From Brooklyn to Miss USA: MonaLesa Brackett on Confidence, Loss, and Starting Over

This week, Salisha sits down with Miss New Hampshire USA, MonaLesa Brackett, for a powerful conversation about faith, resilience, and making history on one of the biggest stages in the country.

From competing as a teen in Brooklyn to stepping onto the Miss USA stage at 36, MonaLesa shares the full-circle journey that led her to represent not only her state, but women around the world who have ever felt different, overlooked, or counted out.

In this episode, MonaLesa talks about
• Competing in pageants as a hijabi woman and redefining representation
• Training, fundraising, and preparing for Miss USA in just two weeks
• Losing her mother and fighting a seven-year legal battle
• Why it is never too late to pursue your dream
• Building a real estate business that serves the homeless
• Walking away from misaligned relationships and trusting God’s timing

This conversation is about more than crowns and titles. It is about alignment, faith, and having the courage to show up exactly as you are.

MonaLesa reminds us that your journey does not expire. Your dream does not have a deadline. And sometimes the life you are meant to live is more beautiful than you could have ever imagined.

CHAPTERS

02:16 Competing in pageants from Brooklyn to Miss USA
08:27 Facing pushback and redefining representation
11:36 The international support that changed everything
16:26 The work behind Miss USA and the reality of preparation
24:09 It is never too late to start over
29:01 Building a real estate business to house the homeless
37:56 The prayer that changed her life

@salishathomas @thesalishashow, www.thesalishashow.com

Many thanks to Gotham Network in NYC, TyNia Brandon for writing and laying vocals down for the updated theme song and Big Red Studios for the intro video wherever you watch the latest season of The Salisha Show!