Ep #46- Body Confidence as a Curve Model with Ella Halikas, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model

[MUSIC] I think a lot of our confidence is overlooked internally and we always just focus on, well, what do we look like? Maybe confident with our exterior body, but for me a lot of it is an interior. Once I realize that, then I shine from within and I feel like I am body more confidence now because of who I am inside. And I think that's so often overlooked, right? [MUSIC] Welcome back to another episode of Everyday Endorphins. This week I am so excited to share the guest that we have coming on to the podcast. Not only is Gabriela or otherwise known as Ella, such an incredible force in the modeling industry, body positivity movement, and just making so many strides in having representation for curve models in the industry. But Gabriela is also my cousin, which is super cool. I have many amazing cousins, but one is a Paralympian, one is an amazing curve model who was featured in Sports Illustrated this year. During this episode, Ella and I primarily talk about getting into the sports illustrated issue, how she developed her brand and her presence as a curve plus size model. And we talk a lot about the importance for the modeling industry to have more representation of curve models and what that journey was like for her. We also chat about the power of manifesting, how Ella got to where she is today, and how you can channel your own self confidence. Women in particular struggle with body image issues. And this is definitely a product of how society has set standards for how we're supposed to look. And the ways in which we're supposed to portray ourselves and the types of clothes we need to fit into. And I just absolutely love what Ella's doing and I stand by everything that she was doing in this space to bring more representation into curve models in the industry. And I know there's definitely a long ways to go, but I am so inspired by her story. I hope you guys are as well. So excited for you to hear this episode, but before we get into it, I have a brief message from my sponsor, Inker. Hi, Ella. Thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. What a special guest I have this week on Everyday Endorphins. Yeah, thank you so much for having me so honored and excited to chat. You have achieved so much over the course of your career and your modeling career. And especially this past summer, making it into the sports illustrated magazine. Now a sports illustrated swimsuit model. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Thank you. I'm so excited. It literally, it feels like a dream. I'm sure it feels that way, but you made it happen. You made it reality and that's a huge goal in itself. I'd love for you to just start off by talking a little bit about how that happened. I've been following your account really since it's inception and I know you started out with a YouTube channel and you've really been active on social media. But how did this all come together? All of a sudden it's like I see my cousin literally have a full page of herself in sports illustrated. Like I was just like, wow, this is incredible. I know. Thank you. Yeah, it was all kind of crazy. I feel like I've been working so hard for it for so many years, but people don't really see it until like the end. And then it's like, oh my god, how'd you just do that? I think it honestly tracks back to 2018 when I put my first video out. And I didn't get it. And then I tried a second year. Didn't get it. Try to went to Miami for the open cast and call. Didn't get it. Came home was super discouraged. The following year was 2020, the pandemic. I didn't know if I was going to try out again. I was very discouraged and defeated at this time. But I did know it was like one of my biggest dreams and I didn't want to give up on it. So I was like, you know what? I'm going to try one more time. I got a videographer. I got a hair makeup and hair artist. And I just like went full force for it. I got a great video. I was so excited. I put it out and you never know what's going to happen if they're going to see it or not. By this point, it was last August of 2020. I had maybe, I don't even know, maybe like 18,000 followers or 15,000. So not a lot, you know, and I don't think it was just, yeah, I didn't know if they were ever going to see it. So I put it out there and sure enough with shares and likes and comments and all of that. I got some attention for it and they saw it and I was so excited. So then I was just like months and months of waiting and then they did callbacks at the end of last year and I got a callback and I like could not believe it. I was freaking out. While at this time, I was like really working hard on content and shooting every week, getting new photos. I was super consistent on social media. I had a TikTok that was felt like growing really quickly. I think that helped also with getting me seen from them was just posting so many TikToks and like tagging them and every photo I posted, I would tag all the editors for like three years now. So it definitely was like years and years coming, but I knew that like eventually I was going to get it. I just didn't know like when or how. And then after the callback, I felt like pretty good about it. Still like, I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen. And