Check Out Maggie Jackson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Jackson.

Hi Maggie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, my family moved around a lot — mostly in southern states — but, I always had an affinity for California. I admired the beautiful palm trees, diverse landscapes and gorgeous celebrities I saw on television and in movies. Because I loved performing and participating in theater, competitive dance, pageants and cheerleading, I knew I was destined to one day live and work in the Entertainment Capital of the World – Los Angeles!

I majored in broadcast journalism at The University of Texas at Austin which helped me secure a semester-long internship in Los Angeles at KTLA Morning News. While interning in LA, I fell in love with the culture, beaches, weather and people, and I even met my future husband! I knew I had found my forever home in California.

After college graduation in Texas, I dreamed of working in TV in LA, but the recession and lack of paying job opportunities took me to Las Vegas where I started my career in public relations representing hotels, nightclubs and shows. The job was filled with many late nights, busy weekends and few holidays off, which was hard for a young girl who missed her family and friends back home. However, the position gave me lots of new, fun experiences and taught me about hard work, business relationships, media relations and image management. That job helped me move up to my next PR job in Los Angeles, where I continued to represent hotels and other hospitality clients in a place I always dreamed of living.

My husband and I got married in 2016 and wanted to start a family. As I examined my work schedule, it became apparent that my hustle-filled PR career with late nights and long travel days would be very challenging while having little babies. My husband also had a demanding career as a surgeon, and we felt it was important for one of us to be present with our future children as much as possible. However, I’m an ambitious person and never imagined myself not working, so instead of quitting PR completely, I launched my own communications business called Rose Public Relations. Having my own business allowed me to select ideal clients and create a work schedule that fit for my lifestyle with children. I proudly ran a successful PR consultancy specializing in media relations and social media management for hotels and restaurants for four years, and I even hired two people to work with me!

Then, the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, which eliminated all my clients overnight. Sadly, my hotel and restaurant clients all had to shut their doors or suffered major declines in business, which left no budget for my public relations services. The timing of this tragedy was somewhat fortuitous, though, as I had just found out that I was pregnant with my second baby and was ready to slow down work and focus on family.

But, with my determined personality, I found myself eager to continue working again. To fill that void during the pandemic, I started blogging on my website (www.maggiehjackson.com) where I shared about my favorite motherhood tips, baby products and family travel destinations. As luck would have it, a former PR colleague saw my blog at the same time she needed a product spokesperson who was also a “motherhood expert” to host a TV segment on KTLA about gift ideas for Mother’s Day. With my education in broadcast journalism, former internship at KTLA and experience promoting brands in PR, it was truly meant-to-be! That segment was the impetus to launching my TV hosting career, and I was so thrilled that my dreams of working in television in LA were finally coming true!

Currently, I host product-focused lifestyle TV segments in markets all over the country, from Buffalo to Denver to San Francisco. I often go into Los Angeles TV studios to host local segments, and I’ve built a studio in my garage to remotely host segments in cities across the U.S. My segments feature all sorts of products, brands and services that make families’ lives simpler and happier, from Father’s Day gift ideas to back-to-school essentials.

Even with the ups and downs of my career, my life still appeared beautiful from the outside — I was fortunate to have a family, home and job, and we frequently took Instagram-worthy vacations and enjoyed dining out and exploring LA. However, my life was’t all picture-perfect. During the time I was in college and beginning my career, my older brother, Yancey, was struggling with manic depression. He was really troubled by being clinically diagnosed with bipolar disorder and found it challenging to stick to his medication and routinely get therapy. He often said that he just wanted to be and feel “normal,” and he despised the stigma associated with mental illness. Despite having a family who loved and cared for him deeply, Yancey sadly took his own life on December 22, 2013 — the day before my birthday. It took 11 years before I finally sought therapy for dealing with my own grief and mental health. Honestly, I never felt worthy of seeking help, because I personally didn’t have a clinically diagnosed mental illness like my brother. I thought any personal struggles were just me being “weak” and I had the capabilities to work through it. However, after having babies, I realized that motherhood and my children’s siblings relationship to each other often triggered old memories of my brother and brought up feelings of guilt, shame and anxiety. As images of my brother’s childhood and death haunted me and unknown anger built up inside of me that I’d never felt before, it became clear that I needed to take the extra steps to care for my mental wellbeing in order to be the best mom and wife that my family deserved. I’m so glad that I finally sought help, because therapy has been life-changing for me in helping navigate my emotions and work through my grief around my brother’s suicide.

