May 3, 2022

Episode 3: Dani Candray @alopeachia - Nothing to Hide

Episode 3: Dani Candray @alopeachia - Nothing to Hide
The Human Beauty Movement Podcast
Episode 3: Dani Candray @alopeachia - Nothing to Hide

Meet Dani Candray, @alopeachia! Dani was diagnosed with alopecia areata when she was young, which caused her hair to fall out. By the end of kindergarten, she was wearing wigs regularly to hide her condition. Finding community with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), developing friendship with fellow alopecians around the world, and gaining recognition through Instagram with a viral prom makeover video inspired Dani to toss her wigs and love herself how she, for who she is. Today, Dani is an alopecia advocate and model represented by Natural Model Management. We love Dani for being the body positive Game Changer that she is! Enjoy the listen!


Dani's Links:


The Human Beauty Movement's Links:

Jennifer Norman's Links:

Thank you for being a Beautiful Human. 

Transcript
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Hello, beautiful humans.
Thank you so much for coming

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back to another episode of role
models.

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And I am thrilled to introduce
you to a special guest today.

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Her name is Danny can try
otherwise known as alopecia on

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Instagram.
Hello, hello.

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Danny.
It's so great to have you.

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Now I have been so enamored by
Danny's story.

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Because she has been such an
admirable advocate for the

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diagnosis of alopecia.
And so I would love for Danny to

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be able to tell her story on
when she was diagnosed and how

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it was like growing up and what
she's doing now.

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So, it's Andy, I'm going to turn
it over to you.

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Okay, hi everyone.
So I have alopecia areata,

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alopecia means hair loss but the
iata part is, what makes it

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autoimmune.
So what it is, is I have an

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autoimmune disease that causes
my hair to fall out and I've had

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it since I was two years old and
growing up.

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It was incredibly difficult
because I didn't understand it.

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I didn't know anyone who had it
and, you know, being so young.

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It's crazy.
Having your hair fall.

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I had a had a full head of hair
and then soon after it, just

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fell out and then I started
wearing wigs.

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So, I wore wigs for over a
decade and I really struggled

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with my alopecia, just did not
want to share it with people.

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I hid I hid it from the world,
any time it was brought up, I

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got very emotional.
Bend in 2013, I went to an LP

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shh conference.
My mom forced me to go.

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I was So, against it at the
time, I was only like 14 years

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old that she forced me to go to
this alopecia conference hosted

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by Naf, which stands for
National, alopecia areata

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foundation.
And it was an incredible

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experience, because imagine a
hotel filled with LPG, ins bunch

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of bald people.
I felt like at home, I ended up

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meeting one of my closest
friends to this day at that

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event.
And she was actually the one who

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encouraged me to go out that
day.

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Like, at the conference without
my wig.

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We did like a walk and advocacy
walk.

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With like, the whole group for
the conference.

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And so she was like, oh, like
I'm not gonna wear my wig, and

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so, I just decided, okay, I'm
not going to wear my either and

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that's what started all that
moment because that year, before

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sophomore year started, I took
my yearbook photo without my

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wig.
It was that was just, I remember

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just feeling so scared, but I
was really proud that I did that

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and that's what really
kick-started it.

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Yeah, and soon after for senior
year at this point, I was

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already involved with knife like
we were hosting dog.

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Her game events, you know, like
just like group stuff so I could

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hang out with other alopecia
hands and on Instagram, of

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course.
But senior year, I got my makeup

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done by a very popular, like IG
famous makeup artist for prom

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and the video that she took was
for Alopecia advocacy and that

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video blew up, it went viral and
that's when I had a platform I

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suddenly gained, like 10,000
followers in a couple of days.

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Yeah, it was insane and I was
like 17 years old.

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I like those not expecting it,
so like blow up like that.

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But that's what kind of started
my platform and I realized I can

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do something with this.
I can be the change, I want to

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see and that's what happened.
I love that story so much

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because it shows when a little
bit of Courage, it's just that

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moment of boldness.
Here, you are getting ready to

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celebrate your prom, you have
your makeup done.

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And that is the Catalyst, and
it's because people see you and

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sell Alright, you being you and
not being afraid and hiding

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behind a wig as you were saying
before, really, you just being

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your authentic self and look how
explosive that has that for

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sure.
And I mean, during that time, I

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was still wearing a wig mind
you, but I was just slowly

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during this point.
Like, in high school, I was just

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slowly getting used to talking
about Keisha and seeing like

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what I could do with it and a
few years after that, in 2018

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like a couple years after that,
I saw a casting an open casting

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for this summer.
Company, they're looking for

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models and at this point,
besides like, learning to accept

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my alopecia, I was learning to
accept my body, you know, was

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like weight fluctuations and
that type stuff.

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So my goal that year, my New
Year's resolution was to accept

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my body.
The way it was, you know, and

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take care of myself.
That was my goal.

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So, when I saw this casting
early, in the year, I wanted to

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do it even though I had no
modeling experience.

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I wanted to go to my mom, drove
me.

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And there was a lot of girls
there and I saw them.

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They, you could tell that they
were like established model.

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Al's.
So I didn't really think I had a

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chance of my file, but this is a
cool experience, like it was

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nice, being around all these
like fun girls with like bathing

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suits, got to talk to the
designer.

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And I didn't really think much
of them with this was fun, but I

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probably won't get it because
they were only picking like nine

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girls.
But then I got an email saying

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that I got it and that they
wanted me to be part of the

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shoot.
So that was my first modeling

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experience that I had done and
soon after it just it kind of

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just was a domino effect of
started doing a couple more

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Modeling jobs and then I got
signed with natural models,

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amazing.
Well, I want to go back because

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both times you had mentioned,
your mom and either she kind of

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nudged you to go to the
conference and she was

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supportive of you going to this
casting.

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I mean it sounds like she has
really been sort of the Wind

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Beneath Your Wings.
And a lot of this is that right?

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Yeah.
For sure like.

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I mean she forced me to go to
the conference.

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I did not want to go.
I remember like being a brat

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like a teenage Brad about it.
Like I don't want to go and like

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They have like a kids club there
and I want to go to the kids

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club.
I just want to stay with you

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Mom, and that she forced me to
go.

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I remember, being really upset
about it, but I'm happy that she

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did that and with the casting,
it was really funny because we

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were both there at the caste and
she saw the other models there.

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And she's like, you're probably
not going to get honestly,

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because there's a lot of girls,
I feel like, there's like, 300

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or 400 people at that casting.
So, Know what I mean?

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She was just trying to, like I
guess, be realistic with me, but

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overall, she's always been
supportive.

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She she wants me to do well and
succeed.

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And yeah, well, so you said that
like from an early age you were

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wearing wigs like when did you
start actually wearing wigs?

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Oh my God I started wearing wigs
in kindergarten really.

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I was recently going through my
mom's photos that she has and

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she was like this huge bucket
just with stacks of photos and I

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found My photo from first day of
kindergarten, and I had my hair

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like natural hair, curly black
hair, really thick like half up

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half down, it looks super cute,
but then I found the picture of

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my last day of kindergarten and
I was wearing a little little

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Bob wig.
Interesting.

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Yeah.
So yeah, that's when I started

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wearing the wig and then I
stopped wearing wigs in 2018,

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August 27th.
That's my ball.

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Diverse jury.
That did you gravitate towards a

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certain Style?
Flags while you had them.

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Yes, I love the bangs.
The just like super stick bangs

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though.
Yeah, I always wear wigs.

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But the thing is that like, I
love wigs.

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Don't get me wrong.
I think they're beautiful.

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And it's a fun way to
accessorize and change your

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look.
But it got to the point where I

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was dependent on them.
Like I felt like I needed this

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wig and I just didn't like that.
I realized I was using it as

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like a Band-Aid, but I had
become too.

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Pendant on it and honestly since
I've stopped wearing my wig,

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I've never felt more free and
there's no going back.

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Like I'll wear a wig maybe for a
few hours but I'm at the end of

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the day I'm just going to snatch
it off.

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Like I don't I don't want to
wear wigs anymore and I love

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that.
You mentioned that because I

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think that's an important thing
for our listeners and our

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viewers because it's a very
individual thing.

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They can bring so much joy and
pleasure and it's almost like

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fashion.
You can change your look and it

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cannot reading.
But when you realize that you're

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utilizing something and it could
Anything.

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It could be makeup, it could be,
it could be a wig.

