In short
Ashley Graham discusses her journey reshaping beauty standards, her career milestones (Lane Bryant and Sports Illustrated), body image through pregnancy/postpartum, and her views on GLP-1s and AI’s impact on modeling. She also talks about her Broadway experience and launching her wine brand, Lucci, including why she chose Lambrusco and how she built the business.
Guests
Ashley Graham (model, entrepreneur, mom of three; Broadway performer; owner of Lucci wine). Interviewer is Maria Sharapova.
Guest backgrounds
Started modeling at age 12; became a trailblazer for plus-size representation; later became a businesswoman/creative director and a Broadway debutant; built Lucci over a multi-year process with a winemaker partner.
Key claims
Unapologetic selfhood is a learned practice; community matters more than “noise” from negative comments. GLP-1s have shifted demand even in larger sizes, but plus-size representation has grown. AI may be cheaper/easier and could reduce modeling opportunities, but can’t replace emotional connection. Body image evolves with age and motherhood.
Notable examples
Lane Bryant ad banned by a network then widely distributed; Sports Illustrated cover reveal on live TV hosted by Nick Cannon; TED Talk leading to messages about confidence and eating disorders; Lucci’s lower sugar/lower alcohol Lambrusco made with a fifth-generation winemaker in Emilia-Romagna.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOEmbracing Unapologetic Identity
0:00 to 0:22
Ashley discusses the importance of being unapologetically oneself.
“Your team has a launch to plan while your customer inbox fills up.”
Embracing Unapologetic Identity
3:21 to 4:50
Ashley discusses the importance of being unapologetically oneself.
“Ashley, thank you so much for joining us, for being here.”
Navigating Body Image and Industry Pressures
4:50 to 6:15
Ashley shares her experiences with body image and public scrutiny.
“But not many women feel that way or speak that way.”
Turning Struggles into Strength
6:15 to 7:55
Ashley talks about overcoming challenges in her modeling career.
“Since we were both young, you know, our bodies.”
Evolving Body and Self-Love
7:55 to 10:30
The conversation shifts to motherhood and evolving body image.
“oof it has had its moments I think everything on the outside seems like I've just been this big confident, you know, loud girl, like who cares?”
The Lane Bryant Commercial Controversy
10:30 to 12:01
Ashley reflects on the impact of the Lane Bryant commercial on beauty standards.
“And, and, and that is also something that I've been learning from my mom is that every decade you're going to go through something different.”
Resilience in the Face of Criticism
12:01 to 14:00
Ashley discusses how she handles criticism and turns setbacks into victories.
“It's so, I mean, is that, isn't that crazy?”
Overcoming Negativity in the Spotlight
14:00 to 16:48
Ashley Graham discusses how to handle negative comments and self-worth in the public eye.
“that my body is hideous and that I'm not worth anything.”
The Moment of Becoming a Cover Model
16:48 to 19:28
Graham shares the experience of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated and its impact on her life.
“And that was the first time they'd ever seen a girl my size in Sports Illustrated.”
Recognizing Success Amidst Challenges
19:28 to 22:24
The discussion touches upon personal achievements and the importance of acknowledging them.
“And you were like just internally grateful that this success happened in your life.”
Show all 25 chapters
Shifting Beauty Standards in the Industry
22:24 to 25:27
Ashley reflects on how body image and beauty standards have evolved, especially with the impact of GLP-1s.
“And especially with kids, it's like you finish one good thing at work and all of a sudden your responsibility is like, you know, cleaning up a shitty diaper.”
The Future of Modeling and AI
25:27 to 27:38
Graham discusses the implications of AI on the modeling industry and the need for human connection.
“I don't even know what my job is, by the way.”
The Future of Modeling and AI
28:01 to 29:12
Graham discusses the implications of AI on the modeling industry and the need for human connection.
“This is Advertiser Content from Comcast Business.”
Body Image and Motherhood
29:25 to 34:16
Ashley Graham discusses her body image journey after pregnancy and motherhood.
“I mean, we talk as women, like, perhaps our bodies are never the same.”
Pursuing Dreams and Broadway Debut
34:16 to 37:22
Ashley shares her unexpected journey to Broadway and the hard work behind it.
“Oh, that's, you see, that would be a perfect number for me.”
Lessons in Hard Work
37:22 to 37:40
Ashley emphasizes the importance of hard work and passion in achieving dreams.
“She's like, you know, I was Roxy, right?”
Challenges of Injury and Burnout
37:40 to 39:38
Maria and Ashley discuss the mental toll of injuries and burnout in their careers.
“Like for young girls that are discouraged to keep going after their dream or to take chances, what would you say to them?”
Challenges of Injury and Burnout
39:50 to 40:13
Maria and Ashley discuss the mental toll of injuries and burnout in their careers.
“With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, you can spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes.”
Challenges of Injury and Burnout
41:40 to 42:00
Maria and Ashley discuss the mental toll of injuries and burnout in their careers.
Ashley Graham's Entrepreneurial Journey
42:00 to 43:50
Learn about Ashley Graham's transition from modeling to launching her own wine brand, Lucci.
“And he gives me a backstory on how this is Ashley Graham's new business.”
The Passion Behind Lucci
43:50 to 46:00
Discover the inspiration and hard work that led to the creation of Lucci, focusing on quality and health.
“We knew a couple of, of Lambrusco's that we loved.”
Responsibilities of Being a Founder
46:00 to 48:00
Explore the responsibilities Ashley faces as a founder and how she balances creative and business roles.
“Yes, I wanted to make sure that we had a really great product in our hands.”
Strategizing for the Future
48:00 to 50:10
Listen to Ashley discuss the importance of planning for the future and setting personal goals.
“I mean, I'm going to become more familiar with numbers.”
Balance, Perception, and Wisdom
50:10 to 52:20
Ashley shares insights on perfection, embracing criticism, and the value of wisdom from older friends.
“I have a few pretty tough questions for you.”
Fun and Reflection
52:20 to 54:08
Engage with Ashley's thoughts on what makes her feel tough, pretty, and the joys of laughter.
