🚀 Naked Entrepreneur's Lessons from co-founder of Miss Immigrant USA - When Business Meets Sass!

Ever wondered what it’s like to run an organization with the flair of a beauty pageant and the grit of a startup garage?

It is not all glamour as you can think. Every day is an episode of 'America's Next Top Business Leader'—but with more glitter and less Donald Trump.

👑 Lesson #1: The Sash is Heavier than It Looks. Running Miss Immigrant USA isn’t all tiaras and sashes, actually we dumped the tiaras. It’s about empowering women and men, breaking stereotypes, and yes, occasionally figuring out why the sash won’t stay on someone’s body during a windy parade or why the Delegate made it all wrinkled. The events are long, and there is always so many people to greet and make happy. Who knew being representative with a mission of sharing love could be so daunting?!

💡 Lesson #2: Multitasking is My Superpower. On Monday, I’m a strategist plotting our next big move. By Wednesday, I’m a crisis manager (because apparently, popularity can be a safety hazard—who knew?). And on Friday, I’m a social media whiz making sure our Instagram filters are as flattering as our mission statement, and the weekend? There is really no weekend as Saturdays and Sundays have the most events to attend. Then we need to take care about the finances, bookkeeping, public relations, media, content creation and make sure there are some fun parts of all this work, otherwise it all would not make sense.

📈 Lesson #3: Brainstorming Beyond the Budget Here at Miss Immigrant USA, we don’t just think outside the box; we redesign it! Miss Immigrant USA by itself went through different stages of growth,

• from beauty pageant and crowing the winners to being involved in communities,

• from fashion shows to transforming into an exclusive coaching program

• to now expanding the brand to physical products.

Monetization is our creative playground as a pageant organization we don't have limitation of specific products or services that we can provide. We built the brand name and now it is time to expand it with physical products.

We are working on exclusive merchandise lines celebrating immigrant journeys. Each idea not only should bring in funds but also weaves our brand deeper into the fabric of the communities we serve as it is important for us the products to be useful and meaningful to our fellow immigrants, make them feel safer, more proud, respected.

Who said money is not important while advocating for a cause?  It is very important, as without them you cannot continue and expand on your mission.

• How are you monetizing your brand beyond the standard sources?

• Are you open for collaborations? 

• Do you have some ideas for us?

Whether you're an entrepreneur or just someone who enjoys a good behind-the-scenes road map through the trials and triumphs of entrepreneurship, follow along. 

🔗 Stay tuned for next week's edition where I’ll share how not to lose your cool when the coffee machine breaks down and your delegates are going through cyberbullying and community crises and the bad and good what come out of it.

Follow Miss Immigrant USA Organization

For collaborations and inquiries please email Magdalena at: [email protected]

On the picture with Ms. Miosotis Muñoz, Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs for Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and Mr. David Ahmed Coulibaly, Special Assistant to the Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson | Director of Community Affairs | Disability Services Facilitators