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It could be, you know, brand
names, whatever it is if you're

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using it as something that is to
conceal or to hide your true

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self, if there's an insecurity
about kind of what you're

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feeling without it, then it's
interesting that you got to the

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place where you recognize that
and it was probably at that

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conference where you realized,
OK, there is this Reliance in

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this dependency.
I felt either ashamed or

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embarrassed without it, but now
it's liberating.

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It's something where I don't I
don't need it.

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I can use it if I want to it's
but, you know, I'm not dependent

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upon it anymore.
It's not something that I'm

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using in order to pretend that,
you know, I'm something else or

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that I, you know, that I'm
trying to relay something else

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then you know other than
confidence and love for myself.

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No, absolutely but no I wore the
wig years after that conference

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because that conference wasn't
that 2013 and I still I was okay

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with talking about alopecia but
I was still weird about it.

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Like I still wanted to wear my
wigs, but I mean, I'm here, like

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it took a while, but I felt when
I tell people there's people who

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who asked me like, how did you
stop wearing your wig?

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I want to, I get messages on
Instagram and honestly, I think

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it's just about being patient
with yourself.

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You can't rush it.
So many people would tell me how

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weak for you, no one cares, but
it's not about that, you know,

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like it's everyone has their own
Journey with alopecia and it

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happens to anyone at it can
happen to anyone at any age and,

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you know, you can't just rush
that type of stuff like I were

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weeks for over a decade before I
I stopped wearing them.

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Well, that's incredible.
This reminds me of when I was

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younger there, you know, in my
teens or 20s, I did some little

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modeling, but it was always, you
know, small little tiny things,

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very local things and I because
I'm only 52 because I'm Asian

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and normal weight, you know?
And so, to be a petite model

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that wants to make it anywhere
big at that time of life.

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You had to be real thin, you had
to just starve yourself and I

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remember them telling me, okay?
You need to drop 15 In pounds.

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And at the time, I was 103
pounds.

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You know, they wanted me like,
80 something pounds in order to

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even qualify.
And so I went through this

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period of eating disorders.
And so, you know, hearing things

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like that and thinking that,
that's what I have to live up

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to, in order to achieve what I
would consider.

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You know, I considered a goal at
that particular time was not

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healthy.
It was mentally exhausting and

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it was something that in
hindsight it took me a while but

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I it's like I recognize this Is
not what beauty is about, like

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real true.
Beauty means you love yourself

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and you accept yourself and you
Embrace everything about

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yourself inside out, outside in
and you are on a journey and if

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you want to love yourself and
you're satisfied yourself, but

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you're eager for improvements
and you're eager for more.

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That's the best place to be.
So it doesn't mean just sit

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still and eat junk food, all
day.

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It means, you know that?
Yeah, I love myself but I'm on a

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journey of wellness and
well-being and and my mental

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health and my sanity and my love
for Health in every given moment

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is important along the way and
look what happened to you.

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It's like you go to this
casting.

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You don't think that you have a
chance, but there was something

216
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,200
about you.
The fact that you were so

217
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,400
authentically you and how you
showed up with your beautiful

218
00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,900
body, with all your curves, with
your bright smile, with this

219
00:11:18,900 --> 00:11:23,900
energy, that just exudes joy.
And I imagine that that probably

220
00:11:24,100 --> 00:11:26,800
showed through all of the
insecurities of those other

221
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,100
people that were probably there
wishing and hoping Hoping that

222
00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:33,400
they looked or felt like
somebody else, and I can imagine

223
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,500
that.
That's why the world is starting

224
00:11:35,500 --> 00:11:39,700
to change a lot of companies and
brands are starting to recognize

225
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,300
this is worth celebrating,
right?

226
00:11:42,300 --> 00:11:45,200
This?
Absolutely, yeah.

227
00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:48,200
So tell us what you're up to
now, what does it say in the

228
00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:53,200
life of Danny can try to look
like, oh my gosh, right now I'm

229
00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:55,900
I started personal training so
that's what I've been really

230
00:11:55,900 --> 00:12:01,200
like focused on and I also work
besides modeling I work at a gym

231
00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:04,600
so I work with kids at the gym,
just fun.

232
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000
Yeah.
Like I'll usually just do my

233
00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000
casting videos just stuff like
that.

234
00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,400
That's fantastic.
So tell me what, it's like to

235
00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,500
personal train.
I mean I have been trained

236
00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:20,700
before and I get into beast mode
because I want to try to

237
00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:23,000
impress.
Yeah.