“What is something that makes you feel tough?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00It's late. Your team has a launch to plan while your customer inbox fills up. No worries. In one prompt, Klaviyo builds the whole campaign. The emails, the texts, WhatsApp, all in your voice. Never without your okay. Plus, Klaviyo spots the revenue you're leaving on the table and answers those customer questions so your team can get some rest. Go to klaviyo.com slash best friends. Support for the show comes from Injun. Running a small business means every dollar has to work hard. But if your team is still booking travel the old way, it's costing you more than you think. Injun is the fastest growing travel and spend platform in the country, built specifically for businesses like yours.
0:44Book a trip in as little as two and a half minutes. Earn up to 10 % back on hotels. And in 2025, Enjin customers save more than$300 million on travel with zero booking fees, no contracts, and no BS. More than 1 ,000 businesses join Enjin every month. Join them and get$500 when your business signs up and starts traveling at Enjin.com.
1:11How many third-party vendors does your company use? 20? 200? Thanks to AI, someone on your team probably added three more this week. And your security lead has no idea. Traditional third-party risk management can't keep up. Vanta gives you continuous coverage across every vendor, automatically, so you actually know what's in your stack and what to do about it. AI on, risk off. Vanta.com slash TPRM.
1:44I called my mom and I said, mom, I just, I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm not supposed to be a model. This is just not for me. And she told me definitively on the phone, no, you are going to stick this out. Your body is going to change someone's life.
2:02What does a supermodel's body look like? And how can that body change lives and beauty standards? My guest today is Ashley Graham, a model, entrepreneur, and someone who has spent her entire career rewriting the rules of an industry that didn't always let her in. Ashley was one of the first to really challenge what the modeling world said a woman's body should look like. From her banned ad for Lane Bryant, look it up, to her breakthrough Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and everything she's built since, Ashley has always been unapologetically herself. What I love about Ashley is how multifaceted she is.
2:40She's not just a model. She's a hustler, a businesswoman, a mom of three, a Broadway performer, and now the owner of a new wine company, Lucci. We talk about what it takes to break away from what's expected of you as a woman and how to step into something bolder. We also get into her hot takes on AI and what it could mean for the future of modeling. This one has a lot of laughs, but also just a really honest conversation of identity, ambition, and self-acceptance. I'm Maria Sharapova, and this is Pretty Tough.
3:21Ashley, thank you so much for joining us, for being here. We spoke a few weeks ago, very different context. It was very business-oriented. You were pitching your new wine. We're going to get to that. Yay. But I start these conversations with a quote by the guests. And for yours, I'm going to go way back. Oh, Lord. Okay. Do you remember this one? Can't wait. Women think I'm inspirational because I'm unapologetic. I read that and I was like, this is one of the reasons I started this podcast. I want to speak to women who are not apologizing for who they are, how they lead, how they run their life, how they are with their family.
3:58And it resonated with me so much. Does it still ring true to this day? 100 % I mean I think what when I said that I probably said that 15 years ago I would say that we went way back good I love that you know I've been modeling for 28 years but nothing has changed like even from then to now 28 years ago when I first started at the age of 12 I probably you know would have had no context for what that even meant but would have still said the same thing in in the sense of I'm just being myself and I think that's the most important thing that's like Part of the legacy I want to leave is just for people to really be themselves.
4:34I think we live in a world where we're constantly being told who we are or who we should be. How to do it. Yes, all of it. And whether it's through family members, friends, social media, people that we feel like we're in competition with on a daily basis. So just be yourself. But not many women feel that way or speak that way. Why do you think it's still so rare for women to feel naturally unapologetic? Well, I think it depends on what room we're in, right? And what's interesting is having been a model, I could easily be unapologetic. And there was always a conversation around my weight and my size.
5:16And I just very much so ignored it, but I embraced it. And I really embraced it for the people who were, you know, who didn't have anybody to look up to because I didn't have anybody to look up to that it felt like as much. But I think now being in the kind of like CEO role and building businesses and being creative director and having much more that I have to control and be the boss of, that's when I think there's like this kind of like hesitation that women have of being unapologetic and being themselves and, and, you know, living in their truth and feeling almost bad for it or having imposter syndrome.
5:58And I felt it, you know, I, I never went to the college, let alone a business class in my life. And so I've had some moments where I've had to really like, you know, say, okay, who cares if I don't know what the hell I'm talking about? I'm learning as I'm going and I'm trying to be very unapologetic about it as well. Since we were both young, you know, our bodies. That's right, we still live. I know, we still live. Our bodies have been spoken about in so many different ways. I mean, for me, it was, you know, playing a night match at the U.S. Open while wearing a very short skirt and people had something to say about you.
6:36When was the first time that you acknowledged that people are talking about my body? god when do they not talk about women's bodies though if you're in the public eye it's going to be talked about i remember early on like before i was even modeling that my body was being talked about whether it was um from my father or um my classmates so it starts it started then and then young very young and i started modeling at 12 the my first big job that kind of like went i guess nationwide was ym magazine and they did different body shapes in the magazine it was like what's what to wear if you're pear-shaped, what to wear if you're apple, and what to wear if you're cantaloupe.
7:15So that was a big talk of the town in eighth grade at Scott Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska. And I remember that magazine. I was so happy and proud of myself, like, I'm in YM Magazine. I can't believe it. And then it was, you know, it went through the school, cantaloupes. And then, I don't know. I mean, at that time, it's probably not great to have big boobs but I always embrace it I had a little bit of scary spice in me a little ginger spice in me oh anytime yeah I mean I use that energy yeah anytime the spice girls are right but you really you've done so much to turn that screwnity into a powerhouse how did you do that oof it has had its moments I think everything on the outside seems like I've just been this big confident, you know, loud girl, like who cares?
8:09Live your life, like cellulite, whatever. But there's definitely been moments where I have given up. I've publicly spoken a ton about in the beginning when I called my mom and I said, mom, I just, I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm not, I'm not supposed to be a model. This is just not for me. And she told me definitively on the phone, no, you are going to stick this out. Your body is going to change someone's life. What a powerful mother. That line alone has stuck with me since that apartment that I had, my first big girl apartment when I was 18 years old in New York. And I remember I was on the phone with her looking in the mirror, like watching myself cry, being like, it's over, it's all over, you know, like the big dramatic series in your head.
8:48But she said that to me and it stuck so deeply that I thought, you know what, this is the, this is it then like I have to do it for that. And that's exactly what my career turned into. It was years later, but it was a lot of hard work and it was a lot of no's and it was a lot of you're not good enough. But I think that just having a little glimpse of seed, like a little seed of hope, a little seed of confidence, just something to get you over that hurdle can really go so far. And then having kids really F me up. Oh, my God, my body. Well, I mean, you tell me about your experience, but like, I mean, my body was like my F1 car.
9:27And then you have a baby and you're like, the engine, it's broken. I love that. That is so good. The engine is broken. I'm totally taking the F1. My body was my F1 car. I love. My body in a weird way kind of felt like that too. Like what can my analogy to my body be? But in so many ways I was always like, oh, I love my hourglass figure. I love my flat stomach. I love that my thighs are so juicy. and now my thighs are just juicy and like juicy and a lot more juicy yeah and my stomach has never been you know this round in my life yet still four years later after I have my my twins and my belly button is just you know it looks different all the things all the things and I'm like but look at these amazing babies so since the last four six oh my god my twins are four my oldest is six since all of that like it's just it's been a different conversation in the mirror around my body and it's every year I think that I've kind of come more either it's to terms or in love and I'm really doing my best to like get stronger and you know figure out what's right for me and my body but the love for myself has actually like strengthened I've just kind of accepted that I don't think it will be that and but that is not that shouldn't be my benchmark it's a different time in your life yes it's also different age and you just you have to expect the evolution of a woman's body.
10:52We're not in our twenties. No, we're not. No. And, and, and that is also something that I've been learning from my mom is that every decade you're going to go through something different. And so be really happy with who you are right now because things change, things shift, accidents happen, you know, things that are unforeseen will come and go in your life. And it's about how you handle it. Your mother sounds like an amazing woman. She really is a rock star and thank God she lives with me and I get lots of knowledge. Oh, my, my, my mother does as well. I mean, it's great because she lives in a different roof over her house.
11:25How does your husband feel about it? He likes it, too. She really helps us a lot with the kids. She just lives in the backyard is how I put it. So she has a different roof over her house. No, we're under the same roof. Oh, you are? And I'm like, there's no choice. I mean, it's like you either get all of us or you get none of us. Package deal. I want to talk about the two pivotal points in your career. There was, of course, the notorious Lane Bryant TV commercial, which, by the way, I saw, I've watched it many times, and I was like, what's the big deal? Yeah, isn't it weird? It's so, I mean, is that, isn't that crazy?
12:05How do you feel about it? So what's interesting is Lane Bryant knew that they were making something really revolutionary at the time, and especially, like, the story behind it. there's this girl going to meet her boyfriend or husband, whoever it was, for lunch. But the lunch was her. Right. And delicious. And also they knew that girls that were, you know, size 12, 14, 16 hadn't really been seen in lingerie on nighttime television like this. So I think that they had this idea that there was going to be a pushback from the network. Like, what are you guys doing? And what happened was the network said, sorry, we can't show this.
12:41This is this is too risque. and they took it. They didn't even do an edit on it. Lane Bryant took it and spun it and put it all over the SPR. Like they canceled us. And I think what really happened was they were just like, wait, can we do an edit? I don't know. So, so looking back on that, I think that there was a moment that was heightened, but for good, because there are still so many people that were disgusted with that, with that commercial. There's so many fat phobic people, so many people that only want to see a certain type of woman that's in lingerie. There's only one idea of sexy. So I'm really glad that Lane Bryant had this great strategy around it because I think that they knew that this was going to happen.
13:22But how did you feel as a young girl that a network would potentially put that down? Maria, I'm just built a little bit different. I know this is not normal, but I remember calling my dad when Jay Leno said, oh, we'd like to have you on the show. And I said, dad, I'm so excited. I'm just going to shake my boobs and say, that's right. Here I am. And my dad goes, no, you're not. You are not doing that on Jay Leno, Ashley. And I was like, why? That's how, that's how I was in the commercial. And I was like, yeah, I guess he's right. Maybe I should listen to my dad. So I didn't do that, but I had so much fun.
13:56I've just exuded confidence. And I, like any woman, I've had my lows and I've had my moments of disbelief and like, it's, you know, that my body is hideous and that I'm not worth anything. But in that moment, no, that moment was mine. I was really excited for it. And how, how were you able to, to take a setback like that, whether it's mental or, you know, an opinion that you didn't feel comfortable with and, and turn it around into a victory? The, the ones that have kind of like eaten at me in the night are when I'm doom scrolling and I read the comments. Now this is like early Instagram days, like now I don't like now it's different.
14:36Do you don't read them though? Not really. I don't, it's not as, I read them when I'm like posting something I really love and I'm like, I want to know what they say. Like when I'm posting a JC Penney collection, like I want to know like what's feedback. Exactly. Or like even with Lucci, like I'm like so excited to hear what people are thinking. But I remember like there was always a conversation of like how I'm not big enough for certain women in my community or I'm not, you know, there, there's not, there, there isn't enough variety of plus size models. Why is it always just her? And so there was a lot of negativity, um, even just from my own community.
15:08And, and some of that really did eat at me and I really did let it get to me, but I always have, I've always had my people. I've always had the word. I'm like, I'm a big Bible reader and I always go back to it and I'm like, this is who I know who I am. And you look around at the people that are around you and you, they tell you who you are and they remind you and you can't let it all get to you it's easier said than done i feel it's also by the way so easy to write a comment like behind a screen oh when no one knows who you are to just judge and and have an opinion and i mean i we both like face this on like different levels in different contexts different arenas but like when i'd be in a press conference and a journalist is asking me like it's fair to have tough questions especially after you lose and your performance is subpar but it's another way to like opinionate or like not know what you're going through and I always thought well does this journalist does this first of all does this journalist have a daughter and is this journalist going to speak that way and ask their daughter the question that they just asked me and most of the time would you snap back at them sometimes oh you wouldn't no would you now today no oh no why not I'm like because I'm no because I'm calm I'm calm.
16:23Oh, okay. It's not worth it for you. It's not worth it. And it's not worth my energy. My energy should be reserved. And like when you're an athlete, every that's what that's what they're doing. They're trying to take your energy. That's what I thought. Wait, me and my I'm like, I'm like, really? Do you have a daughter? Like the Brooklyn in me would be like, let's go. okay the next major event that takes place 2016 and you are on the cover of sports illustrated baby still pinch me moments i want to hear what that is like when you receive the cover did they mail it to you was it an event no it was on live tv it was like yeah nick cannon was hosting this whole there was a new way they were revealing the covers they used to do it where like the girl would show up on a late night show and then and then they would reveal it to her and she's like oh my god but this was live and they were just like shuffling me to the stage and I was like oh let's all go to the stage guys here we go have no idea what's happening and you didn't know you were you there's potential to be on the cover like it could have been anyone oh no no I mean it was my first time shooting for them I was wow rookie for SI like I even the year before had been in an ad in Sports Illustrated for Swimsuits for All.
