How a Simple Compliment Sparked a Movement—My Conversation with Megz West

Jean Tillery [: 00:00:05

Hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of Epic Stories, the podcast where we believe that every person has a story worth living and a story worth telling. My name is Jean Tillery. I'm a certified dream manager, speaker, author, and founder of Epic Living with Jean. One of the things that I love most about doing this podcast is that I don't always know exactly where a conversation is going to take me. Today's conversation is the perfect example. I didn't know my guest, Megs West, before we sat down to talk. We live in the same small community outside of Richmond, Virginia, and I had seen her on Facebook. But what caught my attention was an announcement that she made that she had recently been selected as Miss Executive East Coast 2026 for the pageant platform Miss United Crown of America.

Jean Tillery [: 00:01:02

And I was curious, what exactly is Miss Executive? So I asked her to come on the podcast and tell me about it. I thought we were going to talk about a crown and a sash, and we did, but we also talked about youth sports, a boy named Jackson, Alopecia, a mom who shaved her own head when her son told her that she couldn't possibly understand what it felt like to have no hair. We talked about military, mental health, losing more than 180 pounds, confidence, community, kindness, and what happens when a woman decides that she is no longer willing to make herself small for someone else's comfort. And then there's the bows, lots and lots of bows. Because somewhere along the way, Megs accidentally started something. At a youth cheer competition, she noticed something most of us probably wouldn't have ever noticed. Everyone cheered when their own team performed, but in those moments between teams, the room became quiet. So Meg started yelling, Hey, I like your bow! Not good luck, not great job, just a simple compliment to a girl about to walk onto the floor.

Jean Tillery [: 00:02:23

Before long, other people were started doing it, and then someone made Meg's a sign. Then the girls joined in, and eventually an entire arena was shouting, I like your bow! Someone mentioned to Meg, I think you started a movement. Turns out that she had. Today, I Like Your Bow is a nonprofit built around something that Meg says beautifully: it takes zero time and zero effort to be kind. But as you'll hear, this isn't really a story about bows. It's a story about people. It's about seeing someone and encouraging them. Making room for them and teaching young girls something that Megs wishes she had understood much earlier.

Jean Tillery [: 00:03:11

You don't have to be little, you don't have to be quiet, and you don't have to make yourself small so that someone else can feel comfortable. What I love the most is that Megs isn't coming to us in the finish line. She's at the beginning of something. She has some enormous dreams, and I mean enormous. At one point, I asked her where she'd like all of this to go. She didn't give me a safe answer. She talked about taking young women to Washington, D.C. She talked about Fortune 500 companies.

Jean Tillery [: 00:03:46

She talked about girls growing up believing that they could run those companies. She doesn't know exactly how she's going to get there yet, and you don't— and you know how I feel about that. You don't have to know every step before you're allowed to have the dream. Sometimes you just need enough courage to walk through the door when it opens. And Megs walked through. So I want you to hear her story exactly the way I did, as it unfolded. I started this conversation wanting to know how a woman from our little corner of Virginia ended up with a crown. I finished it wondering Just how far she's going to take it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:04:26

Here's my conversation with Megs West. Um, but like I was explaining to you, I, I never know what it is that attracts me or what I notice about somebody. Um, the last interview that I, I did, it was actually a friend of mine, but she had made a Facebook post that just really struck me because she was a dietitian and she had taken a picture line at the grocery store about somebody's cart compared to, you know, what people are actually buying today and what they should be buying. And we had this great conversation. Um, now I don't know you, we've never met before. We do live in the same little small community outside of Richmond, but again, it was a Facebook post.

Megz West [: 00:05:07

It was.

Jean Tillery [: 00:05:08

Um, that caught my attention. So introduce yourself, and I'm gonna say that it was the Miss Executive Competition that kind of caught my attention. So tell me who you are and, and how you got into that and what that actually is.

Megz West [: 00:05:24

Um, well, so my name is Megan West. Um, everybody calls me Megs, and I'm from right here in Powhatan County, the booming metropolis of Powhatan, right? Um, I could probably still name every person I graduated with. Um, but yeah, right here in Powhatan County, K through 12. Um, my whole life I've lived all over the county, but, um, as soon as I left, um, high school, it was off to the military for me. So I joined the Army. Um, but now it's time to come home because I have things to celebrate. So, um, this year I started a baby nonprofit. Um, when I say baby, I mean it's just me, um, out here to change the world.

Jean Tillery [: 00:06:06

So it's not a nonprofit for babies necessarily, but it's baby where it's new and it's you.

Megz West [: 00:06:11

Yeah. So I, um, I I incorporated back in February of 2026, and that's kind of what jumpstarted this whole public eye, go out and do things kind of mentality for me.

Jean Tillery [: 00:06:24

Now, was it the nonprofit that, that brought on the Miss Executive, or was that—

Megz West [: 00:06:30

Yes. Um, that was a big part of it. So, um, I have been involved with youth sports here in the Richmond area since the spring of 2022. I have one son, his name's Jackson, and he loves sports. Football was our jam for a long time. So being on the sidelines, you know, helping coach him, handing out snacks and all the things that moms do was really important to me growing up here in the county. We don't have a very high financial demographic here.

Jean Tillery [: 00:07:03

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:07:03

You know, we're very rural still. Um, I know people in the county who still barter for things, which I think is super cool. Um, so my mom wasn't able to be involved, um, with me and my siblings. She was working 2 jobs, um, to, to support us. So she made it to all of the important things, but the smaller things, not so much.

Jean Tillery [: 00:07:28

Sure.

Megz West [: 00:07:28

Um, she went to every volleyball game I ever had. But she wasn't there for the 3rd grade, you know, spelling bee award ceremony kind of thing. Um, she used to tell me, if you see me at school, there's either something really good or something really bad.

Jean Tillery [: 00:07:43

Yeah, that's kind of a, kind of a rural thing that you see a lot.

Megz West [: 00:07:48

Exactly. Um, so I knew that when I had children, I wanted to be able to be involved in those things. Um, so I did.

