Wearing David’s Bridal and Ruthie Davis heels, organic spray tan by Be Bronze 

There’s always a few events that happen every year that we all see on Instagram. Like the Vanity Fair awards party, Grammy’s after party and Teen Vogue Young Hollywood. The Young Hollywood party is the party of the year for those young and in Hollywood. Think of all your favorite under 24 actresses, singers and activists all in one room on the same night. This was my first year attending and I was so excited about it because I’m not going to deny having seen it happening every year and wondering when I’d finally be invited! I found out a few weeks ago and asked my stylist to help me put together a really fun look in collaboration with David’s Bridal. We chose a few dresses from the site and hoped one of them would fit. I flew back from Connecticut after getting my wisdom teeth surgery and had about 20 minutes with Karen to put the perfect outfit together on Thursday (the day before the event!) before she had to head right to the airport. Immediately upon seeing this off-the-shoulder red satin dress, I knew it was the one. It’s intimidating going to an event like this for the first time ever because it’s really trial and error. Sometimes you’ll show up to an event totally overdressed and feel embarrassed, and sometimes you’ll show up wearing jeans when everyone else is in high heels.

As long as YOU feel confident with what you’re wearing, wear sneakers or wear heels- everyone is too busy paying attention to themselves to care!

The event was just what I was expecting: everyone who is someone in Hollywood taking pictures on the cool Snapchat inspired swing, hanging out and taking selfies. We had a blast and I’m glad to finally have gone to the infamous Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party!

I’m so excited to have Disney star Joshua Rush from Disney Channel show Andi Mack this week on Fearless Everyday!

Joshua was casted in Andi Mack which is the first show on Disney to have an openly gay character. He’s so Along with his incredibly mature perspective on life and his Instagram news show, Joshua is a force to be reckoned with. I love watching his Instagram show called News in a Rush because I learn so much every time I log on to Instagram and watch an episode. When I tell you how important it is to fill your newsfeed with news that will make you happy, Joshua is a great example of a happy and inspiring person to follow!
Listen all week on Radio Disney! #fearlesseveryday

I’ve been a fan of Chocolove for a crazy long time and I’m pumped to have teamed up with them for this fun post! 

A lot of us aren’t fans of Valentine’s Day. Myself included. I never really enjoy holidays that seem to have no meaning to them besides spending money on miscellaneous items. That being said, I think Valentine’s Day is a perfect excuse to treat yourself. Whether you’re single or not, treating yourself to a lotttt of chocolate, maybe a nice massage or even an evening to yourself is a fantastic idea. Tomorrow is the perfect day to put some time aside for yourself since many of us struggle with finding time to simply enjoy our own company! Or spend it with people you love.

I’ve struggled with body image issues ever since I was a teenager. I had an eating disorder while I was modeling and though my perception of my body has become more positive as I’ve gotten older, many days are not easy. I truly think we’re all on a journey to find happiness and self-love and sometimes it takes longer for some people than others. When I stopped modeling, I turned to a new lifestyle called paleo to help me feel mentally and physically stronger. My body doesn’t feel good when I eat tons of grains like rice and quinoa so paleo works well for my life and taste buds. One food I never let go of in my life is and always has been chocolate. I have a major sweet tooth (thanks, dad!) and I’d totally choose a blondie with vanilla ice cream over a salad or a sandwich any day. When I’m in LA or traveling I make a point to meal prep every Sunday evening: meal prepping has completely changed my life for the better. I purchased 19 meal prep containers on Amazon for $15, and each week I spend a few hours planning out all of my meals for the week. I swap between chicken and fish, and always put something sweet in the container. Usually that sweet treat is 1-2 pieces of chocolate. Since I try and avoid eating a pint of ice cream during the week (I leave that for my weekends!) I feel fine and have no sugar rush with a few pieces of chocolate every day during the week.

Since I do follow paleo as much as I can, I prefer to have dark chocolate during the week and splurge on more indulgent milk chocolate concoctions on the weekend. I’ve been buying Chocolove for longer than I can remember. Since they’re sold at Whole Foods and tons of other retailers, it’s a really easy and affordable option for me to buy. Sometimes I’ll treat myself to a pint of Jeni’s ice cream or Halo Top while I’m at Whole Foods and when I get home I will top an ice cream sundae with pieces of Chocolove dark chocolate pieces. Their caramel dark chocolate is crazy tasty and adds a little extra lovin’ to the top of any ice cream sundae.