17:42And that was the first time they'd ever seen a girl my size in Sports Illustrated. And I think they were kind of like testing the waters. Like, does our customer really want this? Oh, they tested the waters. They sure did. And then they had me. And I think, you know, I will praise MJ Day until the day I'm dead. That's the editor-in-chief at SI. You know her. She's such a girl's girl. She's here to just be real and honest. And also gives so much opportunity. She's just lovely. But no, I was there and the curtain fell. And I saw Rhonda. I saw Haley. And then I saw myself. And I thought, holy shit.
18:17I'm on the cover. Like I couldn't even process it. It was wild. But that's the moment that changed my life forever. And I'll always be grateful for it. Was there, like, did you recognize in that moment that that was so powerful? Or did it take some time? No, I recognized it. Okay. No. No, to the point that I grabbed Nick Cannon came over. He's like, how do you feel? I took the mic out of his hand and I said, I'm taking over, baby. That's how confident I was that I knew that this was a moment. Yeah. I love it. After winning a Grand Slam in New York. No, I did not recognize at all. You didn't? No, like you do, but you're so emotionally exhausted.
19:00Well, you also probably were like working your ass off on the court, right? You're just so tight. You're just so. I wasn't. I was in heels and a little dress going like, hey, hey. No, yours is a different situation. Yeah, but I remember there's this moment like a couple of weeks later where it was just like my best friend and I and we're at my home in Florida and I was like back training. But she like turned around to me and said, do you like realize what you just like what you did? Like, was there ever a moment like that, an intimate moment that people just the outside world didn't see? And you were like just internally grateful that this success happened in your life.
19:38I think it was when I did my TED talk and I started getting stopped on the street and I started getting emails written to me about how much I changed somebody's life. And it was it didn't matter what size, usually women, didn't matter what size she was. It didn't matter how old she was, where she came from, what country, none of that. It was you showed up with so much confidence that it exuded. It overflowed from me. Thank you. And it was eating disorders. It was relationships. It was self-esteem. It was endless amounts of letters and comments and hugs and tears. And then I was like, wow, just me being myself, having a platform on a stage where I could just be honest.
20:31is what people needed thank you god thank you that you gave me that confidence and thank you that you gave me that platform and also like help me just continue to be myself because i don't want to be anything else for anybody else so those were the moments right but you also recognize it's not like you woke up and ended up being on a ted stage you were like you took years and years of perseverance of like everything against odds. Like there was so many people that had told me like, you know, you're just, Oh, you're pretty. You're just going to be a catalog model. And this is what it is. Like, don't think about building a business, which I really wanted to for, for so many years.
21:10And I waited and waited. And that was one of my regrets that I waited for people. There's so many people that told me I wasn't going to be on the covers and, and, you know, just stay in your lane basically um and i love i love thinking back to those those proving them wrong baby so many of them do you save any of those like like comments or like i don't save them because i'm not very journal about i do i write stuff down i'm a very much like in the moment and like a forward person i'm not i'm not like a yesterday i'm a tomorrow and i like to think about like what is next and what's happening i did go to a tony robbins event one time and something that stuck with me that he said was, what are, what's something that you did in the last six months and a year that you can congratulate yourself for that you have not.
21:55And I had to think really hard because I'm such a forward, I'm such a tomorrow person that it took a lot for me. And when I went back, I was like, wow, I really did whatever it was at that year. And I was like, congratulations. So now what I try to do, whether it's by myself or with my team, I say, we did that. Let's toast. Let's do, let's do some sort of celebration, whether it's in the car and we just all toast or we're out and we're, Hey, we did a good hundred percent. Plan a gorgeous dinner. Everything happens so quickly. It's really important. We're always like from one to the next. It's really important.
22:30Yeah. And especially with kids, it's like you finish one good thing at work and all of a sudden your responsibility is like, you know, cleaning up a shitty diaper. Girl, don't I know it. And I just got a dog. So there's that. Well, that was a silly decision. I mean, I don't know. Has anyone said that to you? You know, some people I have heard, why? Why did you get a dog? I'm like, just to add to the chaos. Why not? Three kids and a dog. Let's go. Let's talk about body image and how it's changed since you entered the industry. Like, has it changed for the positives or when we think about the influence of GLP ones like Ozempic, has it changed for the negative, in your opinion, as someone that's been at the forefront of body image?
23:19I think there's been a major progression in the positive since. I mean, if we're talking about, OK, if we just want to go like ground zero, Ashley's on Sports Illustrated. I think that there has been and I'm not saying that I'm the only one that has done this. I think that everything that changes in the world has to have a community behind it, right? There has to be manpower. And I think what it did was it really opened up the door for conversation around like what is beautiful and what is considered this ideal body or whatever. And it opened up even for women to feel better about themselves to say, to call out to brands to say, I want to see me.
23:59And I think we had a lot of years like that. And now with the GLP ones, I've even seen it in my businesses where there are certain sizes, even at JCPenney, that aren't selling as much because GLP ones are taking a hit even in the larger sizes. But there still is a community there, right? And I think that if we really look at the overall, like what has changed, there has been more conversation about bodies in a positive way within our community that that has mattered. Outside world, everybody wants to talk about, oh, you're this, oh, you're that. You want to hear all those negative comments, you know, through social media or articles written about, you know, what size you should be, whatever.
24:46That is noise and static. what's happening in the community is it has grown it has doubled it has tripled and that to me matters way more the amount of plus size influencers and content creators there are now is out of this world of you thank you yes and there's so many of those girlies that i just love and it's because they're making such a difference for the girls of the next generation and that's this is all about who you're doing it for not for a self right you know self yeah and we don't have I don't have the need to apologize for what they look like. But I think it's been for the positive.
