Secrets of Beauty Pageants with Insider Tracy Heisler Drost, Mrs. Illinois
Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life
07/28/26
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Get Obsessed with... doing the thing that scares you.
This week on Get Obsessed, Julie Lokun and Mika Altidor sit down with Tracy Heisler Drost, Mrs. Illinois 2025-26, for a conversation that goes way beyond the crown. Tracy pulls back the curtain on the world of pageantry — not the stereotype, the reality: the platform it builds, the doors it opens, and the personal growth that happens when you stop avoiding the things that make you uncomfortable and start leaning into them.
Tracy shares how competing as Mrs. Illinois became less about the title and more about the megaphone it gave her — a platform to advocate, connect, and show other women what's possible when you bet on yourself. Julie and Mika dig into the mindset shift that made it all possible: the moment you decide discomfort isn't a red flag, it's a green light.
If you've ever talked yourself out of something because it felt scary, unfamiliar, or "not really you" — this episode is your permission slip to do it anyway.
In this episode, we cover:
- What it's really like to compete for a title like Mrs. Illinois — and what nobody tells you going in
- How pageantry functions as a platform-building tool, not just a beauty contest
- The confidence Tracy built by choosing discomfort on purpose
- Why "just try it" might be the most underrated growth strategy that exists
- How to turn any title, role, or opportunity into a bigger platform for your voice
- Advice for anyone standing at the edge of something that scares them
Quotable moment: Tracy on why growth lives on the other side of uncomfortable — and why she keeps choosing it anyway.
FAQs
Who is Tracy Heisler Drost? Tracy Heisler Drost is Mrs. Illinois 2025-26, using her title as a platform to inspire women to embrace growth, confidence, and opportunities that push them outside their comfort zone.
What does Mrs. Illinois 2025-26 talk about on Get Obsessed? Tracy talks about the power of pageantry as a platform, how competing built her confidence, and why intentionally choosing uncomfortable situations is one of the fastest ways to grow personally and professionally.
What is the Get Obsessed Podcast about? Get Obsessed is hosted by Julie Lokun and Mika Altidor, delivering bold, unfiltered conversations on confidence, personal brand, entrepreneurship, and becoming obsessed with the life you're building.
Where can I listen to this episode? You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere podcasts stream, or visit www.getobsessedpodcast.com for the full episode and show notes.
How can I be a guest on Get Obsessed? Visit www.getobsessedguest.com to apply to be featured on the show.
What is pageant "platform" and why does it matter? A pageant platform is the cause, message, or mission a titleholder champions during her reign — Tracy's story shows how a platform can extend far beyond the stage into real influence and impact.
Links Mentioned
️ Listen to the full episode: www.getobsessedpodcast.com Apply to be a guest on Get Obsessed: www.getobsessedguest.com
About the Hosts
Julie Lokun, JD is a media entrepreneur, podcast strategist, and brand consultant, and the founder of The Mediacasters LLC and co-founder of Dragonfly Cre8tions LLC, Dragonfly Podcast Academy, and Cre8tive Con. Her podcasts rank in the top 0.05% globally on Listen Notes and top 5 weekly on Apple Podcasts. Learn more at julielokunconsulting.com and bigbetterbrand.com.
Mika Altidor co-hosts Get Obsessed Podcast alongside Julie, bringing bold energy and real talk to every conversation about confidence, growth, and getting obsessed with your own life.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
In this solo episode of Get Obsessed, host Julie Lokun opens up about the routines, rituals, and rabbit holes currently running her summer. She walks listeners through her non-negotiable morning routine — a one-hour walk, meditation, and setting a daily intention — and explains why mindset work has to happen before the to-do list. From there, Julie dives into her self-proclaimed identity as a "conference junkie," reflecting on her recent experience at BookThinkers and why in-person networking still drives more business growth than almost anything else available to entrepreneurs and content creators today.
The episode also covers Julie's current skincare obsession with The Ordinary, available at Sephora, and why affordable, high-impact skincare ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are changing the beauty industry's cost conversation. Of course, no episode is complete without an update on her two French Bulldogs, Axl and Violet.
The back half of the episode shifts into one of Julie's long-standing fascinations: cults, coercive control, and high-control groups. She previews three major interviews coming to the show in the next month: Janelle Brown from Sister Wives, discussing life after leaving a plural marriage; Anne Gollert Hill, a former Sea Org member of Scientology; and Dr. Christine Marie, featured in the Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet. Julie closes the episode with a call-to-action for listeners to leave a review for a chance to win an exclusive Get Obsessed trucker hat.
