what would you tell your high school, middle school, teenage self now?

I would tell my young self, “it's okay to be who you are, not to suppress, and to speak up for the things that you want.  If you have a dream of doing something it's okay to reach and accomplish it. It's okay to explore and make mistakes.

Who inspired you as a little girl and who inspires you now?

When I was a little girl I loved watching Miss Universe and I just loved how confident and beautiful they were. They believed in themselves. That stood out for me. They were just so full of confidence. It made me want to go after my dreams and what I wanted in life.

What is your definition of success?

To me, the definition of success is enjoying every moment of your life and being true to who you are. Enjoy whatever it is and just be happy. 

Share one experience or piece of advice that would lift other women up and empower them.

My piece of advice is to go after what you want. It doesn't matter what people think. At my age, I feel good about myself. I don't worry about what people think, like that insecurity that we experienced when we were younger. “This is who I am.” Just embrace your uniqueness. 

Speaking to younger women, what can they look forward to at your age?

Life is great at my age. Life is amazing! You went through experiences in life, you made mistakes and you know what to do, how to reach your goals, how to get them. It just keeps going up from age 40.

Anything else you’d like to add here?

Be happy with your body. Before my photoshoot, I had said, “I'll take a picture when I look buff or toner or have a flat stomach with abs.” What I realized is that five years ago I was skinny and I should have taken the picture then, and not worry about my looks. Be happy with whatever you look like right now and whether you have abs or don't have abs, just be grateful for your body, be happy with how you look.