Jean Tillery [: 00:07:58

I Headfirst.

Megz West [: 00:07:59

I was in the PTA when he was in kindergarten. Um, we started football together, um, and we've graduated all the way to him helping me coach my team. Uh, I had coached a girls flag team this year and he was my offensive coordinator.

Jean Tillery [: 00:08:14

Oh, fun.

Megz West [: 00:08:15

So it, it was a big full circle moment for me.

Jean Tillery [: 00:08:18

So that's a big deal because, you know, I have kids. My kids grew up here. My oldest is now 20. He'll be 26 in October. So we grew up through there and I have, um, my oldest son played football for the county and, you know, we—

Megz West [: 00:08:34

Who didn't?

Jean Tillery [: 00:08:35

Yeah. One of the things I love about this county is the support of youth sports. Um, all of them, you know, soccer, um, football and, you know, baseball and softball and they were in all of it. Zach, my youngest, was the only one who actually played flag, and he played for his first year. But I didn't realize that there was a girls flag team. Can I just say that I think that's the greatest thing ever? I was in 9th grade when the law changed— was it Title IX or whatever— that said that if a school—

Megz West [: 00:09:10

Boys can do it, girls can too.

Jean Tillery [: 00:09:11

Yeah. And I remember I went to my dad and I said, I want to play football. And he's like, what? And I said, you know, this is the only year I'll be the same size as most of the guys. At that point, I had been in gymnastics for about 8 years. So I was strong, I was flexible, and I was practically invincible. And I said, I'll never get a chance to do it again. Please let me play. And he was like, absolutely no, there's no way you're going to do that.

Jean Tillery [: 00:09:37

So I missed my chance, but I would have loved—

Megz West [: 00:09:39

Well, come help me coach.

Jean Tillery [: 00:09:41

I may have to think about that.

Megz West [: 00:09:43

Yeah, I'm doing middle school girls. and middle school boys. So I'll do 2 teams of flag this fall.

Jean Tillery [: 00:09:50

That is so exciting. I love that.

Megz West [: 00:09:54

So sports, um, has definitely been Jackson's big, um, thing right now.

Jean Tillery [: 00:10:02

Um, now how old is Jackson?

Megz West [: 00:10:03

He'll be 14 this year.

Jean Tillery [: 00:10:05

Oh, I bet he loves being all the, you know, coming up with plays and being the coordinator.

Megz West [: 00:10:10

And he does. And that is one of the biggest joys of my life because sports mean so much to me. Yeah.

Jean Tillery [: 00:10:20

That I now have the opportunity for it to mean so much to him too. Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:10:24

So we're sitting up till 2 AM in the living room at the coffee table, you know, making plays and I'm putting them in the iPad and he's doodling. And, um, so it, it was definitely a full circle moment that I was there too, on the program staff, the coaching team for his first flag season. And then he was on my staff for mine.

Jean Tillery [: 00:10:46

I love it.

Megz West [: 00:10:49

But yeah, Jackson's cool. He loves the bows. He loves them. He helps me pick them out all the time. And Jackson has alopecia. So he's been completely bald since the first grade. And that was kind of my first experience accidentally going viral. Um, I shaved my head completely bald in 2020.

Megz West [: 00:11:10

Um, it was March 7th of 2020, and he came home and he was upset that somebody had looked at him, said something. Um, and I was like, buddy, you know, it's okay. Hair doesn't make you a good person.

Jean Tillery [: 00:11:23

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:11:23

All of the mom things that, you know, you're supposed to say. Um, but you deep down know that they don't Hit like they should.

Jean Tillery [: 00:11:32

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:11:33

Um, and he said, Mama, you'll never understand because you have hair. And I said, hold on a second. So I sat down in a chair in my mom's kitchen. My sister came over and we cut my ponytail off and then we completely shaved my head.

Jean Tillery [: 00:11:49

Um, wow.

Megz West [: 00:11:50

All the way. It got posted on TikTok and it got picked up by everybody.

Jean Tillery [: 00:11:55

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:11:56

So we had offers to go, um, on Ellen, on Kelly Clarkson.

Jean Tillery [: 00:12:01

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:12:01

Good Morning America. Every, every news station in Richmond had picked it up and done an interview. The Richmond Times had done something. Roanoke Times, DC picked it up. It was everywhere. If you Google today, Chesterfield, Virginia mom goes viral on TikTok.

Jean Tillery [: 00:12:18

Yep.

Megz West [: 00:12:18

My face is the entire first page of Google results.

Jean Tillery [: 00:12:23

So, you know, it's funny that, you know, 10 years ago we'd never even consider, you know, what does going viral mean. But I love that all the stories with alopecia that I've ever heard of have usually been women. So this is the first time I've heard, you know, a male, much less a little boy.

Megz West [: 00:12:45

Oh, wow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:12:47

And is he not the cutest thing you've ever seen? Um, and it's like, you know, that makes you think of what, you know, it happened to him young, but at some point, at some age, you know, that would've been cool. I mean, there's a lot of, like, my husband's been bald for years and, you know, he started shaving it when it started getting, you know, light.

Megz West [: 00:13:04

Yeah.

Jean Tillery [: 00:13:05

But that's like a thing. So it's, it's kind of, you know, what's the difference? You know, how can we teach or teach people that, you know, it's okay when you're You know, 28, why isn't it okay when you're 14?

Megz West [: 00:13:18

Yeah, he, um, so he came home one day, um, and it looked like he had moved during a haircut and he just kind of like chunked it out a little bit on top and then it got bigger. So his dad and I took him to the doctor, um, and he was in taekwondo at the time, so they're like, he might have ringworm, which is super common. So we put medicine on it for that and it didn't stop. Um, so that was in about November of, I wanna say 2017-ish. Yeah. Um, and it got bigger and by April, that following April, he was completely gone.

Jean Tillery [: 00:13:54

So it's pretty fast. Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:13:55

It happened what felt like as a mom overnight.