238
00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,500
At first it was really hard.
I like I felt a lot of anxiety

239
00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,600
going to the gym even though I
worked there I worked.

240
00:12:29,700 --> 00:12:33,200
At that gym.
But my trainer I just recently

241
00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,300
switched trainers but the
trainer had previously she was

242
00:12:36,300 --> 00:12:41,100
very much into like holistic
like functional training, that

243
00:12:41,100 --> 00:12:43,700
was her thing which I really
like that was different from all

244
00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:45,400
the other trainers.
She wasn't trying to promote

245
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:46,900
supplements or anything like
that.

246
00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:50,000
She was very much like she would
talk about like child trauma.

247
00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,300
Like she was like she was a very
interesting trainer but she

248
00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:56,800
helped me out a lot.
Like very patient with me and

249
00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,100
help build up my confidence and
she left that gym but Since I'm

250
00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:01,600
with my new one, he's really
cool.

251
00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:02,900
And at this point I just feel
comfortable.

252
00:13:02,900 --> 00:13:05,900
He just helps me with my form
and I just feel good at the end

253
00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:07,600
of the training session.
That's what I want to do.

254
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,300
I just want to feel good.
Did you have any particular role

255
00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:14,500
models of your own growing up?
Or do you have any now Role

256
00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:19,000
Models right now would be some
of the models that I follow on

257
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,600
Instagram, like within my agency
and like, within other agencies

258
00:13:22,900 --> 00:13:26,300
I just love seeing them post,
you know, just being happy and

259
00:13:26,308 --> 00:13:29,500
like living their best life and,
you know, just not being ashamed

260
00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:30,700
of Themselves.
I really love that.

261
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,000
What brings you Joy?
What do you love doing my guilty

262
00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,700
pleasure?
Right now is acai bowls every

263
00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:46,200
time after exercise session.
I feel the need to get in our

264
00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:51,600
site.
That's like my guilty pleasure,

265
00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:58,800
but my passion right now.
I'm so I feel like I'm still

266
00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,800
trying to figure it out.
But overall like my passion is

267
00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,800
out fuchsia advocacy and
honestly just normalizing

268
00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:09,800
alopecia in the media and I
honestly encourage girls to show

269
00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,500
off the alopecia if other girls
want to become models like

270
00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:14,200
that's fine.
Like there's room for all of us

271
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,700
like I want to see more girls in
commercials and ads that have

272
00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:19,200
alopecia.
I just want to see it

273
00:14:19,208 --> 00:14:20,900
everywhere.
Hmm.

274
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,700
Amazing.
Did you have to do you have

275
00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:25,000
siblings Brothers?
No, I'm an only child.

276
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,800
You're an only child is there a
history of alopecia in the

277
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,400
family from?
Generations past, I think my mom

278
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,700
had mentioned that my dad may
have had it when he was younger,

279
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,000
but his hair grew back.
And now I think he just like

280
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,700
Jesus to be bald.
He just shaves it, but I'm not

281
00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:41,800
too sure about that.
Okay.

282
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,500
For the most part, I'm like the
only one in my family.

283
00:14:45,500 --> 00:14:47,800
It's amazing.
Because I remember a long time

284
00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:55,100
ago, I used to date only bald
guys can go on about my dating

285
00:14:55,100 --> 00:14:58,400
life, but, but I remember Mike
and it didn't even dawn on me.

286
00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,200
It was just like something.
I gravitated to for whatever

287
00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,200
reason.
And the one of my girlfriend,

288
00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,800
she was actually a colleague of
mine at work and one of the

289
00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,600
dudes actually came to pick me
up and go to lunch and when I

290
00:15:09,608 --> 00:15:13,100
came back she goes you like I'm
bald and I'm so sorry.

291
00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:19,300
I do look like bald people.
I feel like you're able to

292
00:15:19,300 --> 00:15:21,900
appreciate someone's features if
they don't have hair, you could

293
00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:25,200
see everything.
So maybe that's what it was.

294
00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:26,800
Yeah.
There was, there was something

295
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,100
about it.
I don't know if it was just like

296
00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:30,700
an array.
Reverence or something.

297
00:15:30,700 --> 00:15:31,800
That was a little.
I don't know.

