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Six years ago, Crystal Renn was an unknown size-0 model who
moved to New York City from Clinton, Miss., to make it big. She
struggled with her weight for years, however, and finally made the
bold decision to switch to plus-size modeling. Now a healthy 165
lb., she is the highest-paid plus-size model in the world, having
graced the covers of American Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and
appeared in Dolce & Gabbana ads.
The 23-year-old talks with TIME about her new book, Hungry,
her size-0 modeling days and walking the runway for Jean Paul
Gaultier.
Read entire article HERE
Check out her interview on
ABC News
Laura Prepon
of That 70's Show is 5’10” and proud of her height. She
doesn’t hesitate to wear high heels when she gets dressed up. “I
was always the tallest one in the class,” she says. “In middle
school, that’s hard, because you’re taller than all the boys and
they’re kind of intimidated by you. I had red hair on top of it so
I stuck out like a sore thumb,” she remembers. “But now I love it,
and I wouldn’t want to be any shorter.”
Alexis Jones is an expert on confidence, courage and
accomplishment. At only 25 years old she has navigated the beauty
industry as a teen model, survived reality TV as a top finalist on
"Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites," earned a Masters in Communication
from USC, and founded the empowerment company,
i am that girl, a leader in creating social change, global
awareness, and female empowerment for Generation Y. Alexis has
created a bold reputation for herself in the motivational speaking
world due not only to her exceptional life experience, but her
commitment to critical inquiry into women's issues and her passion
for inspiring people to recognize and then fulfill their highest
potential.
Alexis is on the forefront of social
change and provides a powerful and unique voice on behalf of the
Generation Y. As a member herself, she is incredibly effective
when offering her personal experiences and insight on the
day-to-day distractions and obstacles facing today’s women. She
understands the high pressures and expectations set by society and
is able to relate to and inspire women to achieve their dreams, in
spite of the challenges they face. She is committed to being the
change our world needs and has the audacity to dream big enough to
make it happen.
Read more about Alexis here
http://www.alexisjones.com/bio.asp
http://www.iamthatgirl.com/
Sheila C. Johnson
Women
everywhere have enormous potential to create change. With the
right resources and opportunities, an impoverished woman has the
power to improve her life, her family and her community.
In 2007,
businesswoman, philanthropist and CARE Ambassador Sheila C.
Johnson made a $4 million gift to CARE to issue a singular
challenge to individuals and businesses in the United States:
Join a global movement
to empower women in the fight against poverty.
Sheila's I Am Powerful Challenge, launched in June 2007, promised to
match gifts to CARE dollar for dollar, engaging Americans to
connect with women in poor countries and help them break down the
barriers of poverty and inequity that have held them back for so
long.
"If we're going
to improve the lives of women around the world — and I believe we
must — then we have to stretch beyond ourselves. We have to
challenge ourselves and we have to challenge others. That's what
the 'I Am Powerful' movement is all about. I'm honored to be a
part of it."
—Sheila C. Johnson
Shonda Schilling is the founder of The Shade Foundation of America. The
wife of a successful major league baseball player, Shonda had a
very public battle with malignant melanoma, the most deadly form
of skin cancer.
In 2002, Shonda
accepted the Melanoma Monday national spokeswoman role with the
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). An overwhelming response
from fellow melanoma survivors resulted in Shonda creating The
Shade Foundation of America in September 2002. Her goal was to
change society's attitude towards sun exposure.
Since launching
The Shade Foundation, Shonda has received an incredible amount of
media exposure and national recognition for her work. She has
reached millions of Americans with her sunsafety message and is a
powerful force in the prevention of skin cancer.
Shonda is also
extremely active in the crusade to find a cure for ALS. Since
1992, Shonda and her husband Curt have been instrumental in
developing public awareness and fundraising campaigns to improve
the services of the ALS Association. Together they have donated
and raised over 5 million dollars for ALS. She chaired the "The
Shonda Schilling Say It with Flowers" Luncheon in Arizona which
raised over $250,000 in three years. She regularly visits ALS
patients, their family members and caregivers, and is involved in
helping with a variety of events associated with ALS.
Shonda is a
powerhouse of action, social activism, philanthropy, and
leadership. She is quite certainly a shining example of Real
Beauty.
http://www.shadefoundation.org
Stacee Gillelen
Dragonfly Designs
My grandparents first opened my eyes to the art and beauty in
nature when I was a child. I loved to work beside them as they
explored many different forms of artistic expression, from
gardening and painting to mosaic, sculpting, and stained glass.
Over the years, they have continued to be my greatest source of
inspiration.
