pageant and here I am. I’ve never done it before, I’m clueless and I’m going to Miss America. And that look was shown on my face many times. They many could see the fear in my eyes, but they could also see how much I loved it and how much fun that I was having, and they never stopped believing in me.
Jonathan Breeden: So what was your, all pageants, I guess contestants a platform, what was yours?
Hanley House: So, mine is my community service initiative is called Passion to Profit. It shares my journey of when I was 10 years old, I was auditioning and being accepted into some of the most respected ballet schools in the country. And [00:11:00] for me this meant increased costs.
So like extracurricular activities do, they’ re a costly thing. And this meant that if I wanted to pursue my dreams, I would have to help pay for it. So, I created a small business that gave me so much more than just a monetary return.
I learned so many real world skills that I soon learned that many teens lack today. Community reinvestment, brand marketing, financial management, all real world skills that are preparing me to be a business owner one day.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. So what did your business do? And I know you started a business. What all did it do?
Hanley House: Yes. Okay, so it’s called Two Little Blondes. Um,
My mom calls me and my little sister, her two little blondes. I know cheesy, but it works. But I have a vinyl cutting machine. I got it for Christmas one year, and I was able to make monograms and stickers. And then soon, I realized that I was making these things for my teachers, and my friends, and my neighbors, and things like that I could start selling these [00:12:00] things.
So I created a business out of it and I started making like little girls matching birthday party shirts, matching pajamas like water bottles with monograms on it, labels simple things like that.
Jonathan Breeden: That’s cold. Do you still have that business?
Hanley House: I
Will have to say it’s on a pause right now.
I’m a very busy girl and so I cannot, unfortunately, I can’t do everything at once. But I have to actually wanna be a business owner when I grow up. I wanna own my own business and interior design with a side of architecture. I hope to open up my own business. Maybe I could open up Two Little Blondes back again. Um, So prepare me.
Jonathan Breeden: That could be, and your sister could go in business with you when it’s all said and done.
Hanley House: Actually, I don’t know, Uh, she’d be like, “Girl, no, I’m not doing that.”
Jonathan Breeden: That’s funny.
Have family law questions? Need guidance to navigate legal challenges? The compassionate team at Breeden Law Office is here to help. Visit us at www. breedenfirm. com for practical advice, resources, or to book a [00:13:00] consultation. Remember, when life gets messy, you don’t have to face it alone.
Jonathan Breeden: So,
um, what were some of your other, goals here as Miss America’s Teen over the next 12 months?
Hanley House: For sure, we do have many sponsors and I hope to visit all of our sponsors, and give them, highlight them as much as I can. That’s a big goal that I have, as well as growing the following for the Miss America’s Teen social media.
So if you guys wanna go follow Miss America’sTeen on Instagram, and Facebook, and TikTok, all of our social medias.
And that’s a big goal for me is just to keep growing that social media platform, just to get people to know about Miss America again. That was such a big thing and it was lost throughout the years, but now it’s back and I cannot wait to continue rebuilding the Miss America brand.
And then also, traveling so much, I can’t wait to see the world. I feel like growing up in Johnston County has been great. Do not get me wrong, but I can’t wait to see the world.
Jonathan Breeden: The world is a [00:14:00] fascinating place. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to El Salvador, uh. a couple of week last week. I also have been to Mexico for the first time, and met some fascinating people. And Mexican food is much better in Mexico than it is in North Carolina. I’ve learned that now.
And the one thing you will learn and I’ve been fortunate, I don’t know how many countries I’ve been in, but I’ve been in a lot and is that people are people. And they are genuinely good people all over this world and some may not have as much as others, but they’re all kind and most will give you the shirt off their back. And I’ve been in third world country, second world countries and I think you’ll find that.
And the more you travel around the world, I think you’ll see just how good human beings just are in general. There are some bad apples, but in general, human beings and citizens all over the world are great people and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
And I’ll be glad to tell you some of my favorite spots that I’ve been in around the world over the years. It’s [00:15:00] really fascinating. I love to travel and I’m glad you do as well.
