The BodPod

16. Talking Body with Cathleen Meredith

Welcome to another episode of the BodPod! Today, we are excited to be chatting with Cathleen Meredith, a writer, influencer, public speaker, and positivity igniter originating from Sacramento, California. In August of 2016, Cathleen launched Fat Girls Dance, a worldwide movement focused on trashing body image stereotypes through the universal language of dance. The online body positivity movement unsurprisingly went viral and this led to an impressive short film with Dove Real Beauty productions and Shonda Rhimes. Cathleen has been featured in many publications and productions including Essence, HealthLine, Hello Giggles, and countless others and is currently working on a Fat Girls Dance book.In this episode, Cathleen will explain the origins of Fat Girls Dance and how it came to be such a sensation. She’ll also touch on the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding being fat, how this inspired her to create her platform, and how a previous generation’s stance on body image shapes how we feel about our bodies today. Last but not least, Cathleen will share her thoughts on using the word “fat” in her platform, plus sized bodies in the modelling and fashion industry, and the importance of loving ourselves rather than hating our bodies. Keep listening to hear how Cathleen is changing the world’s idea of what fat bodies can and can’t do!  Instagram: @fatgirlsdancemovementTwitter: @Fat_Girls_DanceYouTube: FATGIRLS DANCEWebsite: fatgirlsdance.comBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

15. Talking Body with Thigh Society’s CEO Marnie Rabinovitch Consky

Today on the BodPod, we are chatting with Marnie Rabinovitch Consky, the founder, CEO, and chief anti-chafing champion of Thigh Society, a specialty underwear brand offering moisture-wicking, breathable, and discreet slip shorts that prevent inner-thigh rash. Thigh Society was born from Marnie’s desire to dispel the notion surrounding “chub rub” and to produce undergarments with high quality fabric, fit, and an inclusive size range. The brand is a champion of the body confidence movement and recently sponsored the BodCon Social Club at our Beach Bodies event.  In this episode, we’ll talk about Marnie’s background and what led her to creating such an incredible product and brand. Marnie will also break down the misconception around thigh chafing, the difference between men’s and women’s undergarments, and the wide range of sizes that Thigh Society offers. Last but not least, Marnie and I will discuss the way in which social media has evolved to allow us to be more open about these taboo subjects, the way in which diet culture has infiltrated our lives, and the slippery slope that is shape wear. Keep listening to hear how Marnie is working to destigmatize chafing. Instagram: @marnieconsky & @thighsociety Website: www.thighsociety.comBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

14. Talking Body with Sarah Nicole Landry

Welcome back to the BodPod! In today’s episode, we are chatting with Sarah Nicole Landry, a mom of four who loves cultivating powerful conversations around life and our experiences in it. Sarah openly shares her story of divorce, self-worth, living beyond your body, and love and is not scared to be vulnerable. As a body confidence activist, speaker, writer, three-time cover girl, and weekly podcast host of The Papaya Podcast, she inspires her followers toward radical self-acceptance of their own. Sarah was the keynote speaker at our inaugural event and her interview has come up time and time again as one of the most unforgettable parts of the day. As a result, we are so excited to announce that Sarah will be joining us at the 2022 conference as M.C. and host.  Today, Sarah will share her journey to becoming a mom of four, her pregnancy complications, and the toll this took on her mental health. We’ll also discuss the importance of embracing your emotions and feelings while pregnant and the way in which social media can connect people with similar experiences. Last but not least, Sarah will talk about the origins of her Papaya blog and the pressure she felt to lose weight to be accepted. Her latest platform, however, is all about her journey to self-love and Sarah is working to help others, including her kids, love their own bodies. Keep listening to hear how Sarah is showing up for herself and others. Instagram: @thebirdspapayaWebsite: https://thebirdspapaya.com/Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