then at the beginning of this year, I got another callback and then that's when they told us that we got sports illustrated. And it was just literally a dream. So crazy. Still cannot believe it. Went to Hawaii to celebrate and took a bunch of photos and had worked out there. And then I came back and I went to Atlantic City in May. I think it was in May to go shoot for them. So that was like an epic experience. By that point, I didn't know if I was going to make it in the magazine or not until months and months and months down the line. We found out this summer that all of the finalists actually made it into the magazine. And then we didn't know who was going to get like what page or what. And then I found out I got a full page, you know, so excited. So it just kind of all unfolded, but it definitely took time and effort for sure. But yeah, it's crazy. Well, I'm so proud of you. And I think it really shows the importance of being very consistent with your goals and constantly putting the energy out there for what you want to achieve. You said you were tagging the editors of sports illustrated. Like you were clearly trying to get yourself on their radar. And you were really being proactive about it too. And especially after feeling kind of defeated multiple times trying to get a spot within sports illustrated, how did you overcome that feeling of defeat and discouragement and disappointment to really pick yourself back up and just say, okay, this is what I want. And I'm going to do what I can to achieve this goal. Yeah, I think it's just having the mindset of like knowing you're going to do it. And I think discouraged or not or embarrassed or not. Like I had a dream and I had a goal and I had I knew I had to make it happen one way or another. And I think you like drop your ego and you just go after what you want. And honestly, like there wasn't much to lose, but so much to gain. And once I realized that, I was like, okay, like I need to just keep going. Like, you know, I can get you will get told no over and over again before you get the big yes. And that's exactly what happened in my situation. Right. So getting comfortable with failure is kind of what propelled you to just keep going and put your head down and keep working hard. And I think that's a really important lesson because so many times in life, we're just going to constantly fail. And that's expected. And failure isn't necessarily a bad thing because it maybe is suddenly rerouting you to the better path to the path that you didn't know that you needed and trusting in that is super hard, but it clearly worked out for you. So I guess my listeners could take a little bit of that wisdom and hopefully apply it into their own life. Yeah, exactly. Like if you were listening to this and you want something like, I hope this is inspiration to like seriously never give up. Like keep going get so comfortable like being told no. And like I, I learn more from my failures than I do my successes. And I just kept learning and growing and learning and growing. And I know I couldn't give up on it because that would just be giving up on myself. Yeah, I mean, I also saw on TikTok like Ashley Graham do edit. I think your video were commented on your video like you were getting recognition from really influential people in this space and the modeling industry, people who are advocating for body positivity, body inclusivity. How did that feel to kind of like be on par with those people like being recognized by them and also realizing that you're now a change maker in this space. Right. That was pretty surreal to see because I grew up in Ashley Graham is like the reason why I'm doing all of this. She was the reason why I started Sports Illustrated because I saw her on the cover in 2016 and gave so much space to plus size creators and models. And so once I saw her, I was like, oh my god, I read her book. I got every magazine she was on. She was my die hard role model reason why I'm doing this. And I think it's so cool to see us literally be friends now. She's my friend on TikTok. She do edit my video. She like DMs me on Instagram occasionally and it's just so crazy that like once my role model now, I feel like she's like my friend and I hope to like, you know, make the change that she's made and be the inspiration for the next girls that she was for me and just kind of keep passing that down. So it is. It's really cool to see and she's been on my vision board behind me. I love that for so long now and same with another model, Tara Lynn, who's a plus size model. Her Sports Illustrated photos are on my vision board. and now we're friends on Instagram and she messages me and I sent her my swimsuits and it's great. It's just, yeah, it's really cool. It's really cool to see and I'm just, I'm so grateful to be in this space. Yes. So the vision, - Can you talk a little bit more about this vision board that you have? - Just really wanted to put all my goals and dreams on a board where I could wake up every day and see it. And it started when I first moved to LA. I just have my dream car, my dream home, my dream lifestyle, my dream job's for illustrated, like, you know, vogue and high end photo shoots and fashion shoots, like all of my vision boards so I could see them every day. I think for me, it's like when you visualize