What Happens When You Stop Apologizing and Post Your Unfiltered Self with Body Positive Activist and One of American's Next Top Model's KhrystyAna

Uhm....you hit it out of the park.  

 

KhrystyAna didn't intend to be a Top Model or start a social movement, but she did both last year just by making two simple decisions.  One, she tenaciously went after the audition and two she created an Instagram feed that shows all sides of herself, completely unfiltered.  In this raw and powerful interview, you'll hear how a sweet woman with a tender heart mustered up the courage to continue to pursue modeling into her thirties.  Not only was she determined to to break down age barriers, she stopped photoshopping her pics and started posting real shots that show her curves, her rolls, her thighs -- the truth of what we all look like without lights, camera, makeup and filters.  

 

Tyra and the rest of American fell in love with her.  She now has an Instagram following that's over 300K (it's literally the most gorgeous and inspiring feed you can imagine). She's a self worth educator, fights for human rights by encouraging inclusivity and argues that every shape and size should be represented in the fashion world.  She's a warrior for plus size models, women across the spectrum and the LGBTQI community. If you're looking for a new crush, go no further.  

 

Spurred on by her own exhaustion at trying to please her "old" following and fit into some unrealistic expectation of what a woman should look like, this woman who immigrated to American with her mother unintentionally started a movement.  What's amazing about KhrystyAna is she's soft spoken and still -- sometimes -- has a hard time setting boundaries.  She's like most women I know, confident in some ways and still learning to use her power in voice in what's still a man's world.  

 

 

We talk about how we both struggle, at times, with letting go of any trepidation when we post something, afraid of how it might be perceived.  She tells me how men, after the first unfiltered post, stopped following her but because it was reposted by a female empowered Instagram account, she gained a whole new tribe.  She tells me her life story and how The Real Catwalk changed her life; The Real Catwalk is a popup runway show of women who walk through pubic places in lingerie or bikinis to show the world what people and their bodies really look like.  

 

For more information on KhrystyAna follow her on Instagram @khrystyAna