Josh Yugen proudly calls himself Pinoy but can rightfully be considered a global citizen as he can simultaneously juggle projects in multiple locations worldwide. 

Last May, his PR agency brought well-known personalities like Kylie Versoza to the Cannes Film Festival. Coming soon is the latest issue of his Xpedition Magazine with no less than Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios on the cover. 

This July will keep him busy with the final selection of the candidates for Miss Universe Bahrain, Miss Universe Egypt and Miss Universe Pakistan.

His title of "Miss Universe franchise owner" may seem glamorous. Still, Josh is the first one to tell you that it is fraught with challenges, for the simple reason that Pakistan, Egypt and Bahrain are conservative Muslim countries. Furthermore, they have limited access to visa-free travel.

Last year, the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan, Erica Robin, barely made it to the deadline to participate in El Salvador because of visa issues. She also made history by wearing a "burkini" for the first time on stage instead of the usual swimsuit and landed in the Top 20.

"With the franchises I have, I feel like I need to work hard. Maybe 10 times harder because I have  a franchise that's not a pageant powerhouse, I have a franchise that's really delicate. and they're not supported by sponsors," he noted after speaking at the AIBC (Artificial Intelligence in Business and Commerce) World Summit held recently in SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

Josh could have refused or given up because there was no financial benefit in it for him. Instead, he chooses to do the opposite by giving the  candidates the best training and molding the girls to become like goddesses, ready to come out of their shells on finals night.

"Why am I still doing this? Because of my love for Miss Universe, because of my love for pageantry. I know that someday, after 10 years, a girl might thank me and say, thank you, Josh, you started Pakistan. If not, no one would start it," he commented.

"Handling these challenging countries gives me a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction," he added. "I know my legacy is the only thing I can leave behind. Forget about shiny shoes, bags, or money. The only thing that we will truly leave behind when our mission on earth is finished, is our legacy,"

Josh remarked that he's also after shattering beliefs that it can't be done. He said that this was the same principle he adopted when he became the first Filipino to open a luxury publication in Dubai.

"I remember when I was putting up the magazine, there was racism and backlash because they said, as a Filipino, I deserve to be in the restaurant as a waiter, or as a nanny. There's nothing wrong with that. I can be whoever I want to be. I can be an engineer, architect, worker, or nanny as long as I do it with pride and honor. But for me, Filipinos can also be entrepreneurs; they can be owners of different companies. We should not put a limit to any person regardless of their race, background, ethnicity, or preferences," Josh pointed out.

As if keeping busy with four franchises isn't enough, Josh admitted that he gets many offers to be involved with other pageants.

"Many people ask me if I want to handle other pageants, but I feel it's more than enough for me. My loyalty goes to Miss Universe, but of course, I'm not closing any doors," he intimated.

He says the secret to being a multitasking entrepreneur is focus and persistence. "One of the gifts that I learned from the culture of being a Filipino is being persistent, persuasive, and resilient in times of challenges. There are a lot of challenges that we will have to face. I just need to be resilient and to trust the process," he said.