it day in and day out, like you're gonna make it happen. And I think I wanted to see it, I wanted to believe it and then I made it a reality. And I think that's like so cool and so important, for people to not only talk about your dreams, not only write them down, but put them where you can see them every day and have that be a reminder and motivation to get up in the morning and chase that. So I think it's so cool to see that sports illustrator was on my board and I'm able to check it off verification and all that, you know, and I'm verified, like, check that. Like, there's just so many things I've been able to, like, check off this year and it's really cool to see unfold. - It's so amazing and it really is an inspiration because your story is just evidence as to like the power of manifesting. And it goes without saying, obviously, hard work is required to achieve the results that you want. It's not just like you wish for something to happen and boom, like it happens. It's obviously not as easy as that. It requires constant dedication, constant hard work, having a direction. And I think that's also kind of a misconception around manifesting that it just kind of comes to you. But clearly, you really like put your head down and meet all of this happen. - Right. I know, like I said, it's still unbelievable. It's something that I knew, like I said, deep down that I felt like was gonna happen, but you just don't talk about it, right? And I feel like I was, I was that person that I had all these dreams and goals, but a lot of them were so big. I really just kept a lot of it inside. And I was like, you know what, I'm not gonna talk about it. I'm just gonna do it and I'm gonna show people. And I think that was like really cool, is that I stuck to what I wanted. I just kept my head down and I worked super hard for it. So when people are like, whoa, whoa, where did this happen? How did this growth happen? It's like, oh, I've been knowing. Like I've been knowing that this is happening. And I think it's just cool to see like all, like a lot of my dreams are starting to come true. And you know, that's with perseverance and consistency and hard work and years and years and years of being told, no, that it's, you know, it's here. It's happening. So. And the modeling industry is really difficult and historically known as a space that really only welcomes small bodied women. And that's really difficult. And I love the work that you're doing to kind of change that narrative. I'd love for you to talk a little bit more about what that's like advocating for body inclusivity, body positivity, being a plus size creator yourself. How do you navigate the challenges that maybe still exist being in a larger body in an industry that's still traditionally geared towards small thin white girls? Yeah. I think it's cool that like I've seen the industry change so much and I see it evolve and something like, you know, sports illustrate it's such an iconic brand. They're the most inclusive brand I've ever worked with. I think it's cool to start seeing that happen. Obviously there are struggles with it. And you know, you have to have thick skin in this industry like anyone for that matter. Like it's cutthroat, it's hard. You're constantly comparing yourself. If you didn't get the job, well, you're gonna see who did get that job. And how can you, like, it's gonna be hard to not compare yourself to that person. I think being super internally strong right now and so confident in having that foundation of self love has made it easier of a career to be in because I'm not here to compare myself. I'm here to represent curvy women and showcase a different type of beauty. And, you know, for me, that gives me power. And I don't, you know, I don't get stuck in that game of comparing myself. So I think you gotta have thick skin. You gotta have a ton of self love and confidence because like you said, you know, this modeling industry is not easy at all. Yet we constantly told no. Almost more often than not, I'm told no at castings and jobs. And I'm still told to this day either to lose weight or gain weight. That's not easy. And like I said, you have to be super confident with your own skin so that when other people tell you how to look, you're like, no, no, no, no, no. Like this is how I look. You take it or you leave it. And, you know, I'm confident with the way I am. And, you know, I think, yeah, self confidence helps me a lot in this realm. I think having a following too is also really cool 'cause not all models have a social media following and majority of actually very successful models that even work for Vogue like they don't have the biggest following. So I think it's cool that I do because I think I stand for more than just modeling. I think I stand for more than just taking a great photo. I think I stand for loving the skin you're in and preaching that day in and day out to a following that desperately needs it. And I think we all desperately need that and an extra push of inspiration every day. So it's cool that I have a following now that looks up to me and it just gives me more of like a sense of purpose than just modeling would. - Absolutely. And I love how you tie in this concept around just creating your own personal brand, extending that beyond just the modeling industry and how you present yourself as