So, what were when you’re in the pageant? I don’t know, what are the different competitions within it? Is there talent? And I don’t know how this works.
Hanley House: Yeah, so there’s different phases of competition.
In the Miss America Organization, we have talent, which is a huge portion, we have interview, we have fitness, and we have evening gown. And so, these all play into the overall score in the Miss America opportunity.
There’s such thing as Miss America Fit, and that’s where the fitness comes into play. Having a fit lifestyle is very important, this doesn’t mean just physically fit, it also means mentally fit and having a healthy body is really important.
You can’t do the job, you can’t get up every single day if you’re not healthy. And you can’t be ready to work if you’re not healthy and you’re not in it for the right reasons.
And so, that’s exactly where the Miss America Fit portion plays into the organization, and then of course [00:16:00] talent, which I feel like I’ve been preparing for that moment my whole entire life being a dancer. And dancing 17 hours a week since I was a little girl.
Jonathan Breeden: That’s a lot. That’s a lot of dancing.
What do you believe you have learned? you Different people have different opinions on pageants. You are new to the pageant scene, very new, but now you won a major,
pageant.
What do you believe you have learned from it and why would you encourage other people to go into it? If you would.
I, I don’t know if you would. I’m assuming that.
Hanley House: Of course. There is the stereotypical pageants all is only about the way you look, and that could not be furthest from the truth. That is not the truth at all, and being in a part of pageants, I’ve learned that for myself.
I’ve been able to see that first hand and I feel like my story goes to show that, I haven’t been growing up doing this. You don’t have to be in it since you were a little girl and you don’t have to have people telling you how to walk, how to stand a certain way, how to look a certain way. [00:17:00] You don’t have to have all of that.
I’ve earned so much scholarship money over the past year being a part of the Miss America opportunity. I have $76,000 to go to school, and that’s something that has made an everlasting impact on mine and my family’s lives. And we are so grateful for those scholarship funds.
And that’s just another reason why it is just not about the way you look, it’s really about the interview skills. It’s about the talent, and I’ve made so many friends during the whole entire process from being at Miss North Carolina and making forty-one other friends going to Miss America and making fifty other friends is crazy.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. So, you have a positive look on it. You’re brand new at it, but it’s a positive view, that’s awesome.
Well, let’s talk a little bit about Johnston County.
What are some of your uh, favorite restaurants?
Hanley House: Oh, I love Johnston County, this is my favorite part of our whole podcast today. Literally, I love talking about Johnston County, I could talk about it [00:18:00] forever.
But my favorite part? I love the restaurants, Redneck BBQ Lab has my heart, I love the Ugly Mug. I take all my friends when my friends are in town, I always take them to the Ugly Mug.
And I love the people here, the community is a huge part of where I am today. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Johnston County community rallying around me, non-stop. I just wouldn’t be where I am.
Jonathan Breeden: What is some places? I like Redneck Barbecue Lab. As well at Exit Three-Nineteam, Ugly Mug, Jeremy, and those guys are great there.
I enjoy going to the Clubhouse, which is right there as well.
Hanley House: Yeah. Love the clubhouse.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. And of course now, Clayton is gonna get an Outback Steakhouse and a Popeye’s Chicken on L.A 70. Right next to Gold’s Gym.
So more and more things are coming. There’s gonna be a mellow Mushroom and Flowers Plantation. They’re building that as well as another Biscuitville out forty-two East on that side of Johnson County. Lots of stuff.
Have you had a chance to go to the North State Food Hall in Selma yet?
Hanley House: I have not.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, there’s a lot of good vendors in there too.
So, I would encourage you to stop by there.
Hanley House: I’ll have to [00:19:00] say I love Mellow Mushroom, that is probably one of my favorite places to eat, and so I’m excited about that. I had no idea about that.
So that’s, I can’t wait to go home and tell my family about that.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. There’s a ton of great new restaurants coming here. What are some other things you like to do around Johnston County?
Hanley House: Oh my gosh. I love hanging out with my friends. Whenever I get the chance, my friends always text me. They’re like, Hanley, can you hang out? Hanley, we miss you so much. And I miss them so much. I miss hanging out with them every single day.