They sent me a ton of their latest and greatest flavors to test out for Valentine’s Day, and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve eaten 99% of the 9 bars of chocolate I was sent over the past week! I keep 1 bar of chocolate in my purse at all times- the hardest part is trying to stop myself from eating all of it at once, but the good thing about dark chocolate is that it’s so rich that you don’t feel tempted to eat as much because a few pieces satisfies any craving.

Whether you decide to treat yourself to a few bars or give your Valentine some Chocolove tomorrow, they’ll feel so special opening a bar of chocolate this delicious. Even the gold wrapper the chocolate is wrapped in just makes the entire experience so much fancier. They currently have a special edition ruby flavor that was recently released on stands which is my favorite right now. The beans are a special pink bean so they were able to make pink chocolate without any terrible colored dye!

Pick up some chocolate from Chocolove and have a fantastic Valentine’s Day!

Emily Miethner is a powerhouse. As as the Founder and CEO of FindSpark and MCG Social, an adjunct professor, and an award-winning speaker, FindSpark has produced 250+ career, diversity, and recruitment programs for top employers like NBCUniversal, Yelp, L’Oreal, Grey, Bustle, and IPG Mediabrands and their 30,000+ members. MCG Social, FindSpark’s sister agency, provides social media, community, and experiential marketing expertise with a focus on Gen Z and Millennials.

Listen to Emily’s fantastic advice for college students on finances, getting your dream job + overcoming obstacles in between high school and college on This is Life Unfiltered. Available on all podcast streaming platforms.

I just posted an Instagram live on this topic that will be available to watch for the next 24 hours & then available on my IGTV. 

I am not a therapist or a trained mental health professional but I have training in mental health first aid.

When I was in high school I was never talked to about how to talk to someone who has depression or anxiety. Then I began to struggle with my own depression/anxiety when I turned 16/17, and it became even more difficult to talk about the subject because I was beginning to deal with both in full force. I remember being 17, living at home still and dealing with the worst bout of depression I’ve ever faced. It was absolutely terrible. I had booked a TV segment in Connecticut and I remember feeling so down that I don’t even know how I got up and went on TV. I could barely get out of bed, I had 0 emotions and my parents were so concerned about me. Usually when you’re in a dark spot it’s almost if not impossible to get up but I knew that by not getting up I was losing out on money I needed and people who I couldn’t deal with letting down. Sometimes letting other people down is much harder to battle than letting yourself down. Realistically there was nothing anyone could’ve said to help me overcome that period of time, but I wish I had been strong enough to reach out and ask for help.

I handle my anxiety now with therapy and meditation, which I talk about openly because both RULE! Meditation is much cheaper than therapy, so check out Headspace if you haven’t already because even though I’m a big advocate for therapy, it’s not cheap.

Anyway, when I’ve had periods of time where I’m so anxious or depressed it’s hard for someone to help you get out of that state. If you’ve personally dealt with either or have friends who have either, you know that trying to get someone to stop being anxious or depressed is almost impossible. It’s up to that person to find a way to get through that dark time. Whether that’s therapy or medicine, we all have something we have to do everyday to get through the day! That’s totally OK.

But what about those who don’t deal with depression or anxiety, haven’t dealt with trauma or an abusive relationship (etc.) and see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable. Perhaps your friend is posting pictures or tweets about harming themselves or even something about how alone they’re feeling? The difficult thing to realize about social media is that it’s not real life. As much as people take social media seriously, there is real life and there is your life on social media. Tweeting or posting your feelings online is like screaming from the top of the highest mountain. Though someone down on the ground may hear you, they aren’t going to have the resources to climb up that mountain and save you. There’s a lot of reasons why I don’t post my relationships or much about my family online and it’s because I have an incredibly difficult family situation and I also don’t find the need to promote any relationship I have online. I think the reason for that is because I know when I’m single that seeing beautiful pictures of couples in their relationships makes me sad and know what I’m missing out on, but that’s just me! I never want to give someone else the negative feelings I’ve dealt with! Kudos to those who do post their more personal relationships online, it’s just not my style.

The BEST thing you can say to someone who is using social media to cope is that you’re simply there for them. Now, this isn’t something I’d openly leave a comment about or reply publicly to a tweet, but this is something I’d do via FB messenger, Twitter messenger or even an Instagram DM. Even though this person is using social media to talk about their feelings, they may not realize that there are people out there listening and you don’t want to offend or embarrass anyone by calling them out on their public post. If someone is feeling lonely, they should know that millions of people in the world are feeling lonely too. How cool would it be if everyone could be friends and nice to each other in the world and then we’d all be friends and probably wouldn’t feel as lonely? I dream about that!

