In a pageant field of remarkable women, stage presence opens the door. Story is what carries a contestant through it.
When MonaLesa Diamond Brackett set out to compete for the title of Miss New York USA 2025, she arrived with a mission that reached well beyond the crown: to redefine how beauty, faith, and power are seen on one of the country’s most visible stages. What she needed was a partner who could ensure that mission was heard, widely and quickly.
She found that partner in Empress Lanice Media House (ELMH). In just two to three weeks, ELMH architected a strategic media campaign that generated more than 243,000 headline impressions, drove over 150,000 Instagram profile views, and helped carry MonaLesa to a 2nd runner-up finish as a Top 5 Finalist.
This is the story of how that visibility was built.
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At a Glance
Client: MonaLesa Diamond Brackett
Campaign: Miss New York USA 2025 Media Outreach
Timeline: Two to three weeks
Result: 2nd runner-up (Top 5 Finalist) · 243,000+ headline impressions · 150,000+ Instagram profile views · 11 media placements
The Woman Behind the Mission
MonaLesa is a driven entrepreneur, community advocate, and Black American Muslim woman from Brooklyn, New York. She entered the Miss New York USA 2025 competition intent on challenging conventional pageant standards. In a historic move, she competed wearing a hijab and a custom-designed burkini for the swimsuit segment, choosing to stand fully in her identity and, in doing so, to show young women they can do the same.
Her platform is built on years of service. An NYC educator and licensed real estate agent, she founded The Real Estate Fairy, LLC, which is focused on housing the homeless by assisting voucher holders. She empowers youth through financial literacy symposiums, leads Brooklyn park restoration projects, and raises awareness for Gardner’s Syndrome, a cause she champions after undergoing genetic testing connected to her mother’s battle with colon cancer.
A story this layered deserves to be told with care. It also deserves to be heard.
The Challenge: Visibility on a Deadline
The objective was clear: significantly increase MonaLesa’s online visibility in the weeks leading up to the pageant. The conditions were demanding. A crowded field, a compressed timeline, and a narrative with many meaningful threads, all of which needed to reach audiences across multiple platforms at once.
Standing out would take more than a strong walk and a confident answer. It would take a deliberate strategy for owning the narrative before, during, and after the stage.
The Solution: An Integrated Campaign, Built in Weeks
Acting as MonaLesa’s Strategic Growth & Creative Brand Partner, ELMH designed and executed a campaign anchored in one principle: shape the narrative, then amplify it everywhere it matters. Three of ELMH’s Nine Disciplines worked in concert.
Public Relations | The Voice
Two strategic press releases framed the campaign. The first built anticipation ahead of the pageant. The second announced her placement afterward, extending the life of her story well beyond the event itself. ELMH also secured and wrote an exclusive feature for Right On! Digital, giving readers an in-depth look at her journey.
Content Marketing | The Resonance
A dedicated media day produced high-quality social content and video clips crafted for news outlets. Editors and producers received ready-to-use assets, and MonaLesa’s own channels gained a polished, consistent presence.
Digital Strategy & Media Planning | The Momentum
A targeted, boosted Instagram campaign engaged her audience directly and drove support to her GoFundMe, turning visibility into tangible community backing.
Each element reinforced the others. That integration is where the momentum came from.
The Results
243,000+ headline impressions · 150,000+ Instagram profile views · 11 media placements · Top 5 finish
A dominant media presence. ELMH secured 11 media placements across lifestyle, digital, and broadcast outlets, from Cosmopolitan Middle East to Her Agenda, FEMI Magazine, and News 12 BK.
Expansive headline reach. The pre- and post-event press releases were each syndicated to more than 200 media outlets, generating a combined total of over 243,000 headline impressions.
Surging social interest. The campaign drove more than 150,000 profile views to her Instagram page, @dontcallmemona, a clear signal of growing public attention.
Genuine audience engagement. The targeted Instagram ad earned more than 11,000 views, 341 likes, 63 shares, and 23 comments.
Together, these results built the visibility that accompanied MonaLesa onto the stage, where she earned her place as 2nd runner-up in the Miss New York USA 2025 pageant.
In Her Words
“I love working with Empress Lanice! Her kindness and professionalism brought such a sense of ease to the entire process. Navigating this would have been so much harder to do alone, and her support was essential in making my vision a reality.” – MonaLesa Diamond Brackett
Press Highlights
- Her Agenda
- Right On! Digital (exclusive feature)
- SwagHer (Facebook and YouTube)
- Cosmopolitan Middle East
- Siti Girl Magazine
- BK Reader
- Brooklyn Eagle
- FEMI Magazine (digital and print)
- News 12 BK
- Urban Magazine
- Miss Muslimah USA
What This Campaign Reveals for Purpose-Driven Brands
A purposeful story is a strategic asset. MonaLesa’s faith, service, and advocacy were never side notes. Placed at the center of the campaign, they became the reason outlets wanted to tell her story.
Timing is its own strategy. Pairing a pre-event release with a post-event announcement created two distinct news moments from a single occasion, doubling the opportunity for coverage.
Integration multiplies impact. Press, content, and paid social each did their own work. Harmonized, they created visibility no single channel could have delivered alone.
These are the same foundations ELMH builds for every brand that calls The House home, whether the stage is a pageant, a product launch, or a growing business.