Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey Wants You To Know It’s Okay To Try and Try Again
For the last ten years, Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey has lived a very public life, one many think is filled with success and luxury. But what most may not know is that the journey to get there wasn’t easy. Along the way, Pia faced hurdle after hurdle. Yet, instead of letting those challenges stop or slow her down, she has instead used those experiences to fuel her resolve. It’s those insights and more that the multi-hyphenate shared during the MEGA Woman Club 2026 as she sat down with host Anne Gautheir for an insightful interview on how success isn’t built on instant gratification.
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Not Afraid To Fail
Pia has achieved a lot in her life, but when it comes to her journey, it’s those moments before the wins and successes that she looks back on the most. “I don’t think I would appreciate the things I have now, whether they’re big wins or small wins, if I didn’t get rejection, if I didn’t have the door shut on my face, if I didn’t go through all of that,” she shares.
From her early days as a model and actress to her foray into beauty pageants, success didn’t come easily for Pia. But while some would have thrown in the towel, Pia sees them as lessons learned. “I still go back to those moments and think, ‘I’m glad that they happened.’ I’m glad that those struggles happened, and I don’t resist them because otherwise I wouldn’t appreciate everything now.”
Before Pia had a full team behind her, she had to do everything on her own. From managing her own budget to fixing her own schedule, Pia was a one-woman machine where earnest preparation collided with inexperience. Yet, it’s in those early missteps that Pia saw little moments of growth.
“When you go into a competition, or if it’s any kind of challenge in your workplace, even if you don’t get your goal right away, you don’t really come out as a loser. You learn so much from that. It’s what you learn in the process. And then you just become better. And maybe the things you learn from there, you apply somewhere else.”
It’s Okay To Try
Among the many lessons Pia has learned over the years is the importance of trying, something she still applies in her life. “I like that I’m able to give myself that grace to explore,” she states. During her early years in the industry, Pia was told to follow a formula and fit herself into a specific mold to be noticed. But over time, Pia moved away from that mindset as she realized why it’s ok to explore and evolve. “I think now I’m able to really say, ‘You know what? I don’t have to be just one thing now.’ I want to try something else. Maybe I’ll be an underdog at something again. That’s fine.”
Despite what some may say, you are allowed to learn, explore, grow, and evolve. It’s a process Pia herself went through as she refused to listen to the noise around her that tried to limit her to just one thing. “Have you ever heard the saying that, ang trying hard mo naman? Actually, oo. Trying hard talaga po. I try hard because this is what I want.”
She highlights her foray into luxury fashion as an example of how she was told multiple times that it would be hard for her to do so because of her past experiences with Miss Universe. Her response to the criticism? “I was like, ‘let me just try. Who says that I won’t work out?’ I want the evidence to be in front of me that it won’t work out, not just words. So that’s why I’m a big advocate for women who just want to explore, evolve, and just try new things that are out of their comfort zone.”
Though even with how confident she presents herself, Pia admits that she still gets nervous to this day. However, that nervousness doesn’t come from shame or embarrassment, but from a passion that what she does means something to her. “You know why I’m nervous? Because I care,” she expresses. “I’m nervous because this matters to me. I’m nervous because I want this to work. I’m nervous because I want to make everybody proud.” It’s this self-awareness that Pia taps into because knowing exactly why you want something can be used to re-center yourself when doubt and uncertainty start to creep in.
A Deeper Kind of Work
As the multi-hyphenate woman that she is, Pia has figuratively worn many hats over the years. From wearing the Miss Universe crown to attending shows at Fashion Week, she’s built a healthy resume that continues to grow. But among her many different roles she has taken, the one that has surprisingly spoken to her the most is her advocacy work, especially her work in HIV awareness in the Philippines.
As a former beauty queen, Pia is no stranger to doing advocacy work as part of the competition. Yet even after all was said and done, advocacy work still calls Pia’s name, and she gladly spends her time doing so. “What surprised me was that I was still doing it, and I was still looking for it. It makes me feel like I’m doing something real,” she shares, adding that she never gets paid for her advocacy work.
While Pia appreciates that a lot of her job is getting dressed up, being photographed, and looking nice, there’s something deeper in her work towards promoting social causes and helping uplift marginalized communities. “I want to see people. I want to hear stories. I want to see real change, and that’s why I kept going.”
Pia’s work with organizations and charities also goes beyond a social media post, as she involves herself in the nitty-gritty of campaigns and programs, going so far as to raise funds herself so that there will be a budget. It’s both fulfilling work as well as a reality check of the wider world we live in for Pia.
Take Your Time
Since she began her career, Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey has not had a straight shot to the top. We all know about the famous mistake when she was named Miss Universe 2015. Even before that, it took Pia multiple tries to win Binibining Pilipinas. If there’s anyone who can talk about the slow journey to success, it’s Pia. And during MEGA Woman Club, she left the audience a piece of advice that feels fit for today’s hyper-connected world.
When asked what’s the one thing she hopes women give themselves permission to do, she answers, “I want women to give themselves time. It’s important that you remember that not everybody got from point A to B just like that.” With the advent of social media comes the fact that it’s easy to see the lives of others. But that can also lead to unhealthy comparisons between your life and others. It can lead some down a road of seeing themselves as a failure if they can’t achieve their goals on day one. But Pia reminds us that success doesn’t happen in a snap of a finger.
“If things are taking a little bit longer, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed already. It just means that you still gotta learn. There’s still more lessons to be learned there. So I don’t want people to rush into success,” she advises. In a time when social media has made instant gratification the norm, Pia goes against the grain by advocating for taking your time and not shying away from challenges. As cliché as it may sound, what is meant for you is meant for you, and as long as you put in the hard work, skill, and dedication, you will get there eventually.
Photos by GENIO FRONDOZA and EXCEL PANLAQUE
Special Thanks to POND’S SKIN INSTITUTE, CETAPHIL, LUXE BEAUTY AND WELLNESS, NUSTAR ONLINE, LUMINISCE HOLISTIC SKIN INNOVATIONS, PURSE MAISON, AWESAM SMILE DENTAL CLINIC, SUKI JEWELRY, IN THE TROPICS, BLOOMINGAILS, MARTINA LEBRON STUDIO, CASA JUAN, and CHU CHÜ BEAUTY
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Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey Wants You To Know It’s Okay To Try and Try Again
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