Bradley Emmens chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about representing his home state of Oregon in the 2026 Mister USA competition, which will be held in mid-July in Las Vegas.
Legendary Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said: “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” This quote applies to Bradley Emmens, 26.
Mister USA
On competing for Mister USA, he exclaimed, “It feels pretty good. This is something I never even considered on my radar. I was a bit surprised when they reached out, but it feels pretty cool.”
“I feel honored, grateful, and a little shocked too, all at the same time,” he admitted. “I am still trying to take it all in. I am still trying to understand my emotions behind it.”
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment.
It believes in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
Oregon
Bradley is thrilled to be repping Oregon, which was affectionately known as “Pacific Wonderland” back in the ’50s.
On his connection to Oregon, he remarked, I was born and raised here, and I never lived anywhere else. My whole family lives here. My fiancée is originally from California, but she moved up here at a really young age too. So, she’s pretty settled in as an Oregonian.”
“I love the state. I love where I’m from. It has its beauty and its own unique qualities that you don’t find in any other states. I will stick around here in the long-term,” he added.
“I am looking forward to putting myself in somewhat of an uncomfortable experience, which is something new, and something that I haven’t done yet. I will see kinds of doors and opportunities arise from it,” he said.
“For me, I’m just going to go into it with an open mind. Of course, I would love to win. I mean, I think every guy would like to walk away and be ‘Mister USA’,” he said. ‘At the end of the day, for me, it’s more about just putting myself in that scenario and in that setting and see what kind of growth I get out of it…. new people that I meet and the doors that open from it too.”
Daily motivations
Regarding his daily motivations, he shared, “I am just trying to enjoy every moment, really. I mean, life has a lot to offer and a lot of people go through their life with blinders on for the most part.”
“What I try to do is just take every moment of every day in… even if it’s maybe not necessarily the best outcome or the best scenario, and I just try to approach it with an open mind and be grateful for every day that I’m living,” he added.
The digital age
On being a fashion influencer in the digital age, Bradley said, “It feels pretty good. It’s something I work really hard at. I pat myself on the back a lot because it was definitely something that I had to get outside my comfort zone.”
“That was my first time really ever getting outside of my comfort zone and exposing myself to the world of judgment and the world of social media. I just took a leap of faith and committed to it, and it has paid off,” he admitted.
Future plans
On his future plans, he stated, “I definitely want to start a family and to raise kids. That’s top of my mind.That has always been my biggest priority in life as far as what my future holds.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Trying New Things.”
“Similar to the Mister USA competition, I’m constantly trying to look for new things I haven’t done yet… to see what I can get out of it,” he said. “As far as personal growth, development, and opportunities that come from it. So, I think the only way to achieve success is by putting yourself in those scenarios.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Bradley said, “I think success, really, in my opinion, is pretty subjective. It’s going to be all determined by the individual and what they deem to be successful, at least for me.”
“Success, for me, would be starting a family, having healthy kids, a healthy family, a healthy wife, and a healthy self too,” he noted.
“More importantly, I think success is happiness and whatever that looks like to the individual,” he added.
Message for the fans
For his fans and supporters, Bradley expressed, “Thank you! Thanks to all the people on social media that I’ve been able to connect with. It’s a lot at this point. It has been really fun to get to know them and help them discover things that they’re curious about when it comes to fashion.
“Thanks for trusting me for guidance and support in that realm,” he said, effusively.
To learn more about Bradley Emmens, follow him on Instagram.
