Bridgett Burrick Brown (00:01.73) Hi everybody, welcome back. This is Beyond Beauty Project, the podcast. I am your host, Bridget Burke Brown. Today I am here with Dani Adams. Dani is an influencer, writer, activist, body image coach and speaker, widely known as Emma Poundcake. She's passionate about challenging beauty standards advocating for feuds. Hold on one second. Let me just start that again. Bridgett Burrick Brown (00:33.912) Dani is an influencer, writer, activist, body image coach and speaker, widely known as Emma Poundcake. She's passionate about challenging beauty standards, advocating for food security, race relations, and women's rights, with a focus on re-imagining beauty for fat black women. She co-launched a body image coaching certification, collaborated with physicians to reduce anti-fat bias in healthcare and worked with health departments to address food disparities. Her work has earned her solidarity award from jobs with justice and multiple award nominations. Dani has spoken at numerous places like Harvard, has been featured on Dr. Phil and in multiple publications like Ebony Online. I met Dani because I took her body image certification course Danni (01:07.16) . Bridgett Burrick Brown (01:32.128) It was incredible. I learned so much and I am so excited that you are here today. Welcome. Danni (01:39.083) Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Bridgett Burrick Brown (01:41.774) I'm so excited to chat with you. Danni (01:44.366) I know, it's been a while. Bridgett Burrick Brown (01:47.534) I like love seeing you all the time. You have like such beautiful energy and like, I love your smile and I just think you're just so precious. So I have this quote that you said that I just read recently and I just thought it was really, really beautiful. You said, sometimes I think, wow, the ancestors really gave me their best features. Danni (01:51.267) thank you. Danni (02:06.841) Okay. Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:14.956) because they knew that I would be living in a time period where I would have to preserve their beauty. What inspired you and your mission to reimagine beauty for fat black women? Danni (02:26.138) Honestly, it's such a loaded question. Yeah, well, I want to speak to that quote just really quickly. It's interesting because I wrote that quote when like I was feeling sad days before and I was and it was like the thing like the recap of like, you know, it's okay to be different to look different because I also have my Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:35.832) I know. Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:40.142) Mm-hmm. Danni (02:55.404) my highs and lows, so thank you for honoring that. Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:59.342) I read it and I know exactly the video it was too. I think I commented on it because I'm like, she's just so sensual and feminine and beautiful. then I read the quote a couple days later and I'm like, that's really cool. Danni (03:09.402) Thank you. Danni (03:18.145) Wow, thank you. Thank you. I adore that. So I would say what got me into this advocacy thing in middle school. I was in middle school and I had a bunch of friends who were fat and black and brown and we were experiencing bullying, but we were like proud about the way that we were looking. And so we created this group called Eat A Die and it was like a social, unofficial club in middle school. And I've always eat or die, yes. And so we will walk around and share clothes and like talk about what we would experience. And when we were bullied, we would stick up for each other and all the things. And I think it's just like something that I've always found community and people who look like me and really understood. Bridgett Burrick Brown (03:49.55) Wait, eat or die? Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:07.022) Hmm. Danni (04:14.006) that we experience the world differently. And as I continued this work, I noticed we weren't always in magazines. We're not always that, we can be the assistant, we can be the program assistant or the program manager. But what about the executive director? We don't always see ourself in leadership. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:36.046) Mmm. Danni (04:40.492) positions and so when it comes to like beauty, beauty is a part of navigating our society politically, socially, economically and so that's kind of why I do this work. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:51.598) Mm-hmm. I love that the inspiration came from a middle school group. Danni (04:58.731) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:59.88) I mean, that's precious. But also that you had this awareness then to see like, were looked at differently than society would say society deems acceptable. Okay, one more quote. I swear I only have two. It's a luxury, not a privilege to exist in your body and not have it be politicized. You call body positivity a social justice issue. I want you to tell us how race, gender, and these economic disparities, like you just mentioned, really shape body image. Because I don't think a lot of people realize that, especially when it's like, you know, body positivity and I learned all that in your certification. I know, right? But I got to still ask the question, because like, you but how do