25:21I think that there are negativities around everything. There's positive and negative around GLP lines. I mean, I want to talk to you about AI. Oh, yeah. Like when you think of... It's coming for our jobs. Well, I want to talk to you about it. I don't even know what my job is, by the way. It's like a podcaster? You know, I think so. Well, you'll tell me when we're done. It's going pretty well. But when you think about the business of modeling as it is today and the evolution of AI, what is your prediction? I think that there is still going to be this desire for real interaction and a real conversation.
25:59And I don't think AI can take the emotional business away from our bodies. being a a curvy woman in the public eye in fashion means that this is a very emotional business and I'm having emotional conversations with women on a day-to-day basis and AI can't do that AI can't give you a hug and say like you're worth it but I think that there's a there's going to be a big hit to the modeling industry as a whole I really do think that that's going to happen and I think it's just it's cheaper it's easier and are you seeing is there an instance where you saw it happen? Like a brand chose an AI model and perhaps it was a position that you could have had or?
26:39No, nobody's, nobody's, um, no AI has taken my job yet that I know of. I've seen AIs made in my likeness and they've gotten a cease and desist. Um, yeah, I didn't expect anything different from you, Ashley.
27:22Ha, ha, ha, ha. But if your team is still booking travel the old way, it's costing you more than you think. Enjin is the fastest growing travel and spend platform in the country, built specifically for businesses like yours. Book a trip in as little as two and a half minutes. Earn up to 10 % back on hotels. And in 2025, Enjin customers saved more than$300 million on travel with zero booking fees, no contracts, and no BS. More than a thousand businesses join Enjin every month. Join them and get$500 when your business signs up and starts traveling at engine.com slash Vox. This is Advertiser Content from Comcast Business.
Read the full transcript
28:05As cyber threats become more and more machine-based and driven by AI agents, those of us in the cyber defense space, we're having to invest at the same pace. Hi, I'm Chris McFarland, Chief Development Officer at Comcast Business. So when we think about the threat of cybersecurity attacks to businesses, they're just a lot more automated. They have the ability to think. They can scale literally anywhere from 100 to thousands of times faster than a human can. The reality is that today you need to protect every device, every endpoint, every workload that's running on a server, whether it's your own server or in the cloud.
28:41This is an area that Comcast Business excels at. We're enabling intelligence-driven defense with integrated visibility, AI-powered threat detection, and automated response capabilities that prioritize, correlate, and contain risks before they escalate. And so it doesn't matter whether you're a small business or a medium-sized business or a really large enterprise. We've got this incredible portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and services to really enhance your cybersecurity posture. To learn more about how Comcast Business can help protect your business today, visit comcastbusiness.com slash cybersecurity.
29:25Let's talk about body image. Your body has changed. It's evolved. I mean, we talk as women, like, perhaps our bodies are never the same. How do you, like, juggle, like, the perception of, this is what my body looks like. And after having kids, just accepting this is what my body will be like. Is that hard? for you? Yes. It's been really hard for me. I waited until I was 32, which is not old. It was just for me. I was, I was already married for nine years and then we were like, are we going to do it? Are we not going to do it? And then it just happened. And I'm glad I waited to do it, to have my career and also maturity.
29:59I just feel like I had more self-assurance. Um, I also picked to write the, like I, I had Isaac in 2020. It was like, everything was shut down. I went to Nebraska. What would you do than go through pregnancy and delivery? Yeah. I just was like, well, here we go. We're just going to sit around and have the maternity leave I never could have asked for. But with that and then having the twins literally less than two years later, I mean, I did a number on my body for sure. My mom didn't tell me in the moment, but she told me after. She was like, oh, you just always looked so uncomfortable. I mean, coming from your mother who sounds so positive.
30:39I know. I know. But she was like, the way you waddled and just like how you'd have to sit down. You know what? That's what mothers are for. They're honest. They are. You've been very open about postpartum, about what your body's going through. Like, how do you feel? Like, is it a feeling of what you want to share and not share? Or you were just like, this is me. This is how I feel. No, postpartum, I just kind of let it all out. I mean, gosh, I gained 60 pounds in my first pregnancy. I gained probably 80 with the twins. I don't think I even lost much of it in between. because it was COVID and it was just like, whatever.
31:16Oh, it was a lot. It's funny. During pregnancy, I couldn't eat much. So I felt like I was in such great shape. And I was like, I don't know what the other girls are doing wrong, but I'm feeling so good. No, don't eat as much. Hold on. And then I gave birth and I was like, I can't stop eating. Oh, were you breastfeeding? Yeah. For six months. I was like, I can't stop eating. my body like was so much better during pregnancy than it is now and it was wait this is another reason to get pregnant Maria no but I think that like we'd be foolish to not admit that we all have these conversations in our head and that we're not all thinking about how can we be nicer to ourselves how can we be better you know there is like this internal athlete in me too that's constantly saying you got to get stronger.
32:05You know, longevity matters. I want to be able to play with my grandkids. And that's kind of like when I'm lifting weights and I go to my max, like that's what I'm really thinking about. It's so refreshing to hear a woman sit across me and say like, this is what it is. I mean, are there things that you, that you lean on when you're just, you're so physically and mentally drained? Routine, routine for me, um, sleep, diet and routine. And, um, I don't need to do the same thing every day, but I need to know that I have a blocks of times throughout the day that are mine and I can, I can make a choice.
32:40Sometimes like when I feel like I've mapped everything out so perfectly, I'm such a type B person that I just want to be like, no, ew, I can't. So I just like to know that like, this is my wiggle room of time and I can do as I please. And whether that's like reading, meditation, journaling, workout, kid time, I've been doing a new thing with the boys where I've been, each week I take one of them out on a date, a mommy, mommy, son date. And they really are so into it too. They love it. What do you do? Where do you go? Well, they, they get to choose. They choose. Yes. So my oldest, he picked the arcade.
33:12Oh. I know. He wanted to go to the arcade. Okay. Which he's not allowed to do any of the guns. Okay. But he can do the cars and we can do like Pac-Man and stuff. Okay. And then he wanted to go get tacos and acai bowls. Okay. That's great. Such a fun date, right? Well, then the next one said, oh, he wanted to do that too. And then they like it so much. You just have to do it three days a week. Exactly. Well, each week there's a boy that gets it. I can't do them all in one week. That's insane. Because I also am dating my husband. Oh, because you have a job and you have a husband? Yes. And my husband and I do date night once a week too.