a model at these castings because there's so much more to you to bring to the table than just the photo that's being taken. It's really you as a personal brand coming to this casting and having these people who are scouting you really having you bring your entire self to the project, to the shoot. And I think that's definitely a huge leg up because as you mentioned, not every model has that type of following. And when you have that sense of community, I think it also is accelerating the change. Like that's kind of like the catalyst for this shift in the industry where it's now encouraged to have representation around different types of models and people in different sized bodies. And I think that's so great. But beyond that, there's still ways to go just as you mentioned. There's still these castings where people aren't giving you the role because you don't fit into one box. And how do you manage that as you're still trying to make the change around having modeling be an even more inclusive industry? I think it's-- yeah, it's definitely challenging. I think you're right, though. When someone goes to book me or want to meet me, or I go in for a casting, and they want to book me for a job, I want to be that person in that model that's not just going to rock their clothes and look good in their jeans. If they're choosing me, they're choosing me more than just that. They're choosing me because I have a voice because I've built that platform. Because I inspire a lot of people. And I radiate confidence. And I think those are all assets that not all models carry. And I think that's what's really cool for me to see is how the industry is not only just looking at your measurements now, they're going to look at the whole person. They're going to look at what do you stand for, what are your inspirations. And I think that's really cool to see a shift within that industry. Oh, they care more about just how I look and how I photograph. Like, that's amazing because before that wasn't always the case. It is hard, though, being told, known, rejected, especially for your physical appearance. Like, it definitely does mess with you. But I don't think you're going to be everyone's cup of tea. And I don't think it's not so much personal. It's like, if they need a size 18, I'm not that big. So I will not reach that requirement. And I'm not going to just gain weight to fit their jeans. I want to be chosen for me. And I don't want to have to change who I am, what I am, what I look like to be a model and to fit that brand. So if I don't fit that brand's requirement, then I'm not the fit for the brand at the time. But they might come back around and say, no, we actually want a size 14 and boom, we want Ella, you know, I think it's, you know, you just can't take things personal in this industry. There's always going to be a box they need to check. There's always going to be something they need on set. And if you don't fill that for that role, then that's OK. That's just not a good fit at that time. You just can't take it personal. Right. And there's also some shoots. I'm sure where there's people that are represented in all different sizes. And I saw that you also did a shoot with Olivia Pondin, if I'm pronouncing her name right. I mean, I've been following her on TikTok for so long. And when I saw that I was like, oh my god. I do want to ask about what that experience was like, kind of like gaining traction within the TikTok community. And I also think she was in sports illustrated like in that lineup as well, which is maybe how you were connected to her. But also, she's in a very small body. Like you can definitely see what she looks like on TikTok and Instagram. And is it still challenging to be in an industry where it's still very much saturated by smaller body people like on the same shoot, for example? I think honestly, it just like empowered me. Like it just gave me, you know, I don't mind shooting with smaller people. And I think some people that are my size would hate it. And they would feel like, you know, I'm going to compare myself to this girl because she's so much smaller than me. I actually like it. Like I think it brings like a good contrast. I think it showcases all beauties and shapes and sizes. And that's like what I stand for. So I actually love that. She was awesome. She was so cool. She's so sweet. She's a lot younger than I. I didn't realize how young she was. I think she's like 20 or maybe 21, but I think 20. She was awesome though. She was so cool. I met her in Miami. because she was a guest editor for Sports Illustrated. So after my show, I went up to her and I was like, oh my God, I have to say hi and she was actually following me on Instagram or on TikTok at the time. So she had followed me before I even followed her, I think. And I was like, wait, what? Like Olivia Ponteaux is following me? So I went up to her and I didn't know if she was gonna recognize me and I introduced myself and she's like, oh my God, how can I not know you Ella? Like this is crazy. Like this is an icon on TikTok and she's like, she knows who I am. That was really cool and I got her number and we just stayed in touch and we got to shoot together. It was so fun. So yeah, it was a great experience and I think it's really cool to see like other creators come together and create some magic. So it was so