Kerry Damiano is a woman who has built a life defined by curiosity, reinvention, and fearless exploration. With more than 140 countries on her passport and a career that continues to expand well into her 60s, she aims to show others that your best years are still ahead. Known as "Ms. World Traveler," Kerry has turned her passion for culture, beauty, and connection into a multifaceted career recognized with numerous honors, including the Titan Women in Business Award, AVA Digital Award, 8x Global Beauty Awards winner, Vega Digital Award, NY Digital Award, and Dot Comm Award.

For more than 40 years, the former Miss Idaho USA, has been a trusted and influential voice in the pageant world, celebrated as a coach, judge, sponsor, and creator. Kerry's talents extend far beyond the stage. She mentors young women in confidence and communication, designs award-winning fashion and jewelry, performs as an accomplished pianist, and shares her faith through "The Amazing Word," a Scripture memorization ministry. Her mission is simple: inspire others to embrace their journeys with courage, authenticity, and joy.

Website:

https://kerrydamiano.com

Welcome to 12-Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you, Carrie.

It's a great pleasure to connect with you.

What part of the world are you in today?

I am from Phoenix, Arizona.

Now, were you always from Phoenix?

Were you born in that state?

I was not born here.

I actually grew up in a small town in North Idaho, about a hundred miles south of the Canadian border, but have lived in Phoenix for 40 years.

So I say I'm from Phoenix.

Wow.

Does traveling as much as you have and getting back to Phoenix feel uncomfortable in terms of the heat that you enjoy there?

You know, I don't know that people love the heat.

It's just the best of what you can get, and I'd rather have it than the cold.

You know, like, I don't miss having our pipes freeze and having to run the water all night long, and I don't miss having to scrape the ice off my car windshield.

So there's some nice things about it.

As a Caribbean man, I get it.

So for those that are listening, please tell us about your journey and, of course, what you've been able to accomplish as what I would imagine is a master at traveling.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I came to know the Lord at eight years old, so I've walked with Jesus all my life, and this Ms. World Traveler came about.

It was something that I knew God had for me, but I didn't know what it was, and it was like I knew something big was coming, and I would pray, and say, okay, God, you know, what is it?

What do you have for me?

And as each new thing would come, I was like, is this it, God?

And I would hear, no, but it's what I have for you right now, and that went on for 22 years until finally it was like the scales were removed off of my eyes, and I could see what Ms. World Traveler was supposed to be.

And that just kind of laid out the whole things, you know, supposed to, who I was supposed to work with, and where I was supposed to go, and what it was supposed to look like.

And then I realized that over those 22 years, God had been preparing me, giving me all the different experiences I needed, skills, and a network of people.

Everything had to be in the right place in order for Ms. World Traveler to become what it is.

And so it was one of those epiphanies that you say, you know, thank you, Lord, because in my timing, I would have preferred to do it, you know, when I was younger, but God has perfect timing.

So how many countries have you covered at this point?

Well, I can't remember how many we've done on the show, but I've been to 146.

So you know, I got a list and I'm checking things off.

That's amazing.

Is there a difference between country number 20 versus country 146?

Well, that is a great question.

And I would say no, yes and no.

In terms of my excitement of seeing something new, I get I get the same level of excitement.

Part of the difference now is that, you know, number 20 was easy to get to.

Number 145, you know, I've already hit all the low hanging fruit.

So now I have to go much further afield.

It's harder to get there.

They're harder countries to see just in terms of logistics, typically more expensive.

So, you know, from that perspective, there's definitely a difference.

If you had to use a fruit as an example of the faith you had when you begun to the size of the faith you have now, what would be the two fruits?

Okay, well, you know, again, I've walked with Christ all my life.

So I wouldn't go so simple as to say an apple, you know, from the beginning, but definitely more complex now.

So I would say a pomegranate now, because it's kind of one of those that when you open it up, there's complexity to it.

You know, there's so much more you don't see on the outside, you only see it on the inside.

If we dive into the seeds aspect of what the pomegranate represents, what would you say are seeds that you've been able to plant on your journey?

Well, one of the things we try and do is to inspire women to travel, even if they have to go alone, and then shop local.

So we feature women artists, designers, entrepreneurs.

And in the course of trying to fulfill that mission, you know, women come up to me and tell me that they've been inspired by my journey.

So I know God is speaking, I know God is working.

Sometimes I get to see that, and sometimes I don't.

And also with the people that we cover on the show, you know, we're touching lives, we come in, and even if it's for a short time, we meet somebody, we try and bring joy and blessing to them, promote them.

