Week 7: Wearing Both Well

By Madalaina Hlava

On balance, boundaries, and bringing your full self wherever you go

People always ask how I balance it all.

The job
The crown
The travel
The title
The expectation of being two different people depending on where I am

But here’s the thing. I’m not living a double life. I’m just living a full one.

I don’t switch versions of myself between the job site and the stage. I bring the same values, the same mindset, and the same drive whether I’m wearing steel toes or heels.
It’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about learning how to wear both well.

There’s No Perfect Balance

Some weeks, I’m more engineer than titleholder
Other weeks, I’m speaking at events, mentoring girls, and posting content between job calls
It’s not always even. But it is always intentional.

Balance, for me, isn’t a perfect fifty-fifty split.
It’s knowing which version of myself needs the spotlight in a given moment and being okay when things shift.
It’s learning to set boundaries so one identity doesn’t swallow the other.
It’s choosing to let each role fuel the other instead of draining me dry.

What People Expect

There’s this unspoken pressure to choose one version of success
To either go all in on the career path or commit fully to the platform
To be polished or practical
Feminine or focused
One thing or another

But I’ve never wanted to live at those extremes.
I’ve always wanted a life that makes room for both ambition and expression
Both strategy and softness
Both purpose and personality

And I’ve learned that I don’t need to pick a lane. I just need to be steady in mine even if it looks different from everyone else’s.

How I Keep Myself Grounded

I’ve learned to check in with myself often
To ask what I need, not just what’s expected
To step back when I feel pulled too far in one direction

I’ve learned that being busy doesn’t always mean being fulfilled
And that showing up fully sometimes means slowing down intentionally

My identity isn’t in one role or one outfit
It’s in the way I lead, the way I speak, the way I treat people
And that stays consistent whether I’m walking a job site or walking into a room full of judges

What I Want You to Know

You don’t have to fit a clean category
You don’t have to prove that you’re serious by being less joyful
You don’t have to choose between power and polish. You can have both.

You’re allowed to be dynamic
You’re allowed to shift gears and show up differently depending on what the moment calls for
You’re allowed to evolve

Wearing both well isn’t about doing everything perfectly
It’s about doing everything authentically
It’s about knowing who you are and not shrinking that to make other people more comfortable

You are not too much for wanting more than one thing
You are not confusing for being multi-layered
You are complex. And that complexity is beautiful

See you next week for Week 8: More Than a Title
We’ll talk about legacy, impact, and what it means to lead beyond the crown.  

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Madalaina Hlava is the current Miss Land of Lincoln (IL). You can follow her on her title's Instagram.

To read her other guest blogs for Section 36 Forevers, click here.