we start, I guess, also like Danni (05:45.645) I was just gonna say you can teach this one! Bridgett Burrick Brown (05:55.98) to shift the conversation beyond it being just about self-love. Obviously we have conversations like this, but that's a big question, but. Danni (06:02.141) Yes. Yeah, pretty. It's a big question, but a much needed question. I mean, at the end of the day, we're all all human beings are like searching for this like self love. But it's like really not enough if you can have as much self love in your cup as you need. But it's not going to change the fact that like some of us when we walk into grocery stores. even if we wanna be body neutral, someone will perceive us as a thief. It is not like in our control and power to be heavily policed, like because we are black or because we're brown, or even just as women, we've seen this huge political moment about telling women who they should. and should not be, can have all the self love in the world, but your rights are still being taken from you because you are a woman. you know, I think also right now, everyone experiencing these economic experiences like economic changes because the economy is changing so much. We see a lot of people thinking about like, hmm, who has access to food and who doesn't have access to food? Bridgett Burrick Brown (06:58.158) Hmm. Danni (07:20.431) All of those things are really important when we think about body positivity because we're operating on this spectrum and it's not a, if a fat black woman loves herself, then she'll be able to experience the fullness of life. Yes, she can have joy and she can have happiness, but the reality is, and I'm experiencing this myself, like, you will still go to the doctor's office and the doctor will still deny you complete medical treatment or not see you as a complete human being because of your size. And so all those things are important. And we've talked about this in our workshop and about how bias and economic despairing and also politics plays a role in our ability to thrive. Bridgett Burrick Brown (07:59.438) Mm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (08:05.326) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (08:14.594) Can you expand on that just a little bit? Danni (08:18.258) yeah, I mean, we're seeing so many different laws like pop up across the country from cuts from Medicaid and Medicare, educational cuts and I mean, people who have disabilities, I'm neurodivergent, and I'm proud and loud to say I also have PTSD. And so thinking about people like me and going to school or going to school and already experiencing you know the hardships of the the world, but also now education is changing for you. They don't want to even teach you your history. and also, there's just so much that is, you know, I could talk about the tariffs and fat people are already paying extra for their clothing. and now we have these tariff, we already have the fat tax. Now we have the tariffs. Bridgett Burrick Brown (08:55.032) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:07.534) you Danni (09:13.198) All these things are political and impact us not just financially, but our ability to move through society. Cause as somebody who was fly and fat, I have to admit like the way people perceive me sometimes is different. Are we even kind to people who aren't dressed as nice? And then if we expect people to dress up, then what do we do when clothing is so, so expensive? All those things play a role. All those things play a role. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:13.294) Mm-mm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:20.194) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:29.326) Mmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:39.777) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:44.015) It makes me think like, and I don't know if you could do this, but could you almost walk us through a day to tell us some of the, with experiences that would happen? Does that make sense? Do you know what I mean? Because, yeah, or black. I just feel like maybe you, like do you? Danni (10:00.545) Mmm. To people who are larger or just... or black okay Danni (10:12.003) My life, my life, okay. Bridgett Burrick Brown (10:13.154) Because I think really people don't realize how many micro things too are happening that really, God, have to be just exhausting. And I know you're fabulous in doing you, but still, it's like, you know what I'm saying? Does that make sense? Danni (10:29.783) Eh! Danni (10:33.389) Yeah, you know what? I went to Nashville for this thing I had to do in Nashville. And what was so interesting is this. I was in a bar and this lady walks up to me and she says, I love your hair. And she doesn't say I love it. She puts her hands in my hair. Now I'm the only black person in this bar in Nashville. Bridgett Burrick Brown (10:53.656) Stop. Danni (10:59.457) In a Trump era, if I'm being completely honest, so I'm afraid to really stand up for myself. So I just lean back and say, please don't. And she's like, why? And she wants me to tell her why she can't touch me. And, you know, I always think about if you were at a museum, you saw Picasso, would you touch it? If you saw Mona Lisa, would you touch it? Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:01.998) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:08.684) Yeah Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:14.136) Yeah. Danni (11:26.222) And the answer would be no, because you wouldn't know that you are at a museum and it's roped off. And I think we should treat treat people's bodies like that. We shouldn't touch people. you know, women, children, black and brown folks like still at the end of the pregnant women at the end of the day, don't touch me. And so that is like a normal experience. It's not just because I have, you know, I have big hair. I've experienced it with Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:35.276) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:41.998) Pregnant women. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:46.766) Mm-hmm. Danni (11:54.591) with braids or it is also the opposite where people don't think they need to respect larger bodies or say excuse me or hold the door for us and all these different like microaggressions that that people have around different people and what they look like. Bridgett Burrick Brown (12:00.664) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (12:12.588) Yeah, yeah, it reminds me of who did we learn about in your course that was the, she was like a model back in the day, not a model, they would put her on display. Yes. Danni (12:28.111) Sarah Bartman. Sarah Bartman. Yes. Bridgett Burrick Brown (12:32.182) Yeah, tell them about her for a second. Danni (12:35.07) Yes, so in the history of fat phobia, of course, we taught the students about Sarah Bartman, who was an African woman. And she was goth-ed because of her body incised by European colonizers, doctors at the time, and taken on display, like in a circus for white people to touch her. for white people to touch her, to examine her body, even after her death as a larger black woman, even after her death, her boobs, her butt, her labia, her lips was all put on display in museums in Europe for years. It took a very long time. I believe it was Nelson Mandela who was able to get her body back and give her a proper burial. a proper burial. And this is something that has happened like treating treating black black folks as exhibits. We're not exhibits. We're human beings. And when I think of body neutrality, I want to not think of my body. I really do. But it's not that I'm asking for permission for it. But I'm also saying, am I really given that opportunity? And the answer is no. Bridgett Burrick Brown (13:39.032) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (13:55.82) Yeah. Yeah. Wow. I want to circle back. You mentioned just the biases that happen even with doctors. And I know you worked with physicians during the pandemic to address weight stigma. Curious what you learned while you did that and what needs to change in healthcare to make it truly inclusive. Danni (14:22.897) Okay, so overwhelmingly the doctors were black and so they all thought it was important. I was thinking they're gonna knock me down. They're gonna be upset. They're gonna take jabs at me. No, and I and I don't know what it was, but I think it's at the end of the day. I think black folks and black physicians were like we want people to come see us. We want people to be there. At the end of the day, I think it's a little bit of education, the experience of people who are larger. And also I learned a little bit from them, like, hey, we only have a second. And to even communicate with you, there's so many people who are in need that we don't have time sometimes. Bridgett Burrick Brown (15:07.342) Yeah. Danni (15:16.666) And finding that like middle ground, but at the end of the day, needed to those who wanted to be vaccinated, right? We needed to get as many folks as vaccinated. And there was this shame around going to see medical providers. And I don't know how many people we were able to draw, but at the end of the day, I think it was just really helpful during that time to constantly have those panel conversations, those hard private meetings where we're strategizing about messaging to the larger community. Bridgett Burrick Brown (15:54.464) Mm-hmm. So what do you think needs to change to make healthcare actually inclusive, like the mind shift change? Danni (16:05.163) Honestly, think some things that need to be changed, obviously equipment. There needs to be more equipment that is created and making it more affordable or incentivizing medical facilities to have those types of chairs and beds and all the things. I think in addition to that, I think language is a big part of it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (16:09.955) Mmm. Danni (16:28.935) In that conversation early on those early conversations people kept saying obese obese obese And I said if someone is constantly calling you obese Why would you go see them? I already know you're gonna say the word. Why would I come see you? I don't want to hear the word. It is something that you have stigmatized you've called it a disease Why would I want to go see you? And so I think the things have shifted Bridgett Burrick Brown (16:35.054) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (16:44.247) Yeah Bridgett Burrick Brown (16:53.358) Mm-hmm. Danni (16:56.55) And because of we started changing language, calling people high weight. mean, different people feel differently about language. But I also think introducing them to more fat people and fat advocates because people kind of stigmatize us, those who speak up that we do not care about our community's ability to thrive. And we do. That is why we advocate so hard and we agitate. Anyways, that's the thing. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:27.276) Why do you think they say you don't care? Danni (17:30.479) Cause I think that overall people see fatness as laziness, irresponsible, yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:34.57) yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you just take all this time to advocate, but you're lazy? God, okay. Okay. Danni (17:42.191) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:52.174) Do you still speak to young people on social media and body image? You do, okay, okay. I had like all this research and I was like, I think she does that. Okay, so you speak to young people about social media and body image. What would you say are their biggest struggles and what advice do you give them? What's like the top advice would you say? Danni (17:56.419) Yeah. Danni (18:17.358) Well, I think when it comes to young people, at the end of the day, everyone is online. And a big part of the issue is that we can't facilitate what young people are seeing online right now. And so they're seeing all different types of body types. They're seeing the social hierarchy. Who's getting the most likes? And what do they look like? They're white, they're thin, their hair's straight, all the things. And it is impacting the way that children are perceiving themselves. Also, the constant usage of social media. mean, even myself, I have realized like, my gosh, sometimes being on social media gives me anxiety. makes me question myself. Imagine a young impressionable brain. So at the end of the day, I think that when we talk to young people, we need to normalize these feelings as adults. And also, Bridgett Burrick Brown (19:01.26) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Danni (19:13.379) I think we need to create more offline spaces for young people and talking to them in community and just normalizing what it means to have a body. And we've lived through so many different beauty trends and they're happening so rapidly for young people. Like the trends are even faster before back, I don't know how old you are, but like back in my day, like magazines. Bridgett Burrick Brown (19:28.503) Yeah. Danni (19:40.482) You didn't get them so rapidly. wasn't like every, yeah, it wasn't so rapidly. So we need to talk to young people about things will constantly change and making them realize that those changes are happening, because it's happening so fast. And young people aren't even realize that there are changes. They're chasing the beauty standard and that they're not real. And I'm just babbling on and on about it because I'm so passionate about it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (19:43.224) Totally. Danni (20:08.385) Because I do worry about the future generation and how myself as an influencer and other young people, you know, will be impacted 10 to 20 years from now. Bridgett Burrick Brown (20:21.842) Mm-hmm. How do you think? Bridgett Burrick Brown (20:29.198) Like the history of beauty standards still impact us today? Ha ha, funny question. Danni (20:36.35) Okay, yeah, I mean obviously at the end of the day I think that white beauty standards will still remain supreme in whatever different form you see Celebrities who were white who got their BB yells and those bodies were close to black women's bodies now taking those BB else out and Being able to still operate in the white woman, you know and be the standard of beauty I think We've seen the extreme thinness in the Ozempic era, what Summer and I have been calling, other critics have been calling it, the Ozempic era. see thinness. Whenever you see extreme right perspectives, there comes a lot of pressure about how to be the white man's version of what a white woman is, a homemaker, thin. Bridgett Burrick Brown (21:13.516) Yeah. Danni (21:33.066) quiet, docile, all the things and they still exist. But whether those trends exist, as you mentioned before, for me, it's about helping people still continue to reimagine beauty. The standard is there, but also I exist, my mama exists, my grandma exists. Do we not have the right? Bridgett Burrick Brown (21:51.438) Hmm. Danni (21:59.613) to see beauty in ourselves and our community in the context of the West. And the truth is we do, but it will always be something we have to fight to be seen in. Bridgett Burrick Brown (22:11.758) Do you feel like since you've started this work, you've seen progress in that area? Danni (22:21.535) progressing, progress, and regression. I think, yeah, it's both. Yeah, it's both. Bridgett Burrick Brown (22:23.852) Yeah, it like kind of. Mm hmm. Why so thin? Is it because it's just so the opposite of like. Like colonialism and all like it? Why so thin? Danni (22:42.246) You know what, think we would have to go back into one of the books that we talked about in the course is Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black Body. think right now whiteness is the thing. We want to make sure everybody is in order, in line, is what they deem as obedience. Bridgett Burrick Brown (22:51.945) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (22:56.32) Yeah, Trump. Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:04.75) falling in line. Mm, yeah, yeah, wow. Wow, yeah. I'm just putting together like the Zempik era with the political environment. So. Mm hmm. I mean, representation obviously matters in the media. I feel like I'm seeing like less representation right now as well. Would you agree? Danni (23:35.934) Yeah, I'm seeing a lot less representation. I'm not seeing the brands promote that they're body positive. I'm not seeing new brands promote that they launch a new size inclusive brands. You see the indie designers do it and also I don't, you know, and no, not to them, but we have to support them because that's not sustainable, especially in this economy. And we got to have their backs. Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:38.465) Yeah! Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:47.438) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:59.822) Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Danni (24:00.204) but I'm not seeing it at all. Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:02.966) Yep, I agree. Okay, you married yourself at 30. I love this so much. I mean, you're just adorable. can't. Have you always had this sort of innate love for yourself? And when you have these days of like self doubt or insecurity, how do you navigate that? Danni (24:15.739) Thank you. Danni (24:32.043) Okay, two loaded questions. So one, have I always had this, no, this full love for myself? No, honestly, think I talked about this the other day. I feel like there's moments where I was chasing validation. See me, accept me, especially like, I've known for a couple years that I've had PTSD, but learning more and more about ADHD is like, why am I different? Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:33.623) Cut. No, okay. Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:58.734) Hmm. Danni (24:58.881) I'm always like I'm different I don't fit in I don't know why Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:02.858) I have ADHD too. I just found out I had it a couple years ago and it's like made me like take a deep breath because I always thought like what's wrong with me, you know? Danni (25:14.201) Yeah, yeah, what is wrong with me? Why am I this way and that way? And I'm like, okay, girl, you're different. You're different and different does not mean opposite. Different does not mean bad. It's like other, yeah, all the things. I'm still working through that, like, because it's very new for me. And so in those days of doubts, I have a really good support system. Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:29.802) Other, yep. Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:37.614) Hmm. Danni (25:43.746) that really truly loves me and is determined to not let me fall. even if I want to fall, those girls are like, get your butt up. Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:52.493) Love. Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:55.854) Yes, I love those girls. We need them. Danni (25:59.417) Yeah, we need those, know, and also like we talk about this in the class but Perfection culture I struggle with that a lot And it's a big part of ADHD, but like I don't want to get things wrong I over You know, I over try to make sure I'm Trying to be perfect. And so that's something I'm still struggling with I think when people see my wedding and like Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:09.102) guess. Danni (26:27.144) this girl has got that self-love thing together and I'm like baby every day is a new day of learning for me and not to take you on this roller coaster but I tore my ACL about seven months ago and being experiencing temporarily temporary disability like early on I was in a wheelchair for getting through the airports and I'm not then I'm going through stairs you know all the things Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:35.31) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:56.652) Yeah, wow. Interesting that you experienced that with what you do. Danni (26:57.944) So it's. I know, know, know. Bridgett Burrick Brown (27:03.596) I mean, really, you could like see yourself a little bit in those shoes, you know? Danni (27:09.77) Yeah, you can. You can put yourself in people's shoes who live with chronic disabilities and like they aren't temporarily disabled. like how difficult it is, how the world perceives you. I was ashamed about being, my gosh, somebody's gonna see me. I'm fat in a wheelchair. They're gonna think I did this to myself. Like all the things you're thinking. And then it's like, yeah, it's my fault. Bridgett Burrick Brown (27:33.826) Yeah, it's my fault. Danni (27:38.843) all the feelings and and I went through this process of anger, shame, sadness to only just recently realizing this is all grief. And this is all grief. I'm grieving the fact that I lost my ability temporarily and I'm still in the healing process and the recovery process. And so Bridgett Burrick Brown (27:50.094) Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:00.44) Yeah. Danni (28:03.478) Through that, I'm bringing all that to the forefront because I think when we think about life and self-esteem, when you knock yourself down, the tools that you have, that community, those resources say, I am somebody, I'm worthy, I'm lovable, I'm capable. There's nothing wrong with me. I believe that I was broken. I thought, I'm broken. Something's not right. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:18.583) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:22.796) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:27.078) Aww. Danni (28:31.228) And that's no way to look at life. And so I'm grateful to prayers and all the things that I was able to come out of that. But I would say for months, for months, I was operating in like, you know, in this whirlwind. And I'm so grateful. I'm grateful for the transformation. And I'm saying that to say that some moments there is transformations are going to happen. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:33.742) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:43.608) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:57.696) Yeah. And I think what you're also saying is like, self-love is a journey. It's not a destination, which is cliche, but just so true, right? It's like this ongoing unfolding and life happens. So it might set you back, then you move forward and you learn something and you have your tribe. And maybe each time you learn to love yourself a little bit more. Danni (29:04.416) Yeah. Danni (29:08.181) Yeah. Danni (29:22.805) Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. Bridgett Burrick Brown (29:26.35) Mm-hmm. I love that. So for those struggling with internalized kind of constant body shame, what would you sort of say is like the first step to feeling a little bit better? Danni (29:40.044) I would honestly say what I tell the kids feel what hurts you. because sometimes we're trying to like block out that it's a real feeling, especially during the time online where everyone was like toxically positive about bodies and that's yeah, it's like no. Yes. No, you need to feel. Bridgett Burrick Brown (29:59.64) Totally. You're like, why can't I love myself? Everyone else loves theirs. Yeah. Danni (30:08.976) what hurts you. And I would say begin to journal. For me, I like to speak about what I'm feeling. I like to talk about all the themes and let it all out. Some of the other things that I would say is just breathing. It's so like, people don't think about it. But honestly, when you stop and you breathe and like just like this body has breath inside of it and is carrying me. Like who cares what I put on it? Who cares how I decorate it? Who cares about anything? Like I am still here. And I think like that begins like tear down the walls and all these like external factors that we're really thinking about. They become not so important when we start thinking about, you know what? It is just great. It is just great to be here and existing and giving and loving and caring. And, you know, you don't have to have all the things. Don't have that. You know, I began to say the other day to myself, I actually don't have to have all of my dreams. I'm just grateful to be able to experience life and nature and community and see the beauty in other people's. Bridgett Burrick Brown (31:27.534) Hmm. Danni (31:36.805) people and as my influencing is changing, I'm definitely pivoting but I'm thinking about like we always try to do our self love individually. But really the more we think about self love and community the struggle becomes less because then you realize that girl you ain't the only one everybody is trying to figure this shit out. I'm sorry for cursing but everyone is trying to figure this thing out. And it Bridgett Burrick Brown (31:53.592) Mmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (31:56.973) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (32:01.4) Curse. Mm-hmm. Danni (32:06.629) For me, it becomes less and less and less and less of a burden. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (32:11.402) Yeah, that's what I heard you say within the sort of self-love part too for you is the I think the more we share and the more we can really hear like that I'm not alone and feel that I'm not alone, it helps. I love that you said a journal because we have a Dear Body journal coming out. Danni (32:31.025) okay, please. Bridgett Burrick Brown (32:35.982) I'm gonna send you one. But it's all about really honoring and realizing I get to experience life because I have a body and kind of taking it back to like I have lungs that breathe, that keep me alive or I have a brain that works, you know? That's really cool. Okay, we're gonna start to finish up. If you were to... or I know you have already, okay, let me redo that. Explain to us or give us your re-imagined definition of beauty. Danni (33:08.079) Okay, I've never had to answer this for real before but here I'll take a stab at it. If I was to say, if we reimagine beauty, it's not a standard. It's not a hierarchy. It's just people breathing, you know, breathing and experience in the world. It's so much around us. I really want to share this story with you just really quickly. I love a good story. Okay, y'all. you know, at one point I have these freckles. You can't really see it behind the fro and hyperpigmentation. And I went to a plastic surgeon that was going to laser it off. Bridgett Burrick Brown (33:46.412) Yeah, I love its shirt. Mm-hmm, you're a good storyteller. Danni (34:07.32) gonna cost me $600 and I