The worst thing you can say is nothing. This person may despise you, hate you, block and unfollow you, or tell you to get the f*** out of their business, but you’ll feel better having said something. Wouldn’t you want someone to say something to you if you were dealing with something? I know I would. Reaching out for help is scary, not saying anything can lead to someone self-harming and that’s even scarier.

A great sentence to say (feel free to copy and paste this one) is…

Hey! I saw your (post, video, pic) and I just wanted to reach out and say that I’m here for you if you want to talk! I’ve dealt with a lot of sad days (don’t lie and say you’ve dealt with anxiety and depression if you have not) and they suck, so maybe we can chat on the days we’re both feeling down!

Voila. Easy as pie. Don’t expect this person to reciprocate your enthusiasm but you’ve done your part to help someone know that they are not alone.

 Use your voice and social media to spread positivity and impact someone for the better.

Tonight on Fearless Everyday, I’m so thrilled to welcome someone so incredibly inspiring, Molly Burke. She’s a successful YouTuber (originally from Canada) who just happens to be blind. Molly has never let that get in the way of her pursuing her passions. She continues to persevere and continue to push the boundaries. I’m a huge fan of her work and outgoing personality. You can listen to Fearless Everyday throughout the week on Radio Disney, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM.

#fearlesseveryday

The summit team is thrilled to announce the final schedule of the 2019 Be Fearless Summit!

 

—MORNING EVENTS—

8:30—9:15 AM

Welcome! Pick up a swag bag, grab some coffee courtesy of Rise Brewing Co., snag a seat and get ready for an amazing day.

9:15—10 AM

How to Be Fearless: A Welcome from Alexa Curtis

Blogger, radio host, entrepreneur and Be Fearless Summit founder Alexa Curtis shares her story of rejection, resilience and overcoming obstacles to fearlessly build a multi-faceted brand based on honesty and empowerment. Get ready to get inspired as Alexa shines a light on what it really means to #hustle—then introduces the Be Fearless Summit’s line-up of all-star speakers.

10—10:50 AM

Living Lively: A Candid Conversation with
LIVELY founder Michelle Cordeiro Grant

Meet the CEO disrupting the $13 billion lingerie industry—and kicking ass at it.
In a revealing conversation, Michelle will be joined by Be Fearless Summit
founder Alexa Curtis and Girls’ Life magazine editor-in-chief Karen Bokram
to discuss her journey of launching empowering lingerie brand LIVELY.
Originally a darling of the booming direct-to-consumer industry, the brand is now available at top retailers like Madewell and Nordstom. Michelle will share how she took her vision from side-hustle to successful start-up, then open up the convo for an audience Q&A.

11—12:00 PM

How to Crush It in Corporate (and Beyond):
An All-Star Executive Panel Gets Real about the Real World

In this dynamic and rapid-fire discussion panel, moderator Karen Bokram
(editor-in-chief of Girls’ Life magazine) will ask the experts for actionable advice
on how to ace an interview, what *actually* matters to hiring managers, the truth about landing a “dream job” and more exclusive insights from C-suite executives at incredibly cool companies.

Panelists include…
Josie Brown — Hulu (culture and innovation)
Michelle Cordeiro Grant — LIVELY (CEO and founder)
Diana Liberto — WalkMyMind (CEO)
Luci Rainey — Comcast (VP)
Amanda Rantuccio — Hulu (brand leader, formerly of Apple)
Christina Tancredi — MusicChoice (COO)

—LUNCH—

12-12:50 PM

Sips and Snacks by Shake Shack

Enjoy a catered lunch courtesy of Shake Shack! Plus: Stop by the Northwestern Mutual pop-up to talk money matters with Felice—she’s a pro at setting up financial strategies (like how to manage college debt while reaching your goals). At the Drexel Univeristy pop-up, Brittney Snider (assistant director of undergrad admissions) will be available to answer questions
about college and post-grad life.

—AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS—

1-1:50 PM

Option 1: Mindful Matters
Successful CEOs, experts and activists in the wellness industry get honest with Be Fearless Summit founder Alexa Curtis about the importance of prioritizing mental health, advances in the space and the reality of running a social-media based business rooted in this rapidly-growing sector.

Panelists include…
Brandon Christensen — Modern Therapy
Gabby Frost — Buddy Project
Rachel Gersten — Viva Wellness
Daniella Mohazab — Happy Pill

Option 2: How to *Actually* be an Entrepreneur
There’s a difference between being an entrepreneur…and simply self-employed.
Moderator Karen Bokram cuts to the truth of what it truly takes to create a company and stand out in saturated markets.

