Model Emily DiDonato was scouted when she was just 10 years old. Now 29, she's reflecting on her career—and its impact on her mental health—on this week's episode of ‘Your Best Life,’ a new podcast hosted by Anna Victoria, the CEO and founder of the Fit Body app, that's produced by our parent company, Gallery Media Group.
Emily has been in every major fashion magazine and has been the face of major fashion brands like Armani, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. In addition to being a model, she's also an influencer and YouTuber who's not afraid to get honest about her struggles with body acceptance. An outspoken advocate for body positivity, she continuously shuts down body shaming and publicly shares her own struggles with body image. Case in point? Her YouTube video titled, "My Journey To Body Positivity + Body Confidence."
In their conversation, Emily opens up to Anna about her journey to body acceptance and how entering the modeling industry at such a young age affected her. She also gives advice to young girls who aspire to a career like hers.
The two also helpfully touch on social media. Emily says that her online presence has not only given her a platform, but it's also given her modeling gigs more meaning. Now, brands are hiring her for more than just her physical appearance. But like any public figure, Emily recognizes the dark side of Twitter and Instagram, and shares how she deals with the negativity. "I either don't follow or mute people who honestly do not make me feel good about myself," she admits. "I feel like that's another element of taking responsibility of who I follow and who I decide to let into my world." Good advice, no?
In case you missed the last episode, Anna sat down with Ethan Suplee, an actor best known for his roles in movies like American History X, Remember the Titans and Blow. Throughout his life, Ethan struggled with obesity, once weighing 530 pounds. He's since gone through a complete physical transformation, losing more than 200 pounds and documenting his pursuit of health and fitness on his new podcast, ‘American Glutton.’ The two spoke about the myth of one "perfect diet," and about weight loss as a gateway to wellness instead of a smaller pants size.
New episodes are available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts—we'll see you then.