Show 3: Miss Universe Secrets + Bad Bunny Concert Access + Tank & The Bangas

So there won’t be much of a Tank & The Bangas concert review here.

Don’t get me wrong, the 4x Grammy-nominated band brought great energy to the Miss Universe 2022 final. They also brought authenticity because they’re from New Orleans, where the pageant’s final competition was held.

But this isn’t about a concert. This isn’t even about the winner of the pageant.

This is about my traveling the universe through the most incredible competition I have ever witnessed, while rooting for a woman who doesn’t even represent my flag.

Millions know her as Miss Dominican Republic 2022, but I know her as the woman in the crowd who stared at me when I was late for a speaking engagement in 2016. It was a gentle stare, and I needed the grace she exuded because I was really embarrassed for being late to discuss my career journey. Her look, her voluminous curls were comforting.

During the panel discussion, I mentioned graduating from the City College of New York, and when I did, I looked around to see nods of resonance. She nodded. Others did too, but SHE nodded. We were going to speak after.

Maybe it was our immigrant journeys, maybe it’s our commonality as CCNY Psychology majors, but whatever it was, it felt like natural alignment. She’s 5’11”, I’m seven inches shorter; She’s Dominican, I’m Filipino; She’s stunning, and I’m… seven inches shorter. But there was alignment.

This was someone to root for, someone who would root for me.

My immigrant and entrepreneurial story is in official documents of the US Supreme Court for the rest of America’s history. I even wrote an op-ed for Time, and I did it in 75 minutes while sitting on the floor of the The Shops at Columbus Circle.

In any case, she said yes. And I think that’s why she’s successful.

She says “Yes.” to new opportunities, “Yes.” to new challenges. It’s the attitude that accelerated her grasp of the English language as a young teenager when she immigrated to the New York City and forged a direct ascent through high school and into college.

I have spent about 15 combined years helping hundreds of people prepare for careers or college. Many of them now make far money money than I do. Some have matched my advanced degree. When I distill the patterns of behaviors of the most successful people I have served, I arrive at my simplest piece of advice to get ahead in life:

Make your default answer “Yes.”

Not “Yes!” with an exclamation point; Just “Yes.”

A just “Yes.” attitude to opportunities is absent of that short-lasting excitement that fades in days or at most, in weeks.

Excitement is fleeting. How have those exciting New Year’s resolutions worked for you?

A just “Yes.” attitude is centered on resilience, a quiet belief in oneself, and a long-term openness to the painful growth and uncertainty that comes with taking on new challenges, new stages.

Andreína has all of that.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Andreína and I kept in touch via text messages, FaceTime, and Instagram.

At its very core, we were cheering each other on during the weirdest, toughest times in all of our lifetimes. During a time when it was very easy to be restless and lonely, what she doesn’t realize is that she did wonders for my mental wellness. And she was doing it from afar. She was in the Dominican Republic, preparing to take the national crown. Of course she was selected to represent her country in Miss Universe. Claro. No cabe duda.

I told her to let me know once she found out the details of when she would be competing in New Orleans. Because for her, my default answer is “Yes.”

I had never been to New Orleans before. I didn’t have the discretionary income to just stop everything and head to Louisiana for a week. In September of 2022, she texted me.

Minutes later, I booked the hotel projected to be where she and the other delegates would be. I used up all the JetBlue points for my flight. I wasn’t even really going for the pageant. I was going for her. I was going because surely this was going to be the only time I would have someone I actually know and care about be in the Miss Universe pageant, let alone on American soil.

I can’t travel abroad. In order for me to travel the world, the universe has to come to me- or at least, near enough to me.

And so for five days, I would be Dominican- or more accurately, Dominipino. Or was it Filipinican?

But there was a problem. It wasn’t for five days.

Because of course she would go on to the Miss Universe finals. Claro. No cabe duda.

I arrived in New Orleans on the afternoon of Saturday, January 7. I checked into the hotel just 2 blocks from the Convention Center. Andreína told me that she would be in the convention center rehearsing the next day. I was hoping she would give me a heads up if she would have some free time, but I knew security and her itinerary would be tight. Waiting on any signals from her, I bought a ticket to FaxExpo, which happened to be at one end of the Convention Center. So many comics, so many celebrities created a nice diversion for my first time in the city.

And out of all the places in this world, one of my favorite actors proceeded to walk up to me and engage in conversation.

I thanked him not for his artistry in Breaking Bad, nor School Daze, but for a brief stint in the best cop show of all time, Homicide: Life on the Street. He insisted, “Let’s take a selfie.”