298
00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,100
I just found it sexy.
My aunt has said that before so

299
00:15:36,100 --> 00:15:42,600
I can make and sexy, I would
love to, you know, the recent

300
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,100
situation with Will Smith, Jada,
Pinkett Smith.

301
00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,300
I was just curious about what
your take was on that and any

302
00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:54,100
positives that you could take
away from what had occurred.

303
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,600
So with that event, I wasn't
watching it live.

304
00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:02,000
I had seen my I sent the link to
our family group chat was like

305
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,800
oh my god look what happened and
as soon as I heard the joke from

306
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,500
him, I cringed and then the
camera goes to her reaction and

307
00:16:11,500 --> 00:16:14,100
she was kind of like you could
tell she was just like annoyed

308
00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:19,700
by that and I'm not team.
Well, team Chris, I'm in this

309
00:16:19,700 --> 00:16:23,000
situation.
I'm team Jada and it's because I

310
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,100
can relate to it completely even
though I'm at a point where I'm,

311
00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,500
I'm fine with my alopecia, I
accept it, that comment.

312
00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:31,700
It would not comment, wouldn't
bother me now.

313
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,400
But looking back at hot, like my
journey that I went through,

314
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,500
that comment would have probably
made me cry to be honest with

315
00:16:38,500 --> 00:16:40,600
you.
So I could see it in her face

316
00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,700
and I felt that there was a, I
felt like a nauseous feeling and

317
00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:46,800
I had actually posted on my
Instagram, cuz I have a lot of

318
00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,100
allocations at all of me.
Hey, did anyone else feel like

319
00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:52,900
sick to their stomach when they
saw the video?

320
00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:57,700
And so many majority said, yes.
And it was the comment was just

321
00:16:57,700 --> 00:16:59,900
unnecessary.
And I just feel like When it

322
00:16:59,900 --> 00:17:03,300
comes to jokes and last, he had
spoken to her before the events.

323
00:17:03,300 --> 00:17:06,400
In, hey, I'm gonna say this joke
or, you know, something like

324
00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,000
that.
Give her a heads up, ask her for

325
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:09,800
permission.
It shouldn't have been said, I

326
00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,000
don't think someone's medical
condition, should be brought up

327
00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:16,500
as a joke.
Yeah, yeah.

328
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,900
I think if you know, the Silver
Lining could be said about it.

329
00:17:19,900 --> 00:17:22,800
It's it has brought so much
awareness and the and the

330
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:27,099
realization of the wrongness of
what has been done and I think

331
00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:29,500
that it will help to inform a
lot.

332
00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,800
Of Comedians and a lot of
individuals in the future who

333
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,900
may think that it's just a
casual, you know, flip and

334
00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:39,200
statement that should be taken
lightly, but depending on where

335
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,300
that person is in your journey
to your point.

336
00:17:41,900 --> 00:17:46,700
And granted, it's very difficult
to know how how confident people

337
00:17:46,700 --> 00:17:49,000
are in their Journey.
Perhaps Chris thought that Jada

338
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,100
was at the place for example,
where you are in your journey,

339
00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:55,200
because she's been so open about
her advocacy and about her own

340
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,500
story.
But even that said, it's

341
00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:01,000
interesting to shine a light, It
on the fact that.

342
00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:05,000
Yeah, it's a medical condition.
It really helps to define a line

343
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,900
and start that conversation and
continue the conversation to

344
00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:10,700
inform behaviors and statements
in the future.

345
00:18:11,100 --> 00:18:13,000
Hopefully, that's the good side
of it, right?

346
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,700
Everyone has their own
boundaries and I saw a lot of

347
00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:17,500
comments saying it's just a
joke.

348
00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:21,600
Like, wow, she can't take a joke
or and I just, I don't know.

349
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,700
I just don't agree with that.
I just don't think that type of

350
00:18:24,700 --> 00:18:26,300
stuff should be joked about
whatsoever.

351
00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:30,900
And last person is okay with it.
For example, I Send means to my

352
00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:32,200
friends that are like bald
jokes.

353
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,000
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, and people will send me

354
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,800
bald memes, and I think they're
funny, like, I'm at that place,

355
00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:40,100
but back up was not at that
place, and it would have really

356
00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:41,200
bothered.
It would have broken me

357
00:18:41,208 --> 00:18:43,900
honestly.
Yeah, yeah.