fun. Definitely. Well, I had to ask about that because she is a TikTok or I've been following for a while and I was just like, wow, that's so cool. But pivoting more to this concept around self-love and confidence and radiating that energy, how do you bring that upon to yourself? Like what are some things that you do to build your own confidence? And over the years, I'm sure you've developed some strategies to get to where you are. And I was wondering if you had any advice for my community on what they can do to build their own confidence. A lot of my listeners are in college, recent graduates and we're all young in our early 20s. And it's definitely a time where our confidence is being tested. There's a lot of personal growth and transformation happening right now. Every day, affirmations, positive affirmations. You know, you look in the mirror and say, you're a bad bitch. Girl, you look great. You're killing it. Like, I'm so thankful to my body. I'm thankful for what it could do for me. I come from a place of gratitude. Once you do that mental shift in your mind every day, it gets easier and easier to be confident with who you are. I think my confidence stems a lot internally. I think being like a kinder person and working on my heart and how I treat others and chasing that purpose and passion of helping others to become more confident has given me confidence in return. I think a lot of our confidence is overlooked internally. And we always just focus on, well, what do we look like? Can we be confident with our exterior body? But for me, a lot of it is interior. Once I realize that, then I shine from within. And I feel like I embody more confidence now because of who I am inside. I think just reminding yourself that there's only one you in this world, and that's your power. And that is what I stand by. That's what I remind myself every day. Like, no one can take that away from you. There's only one you. And there's just so much to be thankful for. And when you come from a place of gratitude in your body and what it could do for you, you're confident. And it does take time and it takes years and years and years. I used to be so insecure. But once you find it, it's such like a freeing, liberating feeling. I love that you mentioned gratitude because I truly believe that that's one of the most important practices to generating self-love and love for others and compassion. And it's all very much intertwined. And it seems like a lot of this work comes from within. And once you can really develop that, it will just shine through when you're mannerisms and the way you carry yourself. And it kind of strips away any external image of you. Like, it's easy to feel confident in your body when you feel like you've done a really good workout or you feel like you've fit into your clothes better. And I think that's definitely an important form of confidence, but it's still kind of more superficial, like really tapping in deeper into internal confidence that's unrelated to your external image. I think that's really the catalyst for bringing upon happiness and feelings of well-being and satisfaction in your life. Totally. And like, remind yourself, whoever you hang out with is who you are. And I think I had to surround myself with like-minded people. And Victoria Garrick, she's one of my best friends now. And she's so confident. And she stands for so much. She inspires so many people. And like, that's the energy I want to be around. And like, I love when my friends heighten me up because I hype them up back. Like, it's just look at who you surround yourself with and be around those that want to be better, want to be good people and stand for something and feel confident and not talk badly about themselves or others and it starts rubbing off on you. Absolutely. We're definitely a product of who we spend our time with and who are around and the energies that we bring into our space. I'm definitely a huge advocate for that. And going off of that, a little bit away from relationships and the people that we interact with and surround ourselves with. But what are some other types of wellness practices that you include in your routine or things that you've realized over the years have really worked for you physically, mentally, spiritually, anything that really raises your energy? Yeah. I would say like at night, I love doing like a night stretch and just like listening to like meditation and music on YouTube and just have it playing in the background, stretching and doing some yoga, my little yogi over here. I love doing that at night to just kind of decompress and get away from my phone and kind of reset. And the morning same, I try not to look at my phone first thing in the morning. It's really hard. But I try to do that. I also love working out and moving my body. So I think going to training and seeing my trainers like literally therapy for me every day. It really like resets your mind. It's like a huge mental shift for me when I work out. It's not so much physical about losing weight, but just like releasing that stress and anxiety. And I like, you know, I have a high stress job and it's always chaotic. And I'm getting some endurance. Literally getting the endorphins. Yeah, I think working out, moving my body, stretching at night, I love going for night walks with some of my close friends. And