My passion for beading began one day while I was 'making jewelry'
with my three young daughters. I discovered how to attach a clasp,
and a love affair was sparked! I started taking classes at local
beading stores and couldn't stop practicing my newfound skills.
Soon, I was dreaming about beads and patterns that I would make
into jewelry. With beads, I found yet another artful way to
express the beauty I found in nature and in my imagination. In
February of 2005, I launched Dragonfly Designs.
I feel immense gratitude for the abundance in my life and for the
opportunities I have been given. I also feel a personal
responsibility as a global citizen to give something back to the
community, which is why I am choosing to donate a portion of each
sale of Dragonfly Designs jewelry to an organization that works to
improve the human condition (especially for women and children),
promote equality, and protect the environment.
The great loves of my life are laughter, family, friends, travel,
nature, and, of course, beads. All of these passions are now
embodied in the inspiration that is Dragonfly Designs. I hope you
receive as much joy from wearing my jewelry as I do in making it
for you.
Stacee's Answers to the Real Beauty Questions
I am a Real Beauty because…
"I am able
to create wearable art which feeds my soul and in doing so make a
difference in
the lives of
others."
I am most beautiful when…
"I
am living in the moment, I think this quote expresses it best;
Happiness is when what
you think,
what you say, and what you do are in harmony" - Mahatma Ghandi.
If I were not afraid I would…
"hmmm,
I'm not sure."
Today I
celebrated my beauty by…
"being
present with my 4 beautiful children!"
My advice to a young woman struggling with her body image and
self-esteem is…
"I don't
think I could truly appreciate my body until I became a mom.
Suddenly I could see
past and
accept my flaws as they no longer seemed all important."
http://www.jewelrybydfly.com
Jess Weiner
Have you ever met a person and instantly felt like you wanted to
tell them your life story? Well, Jess Weiner is one of those
people!
Women and girls everywhere have opened up to Jess through her
books, speaking engagements, and media appearances. She is a
best-selling Author, Self-Esteem Expert, and Advice Columnist who
really understands her subject matter having overcome many of
today’s tough teen issues herself. She courageously shares her
wisdom through her books “A Very Hungry Girl” and “Life Doesn’t
Begin 5 Pounds From Now”.
She offers advice on various self-esteem topics ranging from body
image to relationships, friendships, and family issues. She oozes
with authenticity and her honest manner of self-disclosure and
compassion make Jess a celebrated public speaker who has presented
to some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, institutes
and Fortune 500 corporations.
In 2007 she was named the
Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and writes a
column on pop culture and beauty on the dove website. She hosted
the online series, Dove Reality Diaries, navigating four teenage
girls through the journey of self-esteem, facilitated the Dove and
Step Up workshops, and recently hosted a mother/daughter workshop
for Dove in Australia.
Determined to shine a light on
teen issues, Jess is a contributing editor for Seventeen Magazine
and writes a monthly column on body image and self-esteem. You may
have seen her as a frequent guest on The Tyra Banks show, The
Today Show, and CNN Showbiz Tonight. Her work has been featured on
Oprah, MTV, The View, Good Morning America and in The Washington
Post, NY Times and countless other media outlets.
However, out of all the
accolades and accomplishments, Jess will tell you that she is most
proud of her role as a daughter, a big sister, a best friend, and
an authentic role model.
Jess' Answers to the Real Beauty Questions
I am a Real Beauty because…
"I am not afraid to be messy. Life is messy, emotions are messy,
and being real can
be messy."
I am most beautiful when…
"I am being most true to myself and the people around me. Honesty
makes you glow."
If I were not afraid I would…
"Climb the rest of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I stopped at 150 feet
because I am terrified
of heights.
Today I celebrated my beauty by…
"Promising myself I’ll go to bed early tonight!! I need at least 8
hours or I’m grumpy!"
My advice to a young woman struggling with her body image and
self-esteem is…
"See the big picture. Remember that you are more than your face,
your belly, your legs.
You are a whole and complete person and your body is just the
package that your soul
comes in. One of the deepest sighs of relief you’ll ever have is
when you finally accept
that you aren’t perfect and you never will be. Embrace who you are
– now – incomplete,
imperfect, and messy." :)
Learn more about Jess and connect to her blog at
http://www.jessweiner.com
Gabrielle Bernstein was just one year out of college, when she co-founded the
Women's Entrepreneurial Network, a non-profit professional
organization that connects female entrepreneurs. WEN started a
local mentor program for young women, WEN Mentors, and is best
known for its signature Gift of Service Exchange events. That same
year, Gabrielle incorporated her own boutique public relations
company, SparkPlug Communications. Clients included local and
international brands that ranged from Urban Rebounding to Gallo
Wines and Rockstar Energy Drink.
