Courage Capsule // Michelle McLean-Bailey

Showing Up, Saying No, and Reinventing Beyond the Crown. At 19, Michelle McLean-Bailey was crowned Miss Universe, just two years after Namibia's independence. More than three decades later, and now based between Miami and Namibia, she has built careers across television, motivational speaking, real estate, jewellery and international investment, while raising over $40 million for children through the Michelle McLean Children Foundation. In this episode, Michelle opens with her Brave Bio: a woman often underestimated because of the crown, who pushed harder in the boardroom to prove she was more than a beauty queen. We talk about refusing to stay in your lane, the humility of admitting what you don't know (including learning green hydrogen "overnight" to represent Namibia on global panels), and why "no" can be a complete sentence. Michelle also shares how she chooses partners whose values match her mission, why every business she's part of, including her work with Gondwana Collection Namibia, has to give back to communities, and how the perception of Africa as an investment destination is shifting. She defines courage simply as showing up, especially on the days you don't feel like it. And she closes with an unforgettable story: the day a "South African who wanted to meet her for tea" turned out to be Nelson Mandela. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mclea... Web: Michellemclean.io. mmcfnamibia.org.na gondwana-collection.com Instagram @mmcleanchildrenfoundation @MichelleMcLeanofficial Facebook: Michelle McLean Michelle McLean children foundation