33:41Is that mandatory? It's mandatory. Okay. And it's mandatory to keep the marriage sustained. You tell me. I mean, that's why you're here. How many years have you guys been married? Oh, we're not married. Oh, you're. No. We're engaged. Oh my God. I know. Scandalous. Whoa. Sacrilegious over there. I know. We have a kid and we're not married. And you live together with your mother? I know. Where is this going? Are you going to get married? We have. We were. Okay. And then we had a kid. Oh, wait. Yeah. And then just like life goes on. Wait, so you're not planning the wedding right now? No, I'm not like a wedding.
34:14I'm not a wedding girl. I wasn't either. No. Justin planned our wedding. Okay. How many people did you have? 90. Oh, that's, you see, that would be a perfect number for me. I mean, actually like 50. Yeah. But my husband's like, you know, he like his closest friends is like 500. Oh, no. Yeah. No, no, no. Then he gets to plan it. That's what I told Justin. I said, look, if you want to get married, like for real, like have a real wedding and not go to like. Yeah. Well, I was actually thinking like Thailand, just go to Thailand. He and I, but just he and I, you know, like on the beach, like just saying something to each other.
34:47But he's like, no, I really want the wedding. So I said, you get to plan it. And I just showed up. I went and I bought my dress. You plan it, you pay for it and I'll show up. Okay, let's transition. Where were we? Let's talk about Broadway. Oh, yeah. I mean, you made your debut in Broadway. It was a dream of yours. Yes. You made it happen. I did. It came into fruition. I made it happen. How does that happen? Oh, my God. I am still shocked that they said yes to me. Let's just be, I'm not, I have never sang, I have never danced, and I have never acted in my life. I mean, acting, I mean, sure. like I mean like I'm a model and you just kind of get filtered into it but this was out of the box completely for me the reason I even like presented this idea to this agent was because I was having dinner in Paris with Jordan Roth who is literally the guy in Broadway like he is the creme de la creme he like if you don't follow him on Instagram you're missing out on a theatrical moment of your life.
35:45And he was like, you are Ashley Graham. You can do Broadway. And he gave me the confidence that I didn't have to say, okay, I'm going to move forward with this. So he gave me a great singing coach, Liz Kaplan. She's fucking fabulous. Wow. So if I want to improve my karaoke, you can do it. I could call her. Okay. She's amazing. My ass is not getting on Broadway, but she pulled something out of me that I didn't, I knew it was there, but I didn't know it was able to come out. And then I actually started working with the current Roxy, um, in, in Chicago. Her name is Dylee. Her name is Dylee. She's amazing too.
36:24So we, so I was doing this double whammy of like Dylee and Liz and going back and forth for three months. You were training for the audition. What? Yes. You didn't even know you had the part? No. I was like, I'm not going in and I'm not making a fool of myself. When I say I want to do something and I'm given an opportunity, I'm going to go all in. I had my first audition. They were like, great. We know what we need to work on. Go work on the monologue, which was the one thing I didn't work on. I hadn't touched it. Went back for two weeks, worked on my monologue, came back, was in front of the producer who's owned it since it started.
36:57And boom, he offered me the job on the spot. And I couldn't believe it. And then you couldn't say no. No, I didn't say no. I cried. And I was like, yes, I'm so excited. And the craziest thing was right before that audition, I was in the bathroom getting ready and like kind of, you know, like freaking out. Exactly. Brooke Shields walks in and she's like, Ashley, what are you doing here? And she's like, wait, are you trying out for Roxy Hart? I saw it on the door outside. And I was like, and I was like speechless. She's like, you know, I was Roxy, right? And I was like, give me Roxy energy. So I called her right after.
37:28I was like, you're a part of the reason I got this. Thank you so much. Like she was such like a like a North Star for me. It was like so amazing. But it was what a whirlwind experience. I feel like there's like a bigger lesson like for the listeners of this episode where like it could be a dream, but you have to work and grind to get better at a dream and make it a reality. Like for young girls that are discouraged to keep going after their dream or to take chances, what would you say to them? You can't ask for something and then sit on the couch and expect it just to happen. You can't. You have to work hard.
38:07I mean, look at you on the court. You couldn't have said, oh, I want to go and do, you know, have my four grand slams and not have had five girl. Five, five. Sorry. Five, five grand slams. There's Roxy. Seriously. I love it. That's what I want. But that but but like look at how hard you worked. And I think that there is this idea from this next generation that you, you know, you see something happen so quickly on social media or you see something just pop out of nowhere with their big career and you think it just happens. And it's not how it works. I mean, I have been modeling. I've been doing this for 28 years and I still I'm grinding.
38:50I'm still every day. Yes, it doesn't end. So it's really I mean, everything takes a lot of hard work, but it has to also take passion. You have to be really excited about it because if you're not excited about it, you're going to get burnt out. Have you had burnout before? So my burnout was associated with injuries because dealing and going through rehab of an injury is more taxing on the mind than anything. and while knowing that everyone else is competing and playing and getting better and all you're doing is just getting your body like stable enough to go out and compete. So you lose so much.
39:29Like you just, you lose your strength, you lose your mental capacity and like the more you get injured, it just, it adds up and it's just, it's hell. Yeah, I can't imagine. And it's physically so painful. It's physically brutal.
39:49If you're looking to hire, you need Indeed. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, you can spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. And listeners of this show will get a$75 sponsored job credit to help your job get the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed-sponsored jobs.
40:34Do you hear that? That sound, right? That means that summer's officially here. It means that grown adults just sprint into the street for a frozen dessert shaped like a cartoon. But this summer, Mint Mobile has a better tree. Every plan, including unlimited, is$15 a month. And unlike ice cream, it won't drip down your wrist or look nothing like the picture. Does anyone have any cash? Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. New customer offer for initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy.
41:03See terms. Support for this show comes from CoreWeave. Everywhere you look, AI is expanding what we thought was possible. and at the center of it all is CoreWeave. Medical research and diagnosis, education, complex visual effects for movies, science and technology breakthroughs. CoreWeave powers AI pioneers around the world with purpose-built tech, building what's never been built before. CoreWeave is the essential cloud for AI. Ready for anything, ready for AI. To learn more about how CoreWeave powers the world's best AI, go to coreweave.com slash ready for anything.