Since
2004 Bernstein, who has a degree in theater from Syracuse
University, has been on the speaking circuit. Her lecture, Falling
in Love with Your Future is regularly presented at the Learning
Annex, Femalethink, The Give and Take Network, New York
University, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Baruch College,
Georgetown University and other venues. She also shares her
message through her regular guest spot on Sirius Satellite Radio's
LIME station 114 as the featured "ING Girl".
In 2007, she launched the brand Falling in Love with Your Future:
A Young Woman's Guide to Passion and Happiness, which takes the
form of books, life coaching, lectures and more. An integral part
of the program is the emphasis on guidance and mentors. Bernstein
recently launched her social networking site www.HerFuture.com for
young women to find mentors.
Bernstein has been featured in media outlets such as The New York
Times, Marie Claire Magazine, Crain's, Clubplanet, AdWeek, Sirius
Satellite Radio, Am-NY and New York Moves Magazine. She can also
been seen riding around the West Village on a unicycle.
Gabrielle's Answers to the Real Beauty Questions
I am a Real
Beauty because…
It
is my mission to share my inner light with the world. When
my inner light is on my
outer
beauty shines.
I am most
beautiful when…
I am being of service to others and sharing my truth.
If I were not
afraid I would…
I am always working through my fearful blocks. At this time
I am very focused on
releasing
my fears around receiving abundance in all areas of my life.
I am working
towards
removing my fears so that I can accept that I can have everything
I want and
live my life
at 10.
Today I
celebrated my beauty by…
Exercising
my mind through meditation, my body through exercise and my spirit
through
prayer. I celebrate my beauty by treating my human vessel
with love. Most
importantly I celebrate my beauty by sharing love with the world.
My advice
for a young woman struggling with her body image is and self
esteem is...
to be kind to herself. We all put so much pressure on
ourselves in all areas of our life. The first
step to achieve
strong self-esteem is to take care of yourself inside and out.
Begin to speak
kindly to
yourself – recite positive affirmations, pat yourself on the back
daily, take a bath,
enjoy a meal
(CHEW), go for a walk, breathe! If you take action toward
caring for yourself you
will begin to
feel love from within. Fake it till you make it.
http://www.gabriellebernstein.com/
Gina Gibney's choreography has been widely presented and
commissioned in the United States and abroad at such venues as The
Duke on 42nd Street, Works & Process at The Guggenheim Museum of
Art, The Joyce Theater's Altogether Different series, Jacob's
Pillow Dance Festival, Joyce SoHo, Central Park SummerStage,
Symphony Space, The World Trade Center, The Cleveland Museum of
Art, Cleveland Public Theatre, the New York platform of the
Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine Saint-Denis,
L'Agora de la Danse (Montréal), Maison de la Culture Frontenac
(Montréal), Maison de la Culture Rosemont (Montréal), Gibraltor
Point Center for the Arts (Toronto), and elsewhere.
In response to her growing concern
about the status of women in the professional dance world, she
reorganized her company as an all-female ensemble in 1998. Since
that time, she has created five evening length works: Coming
from Quiet (1998), Objects No Longer Present (2000),
Several Truths (2001), Time Remaining (2002) and
Thrown (2004).
A recognized leader in combining the
arts with community initiatives, Gibney has most recently
developed Domestic Violence Project, a program that offers dance
and creative expression to women who are survivors of domestic
abuse.
She is the founder of Studio 5-2, an
officer of Danspace Project's Board of Directors, and a recently
elected trustee of Dance/USA. Gibney graduated with honors and
received an MFA in Dance from Case Western Reserve University.
Gibney recently received the first ever “Inspiration Award” from
The Retreat, and her company was named to the Vanity Fair Hall of
Fame in April 2008.
http://www.ginagibneydance.org
Britt Menzies is a
mother, a wife, and an artist with a flair for fashion and
originality. Britt is the founder, creator and the spirit behind
StinkyKids™. Inspired by her own two beautiful StinkyKids, Britt
is constantly evolving the concept to make it the quintessential
wearable art.
Britt is a graduate of Florida
State University with two degrees — accounting and finance. While
she was enjoying a career with a successful Fortune 500 company,
that allowed her to travel the world, she had always had a passion
for art. The birth of her son inspired her to leave the corporate
world and revisit her creative side. Today, a few years and a
daughter later, the result is StinkyKids.
Along with the full-time duties
of being a stay-at-home mom, Britt is an active volunteer with
Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc. a non-profit organization founded
by her mother in memory of Britt’s aunt who died of uterine
cancer. Books, Bears, and Bonnets, Inc. provides whimsical gift
boxes to courageous children and adults fighting cancer and other
serious illnesses. A portion of the proceeds from StinkyKids is
donated directly to this worthwhile charity.