Panelists include…
Zandra Cunningham — Zandra Beauty
Michelle Grant — LIVELY
Jarrett McGovern — Rise Brewing Co.
Kerri Quigley — The Fashion Class

2-2:50 PM

Option 1: Social Studies — How to Build Your Brand on Instagram

Moderator Kelsey Haywood Lucas (head of content and beauty director at Girls’ Life magazine) conducts a #nofilter conversation with top influencers about the secret stuff you won’t see on Instagram: how to develop your personal brand, grow an engaged audience, build beneficial partnerships and leverage your community clout.

Panelists include…
Chinae Alexander — influencer and host of “Press Send” podcast

 

Option 2: Secrets of Success from the World’s Coolest Companies

Ever wonder what it’s like to work for the top market makers in the world? Josie Brown (culture and innovation at Hulu) and Amanda Rantuccio
(brand leader at Hulu, formerly of Apple) share the life-changing lessons
they learned while working at these top innovators.

3-3:50 PM

Option 1: Activism and Impact

An inspiring group of activists spill their strategies for making a difference
on your campus—and across the country. They’ll share how to create community around a cause…and how to turn that cause into a career.

Panelists include…
Nika Chugh — TedX Speaker and Activist
Gabby Frost — The Buddy Project
Zaniya Lewis — Yes She Can

Option 2: Fashion in Philly — Young, Hungry and Hustling

Sierra Carter-Gordon and Reannoin Jean Celins—founders of local boutique Smak Parlour—discuss growing up in Philly, making major money moves and capitalizing on every opportunity that came their way. Be sure to save your questions for a closing Q&A about being young and hungry in the Philadelphia small business scene.

4:00-5:00 PM

From #Werking to Networking

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for being part of the first-ever Be Fearless Summit. Join us for a networking after-party to talk with your favorite founders over treats and refreshments. Don’t forget to share your pics from the day on social media with the hashtag #fearlessummit to win an Instax camera from

Even though I already posted about this trip on Monday, I wanted to follow-up with a full podcast episode about my trip. There are a few things that went down that I wasn’t expecting during 24 hours in a new city. What better way to tell you than totally unfiltered on This is Life?

Maybe I should change the name of the podcast to This is Life Fearless. I wouldn’t do that, but I’m thinking the fearless messaging makes so much sense for me. 🙂

Listen to Episode 60 (!!) on all podcast streaming platforms. #livelifeunfiltered

READ THE SCHEDULE HERE.

RSVP HERE!

 

THE FINAL SCHEDULE FOR THE BE FEARLESS SUMMIT IS FINALLY HERE! RSVP TO YOUR FAVORITE BREAKOUT SESSIONS (FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE) AND JOIN US FOR THE FULL DAY!

A few weeks ago Acura hooked me up with their Acura ILX to loan for a week. I’ve been getting to test out a ton of new cars lately, from Mazda to Chevrolet, and every time the car gets better and better. This particular week happened to be a very rainy few days in LA so I was nervous about driving through a legit hurricane everyday in this car but I decided to risk it for the chance to test out an Acura.

My mom had an Acura for a really long time before she got a new car (for financial reasons she chose a Nissan, but I miss her old Acura everyday). Upon looking up to new ILX, I realized that it comes with red seats which is pretty unusual for a car in 2019. Most are standard and boring with an all-black interior, while the ILX comes paired with so much color. After riding around in the car through thunder, lightening and some sun I came to the conclusion that this model is a fantastic option for young adults. Though not extremely pricey but not extremely cheap, Acura is known for their safe and genuinely good cars. This car would be perfect for me to purchase when I’m ready to finally get a car (I have yet to decide when the right time is) and the ILX has all the added perks I like a car to have.

It comes with standard tech features like their advanced safety systems, LED headlights and luxuries like a Moonroof and Keyless entry for thousands less than our competitors. I found myself forgetting the key on multiple occasions in the car but when you leave the key in the car it sets off an alarm so you have to remember the key. It’s also super fun to drive — especially when you shift to “S”!

CarPlay enables anyone to have access to their cell phone while driving without having to hold the phone in your hand. Many young people text and drive or get carried away with using their phone while in a car and CarPlay assists in preventing you using your phone while driving which is a handy tool to have.

Overall, this car is fantastic. It’s comfortable, great in inclement weather and fun! I drove back and forth to Santa Barbara on two days (I left my camera at the hotel, woops) and had to fill up the gas tank just once, which isn’t terrible for a lengthy trip. Thank you Acura for giving me this opportunity!

More Glam Car Pics…