said I want clear skin and I left and I made my appointment and then I went to Sephora and this girl says to me at Sephora while teaching me about contour she said you already have a natural contour right here and it brief it reshaped my whole mind about these freckles and this hyperpigmentation You know, and made me think about this is my family's legacy. My uncle has it, my grandpa has it, my mom has it, my cousins have it. Why would I want to get rid of the very thing that identifies my relationship to these people? And so that for me is a real example of re-imagining beauty. Bridgett Burrick Brown (34:37.228) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (34:44.11) Aww, yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (34:53.676) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:01.919) Mmm, I love that. That's beautiful. Anything else you want to share with us? Danni (35:09.075) No, except, you know, I do have a question. Yes. Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:12.3) Well before, I'm gonna ask you at the ending like where they can find you and what you have going on, but like anything else like I missed sort of. Danni (35:21.005) I mean, I would love to hear if what was your experience like in the class? Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:26.11) I loved it. mean, I learned so much about, I loved how you guys broke down. Like, I I learned all about the history of the beauty ideal body image. I loved all of that. And I think you guys took your time with that, which was nice. And then you dug into like the self love and the coaching and I just actually re listened to all of it again. Danni (35:52.726) my goodness! Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:53.624) Because I felt like it was so juicy that I was like, need to like re-listen to this before I don't have access to it anymore. I loved it. It was so good. Are you guys gonna have like a continuation? Danni (36:06.195) Yes, we are building out, but we always have like for our students to be able to come back. We have self studies where previous students in common still continue to get coaching from Summer and I and like talk to us once a month. But we are building out more phases of the program and we're starting our next cohort. Actually, I think they start in a couple of weeks. Bridgett Burrick Brown (36:21.678) Eugh. Danni (36:31.274) Our spring cohort will be starting soon, then we'll have another one that launches in the fall. The Institute for Body Image Coaching is something that's just really about just transforming the work that all of us is doing and transferring the people who are doing this work from talking about things like the inner critic. We all have one, but how do we help people whose inner critic is loud? I mean, let's be honest, I needed it during this time. Bridgett Burrick Brown (36:52.632) Yeah. Danni (37:00.605) from things like self care and then mirror work, which is tough. Bridgett Burrick Brown (37:07.214) also love how you guys really go into perfectionism with body image too. That part was super interesting and educational for me. Danni (37:15.079) Yeah, yeah. I've read so much about lately about people with ADHD have an issue of perfection. Well, some of us, you know, have issue of perfection. Bridgett Burrick Brown (37:25.513) God, yeah. That's my whole thing is like, how do we go beyond perfectionism? Because I've spent my whole life doing that, you know? Danni (37:33.745) I think we just take it one day at a time and give ourselves some grace. Bridgett Burrick Brown (37:35.826) Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Okay, anything else you have going on that you want everybody? Tell us about your sub stack. Danni (37:44.075) my gosh, okay, so listen, my sub stack is called something for the minds. Well, I just write whatever is on my mind or I'm thinking about that I wanna like share with the world. It's actually like a brain dump for my chaotic brain days. I'm like, okay, let me just write something. And for me, it's mindless, but I'm enjoying that people enjoy reading it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:10.059) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I love that. And then people get in touch with you at... Danni (38:16.762) I'm a pound cake that's AMA pound cake. You can also look up the Institute for Body Image Coaching where Summer and I are running a program for professionals who are working with people struggling with body image. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:30.88) Mm-hmm. And I will link all that obviously. Can you tell us really quickly where you got Emma pound cake from? Danni (38:37.479) Okay, cool. Yes. I mean, regular black girl, Alma is I am, you know, and it's also got me a name for the day that I was born. And then pound cake, my mama name, pumpkin, my name pound cake, my grandma used to make cakes. And I was like, I'm a pound cake, because I am. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:48.899) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (39:02.808) God, I love that. You are just too adorable. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I'll see you soon. Danni (39:06.641) Thank you. Thank you for having me. Danni (39:11.579) Bye. Bridgett Burrick Brown (39:14.062) and hang up. Danni (39:15.547) I'm not.