41:44can we talk about wine okay so like a backstory on this a few like a few months ago we connect on a call because my business manager sends me a random bottle of wine that i couldn't find online right uh because it wasn't out yet and i'm like what is this he's like well drink it first put it in the fridge yeah sorry here's the marketer i put it in the fridge overnight i pop open the bottle the next day with my mom and we're drinking it and she's like what is this i was like i actually have no idea i love that um i don't know who made it i don't know i can't find anything about it online and we start drinking it and we love it oh my god so i call my investment manager and I was like, I, what is this?
42:36And he gives me a backstory on how this is Ashley Graham's new business. I was like, get me a call with Ashley Graham tomorrow. Oh my gosh. And I'm like, first of all, I'm so proud of you like to see this journey of from where you started to now like putting your business hat on. And this is not modeling. This is like, this is PNL. This stuff is not sexy. No, no, no. Being a founder is not sexy. The grind is different. The grind is different. Tell me everything. I would say that I've never been like a wine connoisseur, but I've always been really adventurous with any kind of food and drinks. I always want to try what's happening, what's new.
43:15And I remember having Lambrusco about 10 years ago, and it was always stayed in my roster. I always loved it, but could never find one that stuck with me that like I could go to my local wine store and always find, or it was always maybe a little too sweet and, you know, a little too expensive. Oh my God. I was literally about to say, or it was like, why is this$60? Right. So, um, I, I, I was with my business partner and he said to me, if we're both here at, we were in Bestia in LA. He's like, if we're both here drinking Lambrusco, because this is the one that we like here. He's like, why don't we just make our own?
43:48And I was like, well, how the hell do you make a wine company? We knew a couple of, of Lambrusco's that we loved. So we looked up where they were made and I found them on Instagram and I DM'd them and I said, hey, love your wine. Would you like to make a wine with me? What do you think they thought? Specifically, a Lambrusco. Because I love Lambrusco. They probably thought, I can just imagine they're on the other side thinking she just wants free shit. Because that's what every celebrity does. Hey, here's my address. I just want to try it. Like I want to share it with my friends and if I like it I'll post about it well one hit um but not just one specifically one that I really love and it's a fifth generation winemaker and he didn't know who I was but his mother did and he was like oh my mama loves you I'm doing an accent over DM right I'm reading it in an accent and um so Danny and I flew my business partner Danny and I flew to Amelia Romagna to meet him and it was love at first lambrusco grape because there was the opportunity to really felt endless there and they worked so we worked so like closely with them in really building out lucci specifically because lambrusco can get sweet really easily just based off of like the type of grape it is and i really didn't want a lot of sugar in it it is on the lower side of sugar it's on the lower side of avb and these things really matter to me as people are drinking less it's important as i'm building an alcohol brand to understand that, but they're also drinking smarter.
45:19And I want the smarter to be in the low sugar and the lower alcohol. I mean, talk to me about like going into business because that's like, that's an entirely, I know that you've been part of ventures and you, you've collaborated. Yeah. I mean, you've done collaboration. So you, you have a great understanding of how to mix the creative aspect of your job to business. but when you own something, there's an entirely new responsibility. What made it feel like this was the right time in your career? Well, there's always been this question in my head of what do I own? What is really mine? And I've had, like you said, lots of licensing deals and I've lended my name to a lot of amazing companies.
46:03But this opportunity felt different because it is so out of fashion and out of beauty and in general but it's really a passion it's like something that my husband and I have been drinking for years together and once we made luchi I mean everybody in my family was drinking it going when is this coming out and and it is it is and it's like when the product is so good and you just can't it's undeniable then then you know you've got something good on your hands and we I really this is a three-year process I really wanted to make sure You just launched it, but you've been working on this for years.
46:36Yes, I wanted to make sure that we had a really great product in our hands. But I think for me, I'm not a numbers girl. I'm not going to go in and do the calculations and the audits and things. Danny is really that for me. He's the numbers guy, and I'll be the forward-facing gal. But something that I learned early on in my business career is, something you don't know how to do, hire someone for it. Bring somebody in that knows how to. Let there be another half of you. you don't have to do everything by yourself. No, and you don't have to know everything. You don't. And I don't know everything.
47:09But what I know is that I'm passionate about Lucci. I'm passionate about building this business. And I'm really passionate about building just like the community around it. Because when people drink Lucci, it's a coming together. It's a celebration. It's for every occasion or none at all. Does it also feel like an evolution of who you are as a person? Because when you, because it's a complete unknown and it's a category that you're unfamiliar with. And I had an experience with starting and running a business for 10 years. I had a candy brand. I learned so much, like through these 10 years, things that I wouldn't have learned if I wasn't the founder of this company.
47:47And part of me like looks back into that experience and says, I am where I am and I work with the companies I do because I have that knowledge. It was like a learning experience for me? Is there part of you that thinks I will also grow? I mean, I'm going to become more familiar with numbers. You know, maybe that's not my passion, but if I want to be a founder, I better get better at it. Sure. I think having seen so many businesses grow, use my name and to grow or, or have it be lent and see how they're working, not just the marketing and the creative, but like, like you said, the financials behind it has been so intriguing in enough for me to go and build out Lucci.
48:30And I think that like when you said like this is like this new phase of my life and this new kind of like this different part of me, like it's not like, oh, I'm drinking more. So I have an alcohol brand. No, it's just like this is another part of my life that I'm sharing with people. Another bit of me that I want you to be a part of. I mean, we're sitting here and you are still 38 years old. Like we're talking about I mean, I have all these notes about all your accomplishments and everything that you've achieved and gone through in your life. And I mean, motherhood and working with some of the most incredible brands in the world.
49:03When like, do you often strategize about your future? Do you think about what's next? Like what is next for Ashley Graham? If you're not thinking about the future, what are you thinking about? Some people don't. I know, but that's weird. Like I told you, I'm not a yesterday. I'm a, I'm a tomorrow. And I, I really think that if you're not writing things down and you're not thinking about what is your one, five, 10, 100 year plan, like what, what, what do you want? And like, even if your hundred year plan is to just be like gardening and hanging out with your grandkids, like that's great planet.
49:39Because I know people that are in their eighties that can't have that because they didn't financially prep for that, or they didn't physically prep for that. Things don't just happen. They don't. And I have recognized that I love having older friends. And I think that there's just so much wisdom and knowledge and having older people around. And when I say older, I mean, I'm 38 and I, one of my best friends is 50 and I just, I relate to that so much. And it's just cause I, I mean, I was thrown into a spotlight at such a young age and like you, you, you, you become so much more mature than like women my age.