we just put our phones away and go for a walk around the neighborhood. Like that is what I live for. And I love that. So a combination of a few things. Definitely. It's important to keep those practices in your day to day life just to generate a sense of well-being. And if you keep those things up consistently, that's something you can always hold on to. No matter how stressful your day is or your job is or if you're in like kind of a low period, if you can kind of keep up those practices, it will help you get out of that rut, I think. Totally, 100%. It's like much needed too. You know, we have our routines and everything, but incorporating the wellness and taking care of your body and your soul, like that is so important. So find the tricks that work for you and like, you know, put that in your routine every day. And like you'll notice a huge shift in your mindset and happiness and confidence. And it's all intertwined. Right. And I'm so glad that you bring up exercise as something that's purely for physical enjoyment and just a time in your day to release any stress or anxiety. Just get yourself moving because I would imagine that working in the modeling industry where you're surrounded by people who are really thin and even now I guess as the modeling industry is shifting a bit, people of different body sizes and different body types. I feel like it's easy to develop an unhealthy relationship with exercise and eating also. And I'm just so happy to hear that your relationship with exercise is purely for just that physical activity component and really abstracting away from any unhealthy mindset because I can imagine that's super stressful and easy to fall into. Right. I think it's just about feeling strong and feeling your best self and I always preach about being the best version of yourself. Like that's the goal for me. It's never about to look better, look skinnier, look like the other girl, look like my friends. Like it's not that. It's about being the best version of yourself and working towards that every day and fitness and exercise has helped me get that mindset and everything's a balance like with food. It's like one day I wanna have pizza with my friends and wine and then the next day I'm eating meal preps for the next few days of like salmon and veggies and like I love it. Like it's just all balance, you know and it's not letting like food in your routine like that control your mind. It's about you controlling that and you take me back the power of like how much you work out and how much you're eating and what you're eating. Like you take that full control back and allow yourself to have the days where you don't work out. Allow yourself to have the days you eat pizza and wine with your friends. Like those days are okay, you know. So I think it's good to have a balance. - Absolutely, I think many things in life are really just about finding that balance because if you're on either end of the spectrum it's just going to be unhealthy. If you're resisting or you're overeating like it's just not gonna be good. And if you're working out way too much or you're not moving your body at all. I mean like the other end of that is risk for heart disease and like really bad physiological health issues. So it's important to find that intermediate to be kind to yourself if you need to take a day off. Rest days are super important and I'm curious. I know you said you have a trainer. What's like your favorite type of exercise to do? - I actually weirdly enough love running. I love running. The treadmills are so fun too. I just like challenging my body and doing like hit training. Yeah, we do like some fun circuits. We do conditioning. I think abs are my least favorite for sure. But yeah, I love weightlifting and squats and tricep dips and like all just like the hit interval training is so fun for me. And it makes me feel like I'm an athlete and it brings me back to, you know, I played soccer for 15 years growing up and I was always an athlete. like, you know, right? I was gonna say you were super athletic. And I remember when I came out to California, like maybe my sophomore year of high school, 'cause I went to Stanford to do a rowing camp. And I think we stopped and just stayed with you guys for a little bit. We went on like a run in your neighborhood where you grew up. And I really, I could not keep up with you. Like you were definitely the runner. We were doing like, I think two, three miles. And we were like, okay, we're almost there. And I literally was like, I'm gonna pass out. I can't do this anymore. And like, I thought that I was in shape because I was doing crew in high school. And I definitely was, but I think rowing a shape is different than running shape. And so I remember you definitely like, always being the runner, always being super athletic. You were super into soccer. So I think you've always had that like kick in you and that drive for just physical activity and moving your body and doing something athletic. Totally. I love it. I literally love it. It's such a mental thing for me too with like, releasing anxiety and like going for a run, clearing your head, you know, going to the gym, really getting a hard like weightlifting and squat routine. And it's just I, those endorphins, you can't beat them. Yeah, can't beat them. Like there's a reason why they call