Jean Tillery [: 00:13:58

Yeah. Is that something, I know nothing about it. Is it, is it hereditary? Is it some, some kind of gene? They don't know where it comes from?

Megz West [: 00:14:07

Nope. They have very little answers on why. Um, I had a little bit when I was a kid. my hair just thinned out. Yeah. Um, his dad, I don't believe, has had any— anything of the sort. Um, but they don't know how or why. And my hair grew back just fine.

Megz West [: 00:14:24

It was like a, a little period where it was an issue. Um, Jackson lost all of his hair and it's never come back.

Jean Tillery [: 00:14:31

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:14:31

Um, the best we get is some peach fuzz maybe. Um, but— and he's completely bald all over. No arm hair, leg hair, eyebrows, nothing. And he glows in the dark. He is so pale. Um, as a mom, if my child had to have some medical condition or something that, that set them apart, um, I am glad that it happened when it did.

Jean Tillery [: 00:15:01

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:15:02

Um, that he is now going into the 8th grade and we know how middle school can be. So Um, all of his friends, everyone he has known his entire life know Jackson as being a bald, like, bald child.

Jean Tillery [: 00:15:16

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:15:16

And that he's been bald since the first grade.

Jean Tillery [: 00:15:18

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:15:18

And nobody remembers him any different today than he was back then. So all of his friends will stick up for him if, you know, somebody says something. And, um, he is super blessed to have such a great school, um, to be in and the friends that he has.

Jean Tillery [: 00:15:35

You know, I think that's possibly one of the benefits of being in such a smaller area where, you know, I mean, you know, pretty much everybody here. There's, I mean, it's, we're growing a lot and there's a lot of new people, but for the most part, if you've lived here for any amount of time, you, you know, the majority of the people that live here.

Megz West [: 00:15:51

So half the sheriff's department I went to school with.

Jean Tillery [: 00:15:54

Yeah. So knowing, you know, being around and not only just the kids, but the other parents. So you get support. Behind your back.

Megz West [: 00:16:03

Yeah, absolutely. And, um, Jackson handles it well. He has developed his own personality and he doesn't really let it hold him back. So, um, occasionally I'll be like, hey, look at this new bow that I bought, like, isn't it cute? And he's like, it's cute on you, hold on. And I'll stick it on top of his head and he's like, it doesn't work for me though. I don't think this one works for me, Mom.

Jean Tillery [: 00:16:30

Um, so he has a sense of humor?

Megz West [: 00:16:33

Oh, absolutely. He is so out of pocket every day.

Jean Tillery [: 00:16:37

It— so tell me about the nonprofit, because I really don't— I mean, you'd mentioned that. I have no idea what it's about.

Megz West [: 00:16:45

So when I started, um, with youth sports back in 2022, um, I volunteered with a little bit of everything. I'm the kind of person that I can't do a little bit and then take a vacation. Like, that's, that's not me. If I'm in, I'm all in. So when I started helping with the Jacobs Athletic Association, who's, um, who I went to coach for, I helped out a little bit with all of the sports. Then I was elected to their athletic board. So I'm the executive secretary of the Jacobs Athletic Association in Chesterfield.

Jean Tillery [: 00:17:19

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:17:20

And I decided I wanted to help out with cheerleading because I wanted to wear a bow. I know nothing about cheerleading, like at all. Not a single thing other than I like to watch them on TikTok. Yeah. So my goal with our cheerleading program was to go and be obnoxious.

Jean Tillery [: 00:17:44

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:17:45

I wanted to be loud and energy and over the top and was gonna get everybody excited.

Jean Tillery [: 00:17:49

And that was my version.

Megz West [: 00:17:51

of cheerleading for the cheerleaders.

Jean Tillery [: 00:17:53

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:17:54

Um, so last season, they, um, was the first season that our association has competed in, in some youth league competitions. Um, we've been doing games, basketball, football, but this was our first cheer competition.

Jean Tillery [: 00:18:10

I didn't even realize they had cheer competitions that age.

Megz West [: 00:18:12

They do, and they are so much fun, and they do them from like age 5 to I think, I think it starts at 5 and it ends at like 13, 14, somewhere in there. So the youth league, like freshman year, I think is kind of the cutoff. Um, so they had 3 competitions in a row, 3 separate weekends. So they were like, hey, are you coming? We have a bow. And I'm like, you betcha.

Jean Tillery [: 00:18:39

Like, if you have a bow, then I'm gonna be there.

Megz West [: 00:18:41

So we go and I noticed while I was there. that obviously everybody's cheering for their team, right? So you have the girls who are coming on and you have mom and dad and they're clapping, and then they do their routine, they come off, mom and dad are clapping. But before you see the next team come on, there is creepy utter silence. You get nothing more than like popcorn bags and—

Jean Tillery [: 00:19:06

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:19:07

Ruffling. So I said, man, it's really quiet in here when people aren't cheering. And one of my girls said, yeah, we should do something about that. And I'm like, you're right, we should. So every time there was a lull in anything, I would scream out, hey, I like your bow, as loud as I possibly could. And people looked at me and they're like, that's kind of a weird— like, what about good job?

Jean Tillery [: 00:19:38

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:19:38

You know, something like that. And I'm like, how many people in this arena are saying good job?

Jean Tillery [: 00:19:42

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:19:43

All of them. How many are saying good luck? All of them. But how many are giving you a compliment to boost you up before you walk out there? And they were like, that sounds like fun. So the next day, um, the president of our association, Stephanie, brought me one of those, um, plastic yard signs, like the kind of thing they do political posters on. Um, brought me one of those, and it's big, and it says, I like your bow, and it's red and black, has a giant bow on it. They brought me a new sparkly bow to wear with that one. Um, and I carried that sign around all weekend, and anytime somebody was doing something, or I walked by and they're like, hey, and I'll be like, hey, I like your bow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:20:28

Yeah, well, you know, and I love that because from watching sports— now again, I Cheerleading is something totally different for me. I was not involved in it at all, but there's always, there's always the people who aren't necessarily one of the players. You know, they don't have the talent or the skill, but they're part of the team or they're the baby sister or the, the, you know, the, the, you know, whatever that are just kind of peripheral.

Megz West [: 00:21:00

Yeah.

Jean Tillery [: 00:21:01

And then what a way to recognize a part of being in this arena and being part of, you know, the, the—

Megz West [: 00:21:12

it was so much fun. What's going on?

Jean Tillery [: 00:21:13

It was so fun without taking away from the athletes, but still being able to— I think this is such a fun idea.

Megz West [: 00:21:21

By the end of the weekend, well, the end of the 3-weekend series, everyone was screaming it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:21:27

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:21:27

Because it's kind of one of those things. The same teams are showing up, you know, week after week. You might have different ones here and there. Um, but, uh, somebody looked at me and they said, I think you started a movement.

Jean Tillery [: 00:21:38

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:21:39

And I was like, well, I can't let it die now. So, um, last week I was talking to somebody about this coming cheer season and about my work with I Like Your Bow and all of those things. And they said, you are my favorite kind of obnoxious empowerment and kindness Wrapped up in a bow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:22:01

Wrapped up in a bow. I love it.

Megz West [: 00:22:02

And, um, I love that. Yeah, I love that I was described that way because I am. I am super passionate about empowering others. I am super passionate about— it takes zero time and zero effort to be kind.

Jean Tillery [: 00:22:23

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:22:23

If you're gonna say something hateful, it is less work to say something nice, I promise.

Jean Tillery [: 00:22:28

Well, and the interesting thing is, I mean, this can be a phrase that's really used anywhere. I mean, it doesn't necessarily have to be cheerleading.

Megz West [: 00:22:39

Absolutely not.

Jean Tillery [: 00:22:40

I mean, it's just can be a thing. And I think that's beautiful.

Megz West [: 00:22:46

Um, you know how everybody dreams of like being famous or being quoted in a book or, you you know, one of those little motivational posters with the cats like hanging off a tree branch.

Jean Tillery [: 00:22:59

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:22:59

So that weekend when I came home from that 3rd competition where everyone in the arena was screaming, I like your bow, I wrote my own inspirational poster quote that I will be sending out to everyone when I get famous. And it's, a bow is not just an accessory, it's a badge of honor for a girl who knows her worth and isn't afraid to show it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:23:24

I love it.

Megz West [: 00:23:25

So that, that will be— that, that's becoming the tagline of I Like Your Bow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:23:31

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:23:32

It's not about the bow, it's about the girl. And I want to teach these girls, whether it's through my work with sports or if it's something else, that you don't have to be little.

Jean Tillery [: 00:23:48

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:23:49

At no point in your life are you required to be small for someone else's comfort. And that is something that I struggled with in middle school and high school abundantly.

Jean Tillery [: 00:24:03

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:24:03

That was a big deal for me. I felt like, um, people would like me if I was smaller, if I was quiet, if I, you know, was more polite. And I found that I missed out on so much. And there are people that I went to high school with that I've run into as an adult, and they're like, I would have loved to hang out with you in high school, but you didn't talk to anybody, or, you know, yeah, you know, we didn't run in the same circle or whatever. And I'm like, man, what else have I missed out on? Like, what else is—

Jean Tillery [: 00:24:35

Well, and it's interesting because I just— I made a Facebook post, um, A couple days ago, a friend of mine online had made a comment about someone had told her that she needed to know her place. And it was meant kind of in a derogatory manner. And my friend made the comment that she was a little put off to begin with. But then when she started thinking about it, she realized—

Megz West [: 00:25:02

I don't belong in that place.

Jean Tillery [: 00:25:03

Yeah. And so when she had posted it, I made a comment and I'm like, you know what? I said, I don't look at it that way at all. I mean, to me it's like, yeah, you do need to know your place and you need to be in your place and you need to stand up and you need to stand your ground. Um, and then in the reverse, you need to know where you're not supposed to be, where it's not your place. So I, I kind of get that same vibe with what you're saying. I mean, this is—

Megz West [: 00:25:27

Yeah, there's, um, a song and I can't for the life of me remember who does it, but, um, she says, you'll have to put me in my grave before you'll put me in my place.

Jean Tillery [: 00:25:37

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:25:38

And I have found that is a very common theme in women of my generation. You know, the, the millennial moms who are gentle parenting while threatening to kick your butt at the same time. You know, we're—

Jean Tillery [: 00:25:52

But we do it with a smile on our face.

Megz West [: 00:25:54

Right.

Jean Tillery [: 00:25:55

Well, and I like that. And the thing that, the thing that I like about, you know, talking about the bow is it's So non-confrontational. And it's almost like saying bless your heart to people because you can say, you know, you know what, I know you know what I mean. And I'm recognizing you for who you are and giving you kind of like you said empowerment. Because you made that choice.

Megz West [: 00:26:20

Anybody can say, oh wow, that's a pretty dress.

Jean Tillery [: 00:26:24

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:26:24

Or, oh my gosh, your skin looks so good. Or I like your hair. And for a lot of people, those types of comments can be microaggressions. And I try to avoid anything that you— that would make a child think that they were different.

Jean Tillery [: 00:26:46

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:26:46

Right? Because for me, you're not different. You might have different skills, and— but you are all equal.

Jean Tillery [: 00:26:55

In value. Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:26:58

So, I like your bow, and most of the bows that these girls are wearing are issued by their team.

Jean Tillery [: 00:27:04

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:27:04

So it's a uniform. They are all the same. So saying, I like your bow, isn't calling you out specifically and kind of putting you on the spot, but you know that you also are wearing a really great bow, so I was probably talking to you.

Jean Tillery [: 00:27:19

Yeah. So explain how we jump from bows to a Miss Executive. So, um, because I'm sitting here looking at— I'm going to tell you a story about that, but I've got to hear how we got started here.

Megz West [: 00:27:36

I'm not quite sure, if we're being honest. So, um, what I really like about Miss United Crown of America is it's not a beauty pageant. Yeah, it is a merit pageant.