Britt's Answers to the Real
Beauty Questions
I am a Real Beauty because…
I encourage my children (and all children) to be the best that
they can be and to
‘Always Be A Leader of Good’!
I am most beautiful when…
my kids wake me up in the morning with a hug and a kiss (which is
every morning)!
If I were not afraid I would…
buy a beach house in the Abacos (StinkyKids success will help
overcome my fear)!
Today I celebrated my beauty by…
savoring every bite of my Twizzlers candy while at the movies with
my kids.
My advice to a young woman struggling with her body image and
self-esteem is…
that at some point in all of our lives, we have all struggled with
the same emotions but
to continue to love yourself for
who you are because true beauty is not who you are on
the outside, but who you are on
the inside!!
http://www.stinkykids.com
Simply put, Master Fitness Instructor Ana Cabán is one of
the most important Pilates instructors today. Her award-winning
videos, have sold millions worldwide, while her innate talent for
teaching and drive for perfecting her craft have made her one of
the most sought after Pilates instructors in the fitness
industry. Ana has been featured in countless media and has been
invited to be a celebrity guest instructor at prestigious
destination spas such as The Golden Door and Cal-a-Vie. Ana has
won numerous Aegis and Telly Awards and the title of Woman of the
Year by the Business Professional Women’s Association.
Ana began
teaching Pilates a decade ago. She is proud to have had the honor
of completing her certification under the tutelage of ”the grande
dame of Pilates“, Romana Kryzonowska. Ana truly enjoys teaching
Pilates and seeing the benefits that her clients, and fans, derive
from the method.
Over the past decade Ana has owned and operated Pilates studios in
both Miami and Los Angeles. Having recently relocated back to the
Los Angeles area Ana is happy to be teaching at In and Up Pilates
in the neighborhood of Silver Lake. In her free time Ana enjoys
being with her family, reading and volunteering with local charity
organizations.
Read entire
bio here:
http://www.anacaban.com
Ana's
Answers to the Real Beauty Questions
I am a Real
Beauty because…
I honor my body, mind and spirit.
I give thanks for all that I have and all those who
support
me in my life and dreams.
I am most
beautiful when…
I am dancing and enjoying music.
If I were not afraid I would…
Dream even bigger.
Today I
celebrated my beauty by…
Wearing a girly sun dress.
My advice to a young woman struggling with her body image and
self-esteem is…
Embrace your uniqueness. There is no one else in the world just
like you. You are
perfect, in your own way.
Lanae Hale
"My story began in the church,"
Lanae' explains. "I grew up hearing about God's love and grace but
I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that God could really love
me. I thought I was never good enough or pretty enough or worth
anything. So there was this constant fight in my life between the
God I heard about in church and the world that was just devouring
me on the inside."
At seventeen, Lanae' says
"everything shifted." A long-time relationship with a serious
boyfriend ended badly, and she entered her senior year of high
school with all of her hidden emotions and insecurities finally
beginning to spill out. She was desperate for a way to numb her
feelings, and soon found one.
"I had never heard of 'cutting',"
Lanae' says, "but I had reached the point where I didn't like who
I was and I was tired of living. I knew you could die if you cut
your wrists, so I found a vein and started cutting. But when you
do that, your body can respond to the physical pain with a rush of
endorphins that make you feel good for a while. So that was where
the addiction started. It got worse as it went on. The cuts got
deeper. When I didn't want to deal with emotions, I would just cut
them away."
Lanae' tried sleep aids and alcohol
as well, but it was the knives she kept hidden beside her bed and
in her car that she most often turned to for immediate relief. The
crushing cycle of shame and addiction spiraled for three years,
until the night Lanae' found herself in her college apartment
holding a handful of pills, ready to take them all....
Read entire bio
here
Lanae's Answers to the Real
Beauty Questions
I am a Real Beauty because…
I am a child of God and
He doesn't make mistakes!
I am most beautiful when…
I am using the unique
gifts that He as created in me to bring Him glory! When I sing I
feel so
alive!
If I were not afraid I would…
write a book, I would
dance, and I would ride 90 degree angle rollercoasters with my
husband!
Today I celebrated my beauty by…
Getting up and breathing
in deep...living!
My advice to a young woman struggling with her body image and
self-esteem is…
to replace lies with truth! Read Pslam 139! It's been a HUGE
encouragement in my life!
We think Lanae's a Real Beauty for
having the courage to search for the truth and share her story
with the world. She is an inspiration.
Find out more about Lanae here:
http://www.lanaehale.com
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