13. Talking Body with Sydney Bell and Ella Halikas

Welcome back to a very special episode of the BodPod! Today, we are so excited to have Sydney Bell and Ella Halikas, two beloved members of the BodCon family, take over the podcast! Sydney is a signed plus size model, an influencer, and a professionally trained dancer living in Houston, Texas. She has modelled for large, nation-wide campaigns and her goal in content creation is to share body positive content and dance routines that inspire her followers to live life to the fullest.                         Ella is a signed curve model and content creator based in Los Angeles who graduated from the University of Hawaii with a journalism degree. She moved to L.A. unemployed and in the middle of a global pandemic to pursue modelling full time. Ella recently became a top 13 finalist for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and her goal in life is to help others find their confidence and prove that you can feel beautiful regardless of your size. In today’s episode, Sydney and Ella will be chatting about all things body confidence and giving you a bit of preview of what’s to come on Sunday June 27th at The BodCon TALKS: BEACH BODIES. They’ll also share a bit about how they got into modelling as well as their content creation processes. Visit our website for more details about The BodCon TALKS: BEACH BODIES  and don’t forget to grab your tickets!  Ella’s Instagram: @ellahalikasElla’s TikTok: @ellahalikasSydney’s Instagram: @sydneylbellSydney’s TikTok: @sydneylbellBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

12. Talking Body with Jeff Jenkins

Today on the BodPod, we are chatting with Jeff Jenkins, an award-winning content creator and the founder of Chubby Diaries, an Instagram account and growing online community he started in 2018. Jeff, who has been featured in many notable publications including Forbes, New York Times, and Travel and Leisure, helps people travel the world, no matter their size, through community, branded content, and motivational talks. With contagious positivity, Jeff uses his platform to advocate for plus-size travellers and to help bigger body people and people of colour navigate challenges that arise while travelling. In today’s episode, Jeff will share the origins of Chubby Diaries as well as how he came to discover his niche, his love of travelling, and his experience with micro-aggressions while travelling. We will also discuss accessibility for plus size people, branding and marketing for plus size people, fat phobia, and so much more. Keep listening to hear how Jeff is inspiring people to live their best lives right now as opposed to waiting for when they lose weight and visit his website for more information on his upcoming group trips.  Instagram: @chubbydiaries_YouTube: Chubby DiariesBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

11. Talking Body with Kortney Olson

Today, the BodPod is excited to be chatting with Kortney Olson! Kortney is a certified personal trainer, an accredited Olympic lifting coach, the original Australian women’s arm-wrestling champion, a Jujitsu champion, a three-time international body-building competitor, an author, and a T.V. personality who was crowned the woman with the world’s deadliest thighs by Stan Lee for her ability to crush watermelons using only her thighs. After seeing the need for clothes that fit athletes, Kortney launched Grrrl Clothing in 2015, which is based on a variety of body shapes and types that reflect girls living in the 21st century. Earlier this year, she also published her autobiography called Crushing It: How I Crushed Diet Culture, Addiction, and the Patriarchy. In today’s episode, Kortney will touch on her addictions, eating disorders, what it was like being raised by an alcoholic, and how she came to be at the centre of an unexpected scandal, all of which inspired the work she is doing today. We will also discuss the limiting beliefs about weight and bodies that we internalize at an early age, how women have been taught to view each other as competition rather than a community, and much more. Keep listening to hear how Kortney is working to help other women overcome their body image issues with her inclusive clothing line and training program.Visit Kortney’s website for more information on her book and her 8-week, at-home watermelon training program, find her on Instagram at @kortney_olson and check out GRRRL Clothing for Kortney’s clothing line for unstoppable women. Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