Jean Tillery [: 00:27:47

So it's— what is it again?

Megz West [: 00:27:49

It's Miss United Crown of America.

Jean Tillery [: 00:27:52

Okay.

Megz West [: 00:27:52

Is the pageant, um, circuit, if you will. They are merit-based. They are not beauty-based, if you will. Um, and they say that you are the company you keep. Everyone standing in that room is an accomplished woman in her field, and whatever that field may be. Um, So I was nominated and I got an email that said I had won. Um, so I was selected to be Miss United Crown of America, Miss Executive East Coast 2026. So my reign will start January 1st.

Jean Tillery [: 00:28:31

So executive, what does that entail as compared to another?

Megz West [: 00:28:38

So they have several different divisions. There's, um, the Miss Classic, which is, um, our older queens. And then there's the Mini Miss and the preteen and, and all of the little things. They also have, um, a Miss Doctorate. So only women who hold PhDs can be entered into that division. So my division, um, is heavily community service, community impact based.

Jean Tillery [: 00:29:05

Okay.

Megz West [: 00:29:09

And it's been crazy. The, the women that I have met in the last several weeks, um, I found out at the end of May.

Jean Tillery [: 00:29:16

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:29:17

Um, and I just announced on Facebook this week on Monday, I officially announced my title. So it's crazy that just the women that I have met online who are, because we're from all over the country.

Jean Tillery [: 00:29:32

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:29:33

So we're all in group chats and things like that. One of my best friends is Miss Doctorate South Carolina. You know, she is an accomplished veterinarian with a resume I could only dream of. And my mom always told me, you are the company that you keep.

Jean Tillery [: 00:29:51

Yes.

Megz West [: 00:29:52

So I have taken a nosedive into this room to sit at a table with people who are far smarter than me, far more accomplished than me, but want to teach me.

Jean Tillery [: 00:30:09

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:30:10

And that I can learn from. Um, so it's super exciting that not only does this award go for a national stage, it promotes I Like Your Bow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:30:26

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:30:26

I will be in print and digital Yeah. And I will hold that title forever. It will always be, you know, 2026, my name.

Jean Tillery [: 00:30:33

Now, just to step back for a second, did you decide, you know, when you were nominated, I mean, I guess at some point in time you had to make the decision to follow through with it.

Megz West [: 00:30:42

Absolutely.

Jean Tillery [: 00:30:43

Was that in your mind that this would be a great stepping stone to get information out about this? I mean, was that part of— so that just was, it just worked out that way.

Megz West [: 00:30:53

It was a side effect.

Jean Tillery [: 00:30:54

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:30:55

It was, um, not— so I Like Your Bow opened that door.

Jean Tillery [: 00:31:00

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:31:00

Megs walked through that door because I Like Your Bow—

Jean Tillery [: 00:31:06

Good thing you're not that quiet little Megs from high school, right?

Megz West [: 00:31:09

Um, I Like Your Bow won't drive itself. Yeah, it— I have to do it. Um, so I stepped into that room for my development. And I will use that to promote I Like Your Bow. Um, so it was definitely a selfish, you know, reasoning, if you will. I mean, it's not really selfish, but, um, that's why I walked through that door. I now have the opportunity because I was selected, um, to stay at the table that I get to put I Like Your Bow on a national stage. I didn't expect to do anything outside of Chesterfield County.

Jean Tillery [: 00:31:54

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:31:55

Outside of Palatine, outside of, you know, Richmond Metro.

Jean Tillery [: 00:31:59

Yeah. Amazing how those doors open like that when they're supposed to. So what does your year look like? I mean, so you said you're starting January 1st as the East Coast Miss Executive East Coast. What kind of things do you have to do for that?

Megz West [: 00:32:17

I have no idea. I am, um, I am so prepared but so unprepared, um, because I know the things that Megs wants to do.

Jean Tillery [: 00:32:29

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:32:30

Um, I am waiting for the Lord to show me where to do it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:32:39

Where would you like it to go?

Megz West [: 00:32:42

A beach somewhere. Um, I want to have a rally in DC.

Jean Tillery [: 00:32:49

Okay.

Megz West [: 00:32:50

I want to stack Congress with young women who don't take anything from anybody. And, um, I want to take it to Fortune 500 companies. And have girls running companies.

Jean Tillery [: 00:33:09

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:33:10

You know, I'm— I want to put my bows in front of anybody that will listen. I really got to quit crying when I talk about myself.

Jean Tillery [: 00:33:26

Well, no, that's— that's— that— well, first of all, I cry at everything, so I don't feel bad about that, but that's Shows your passion for it. Um, and you know what I love about— so I talked about my business as different angles. The majority of my business right now is I am— and you're going to laugh when I say this, but it so goes along with what you're talking about with the bows— um, I am a certified dream manager. So what I do is I work with individuals, and right now I'm starting to work with a lot of corporations. with their employees. And there's an actual set-out year-long program called the Dream Manager, and it helps companies get their employees re-engaged and kind of refocused and rebuilds confidence and, and builds, um, culture by helping them find their dreams and then fulfill these dreams. So I find time after time after time when people talk about their dreams They do. You get that.

Jean Tillery [: 00:34:29

Um, and one of the things that I hear over and over again is people tell me that they'll thank me for giving them permission to dream again. And you walked right in. This door that opened for you gave you a path. And I love the fact that you just said, okay, you know, this is what I want to do. This is my dream. And when you— I asked you what you're going to do with it and you talked about, you know, storming DC. That's a big one. Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:34:55

You didn't, you didn't bother with any of this little stuff.

Jean Tillery [: 00:34:58

You just went right to the top, and I admire that. And I think it's so beautiful that we're going to start at the top because I'm always talking about dream big. You may not know how you're going to get there, and that just came right out of your mouth. So, you know, the tears, the excitement, all of that is— that shouldn't be a problem because that's, that's your passion showing through. Um, do you have a plan?

Megz West [: 00:35:24

Yeah.

Jean Tillery [: 00:35:24

Yet to get there. What do you think? I mean, is it—

Megz West [: 00:35:28

Um, I am an idea girl. I am not a long-term planner.

Jean Tillery [: 00:35:37

Um, that's why I like you so much. That's the same.

Megz West [: 00:35:40

I have so much that I want to do, and, um, I think that it's important I am a completely different person than I was 2 years ago. Um, 3 years ago, I got my mental health under control, um, which is a big part of the I Like Your Bow mission.

Jean Tillery [: 00:36:06

Mm-hmm.

Megz West [: 00:36:07

Um, you know, I've had bipolar type 2, uh, basically my entire life, but wasn't formally diagnosed or treated until after my 30— 3rd birthday, 32nd birthday.

Jean Tillery [: 00:36:21

That's a lot of time dealing with that.

Megz West [: 00:36:23

It was a lot of time, especially with, um, you know, the, the hiccups in my childhood, my time in the military, you know, all of that kind of culminated. Um, so it was definitely time I got that under control. Once that was under control, I went and had gastric bypass in February of 2025. I was 328 pounds.

Jean Tillery [: 00:36:47

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:36:47

At my heaviest weight, and that was the day of surgery. That was the heaviest weight I had ever seen on me. I may have been larger, but, um, 328 pounds. This morning I got on the scale and I weigh 143 pounds.

Jean Tillery [: 00:37:02

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:37:03

So I've lost over 180 pounds in the last 18 months. So I am literally half the physical size that I was before. And I found that all of the doors that were kind of open to me in 2025 are now flung open with excitement for me in 2026.

Jean Tillery [: 00:37:28

Um, now let me interrupt you for a second, or stop you for a second. So do you feel that those doors are open wider now? Or do you feel that because of the changes that you've made, because of the mental health stability and the weight loss and the confidence that I'm sure that you've gained from that, you're seeing the door more open than you might have seen it before.

Megz West [: 00:37:51

Yes and no. So the, um, extreme confidence is not necessarily a personality trait. It's a coping mechanism. Um, my obnoxious center of attention, you know, kind of thing, you know, when I'm cheering people on, is a coping mechanism because they're not talking about me, I'm giving them permission to. I have given them something to talk about.

Jean Tillery [: 00:38:17

Interesting perspective. I've never looked at it that way.

Megz West [: 00:38:20

Because when you walk into a room and you're like, oh my God, are they looking at me? Like, are they talking about me? Am I wearing something?

Jean Tillery [: 00:38:25

I'm gonna give them something to talk about.

Megz West [: 00:38:26

Exactly. So if I walked into the room and I commanded the respect and the attention of the room, they had something to talk about. And it was something, it was a narrative that I gave them.

Jean Tillery [: 00:38:39

Wow.

Megz West [: 00:38:39

So that's, that's where that came from.

Jean Tillery [: 00:38:41

You know, it's powerful that you recognize that.

Megz West [: 00:38:43

My therapist loves me. She's great. Shout out to Tanya. Um, but no, the, the overconfidence is a coping mechanism, and it got me through all of those years at 300+ pounds. Um, I didn't necessarily lose opportunities because the determination was still there. Um, what changed was people approach me. I am the same personality that I was at 300 pounds.

Jean Tillery [: 00:39:18

So, you know, you comment about, you know, the high school colleague that you ran into that said, you know, I would have loved to have been friends with you But you were so, you know, kind of closed off. That has been what has changed. You've been able to open up.

Megz West [: 00:39:36

Yeah. Since, since high school, I, um, basically immediately following graduation, um, I left 11 days later for basic training.

Jean Tillery [: 00:39:44

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:39:45

Um, and I did, um, all of my time at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I had to stand on my own there. I didn't know anybody. Yeah, you know, it's a big move. I literally—

Jean Tillery [: 00:39:57

small town girl.

Megz West [: 00:39:58

My mom chased the van at Fort Lee. I get in the van and, you know, you're waving out the window.

Jean Tillery [: 00:40:04

Bye, Mom. She's like, don't go, don't go.

Megz West [: 00:40:06

My mother literally chased the van. Um, so I had, I had to learn how to advocate for myself. I had to learn how to be big or I was gonna be chewed up and spit out.

Jean Tillery [: 00:40:23

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:40:23

Um, being in the military was way more fun than college, and I did that a couple times too. Um, I, I have friends that I met the first day of basic training that I still speak to on a regular basis. Um, and we've been scattered all over the world at this point.

Jean Tillery [: 00:40:38

Um, what did you do?

Megz West [: 00:40:39

I was a nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons specialist. It sounds a lot fancier than it is, I promise.

Jean Tillery [: 00:40:48

Oh, hey.

Megz West [: 00:40:50

So when I joined in 2008, there was still this whole weapons of mass destruction, you know, thing going on. And there weren't. So there wasn't— they flooded my job. And then we were all just kind of standing there like, okay. But I was stationed with an ambulance unit here in Richmond. And we I did right at about— I think I did about 4 years with them. Yeah. So definitely some of the best memories I have are my— me and my soldier friends doing stupid stuff.

Jean Tillery [: 00:41:28

You know, and, and before we started recording, we were talking about— so this Miss Executive, you actually have a crown.

Megz West [: 00:41:35

I do. It's beautiful.

Jean Tillery [: 00:41:38

And so I wanted to tell you my tiara story, which is— so I have a group of friends and we went through a stage, and I haven't done it in a while. I'll have to pull it out because it totally irritates my husband. But we have these beautiful— I mean, not as pretty as that one, but just tiaras. And we would just, for no reason at all, decide we were going to go out to lunch and we would all wear these tiaras. Oh my God. And it was kind of like the whole bow thing. I mean, it was a way to just be, you know, I'm, I'm gonna step into that princess role.

Megz West [: 00:42:12

Call me next time, I'll go with.

Jean Tillery [: 00:42:13

Oh, you know, it was so much fun. Time after time though, we'd go out and we would have women come up to us and go, I don't know why I don't do that. That is just so fun. And usually the only time you see a bunch of girls wearing tiaras is if they're at a bachelorette party and they're drunk and being stupid. But my favorite story is every once in a while— I'm a big music fan. I mean, I talked about our music festival we went to. So several times we would wear them to concerts. And it was funny when you're dealing with a bunch of people who are, you know, they're partying and they're like, you know, obviously you're here for a bachelorette party.

Jean Tillery [: 00:42:47

And we're like, no, we're princesses.

Megz West [: 00:42:50

Yeah.

Jean Tillery [: 00:42:50

I mean, why else would we be wearing a tiara? And I mean, we— it was just— it was so much fun. But it is, it's kind of the mental thing. And it's not about being somebody you're not. It's just about kind of the fun experience that you're making out of it. And we will. And so for, for many years, um, women that I would meet that I really respected or just felt like they needed some— something, I would go and buy them a tiara. And you can find it all the time at antique stores. So we had this thing where we'd be giving people tiaras all the time.

Megz West [: 00:43:27

Um, look, if anybody wants to send me bows, I'll take them.

Jean Tillery [: 00:43:31

But it's— and we talked about how Even some of the most tomboy girls, which I am, there's something about— there's something about putting a tiara on your head and you have the sash that's just really special.

Megz West [: 00:43:49

It, it's surreal sometimes.

Jean Tillery [: 00:43:54

So there's a little bit of princess in all of us.

Megz West [: 00:43:56

Absolutely.

Jean Tillery [: 00:43:59

So you came from, you know, being in the military to being the princess. I love that. I mean, we're coming full circle here.

Megz West [: 00:44:06

Um, when I announced my title this week, um, the, the official Queen's Gala is this coming weekend, August 1st, and I'm going to Vegas by myself, which is my first solo vacation since basic training. Um, so it's, it's becoming very real. So when I announced, um, I had my photo shoot with my crown and sash, and, um, I got the photos back, and I, um, told my photographer, um, Angel, who is a really good friend of mine, I said, I can't look at these anymore. And she was like, why? And I was like, I can't stop crying. Like, my head is pounding. Yeah. Because I am looking at pictures of me, and I know who it is. But I didn't think she'd ever be here.

Jean Tillery [: 00:45:07

Well, you've come a long way, and I mean we've only been talking for thirty forty minutes, and and I mean I can't even there's like so many thousands of places we could talk for hours, and I don't want to do that to you.

Megz West [: 00:45:18

But I have to say about me first.

Jean Tillery [: 00:45:21

What? Well. What an amazing, amazing story you have. Oh my gosh, she's showing me pictures.

Megz West [: 00:45:30

Are you not gonna cry at that?

Jean Tillery [: 00:45:34

Wow, and that color is so perfect on you.

Megz West [: 00:45:38

So yesterday I sent that picture to Staples and said I want 150 postcards. Made. Yeah, so I ordered 150 wedding invitations. Yeah, that have my face on them, that have that photo.

Jean Tillery [: 00:45:54

Well, and I love the fact we put the I Like Your Bow on the corner. Yeah, I mean, it's—

Megz West [: 00:45:59

Angel did an amazing job. So it's got the official United Crown branding with my, um, title, and then this is the official I Like Your Bow logo. Um, so I had those— I had that photo printed on— it's either 150 or 200 postcards. that I will keep on me and around me so that if little girls want pictures with, you know, the crown and, and stuff, and I can sign them and hand them out. And, you know, write little notes and, I like your bow, and stuff like that. Because like I said, it, it takes 0 minutes to be kind.

Jean Tillery [: 00:46:38

It does.

Megz West [: 00:46:39

And if I'm gonna wear a crown and wear a sash There will be people who come up to me, like, they just will.

Jean Tillery [: 00:46:47

Well, they came up to me and I was just wearing a deer. I didn't even have a sash.

Megz West [: 00:46:50

So, so I think it would be super cool if, you know, I came up to you and I'm like, oh my gosh, I love your bow, and you're like, you know what, I hope you have a super great day. Like, here's a note that you can carry with you. Um, to remind you that you're doing something right.

Jean Tillery [: 00:47:13

So what, um, you said you started the nonprofit. It's all official?

Megz West [: 00:47:17

It is. We are registered with the state.

Jean Tillery [: 00:47:20

What, um, where do you want to see that go? How do you want to—

Megz West [: 00:47:24

So right now most of my, um, reach is with sports.

Jean Tillery [: 00:47:29

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:47:29

Um, I am super blessed that, um, the Jacobs Athletic folks have welcomed I Like Your Bow. Um, we helped do an unsleepover, which I didn't even know what that was until I got there. Apparently it's like church lock-in slumber party without the sleeping part.

Jean Tillery [: 00:47:49

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:47:50

Like you go home at 10 o'clock.

Jean Tillery [: 00:47:51

Yeah.

Megz West [: 00:47:52

Um, so I got to help with that and like everybody got, um, they're the Jacob's Jaguars, so everybody got like cheetah print bows, but they were rainbow. Every girl went home with a bow. Um, my friends bought me a banner so that I can take pictures and stuff in front of it. Um, so it— most of, of my reach comes, you know, at the blessings of, of the parents that I coach and the kids in the sports. Um, we are now that Miss Executive is a real life thing, which I did not anticipate in my— My 2-year plan, um, I have to accelerate that timeline exponentially. So I'm looking for, um, more experienced and smarter people than me to surround myself with so that we can go together. Um, I am horrible at social media. I am so bad at it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:48:52

Yeah. So what about, you know, I'm, I'm in my mind, I'm like going, oh, you know, we're getting ready to go back to school. I mean, you know, back to school nights.

Megz West [: 00:49:00

And how do you get your foot in the door? Yeah, the biggest question that I'm facing right now. Um, I have emailed and called all flavor of festival, event, you know, petting zoo, whatever. I've called them all and been like, hey, I'll pay to get in. I'll pay a vendor fee.

Jean Tillery [: 00:49:26

Yeah. If you just—

Megz West [: 00:49:27

can I just come and wear my crown and take pictures with whoever wants to? Like, I won't even charge people to do it. Like, I just want to be visible. I've gotten exactly zero responses.

Jean Tillery [: 00:49:40

Okay, well, we have a, we have a mission.

Megz West [: 00:49:42

We do.

Jean Tillery [: 00:49:43

We have a mission. I know where, I know where we need to go with that. It has been amazing. Like I said, you have— I, I, you know, and this is exactly why I don't want to, um, Do a lot of research before I have— I want a conversation. I don't want— and I don't even like calling it an interview, but it makes sense when I say, can I interview you? But I want to have a conversation with you. And this is the perfect example because who would have ever walked into this conversation prepared? Because you, every time I turn around, you threw something else at me.

Megz West [: 00:50:11

We've laughed, we've cried. I've kicked you under the table a couple times.

Jean Tillery [: 00:50:14

I am so amazed by how God has worked. Seeing these steps through your life and, and your vision for, for your nonprofit, um, I think will really stick with me, watching you say, I want to take DC. Um, so I can't wait to see where this goes.

Megz West [: 00:50:36

We're, um, Psalm 30, verse 5. Though there may be pain in the— or is, though his judgment may be temporary, his favor endures forever. For there may be pain in the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Jean Tillery [: 00:50:49

Okay, now we're crying again. Um, thank you. Thank you for this. Thank you for agreeing to do this when you don't know me, uh, or didn't know me. I have a feeling that, um—

Megz West [: 00:51:03

Oh, we're friends now.

Jean Tillery [: 00:51:04

We're gonna be seeing a lot of each other. I'm really excited about what you're doing, and I'm so glad that you took a chance and that you're, you know, starting something so beautiful. And I can't wait to see what this next year As Miss Executive is going to be.

Megz West [: 00:51:20

I'm super excited. But, um, if you want to find me on social media, my entire platform is Oh My Megz, O-H-M-Y-M-E-G-Z. And you can find me everywhere or the hashtag #ILikeYourBow.

Jean Tillery [: 00:51:35

I like your bow. We're going to put that everywhere.

Megz West [: 00:51:37

I'm so excited.

Jean Tillery [: 00:51:39

Thank you again.

Megz West [: 00:51:40

Thank you.

Jean Tillery [: 00:51:42

What a conversation. And I meant what I said to Megz at the end. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other. There are so many directions that we could have gone with this conversation, but there's one thing that Meg said that I keep coming back to: at no point in your life are you required to be small for someone else's comfort. And that brings me to today's Epic Message. How often Do we make ourselves smaller without ever realizing that we're doing it? We don't say the thing. We don't ask the question. We don't wear the tiara.

Jean Tillery [: 00:52:22

We don't apply for the opportunity. We don't tell someone about the enormous dream because we're afraid that they'll think it's ridiculous. Maybe somewhere along the way, we learned that being accepted meant being a little quieter, a little less ambitious, A little less visible. But what if the world doesn't need a smaller version of you? What if the dream that you've been given requires you to take up more space? I loved that Megs talked about wanting to take the I Like Your Bow to Washington, D.C. and to Fortune 500 companies. She doesn't know how she's going to get there, but she allowed herself to say it out loud. And sometimes that's where a dream begins, not with a plan, but with permission. Permission to want it, permission to say it, permission to believe that there may actually be a path from where you are today to somewhere that you can't quite imagine yet.

Jean Tillery [: 00:53:23

So today's epic message is this: you were never meant to make yourself smaller so someone else could be more comfortable. So step up, take your place, use your voice, dream the big dream. And when that door opens, walk through it. Which brings me to today's epic challenge. And there's actually 2 parts for you this week. First, I want you to catch yourself. If you're ever feeling yourself shrink, just stop. Notice the moment when you're about to stay quiet or dismiss an idea, downplay something that you've accomplished, or tell yourself that a dream is too big.

Jean Tillery [: 00:54:08

Instead of shrinking it, say it. Say it loud. Write it down. Tell somebody. Give that dream some room. And then I want you to do what Megs did at that cheer competition. Notice somebody else. Give one completely unexpected word of encouragement to someone who isn't expecting it.

Jean Tillery [: 00:54:29

It doesn't have to be profound. It doesn't have to be anything big. Doesn't have to cost anything. It might be nothing more than, hey, I like your bow. And then pay attention to what happens next. If today's conversation brought a dream to mind that you've been making smaller, I wanna invite you to do something about it. Start your dream list. Start your list of 100 dreams.

Jean Tillery [: 00:54:55

Don't worry about whether the dreams are practical. Don't worry about how you're going to accomplish them. Just start writing. And if you would like some help figuring out what those dreams are and how to begin, connect with me at Epic Living with Jean, because sometimes the first thing we need isn't a perfect plan. It's just permission to dream again. And be sure to follow Megs West and the work that she's doing with I Like Your Bow. You can find her on social media as Oh My Megs, and that's O-H-M-Y-M-E-G-Z, and follow the hashtag #ILikeYourBow. And Megs, thank you again for sharing your story, your enormous dreams, your tears, your laughter, And yes, your bows.

Jean Tillery [: 00:55:46

And to all of you listening, thank you for joining me for another episode of Epic Stories. Remember, every person has a story worth living and a story worth telling. So today, go out and live yours and make it epic. Thanks for hanging out with me. If today's episode struck a chord with you and you want to spread the love, please share Share using the hashtag #EpicLivingPodcast and leave a comment on my Facebook page. Head over to my website, epiclivingwithjean.com, to learn more about what it means to live epic. And while you're there, download a free guide, 7 Ways to Start Living Epic, and it will help you take your first step. If you wanna learn more about my Dream Manager program or just wanna chat about what epic might look like in your life, reach out to me and let's set up a call.

Jean Tillery [: 00:56:35

See you next time. I hope you go out and live epic today and every day. And remember, it's all about the story.