“Holy sh!t, Giancarlo Esposito just talked to me!” I said to myself. It’s time to go back to the hotel. Surely this was the highlight of a lazy New Orleans Sunday. But on the way out of the Convention Center, I got a sign.

No really, I saw a sign that said Miss Universe rehearsal, with an arrow pointing up and to the right by the escalator.

It was time to escalate the situation.

I pretended to look for a bathroom. When I got upstairs, I saw a closed ballroom with two men wearing badges casually on guard. I quickly turned to the right and saw two empty chairs, and headed straight to one of them. I moved one of the chairs next to the nearest electrical outlet I could find. I didn’t have to pretend to be up there because I was lost looking for a bathroom. I could now pretend I had to desperately charge my phone. I stayed there for 20 minutes, with my eyes fixed on my phone screen but with my peripheral vision keen on seeing anyone coming in and out of the ballroom.

And then it happened.

Miss Trinidad and Tobago, wearing her sash, walked past me on her way to the bathroom. She smiled at me. I blushed. I told myself, “Be cool.” It was confirmation that they were all there and that I looked like someone who didn’t pose a threat. That made me determined to stay until they all left. I texted Andreína that I’m right outside the ballroom. But there was no response.

Maybe she’s not there. Maybe she’s in another area.

The doors opened, and I got a text reply. And 20 feet away, a slender elegant woman in red with rolling luggage emerged among many other elegant women in gold, lavender, and ivory and waved to me.

Just one long line of elegance. She looks excited. I feel delighted. But there were multiple chaperones and two officers in the distance. And as a former Ph.D Candidate in Criminal Justice who did analyses on state gun laws, I know that Louisiana is an open carry gun state. I resisted the urge to run up to her for an embrace. But at least I got to see her for 20 seconds. And it gave me the confidence to figure out the rest of the week.

With a mix of networking with Miss Universe influencers and Instagram research, I learned where the delegates were having dinner the next day: Brennan’s. I waited outside with a small crowd. Wearing their sashes and leaving almost in perfect alpahbetical order of their countries, they left. And there she was in a black, full-length gown. And going around the security official, she spotted me for a quick kiss and embrace.

January 10th was the day when all of the delegates participated in pageant interviews at the hotel. I got to see her again, along with networking with fans and the National Directors of the countries represented by the delegates. I had to make the most of it because January 11th would be my last day there.

I only had tickets for the preliminary round. It featured the swimsuit, evening gown, and costume portions of the pageant.

And while I can break down each and every delegates’ attire choices on stage from that day, I would rather focus on what I saw outside.

The fervor, the flag-waving energy of the crowd outside was remarkable. I met Filipinos who traveled 3000 miles just to attend Miss Universe. I didn’t realize my people loved beauty pageants so much. And they didn’t realize I wasn’t rooting for them. I was rooting for her.

And it was in those discussions after the preliminary round when I kept hearing Dominican Republic as the standout. The Miss Universe streets were talking. Dominican Republic had that heat. That next level gorgeousness. She had that vibe. T

I walked back to to the hotel to pack for my early morning flight in eight hours. Internally, I may have said, “F*ck it, YOLO!” Minutes later, I changed my JetBlue flight. I scoured the internet for any hotel I could find last minute that wouldn’t leave me in debt. Do you realize how expensive it is to get a last minute hotel to extend your stay when the Miss Universe pageant finals is about to happen?

I texted her. She replied, “…YOU LYINGGGGG.”

That’s 5 Gs. That’s roughly the amount I paid to stay in New Orleans.

My immigrant math compelled me to make the most of the rest of my time in New Orleans. I slid into the Instagram DMs of one of the delegates, flirting with sincere words of encouragement and acknowledgement that her country gave birth to one of my favorite authors, Eduardo Galeano. I visited multiple Vietnamese restaurants to order Pho and grilled pork chops.

I went to the French Quarter for the rowdiness. I bought a Penny Hardaway Orlando Magic jersey and shorts set that I knew I would never be able to find elsewhere, at any other time. And just in case I won the lottery, I even inspected land and houses I couldn’t afford.

But the thing is, I still had no tickets for the final.

And so Puerto Rico came to the rescue. Its National Director yelled “I have an extra ticket.” I ran to him faster than New Yorkers spotting Bad Bunny doing a free subway concert. I mistakenly thought Puerto Rico’s National Director was offering it for free. It was face value, over $300.

