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16 || MOST FITNESS || APRIL 2016MFM: As first-runner up for Miss Universe-how was that pageant very different from all the others you have done? What is one funny/interesting story that happened?NS: It was just so different because there were girls from all over the world. Ninety nine percent were amazing women and so much fun to be with. From that pageant, we all keep in contact and have a strong friendship and bond that we formed. My business partner and best friend is Miss Australia, and whenever I travel to a new country, I meet up with one of the girls from the pageant. My husband and I even met up with Miss Costa Rica during our honeymoon. It%u2019s amazing because in all the countries where the pageant had contestants from, there is an opportunity to go visit. Miss Indonesia, for example, is always inviting me out to Bali. And the crazy thing that nobody actually knows about that happened during the pageant is that Miss Puerto Rico passed out on stage! She completely blacked out on stage during a commercial break, so nobody knows about it. But all 89 contestants were on stage right behind me, and we all freaked!MFM: What was the transition like after ending your reign as Miss USA? NS: It%u2019s the weirdest thing ever! You go from having someone create your schedule every day and email it to you at 5 pm and having a manger, lawyers, PR, and a team surrounding you all the time, to absolutely nothing! Nobody is emailing you; nobody telling you what to do or where to go. It%u2019s both a weird and a good feeling; it was nice to take a deep breath and realize that you are no longer on everyone%u2019s immediate radar.MFM: You have had numerous speaking engagements as a motivational speaker-What is one of the best things you talk about in your speeches?NS: Confidence-I just feel like confidence is the key to success in any aspect of your life. Be prepared for any situation you are going into. I remind girls to speak affirmations daily. Have a mantra that you stick on a mirror or dashboard in your car. It will keep you motivated. Also I talk about having mental discipline and stopping any negative thoughts, and replacing them with affirmations. Stop those thoughts, control them, and turn them around. Your life will follow your thoughts. So if you are saying Photo: Fadil Berishahttp://www.fadilberisha.com/