Earlier this year, a fellow TV personality I’d met on a job named Alissa Carlson Schwartz asked me if I’d be interested in participating in the Mrs. California pageant. Alissa was a current pageant titleholder, and it was clear that she loved it. Honestly, my first response to entering the pageant was, “No way!” I didn’t think that I had the time between caring for my family and work to do a pageant, but Alissa reassured me that it would be a meaningful way to elevate my passion for breaking the stigma around discussing mental health and suicide prevention. After deep consideration, I decided to enter the Mrs. California pageant in May 2025. I competed against women from all over the state — many who have competed multiple times! — and, to my surprise and joy, I walked away the winner!

My goal as Mrs. California is to help change the way we talk about mental health and suicide in our country with my ‘Your Mind Matters’ initiative. I want everyone to know that their mental health is just as important as their physical health, and it’s vital to give love to our minds, go to therapy and take the necessary steps to care for our mental wellbeing. I’m partnering with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Greater Los Angeles to talk to organizations and students in high school and college about understanding the signs of mental illness and suicide prevention, in addition to ways they can reach out or help others reach out if they need help. I’m sharing the story of my brother’s suicide and my personal journey with mental health, because I believe it helps to see and meet people who have struggled and healed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies by suicide, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that California is the state with the second most suicides a year with a rate of 10.4 per 100,000 people. Clearly, I’m not alone in this experience, and our mental health and suicide are critical public health problems that need to be addressed openly. In 2021, the WHO states that more people died by suicide than HIV, malaria, breast cancer, war, or homicide. It’s time for us to talk about mental health and suicide more publicly and candidly. It’s time for change.

As Mrs. California, I’m honored for the opportunity to compete against all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the upcoming Mrs. America pageant in August 2025, where I will continue to spread my ‘Your Mind Matters’ message. I’d love your support with a follow on Instagram at @maggiehjackson.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but every struggle has made me much stronger and grateful for where I am today.

In my public relations career, I often felt frustrated and trapped in jobs that I didn’t absolutely love. However, those jobs gave me the experience and skills I needed to excel in my current job.

My family dealt with lots of challenges in trying to help my brother who was battling with bipolar disorder for many years. It was so painful watching someone you love so much struggle with their mental health in a way that we couldn’t completely understand. He took his own life in 2013, which really rocked us, of course. However, my parents were the best example of resilience with their love for each other and dedication to their faith. Even though we’ve had so much heartache, I believe we’re so much stronger as a family now, and we’re committed to helping others going through similar struggles.

On the pageant front — I actually competed in a teen pageants when I was in high school but never won a state pageant. Even though my teen pageants were 20 years ago, I believe they helped prepare me for Mrs. California. It’s crazy to think that I finally won a state title two decades after entering my first pageant! The old adage is true — never give up!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I host TV segments on morning news shows across the country that focus on lifestyle products and brands. The segments are timely and themed, like “holiday gift ideas” or “summer pool essentials.” I used to only go in studio at local TV stations to host the segments, but the Covid-19 pandemic and newer technology allowed me to start filming from home. I built a studio in my garage, and I’m really proud of myself for adapting and finding new ways to work even during a worldwide pandemic.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned two very important lessons. First, the most important lesson I’ve learned in my career is that every experience is opportunity to learn, grow and take you to the next level. When I was younger, I often felt stagnant and frustrated in certain job roles where I wanted to do more. Now, looking back, I appreciate all those small jobs for getting me to where I am today. Every day is an opportunity, and it’s what you make of it that counts. Hard work and attitude are everything.

The other important lesson I’ve learned is that every decision should be finalized or backed up with intention. I make sure that every move I make, whether personal or professional, aligns with my values and goals. Using my intention as my guide has made every decision so much more simple and clear. You have to know your WHY. For example, my intention for entering the Mrs. California pageant was to help change the way Americans view and talk about mental health and suicide. Using this intention as my anchor for every decision, presentation and interview throughout the pageant gave me confidence and purpose. I feel like staying true to my intention is one of the reasons I won the Mrs. California title.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maggiehjackson.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/maggiehjackson

Image Credits
April McGill