(Photo credit: Campus Speak)
Before working with Dove, is body
image or bullies something that you dealt with?
Luckily, Bullying is never something I
had to deal with on a large scale. I grew up a pretty confident young woman but
absolutely had my days. I particularly had a problem with my big thighs and
hated them.
If so, how did you deal with it? What
makes you confident?
My parents were an amazing support
system. They would help me have an attitude of gratitude and be thankful for my
healthy and able body. I still hold on to this attitude today. Once I accepted
that my body was the way it was, the confidence came naturally. When you truly
accept yourself, no one can shake that.
How did you get involved with the
'Real Women' campaign?
I was walking down the street when a
woman approached me and asked me to come to a modeling audition. I looked back
at her and said “ME? I don’t look like a model!” After my friend took the
woman’s number, called and pretended to be me, and made an appointment for me
to go, she forced me to show up at the audition! The rest, as they say, is
history.
What was the reaction of the country
and what most surprised you?
The reactions across the country were
mostly positive with sporadic negative comments. To me, the most surprising
comments were those from women, calling us “fat” or “gross”. I couldn’t believe
it! I came from a place where women support other women. Women not supporting
us was completely foreign to me.
What is your advice to those girls
struggling with body image?
Make small changes. I’m not telling
anyone that you can accept and love yourself over night, but you have to start
somewhere! Let go of the negative self talk, stop comparing yourself to other
women, smile and walk confidently. The more small changes you can make, the
closer you are to a great place of acceptance.
You don't get much bigger than Ellen
and Oprah. What was it like working with them?
Amazing! I can’t even tell you how
excited we were. Not only were we meeting some amazing and strong women but we
were going to spread this message on the largest scale possible. It was surreal
and so humbling. I was honored that I got to help other women.
Finally, what have you been doing
since the campaign ( I guess outside of guest speaking)
I am a full-time speaker, blogger,
writer, and just started one-on-one coaching! I got married and spend a lot of
time with family and friends. Life is pretty amazing.