10. Talking Body with Allison E. Lang

Today, it is a pleasure to be chatting with Allison E. Lang on the BodPod! Allison holds many titles including educator, athlete, model, solo female traveller, and last but certainly not least, advocate for body inclusivity. Allison is a congenital amputee who was unexpectedly born without the lower half of her left leg, however, she has never allowed this to hold her back. Not only has Allison backpacked the world, but she also plays a variety of sports including being a member of Team Canada’s sitting volleyball team, and most recently, she was signed by a modelling agency. After overcoming severe mental and physical bullying, body image insecurities, and a handful of surgeries, Allison is a fierce advocate for self-acceptance and inclusion for all and she wants you to know, that she probably has more legs than you do.  In today’s episode, Allison will share how being ostracized for her physical differences during her formative years eventually led her to wanting to be a teacher and advocate for diverse body types and how her multiple surgeries led to her trauma. She will also discuss how disabled bodies are represented in the media and how she is working to change the narrative with her new modelling contract. Keep listening to hear how Allison is learning to accept her authentic self and how she is overcoming her insecurities.  Instagram: @allisonelang Twitter: @allisonelangAllison’s website: http://www.allisonelang.com/The War Amps: https://www.waramps.ca/home/Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

9. Talking Body with Michelle Elman

Today, the BodPod is very excited to welcome Michelle Elman to the podcast! Michelle is a five board-accredited life coach and an award-winning body positive activist who’s 2017 TED Talk, Have You Hated Your Body Enough Today, has been viewed over 50,000 times. Not only has she written for a number of publications including the Huffington Post, MTV, and more, but she has also written two books, 2018’s Am I Ugly? and 2021’s The Joy of Being Selfish. Besides all of this, she also launched a podcast in 2020 called In All Honesty, which coincided with her being named as one of The Sun’s 50 most inspirational women in the U.K.In today’s episode, we will discuss Michelle’s experiences with life-threatening health problems (including 15 complex surgeries before the age of 20), how this shaped her childhood and early adulthood, and how it led to her PTSD. While her medical trauma left her mentally and physically scarred, it was the inspiration behind her Scarred Not Scared campaign and ultimately led her story to going viral. Michelle will also share her experience in boarding school and how she eventually changed her perception of her body. Keep listening to hear how Michelle worked to shape her body image and self-confidence. Instagram: @scarrednotscaredTwitter: @scarredntscraedTikTok: @scarrednotscaredBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

8. Talking Body with Peppermint

Today, it is a pleasure to welcome Peppermint to the BodPod! Peppermint is a trailblazing actress, singer, reality star, and activist from New York City who made history as the first runner-up on season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she was the first out, trans contestant on the show! Her time on reality television was just the beginning, though, as her talent led her to become the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway in the musical, Head Over Heels. During the pandemic, Peppermint also started her own Twitch series called Pepp Talks, where she and her friends review classic Black movies each week as well as on OUTtvGo’s new show, Translation. An established entertainer and recording artist, Peppermint was recently nominated for a 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist for her latest album, A Girl Like Me: Letters to My Lovers. In today’s episode, Peppermint is sharing the inspiration behind her new music, which she says is a love letter to those in the trans community to let them know they are worthy of being loved and being loved publicly. We’ll also dive into Peppermint’s performing background and how she fell into drag while touching on her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Last but certainly not least, we’ll discuss Black, , and trans representation, the “adultifying” of young Black boys and girls, and how this connects to trans rights.  Instagram: @peppermint247Twitter: @Peppermint247Twitch: Peppermint247A Girl Like Me: Letters to My LoversBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

7. Talking Body with Kat Inokai

Today, the BodPod is pleased to welcome Kat Inokai to the show! Kat is a writer, content creator, advocate, and disabled mom of two who lives with multiple autoimmune diseases. She started her first blog, Thebumpandhustle.com, in 2010 where she chronicled pregnancy, motherhood, and her entrepreneurial lifestyle. However, in 2018, Kat had a life-changing health experience in which she ended up in the hospital and rehab and this led her to shifting her platform. Now, Kat is an advocate for accessibility, body image, and acceptance through the lens of disability. In today’s episode, Kat is sharing her journey to diagnosis, which began when she was about 16 years old and eventually led to Crohn’s disease and many other diagnoses. Kat will also discuss how identifying as disabled later in life forced her to recognize her own internalized ableism, the pressure to be able-bodied, and the many ableist mico-aggressions we all must unlearn. Keep listening to hear how Kat is working to shift the narrative surrounding disabled bodies. Instagram: @bumpandhustleBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets