Cutie Experience: Interview with Deidre Garcia Bondari

Transformation is a challenging time between the time you set goals and the time you achieve your goals.   For some athletes, the challenge is to overcome mental blocks and doubts about the process.  For other athletes, the challenge is to change habits and behaviors that consistently sabotage their progress.  Either way, going through a transformation and coming out the YOU that you have always wanted to be is a fulfilling journey that leads to success.  Let’s talk about the Cutie Experience!

Deidre Garcia-Bondari represents the steel strength and determination an athlete needs to be a winner.  We sat down with Deidre to talk about her journey from Cuties Conquering the Stage 2016 to recent winner of class and PRO Card in the Bikini Division at Master’s Nationals.

Question:  Deidre, talk to me about your starting point before we met and talked a little about what you wanted to achieve.

Deidre:  After ten years of competing on-and-off in Figure, I switched over to Bikini.  I had always placed in the top five, but first place just kept alluding me.  As many athletes know, it is really frustrating to reach a plateau in your field.  At 49 years old, I switched to bikini where I placed 2^nd.  I thought I was going to breakthrough.  For my next competition, I purchased a new suit and reworked my posing by myself. The results were a 4^th place.

While competing in bikini, I noticed Shawn at the shows.  I had seen many of her postings and videos. When I turned 50, I knew now was the time to reach for my PRO Card, but I knew I needed help with posing.  I immediately thought of Shawn and contacted her.

THE JOURNEY STARTS

Question:  Tell us what you tried previously before meeting Shawn and why it did not work.

Deidre:  It is simple:  I did not hire a coach because I thought I did not need a coach. I am a trainer.  I thought I could do it on my own. After competing at numerous shows without first placement, I realized something was wrong. Posing has never been my strong point, and I knew it. I received feedback from the judges that my suit was a problem, and  I realized I needed a help from a professional.  Now I know – the measure of success is doing what you are good at and hiring people to help you with what you need to improve.

THE DISCOVERY

Question: Explain how you found Shawn/SCC and how that put you on the right path.

Deidre:  I saw Shawn on social media and at the competitions. The athletes she helped seemed to have a certain confidence about themselves and their posing. You could see Shawn’s investment and investment in winning for each of her Cuties.  When I contacted Shawn, she immediately addressed the suit problems and talked to me about my posing issues.  She used her industry expertise to create a plan for how we would conquer the stage.

THE SOLUTION

Question: Objectively describe the programs or services offered by Shawn /SCC that helped you the most in reaching your goals.

Deidre:  When I met with Shawn we picked the suit color and fit.  While that sounds simple, the right custom competition suit makes all the difference!  The suit we designed really fit my body and my personality.  As we went through my old poses, she explained why they didn’t work and everything seemed clearer.  She took the time to try some new poses with me until we found exactly the right pose that worked best for my body and designed the perfected the routine. When I went to Nationals, Shawn did my make up.  I placed 2^nd at my first national show and soon after at Masters National earned 1st place and won my once elusive PRO Card!  The difference was night and day.  I was a winner thanks to Shawn!

THE WINNING WAY

Question:  Share how you implemented Shawn’s advice with the SCC program and the work you put in to reach your goal.

Deidre:  Using Shawn’s advice on posing, designing a beautiful custom suit that fits just right, and gaining the confidence that comes from having an optimized pro-posing routine made it all come together in a win. Shawn is my go-to, gotta-have expert in your corner for advice on refining my posing next season. I am reaching for the top – therefore, I need the top posing coach in the business.  The height of Cutie Experience has been the opportunity to interact with Shawn, industry experts, and other athletes that are part of the Cutie Community. But one of my most amazing experiences was at Shawn’s annual event the 2016 Cuties Conquering the Stage.

What I learned from the Cuties Conquering The Stage event coupled with my hard work and Shawn’s expertise, I was able to  present my  best package ever at 50 years old than I did at 40!

Hear more about Deidre’s incredible journey in her own words!