Honestly? Not much.

At 52 years old and a self-proclaimed tomboy, pageants were about the last thing I ever imagined myself doing. If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be wearing a crown and sash while talking about books, I would have laughed.

Then I published my first book.

What I quickly learned is that writing the book is only part of the journey. If I wanted people to hear Rylee’s story, I had to learn how to market it. As uncomfortable as it was, I realized that books don’t find readers on their own. I needed a bigger microphone.

Around that time, I stumbled across an opportunity to compete for Miss Classic Colorado through United Crown of America. A few headshots, a video interview, and an essay later, I found myself virtually crowned Miss Classic Colorado 2026. Soon afterward, a very bedazzled sash, a 3½-pound formal crown, and a travel crown arrived in the mail.

To be clear, I didn’t enter because I dreamed of being a pageant queen. I entered because I believed it might help me amplify a message that mattered.

What I didn’t expect was what came next.

United Crown of America introduced me to an incredible network of women from all walks of life. Women with stories of loss, survival, perseverance, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and reinvention. Women who support each other without competition and celebrate one another’s successes.

The platform is built on the belief that every woman has value and every story deserves to be heard. That message resonated deeply with me.

The crown didn’t make me an author. It didn’t write the books. It didn’t survive the grief. It didn’t do the healing.

But it did give me another platform from which to speak.

Today, when I appear at book signings, interviews, community events, and advocacy opportunities, the crown often starts conversations that otherwise might never happen. People ask questions. They become curious. And before long, we’re talking about grief, resilience, recovery, victim advocacy, or the importance of telling our stories.

So what does the crown have to do with writing?

Nothing.

And everything.

Because if wearing a crown helps one more person hear Rylee’s story, find hope in their own struggles, or realize they aren’t alone, then it has served a purpose far greater than I ever imagined.

~ Teri Busse

 Miss Classic Colorado 2026