Katie Gross, owner of Macedonia’s Suburban Lash & Beauty, recently won the title of “Mrs. Ohio America”, and went on to compete for the Mrs. America title in Las Vegas at The Westgate on August 26, 2023. Interviews and pageant events were held the week prior, which led to the competition finale. Mrs. Texas received the Mrs. America coveted title, while Mrs. California took runner-up.
Katie, wife of Dan, and mother of son Bennett; a fifth grader, and daughter Blakely; a second grader, flew out to watch the pageant, along with their grandfather. Toby, their three-year old “pandemic” dog, stayed home with Mabel, who is five months old. The family enjoyed the Westgate pool, and sightseeing at Caesar’s Palace and the Bellagio. Bennett, won the Doug Buck award in his last 4th grade year at Northfield Elementary and tested the highest in math in the district! Katie says, “he does not get that from me! I had a handful of math tutors throughout my student career!” Blakely, competed in her first pageant in June as Little Miss Northeast Ohio. More info on girls ‘pageants at OhioAmericaPageants.com.
A friend of Katie’s- who competed in Tennessee, convinced her to enter the Mrs. America Pageant and Katie is glad that she did! Katie says, “What you think about, you bring about!” (and) “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right!”
The Mrs. America pageant included an interview worth 50%, evening gown/poise 25%, and a fitness/presentation in a one-piece bathing suit worth 25%. At the state competition for Mrs. OHIO, Katie was awarded Best in Interview and Best in Gown/Poise. Three judges from different backgrounds interviewed contestants and asked questions based on their bio forms submitted prior to the interview.
For the State Costume category in the Nationals Division, Katie made a dress with a 6 ft. train made up of all twelve original Goosebumps books by author R.L. Stine. Every single page was accordion folded and hot glued one by one onto the dress and even the front and back covers were used too. R.L. Stine, the author of Goosebumps was the best-selling children’s book author throughout the ’90s until JK Rowling came around with Harry Potter. Stine is from Columbus and went to Ohio State.
When talking with Katie about her experience in the pageant, she said, “The women I competed with are incredible and to be on that Mrs. America stage with such fierce competition was a win in itself! Between pageantry and working in the beauty industry, I connect with women on a daily basis. No matter what we look like on the outside, we all battle the same things on the inside. I love women! We are all so simple yet so complicated at the same time.”
Katie was crowned Mrs. Ohio America 2023 on June 26th in Mt. Vernon and will carry on her reign until next years’ competition in June 2024. She will continue to host quarterly L.A.S.H. events (this stands for Ladies in Action Serving and Helping) virtually and in person, where she’ll bring in different experts on subjects like mindset and goal setting to pursue pageantry in a unique way. Katie says, “I want to encourage women of all sizes, ages, status and talents to get involved in pageantry and to do the things that scare them the most! For me, that was public speaking and walking on stage in a bathing suit and platform heels! Those are now two of my strong suits!”
More info on the website MrsAmerica.com and you can still catch the livestream (for a fee) here: MRS AMERICA
Katie will be attending different events throughout the year so check out OhioAmericaPageants.com or Facebook and Instagram @MrsOhioAmericaPageant on updates!
Katie became a business owner when she opened Suburban Lash & Beauty on September 20, 2019 – six months before the pandemic was announced. They were shut down for a couple of months but now have five full-time service providers specializing in lash extensions, lift & tints, skin care/peels/dermaplaning, and full service cutting and coloring. Akron SBDC – Small Business Development Center was a helpful resource with workshops and one-on-one business consulting AkronSBDC.org
Suburban Lash & Beauty- schedule online at SuburbanLash.com or call (330) 748-0961. Facebook and Instagram are @SuburbanLash. This September is their 4-year anniversary so look for specials and promotions! Mention this article and receive 15% off any new service! (Good through September 2023)
Katie travels and trains on lash extensions with Endure Lash. She will be launching a complete hair extension and wig line at the end of as well 2023, as well as finalizing a lash adhesive project we’ve been working on for 4 years with chemists from Penn State.
Eyelash extensions involve placing a single lash (for Classic) or multiple, thinner lashes (for Volume) onto one of your natural lashes using a special adhesive that contains no latex. There are a variety of lengths of lashes to use as well as different mapping styles, making eyelash extensions completely customizable to the client’s face and desired appearance. Some may prefer a natural, mascara-like look while others opt for a full glam style. Katie wants readers to know- “Good eyelash extensions should never feel painful both when being applied or removed. Nothing touches the skin and the natural lashes are not all glued together. Unfortunately, not all Lash artists have been properly trained or have mastered the skill. It is definitely not an easy skill to master.”
Check out podcasts hosted by Katie- The One with All The ‘90s out of PodPopuli in Hudson and it has been ranked a top show in the TV After show category numerous times! You can find the show wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts! @TheOneWithAllThe90s
From becoming crowned Mrs. Ohio, to owning a beauty salon, hosting podcasts, and being a mother of two, Katie Gross is one busy, inspiring, and thoughtful woman. With drive and determination, and her family by her side, she has proven that dreams can become reality. Like Katie told me in her interview, “If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough.”
Congratulations Mrs. Ohio!!