358
00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:47,000
And I think that that's a really
valuable takeaway if we can

359
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,500
appreciate other people and, and
understand.

360
00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:54,600
And listen, you know, I'm here
for you, rather than poking,

361
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,500
unless you allow it yourself,
you're like, okay, I'm going to

362
00:18:57,500 --> 00:19:00,300
send this name because I think
it's hilarious and Other person

363
00:19:00,300 --> 00:19:04,000
recognized yes, you know, you're
in the same place then, okay,

364
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,500
you're vibing the same.
Then it, then it becomes.

365
00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:10,300
All right, interesting.
So I learned a new word today,

366
00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:13,200
alopecia and it sounds like a
fascinating word.

367
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,200
I want to join this Cloud
species.

368
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:25,800
Like I like the Avatar movies
and I love that word.

369
00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,500
It's so cool.
When you're part of a community,

370
00:19:28,500 --> 00:19:31,200
tell me what it's like.
How has it continued and

371
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,600
furthered your advocacy?
I love it, I love the Alpena

372
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,000
Community.
I love being able to talk to

373
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,200
them at any time I've hung out
with some, it's just crazy how

374
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,200
our stories aligned like we all
experience different upbringings

375
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,400
live in different cities
different states but at the end

376
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,000
of the day we pretty much
experience have like a universal

377
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,400
experience with alopecia so
that's very comforting and I

378
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,800
just love that.
Yeah yeah.

379
00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,400
It's just nice being able to
keep In touch with the different

380
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:06,100
people and I discovered that
Community when I was 14 15 years

381
00:20:06,100 --> 00:20:09,300
old, I just looked at the
hashtag, alopecia outpatient

382
00:20:09,300 --> 00:20:10,800
girl.
I'll patient model you know just

383
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,800
trying to find not community and
I found it and I've met with

384
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,200
alopecia who was from Sweden and
she came to California to hang

385
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,900
out to visit for vacation and I
hung out with her one of the

386
00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:23,700
days, one from Australia, you
know?

387
00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:26,400
Like it's just crazy how we're
like able to connect.

388
00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:31,500
Yeah.
Everybody can connect the matter

389
00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:33,500
who you are, what territory or
from?

390
00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:36,000
It's so exciting.
Yeah, really makes the world a

391
00:20:36,008 --> 00:20:40,500
lot smaller and friendlier.
Hmm, tell me what it's like when

392
00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:42,800
you went on your first modeling
job.

393
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,200
It was exciting.
I didn't really know what to

394
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,900
expect.
I had shown up like, super

395
00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:48,600
early.
I think I showed up like we,

396
00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,100
like 30 or 40 minutes early.
So I was just sitting there for

397
00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:54,300
a while and it was just
interesting, like, The Stylist.

398
00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:55,600
They have to, like, lint brush
you.

399
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,900
And then the like steam, you
really quick and they're

400
00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:01,700
constantly like, Having like I
wasn't I wasn't used to that and

401
00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:03,400
like something with like the
makeup artist, it was just a

402
00:21:03,408 --> 00:21:06,500
really cool experience.
Remember who it was for?

403
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:13,500
It was for DSW Shoe Company.
Yeah, so it was fun and then the

404
00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:17,100
photos that they use, that was
used further like online email

405
00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:20,800
ads, they send out.
So my co-workers from the job I

406
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,000
had at the time, I worked in an
office, they had shown me like

407
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,200
this just popped up in my
emails.

408
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:35,300
Like is this you Mike This is
exciting.

409
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,300
Now also you were talking about
being a curvy girl and, you

410
00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:42,900
know, also embracing that aspect
of your of your embodiments, it

411
00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:46,500
hasn't been positive as far as
like, going to castings and

412
00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:48,900
doing work.
And, you know, feeling that

413
00:21:48,900 --> 00:21:51,300
you're okay with showing off
your curves, showing off your

414
00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:52,900
skin.
Yeah.

415
00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:55,600
It's honestly, I know that's not
the case for everyone.

416
00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,200
But so far in my modeling
Journey I've only experienced

417
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,500
like Activity.
When it comes to like my body.

418
00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:04,000
For the most part, the clothes
always fit and I think I've only

419
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,800
encountered a couple of times
where the clothes will you know,

420
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,600
fit a little off but usually if
it's too big, they'll pin you

421
00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:11,700
and if it's too small, those
just give you something else.