Topics Covered
- Morning routine for entrepreneurs: walking, meditation, and setting intentions
- Why conferences and in-person events fuel business growth
- BookThinkers conference recap and takeaways
- The power of authentic networking (not transactional networking)
- The Ordinary skincare review: affordable, high-impact skincare from Sephora
- Life with French Bulldogs Axl and Violet
- Preview: upcoming interviews on cults, coercive control, and high-control groups
- Janelle Brown (Sister Wives) on leaving a plural marriage
- Anne Gollert Hill on life as an ex Sea Org member of Scientology
- Dr. Christine Marie from Netflix's "Trust Me: The False Prophet"
- How to win a Get Obsessed trucker hat
Timestamps
- 00:00 — Cold open: Julie's summer obsession list
- 01:15 — Morning routine: walking, meditating, setting an intention
- 04:00 — Conference junkie confession + BookThinkers recap
- 06:30 — The real ROI of networking
- 08:15 — Skincare obsession: The Ordinary from Sephora
- 10:00 — Axl and Violet (the French Bulldog segment)
- 11:00 — Cult obsession + upcoming guest preview
- 13:30 — Listener CTA: leave a review, win a Get Obsessed trucker hat
- 14:15 — Outro
Links Mentioned
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: Get Obsessed: With Living Your Best Life
- The Ordinary skincare (Sephora):The Ordinary | Sephora
- BookThinkers Conference:www.bookthinkers.com
- "Trust Me: The False Prophet" (Netflix): Watch Trust Me: The False Prophet | Netflix Official Site
- "Sister Wives" (TLC): Sister Wives Returns for Season 20: The Most Powerful Season Yet | TLC.com
- Follow Julie: julielokunconsulting.com
- ️ Dragonfly Podcast Academy: www.dragonflypodcasting.com
FAQS
What is Julie Lokun's morning routine? Julie Lokun's morning routine includes a one-hour walk, meditation, and setting a daily intention before starting work. She credits this routine with providing the mental clarity and energy behind her business and podcasting work.
What skincare brand does Julie Lokun use? Julie Lokun is currently using and recommending The Ordinary, a skincare brand available at Sephora known for offering high-impact, dermatologist-grade ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid at an affordable price point.
Who is being interviewed on Get Obsessed about cults? Upcoming Get Obsessed guests discussing cults and high-control groups include Janelle Brown from Sister Wives, Anne Gollert Hill (a former Sea Org member of Scientology), and Dr. Christ...
Next Episode
Matt Grace joins Julie Lokun and Mika Altidor to share the extraordinary story behind more than two decades of sobriety after years of severe drug addiction, alcohol addiction, sex addiction, and self-destructive behavior. He reflects on childhood behavioral issues, family history, enabling, privilege, and the early experiences that fueled his substance abuse.
Matt explains how accountability, firm family boundaries, and service to others became the foundation of his addiction recovery after countless opportunities to avoid consequences.
He also discusses why many families unintentionally prolong addiction, how his work shaped his views on addiction treatment, and why making amends is essential to lasting change. The conversation offers an honest recovery story filled with practical insight and hope for anyone striving to live your best life.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The long road from addiction to lasting sobriety and hope for recovery
- The family history and early experiences that contributed to addiction
- Childhood behavior, therapy, and escalating problems before substance abuse took over
- How divorce, privilege, and enabling shaped years of destructive behavior
- Working with families affected by addiction and the importance of healthy boundaries
- The stories behind Matt’s most destructive decisions and the impact they had on his life
- Service, making amends, and the principles that sustain long-term recovery
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
- (Book) God Doesn't Relapse: Sex, Drugs, and the Life That Almost Killed Me - https://www.amazon.com/God-Doesnt-Relapse-Almost-Killed/dp/1637635508
- (Organization) Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) — https://www.aa.org/
- (Organization) Narcotics Anonymous (NA) — https://na.org/
- Website: https://mattgrace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattsavinggrace/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattSavingGrace/
- Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/@mattsavinggrace
Website: www.getobsessedpodcast.com
Be a Guest! http://www.getobsessedguest.com
Reach Out To Us! hello@getobsessedmedia.com
The Get Obsessed podcast is dedicated to exploring the passions, mindsets, and habits that drive high performers. We believe that what you obsess over defines your future.
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