And again, most of the time, I don't get to see the fruit that but but I know God is working.

When did you realize that people that you were working with, that you thought were beautiful, didn't recognize it for themselves?

You know, I'm also in the pageant industry.

I've been doing that for four decades now.

And I find that a lot with these young women that I work with, that they they get what it means to be beautiful on the outside, but sometimes they don't fully comprehend their beauty on the inside.

And it's, it's part of kind of a mentoring that I do, to really help them grow in confidence.

When you grow in confidence, you start to see how God has blessed you in so many ways.

And that brings out beauty from the inside.

Let's talk about some scriptures.

What got you into the space of realizing your ability to memorize scriptures?

Ah, well, actually, I, how I started memorizing was a little bit of a funny story.

I actually started as a child.

And I was in one of those, you know, youth group programs where if you memorize verses, they give you a little medal and they there was a little sash and I got to pin my medals on my sash.

And I, I worked really hard to fill up the sash.

And they told me I was moving too fast and they made me stop.

And I kind of lost interest in it until I became an adult.

And this was probably year 2000.

So I'm sitting, reading my Bible, I was reading in John, John and studying for a Bible study.

And I realized that I was memorizing at the same time I was reading it.

And, and then I started crying.

I was like, tears started to print.

And I felt it was almost like a physical feeling of the Holy Spirit coming down and just giving me this gift of memorizing.

And what it did was unlock all of that stuff I had done as a child.

It was in there.

It was just, you know, on a shelf behind the closet door and the closet door opened.

And so that's kind of how I got started in memorizing full books.

So that was over 25 years ago now.

That's amazing.

So between the time of that, which is 2000, and you actually setting out in traveling, was it right around that time?

Or were there years between?

No, I was traveling with my mom in 1984.

So I've been traveling a long time.

And then around 95 or so, I started doing it on my own.

So I've been traveling my whole life.

But Ms. World Traveler came about in 2022.

So in other words, I made a business out of it later.

Because because you're wearing the sash, which connects back to the brand, which yes, yes, years ago, and then was taken away, but then was renewed, which again, it's does that?

Yes, you've made an excellent connection there.

The little sash that I had as a little girl with a Bible memories on it.

Of course, then I got involved in pageantry.

And that was a calling from God as well.

And I know we don't have enough time today to go into that whole side of thing.

But that was a calling God put on my life.

And to this day, so for many, many years, God has used that in my life.

But yes, the sash then Ms. World Traveler sash, it's a person, which is me.

It's a YouTube channel.

So it's a show.

And it's a brand.

So it's it's several different things kind of all encapsulated under one heading.

Yeah, it's fun to to look at you and the way you tell your stories by being present in countries, the YouTube channel was fun to go through and get to know you virtually before we had the conversation as well.

So of course, we'll need to get the link to have that in the show notes.

So we'll put that there.

So those that are listening can simply just click on and go to when you think about seasons and the way life has evolved.

What season would you say you're in now and what script of this resonates as much in that?

Well, you know, I turned 65 this year.

And so I feel like I'm in the season of maturity.

Again, been walking with the Lord a long time.

And it just grows sweeter and sweeter the longer because your trust grows.

And so worry disappears when we trust in God.

Peace comes when we trust in God.

And so you get to the stage in your life where you're just it's so beautiful to walk with God.

And that's where I am right now.

So I feel like this is an amazing time of life.

And it's taken, you know, many years to get here.

And the scripture verse that aligns with the season, what would you or even the story, a story?

So many, but just one that comes to my mind is to be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication.

With Thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God, which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Five years from today, what is a message you'd leave for future you listening?

Well, one of the things I say at the end of my show is it's never too late to go somewhere new and try something different.

And so I always want to be doing, I want to be taking my own advice.

So five years from now, I have a plan.

And the reason I don't have a plan is because I am totally at God's disposal for him to send me to do whatever he will do in my life.

So I try not to make plans for say, and then say here, God bless.

But if you're doing what God wants you to do, and he's leading you, that might be something different that might be going somewhere new.

And I'm all for that.

This has been an honor to have a conversation with you.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

Hmm.

Well, you know, come along and join in on the journey.

We have a lot of fun.

We're on Facebook, Ms. Ms. Ms. Kerry, Ms. World Traveler.

And we're on YouTube, Ms. World Traveler.

We're on Instagram, Kerry, K-E-R-R-Y, Ms. World Traveler.

So we'd love to have people come and follow our journey.

Kerry, a pleasure.

I treasure.

Thank you for being on what is inspired by 12 Minute Converse.