But being on the job, I do stay very busy, but my friends will always have a special place in my heart.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. Are there any um. parks or businesses that you visit?
Hanley House: Okay. Broadmoor Recreation. I love going to the pool. It’s right across the street from where I live.
Jonathan Breeden: Right.
Hanley House: And I’m a pickleball girl. I love playing pickleball. My Um, friends would not tell you that I’m very good at it, but I love to play, I think it’s so fun.
And playing pickleball has always been so fun for me and my friends, so that’s definitely something I love to play.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, that’s awesome.
So, [00:20:00] um, if people wanted to follow along with you and your travels over the next uh, 12 months, it’s Miss America’s Teen, how could they go about doing that?
Hanley House: So you can find my Instagram, which is Miss America’s Teen, just on Instagram. have a pretty big following right now, but like I said, I would love to continue growing our following. So if you all could go follow our Instagram, that would be fantastic.
you wanna follow my personal page, it’s Hanley_House on Instagram as well, and Facebook. And so, those are the main platforms and then there’s also TikTok as well.
It has some fun videos and things that you can learn more about the Miss America Opportunity if you are looking to compete in a local prelim and just get started like I did.
Jonathan Breeden: That’s cool. And what does Miss America, they have something to do with American Heart Association. What are some of their philanthropic, I can’t say it. Uh,
But I thought it was the American Heart Association, but I could be wrong.
Hanley House: Oh, yes. So the Miss America Opportunity, it’s not called organization anymore.
They’re, we have a new CEO and so all [00:21:00] of the language is changed over. So it’s called the Miss America Opportunity. But we have a brand new partnership with the American Heart Association. That is a three year long partnership. And so, it’s very fitting, we’re in February, it’s Valentine’s day’s tomorrow, I’m super excited about it.
But just being able to where the American Heart Association motto across our chest at all times, sharing that heart disease and stroke are the number one cause right now for cause of death for women today.
And so, being able to just spread awareness for that and make sure that you know you’re paying attention to your body, paying attention to your heart, and always doing the right things to keep yourself healthy.
Jonathan Breeden: Cool! Well, thanks a lot.
Hanley House: Of course.
Jonathan Breeden: Um, I guess the last question we always ask everybody is, what do you love most about Johnston County?
Hanley House: Oh, I think I said this already, but the people.
The people have always had a very special place in my heart and I cannot wait to continue making Johnston County proud.
Jonathan Breeden: Uh, well That is the most [00:22:00] common answer we get on this podcast. It’s the thing I love the most about Johnston County. And that is what most people that have been on this podcast have said, it’s the people in the small town feel, even though it is one of the fastest growing counties in the entire United States.
Hanley House: Of course.
Jonathan Breeden: Cool! Well, we would like to thank Hanley House for coming on to the best of Johnson County Podcast.
Hanley House: Thank you.
Jonathan Breeden: If this is your first time watching or listening to this podcast, if you would do us a favor of liking, follow, or subscribing to this podcast and wherever you’re seeing it, whether it be on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, or you’re watching any of our many clips that we put out on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook so that you’ll be aware of future episodes of the best of Johnson County Podcast.
If you would also be kind enough to give us a five star review down at the bottom, wherever you’re seeing this podcast, that helps with our visibility so other people will learn about the best of Johnston County Podcast. We have new episodes that come out every Monday.
If this is your first time, go back and listen to some of the previous ones we’ve had. We’ve had Representative [00:23:00] Donna White, we had Patrick Harris, one of the Johnston County Commissioners, Ted Godwin, a Johnston County Commissioner, as well as several other small business owners in the area.
Talking about why they love Johnston County. We had Adrienne O’Neill, the Johnston County Parks and Rec Director talking about the new park and the Cleveland community and the mountains to the sea trail.
All of these can be found at the same place you found this podcast. And you can learn more about Johnston County and why I and Hanley love Johnston County so much.
Until next time. I’m Jonathan Breeden, your host.
That’s the end of today’s episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.
If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. [00:24:00] com.