“F*ck it, YOLO!”, I said to myself.

And there I was, 6 rows from the stage, a little to the left of center. Over the course of the next 2.5 hours, I lost my voice. I also lost myself in the passion of Miss Universe, live.

Andreína lost too. And so did every other delegate who stepped on that stage except for one. But they only lost on that stage. They are winners in so many other aspects of their lives.

There’s Mia Mamede, Miss Brazil 2022, and in conversation I learned about her graduating from New York University where she studied Journalism. She recently started her podcast, “Autonomia”.

There’s Gabriëla Dos Santos, Miss Curaçao 2022, taking a big leap in moving to Miami, gracing magazine covers with the same magnetic aura she had on the top 5 Miss Universe stage.

There’s Miss Mexico 2022, Irma Cristina Miranda Valenzuela, who won MasterChef Celebrity Mexico in 2023.

And of course, there’s Kristina Ayanian, Miss Armenia 2022, who is the youngest executive producer and host in Nasdaq's history. To reconnect with her and ring the closing bell of the stock market this Fall was an amazing moment that brought back the joys of my time in New Orleans

And then there’s Andreína, continuing to fight for women’s and girls rights in her homeland, mental health, and more.

They are all winning. They say “Yes.” to opportunities and that’s why they will continue to win.

I could write an entire book on my time at Miss Universe. I kept all the videos, the photos, and the research of the most memorable 10 day stretch of my life. If you all tell me you really want that, I’ll consider writing the tell-all book.

But what I want you to know is that you should think about going to the next Miss Universe competition, even if you don’t have an Andreína, a Gabriëla, an Irma, a Mia, or a Kristina there to cheer on and say “Yes.” to each and every time.

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Concert access:

Since I mentioned Bad Bunny, and since the Puerto Rican delegation got me to see the Miss Universe final, I share with you below the presale information for Bad Bunny’s 2025 concert tour in Puerto Rico.

I wish those in Puerto Rico luck with the in-person presale- be sure to get on line very early with your official government ID.

For those interested in the online presale, sign up here.

• Consider multiple dates to maximize your chance of seeing Bad Bunny

• Remember that most of these concerts are in peak hurricane season. If you do not live in Puerto Rico and want to go there for a destination concert, I suggest you make the experience as part of a bigger destination vacation in which the concert isn’t the main event in your itinerary.

• Because it’s peak hurricane season, consider travel and concert ticket insurance - and check to see if the coverage encompasses inclement weather

• Once you get the code for the presale, be sure to get on the virtual queue 20 minutes before the official on sale time.

• Check the seat + price chart below so you don’t waste time trying to figure out your preferred sections and the sections you won’t consider

• Make sure you have your credit card info ready so you don’t get timed out of your purchase time frame

We also hope you didn’t miss out on the free concerts by Saweetie (in Los Angeles), Sinead Harnett (in Houston), Jacquees (in Atlanta), and Kane Brown (in Nashville) that I shared in my first two posts. Registration has just closed, but if you end up going, please share your favorite moments with us.

But for New York, we offer you another free concert at BAM w/ Yerba Buena’s Pedrito Martinez, a legendary Cuban percussionist, on Valentine’s Day eve. Sounds like the start to a perfect date night.

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Los Angeles fire relief:

1. Adobe, aside from donating $1 to relief efforts, is matching donations to the Entertainment Community Fund and California Community Foundation: Wildlife Recovery Fund

2. SBA disaster assistance is now available to Southern California businesses, homeowners, renters and private nonprofit organizations This covers Los Angeles and the contiguous counties of Kern, Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants also may call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

3. MusiCares Foundation is offering $1,500 in financial assistance, $500 in food vouchers for music industry professionals: [email protected], 1-800-687-4227

4. Here’s a GoFundMe list to help the families rebuild in Altadena, CA

5. FEMA Assistance is available for residents impacted by LA County wildfires. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA app, or the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 (Calls are accepted every day from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST)

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About the author:

Cris Mercado is the award-winning Founder & CEO of GrantAnswers, an NYC-based data, strategy & consulting firm founded in 2013. His journey from undocumented immigrant to award-winning entrepreneur & immigrant rights advocate has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MTV, and Forbes. He has helped +1000s launch careers in tech & secure acceptances to top colleges & programs. His speaking engagements for the likes of Teach for America and the US Chamber of Commerce encompass immigration, career development, entrepreneurship, and tech diversity & inclusion. He is also an avid concertgoer for +25 years and counting, and likes to tell stories about it.