50:15And so I just, I felt like, I mean, I need to hang out with older women and they became my best friends and they have so much wisdom so much wisdom that they want to be able to give you which i always i i take with open arms i i love a constructive criticism i love a real deep conversation yes and i love to know what's really coming around the pipeline i do not sugar coat something for me.
50:46I have a few pretty tough questions for you. Okay. Ready? Ready. She's in the boxing ring. Yeah. I love boxing. What is something you've had to unlearn in this phase of my life to not be as hard on myself for where I am? Like I wanted to be farther, but I'm not. And I've had to unlearn that, like, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay to be right where you are and that you're not farther. You want it to be farther? I know that sounds crazy. Wait a second. But you had five grand slams, so shut up. Isn't anyone listening to this? Wow. After everything that we've just spoken about. Yes. I know. I love it.
51:23I still am hard on myself. I want to be further. I love that you're, like, not apologizing for your ambition. No. No. No. I love it. No. I'm just pointing it out. What is a routine that's helped shape your success? Oh, mantras and words of affirmation, for sure. I think that there is power in your tongue. And your tongue has so much life and death in it. And anything that I have spoken, I have received. And there has been bad things also. So I am really conscious of how I'm saying what I'm saying. At least I try to be. I mean, things happen. To others or to yourself? Both. both matter I mean this is a very powerful tool and you have to be really really cautious of it so that has been a big one for me I also find it's equally as powerful when you write what you think because then when you see it with your eyes it just it becomes so clear and so honest and it's on paper what is a common misconception about you maybe it would be oh god what would Justin say what would Justin say a misconception is that sometimes I just want to like be coddled and like I just want to like have the power go away and just like be like you know just do it for me and just be like I just want to be right here what's your relationship to perfection oh perfection doesn't exist it doesn't exist you know I remember saying early in my career like perfection doesn't exist so stop striving for it and like anytime I've I've even been like oh wow that was perfect.
53:00It's like, is it perfect? Do we love perfect? No, I wanted it better. No, I wanted it better. Yeah, we always do. What is something that makes you feel tough? Oh, I, you know, speaking of boxing, I do feel really tough when I'm in the ring. It's great. Isn't it feel invigorating? You don't even have to box. It's like that entrance. Yeah. When you like bend over. What is something that makes you feel pretty? Oh, I think laughter makes me feel pretty. I love laughing and I love a good conversation and a chat. Even last night, Jess and I were on a date night and we were just laughing so hard. And I was like, I feel so pretty.
53:38He's checking me out and I feel pretty. Where did you go? We went to a local spot that actually is carrying Lucci, by the way. Of course it is. I mean, by the way, any restaurant that's next to Deuteronomy House does not have a chance. Oh, I just bring a bottle. I'm like, hey, do you have this on your... Where's your SOM? I would love to talk to them. They need luchy. SOM, sommelier. Yeah, hey. ALK, SOM. This is all I have for you. We're done. Ashley, thank you so much for joining Pretty Tough. Thanks for having me. See you season two. See you.
54:15It's late. Your team has a launch to plan while your customer inbox fills up. No worries. In one prompt, Klaviyo builds the whole campaign. The emails, the texts, WhatsApp, all in your voice. Never without your okay. Plus, Klaviyo spots the revenue you're leaving on the table and answers those customer questions, so your team can get some rest. Go to klaviyo.com slash bestfriends. Support for the show comes from Engin. Running a small business means every dollar has to work hard. But if your team is still booking travel the old way, it's costing you more than you think. engine is the fastest growing travel and spend platform in the country built specifically for businesses like yours book a trip and as little as two and a half minutes earn up to 10 back on hotels and in 2025 engine customers save more than 300 million dollars on travel with zero booking fees no contracts and no bs more than a thousand businesses join engine every month join them and get$500 when your business signs up and starts traveling at engine.com slash Vox.
55:27Trying to locate news sources that reliably separate fact from fiction can seem like looking for a needle in a haystack. That's why The Guardian is launching Stateside with Kai Wright and Carter Sherman, a conversation with experts who slow down the news and wrestle with the questions we all have about what's actually happening in the world. Three times a week, hosts Kai and Carter utilize all the reporting resources The Guardian has to discuss the news, international affairs, climate, culture, sports, lifestyle, fashion, and wellness. And The Guardian is not billionaire-owned, meaning they're free to report the whole picture without interference.
56:05Go to theguardian.com slash stateside to learn more. And listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. That's theguardian.com slash stateside.
From the publisher
This week on the show, model and entrepreneur Ashley Graham joins Maria for a conversation about confidence, body image, ambition, and self-worth. Ashley opens up about navigating criticism in the fashion industry and impossible standards placed on women — especially in industries built around image.
Together, Maria and Ashley talk about perfectionism, motherhood, changing bodies, identity, resilience, and how to spot a good business opportunity. It all adds up to an inspiring conversation around how to live unapologetically.
All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough.
Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA.
Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform
Follow Maria on Instagram
Follow Maria on X
Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram
Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:45 Being Unapologetic: Identity & Career Longevity
00:03:30 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a CEO
00:04:45 Early Scrutiny: Dealing with Body Standards from Age 12 00:06:20 The Defining Moment: How Her Mother’s Advice Saved Her Career
00:07:45 The Evolution of the Body: Life After Three Kids
00:10:00 The "Banned" Lane Bryant Ad & Dealing with Public Scrutiny 00:12:35 Handling Negative Comments & Mental Toughness
00:15:15 The Historic 2016 Sports Illustrated Cover
00:18:00 The Power of the Platform: Changing Lives Through Authenticity 00:20:00 Tony Robbins & The Importance of Celebrating Wins
00:21:40 Impact of GLP-1s & Modern Body Image Trends
00:24:00 The Future of Modeling & AI
00:26:00 Postpartum Realities & Balancing Motherhood
00:28:15 Managing Mental Drainage: Routines, Boundaries, & Parenting 00:31:00 Broadway Debut: Making It Happen Through Grit
00:34:00 Debunking the Myth of "Overnight Success"
00:36:00 From Model to Founder: Building Her Wine Company, Luce 00:43:00 Strategic Planning & The Value of Intergenerational Friendships 00:44:45 Pretty Tough Q&A: Unlearning Hard Habits & Finding Power
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