422
00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:16,200
So it's never really been a big
deal but yeah, it's just been

423
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,900
it's been really fun.
Definitely seems like a turning

424
00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:23,300
point when you were able to come
to the realization that this is

425
00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:27,100
me and I love me, you know, do
you have any positivity type

426
00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:29,400
exercises that you practice
everyday?

427
00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:31,400
Day.
I've been trying to get into the

428
00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,800
habit of journaling writing
down, you know, like I guess

429
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,200
like affirmations.
But anytime my lately, what I've

430
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,700
been trying to do, if I feel
like anxious or nervous about

431
00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:44,400
something, I just have to tell
myself like you're a bad, bitch,

432
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,500
you're a bad girl, you know what
I mean?

433
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,200
Like, I literally have to like,
tell myself, like, you're

434
00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,000
awesome.
Like, even if I don't feel it at

435
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,800
that moment, I just have to
like, you know what I mean?

436
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,800
Like, hype myself up on the
inside, otherwise, I'll be

437
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,400
really sad, you know, and down
and feel like I can't do it.

438
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,100
I can't go.
My day.

439
00:23:00,100 --> 00:23:02,100
So sometimes I have to do that.
I have to tell myself, like you

440
00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:05,000
can do this.
You got this, you're amazing.

441
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,100
So that's about it.
But I would ideally like to get

442
00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:11,700
into the habit of like, you
know, consistently journaling or

443
00:23:11,700 --> 00:23:14,000
even like, meditating.
So many people have told me I

444
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,900
should start meditating and I
just, I don't know.

445
00:23:15,900 --> 00:23:19,000
I haven't haven't been able to
get into it, it's definitely

446
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,200
something that is a practice,
you know, just like in life,

447
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,800
it's like, you know, it's easy
to just sit there and let your

448
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,000
mind wander and then you have to
recognize.

449
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,200
Oh my goodness, I'm not
meditating.

450
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,300
Is that what I'm going to make
for dinner tonight, or something

451
00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:35,900
like that?
And so, yeah, coming back, is it

452
00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:38,200
definitely takes it, takes
practice.

453
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,400
It takes time.
I vouched for it as well.

454
00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:44,000
I think it's an extremely
useful, practice get into to

455
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,600
really dive even further into
knowing who you are and to be

456
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,300
able to have more control of
things during the day.

457
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,300
How about music?
Do you have like a playlist that

458
00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:57,100
you have some favorite artists,
or some lately?

459
00:23:57,100 --> 00:23:59,400
I've been obsessed with the
Hamilton.

460
00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:04,700
Watch Hamilton.
I went to see it when it came to

461
00:24:04,700 --> 00:24:09,900
LA, and I have watched it on
Disney plus as well.

462
00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:12,400
But yes, it brilliant,
brilliant.

463
00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:16,000
I'm obsessed with the, I think I
listened to it like, everyday,

464
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,900
but besides that, when I'm not
listening to that, I mean in

465
00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:21,700
general, I love musical.
So I'll always be listening to

466
00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:25,800
hairspray Phantom and waitress.
I just love musicals, but

467
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,300
usually I listen to like Queen
Bee Gees Earth winning Fire

468
00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:32,200
about like, I like my older
cousin.

469
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,000
Hairspray is one of my all-time
favorites.

470
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,200
I think I have probably watched
that one.

471
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,600
A hundred at least a hundred
times that I just love music,

472
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,400
amazing.
You know what it was when you

473
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,800
were talking about getting
yourself motivated and say I'm a

474
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,700
bad bitch like sometimes if I'm
going out for my morning run I

475
00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:54,900
have to think about the Eminem
song, lose yourself or something

476
00:24:54,900 --> 00:24:59,400
like that that's like yeah I can
beat my time.

477
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,900
Yourself pumped up.
Well Danny, thank you so much

478
00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:08,500
for spending time with us today.
You are a role model and I am so

479
00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:12,000
excited to see you continue your
journey, thank you so much for

480
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,400
having me and I invite everyone
to take a look at Danny on

481
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,500
Instagram.
Her handle is alopecia and we'll

482
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:21,300
see you next time.
Thanks very much.

483
00:25:21,700 --> 00:25:22,700
Hi, thank you.