it the runner's high. There's no coincidence. So I, oh my god, I get such a high. Like I feel like I'm on top of the world, like super woman running on the treadmill and could like accomplish anything in life. And it goes into work. It goes into your personal lives and relationships. Like it's just so, I love it. I love exercise honestly. I wanted to ask if you had any advice for college kids, recent grads on especially women because I know women definitely fall victim to this a lot. But interaction with social media and our devices and our self-image. Like Instagram is one of the most toxic things for body image, self-image, mental health. And there's this paradox where we know that social media is bad for us, but it's addictive. So we're constantly doing it. And a lot of people's jobs, such as yours as a creator, depends on the usage of social media. So what advice would you give to girl, young girls in particular who are struggling with their own body image and navigating these issues, especially when they're engaging with technology and social media channels? Honestly, it's just about finding that true self-love where you don't feel the need to compare. And I know it's so hard and it's easier to have been done. But for me, realizing that 90, 95% I would say what you see online is fake helped me so much. Moving down here and seeing what it is, seeing these influencers being friends with them, seeing how we all work, 95% of what you see is fake. And it's crazy. These girls that you look up to and you think they're so nice and fun, they're not happy. Or the girl that's always traveling, I was the one struggling for money and you're like, wait, what? You have all these followers and you're always on a trip. You think that they're living their best life? No, they're struggling and they're struggling with their confidence. Or the girl that you died because you wish you could have her body and you wish you looked like her is the one that doesn't even look like her. She's face tuning her photos to the point where she doesn't even look like what she posts she looks like. So it's like, I think realizing that when you're scrolling through social media is like, this is not real. Like, filters, effects, Photoshop. Like taking a photo in that moment, looking happy, but the second your phone goes down your sat, like you don't know what these people look like and how they are and what they're going through on the other end of what you see on social media. So just, don't look too far into it. Don't be upset or wish that you looked like someone else because half the time they don't look like them. And I think when you realize that, it's like, okay, why are we comparing here? Like, what are we doing? Like, no one's perfect. No one's living that they're amazing. Like, yeah, people have great lives, but like, guess what? They struggle a lot too when they don't share that. So, you know, no relationships perfect. No family's perfect. No body shape size is perfect. Like, once you kind of really realize that, it's like, okay, like, I'm going to just focus on me then. You know, I'm going to focus on what makes me happy and follow the creators. I make me happy and that make me feel good. And kind of like, take that power back. I think it's so important to put that into perspective because it's so easy to get wrapped up in thinking that what you're seeing is reality when it's just not. It's just not real. And it's so easy to feel really crappy about yourself and yourself a steam when you're constantly being fed images of the perfect, most ideal life, body type, whatever it may be. So I love how you're, you know, you're really just preaching to keep a level head about it, not get too wrapped up into it because nine out of 10 times, it's just not real. And I, yeah, I hope that that's a message that really resonates with my listeners because I've also felt that way. We're just scrolling on Instagram and I'm like, okay, well, I'm not doing anything right now. I'm not like living my best life compared to all these people. And then you just feel really shitty. And it's such a waste of time. And it just, there's no point in feeling that way because there's just, it's just not true. But on social media isn't reflective of what's happening in day to day life. I mean, even when I was in Bali, there were people I was meeting. In person, I was like, you know, they literally looked like normal individuals. But then you look at their Instagram and there are these influencers or creators or whatever. And it's like the way in which they're portraying themselves on social media is so far removed from like their actual life. And I think that's also a challenge. Maybe you're facing or you faced as a creator. It's like how to keep that authenticity of yourself and your brand and like how you translate that in real life to your profile. - Right. And I think it's important. That's why I like, I wish if any creators or influencers listen to this, like the best thing we can do for ourselves and others is literally to be authentic. And I don't have base to know my phone because it's gonna spiral me into a way. I don't wanna get spiraled down to start editing my body. I have very natural makeup, very natural editing. Like I outpost my bad days, I post my failures, I post my losses on my story. I think it's so important to just be real. And there's so many creators and influencers that aren't doing that. That pushes the whole narrative of like everyone else's like is perfect and it's not. I think it's important to show not only your wins but your losses as well because that's reality. And I just think yeah, I just think we need more real and authentic people on the apps and that we can look up to because that's real shit right there. You know, just like unfiltered like Victoria, for example, bringing her up again, she's so unfiltered, she's so raw and relatable and that's what I wanna be. Like I don't wanna be this untouchable, you know, oh she must like live a perfect, like no, like let's cut the bullshit and let's get real here. And I think I need to do more of it for sure, but I think we all, you know, we're all guilty of that. We wanna show our best lives. We wanna show our best vacation photos, but there's so much power in showing the other side too. So yeah, and I'm so glad you bring up Victoria again because she's such a great example. She'll have posts of like herself in like high-waisted leggings. And then the second photo in the slide show is like the leggings pull down to like maybe her hip height and she's like, okay, well, this is my stomach and it's just not reflective of how we think people actually look. So she's definitely a really, really great example. And similar to my previous question, I was also wondering how you envision the modeling industry to accelerate in this movement, in this transformation of creating more space for plus-sized creators and models, like how do you envision the modeling industry to transform in a positive way down the line? - I would say it's honestly going there. I think it's just, you know, keep applying the pressure, keep, you know, voicing your opinions and challenging those brands that won't make plus-size clothing. I think we're going in the route that is great. I think we're on a good track of being more inclusive. So I would just say, you know, to the curvy and plus-size and all those models out there that don't feel seen and represented yet, keep pushing and keep challenging. Keep raising your voice. And I think altogether collectively, we can make a change. I think, you know, Victoria's Secret finally heard people, you know, saying enough's enough. You guys need to have curvy and plus-size and they finally are more open to having curvy for the first time ever when they were so against it. And you know, sports illustrated never always had curvy plus-size up until, you know, the more recent years. So it's like challenging those brands and holding people accountable and, you know, showing them, hey, like that doesn't look like me. I don't feel seen. I don't feel represented. I think it's really important. And then the more that we do that, the more people will speak up. And like I said, together, we're like more powerful. - That's such a great message, especially to land on. One question that I have for you before I let you go is something that I ask every guest on the podcast. What is something that brings you a bit of endorphins? - Oh, so many things. One thing that brings me endorphins for sure is working out. I think what brings me endorphins and gives me that high is helping people love themselves. And I know it sounds like cliche, but it literally, it gives me life. It literally brings me endorphins. It brings me happiness. Is seeing that message come through. of this girl that put on a bikini for the first time in 10 years. For the girl who, you know, for the woman who's a mother who said, "I'm showing my daughter your photos and your message, and she's now so confident going to school in the morning." Like, seeing those messages brings me life, brings me happiness, brings me those endorphins to keep going, and makes me realize that I'm truly making an impact. So I think that's what brings me endorphins the most. - I have also followed along on your Instagram and you're always resharing posts of people kind of like giving you praise and just saying, "Hey, like, you've really helped me with myself confidence, people sending you DMs." Like, there's never a shortage of those photos that I'm seeing on Instagram and so it's really a testament to the amount of positive work that you're doing and change. So great job. Keep up the great work. I'm so excited to see all the next steps in your career and in modeling. And I know you just launched your own swimsuit line. - Yes. - Where can my followers find your Instagram handle your TikTok or swimsuit line like everything? - Yeah, so you can follow me in here more at Ella Helikas on Instagram and TikTok. And then my swimsuit collection is launched with Pebbles and Palms, which is a small company in Toronto, Canada. So PebblesandPalms.com, you can go to the Ella collection and we have five swimsuits available. That will be gone very shortly, limited quantity left. Go get them because of the best suits I've ever worn, literally not kidding. And yeah, follow me for more updates and just to keep up with Ella. - Thank you again so much, Ella. - Of course. Thanks, Stella. - Thank you for listening and remember to like, rate, and review this podcast on whichever listening platform you prefer. Don't forget to keep spreading in Dorfins and find things that bring you in Dorfins every day. See you next time.