Sebastian and I in Peru

You may have read some of the previous Beautiful Voices posts here on the blog…

The goal of this series was to showcase beautiful women who are an inspiration to me, to you, and who also happen to use Annmarie Skin Care!

Today, I wanted to share a little about myself, so that you can get to know who I am.  Sound good?

Then let’s get into it…

Why did you start the Beautiful Voices series?

I started Beautiful Voices so women would know that they are not alone, but also to inspire and to create a community of beautiful women just like you…for all those reasons and more. So many of us have a story to tell that others can learn from, but there’s rarely a place to share it. We’ve lost the wisdom of our mothers and our ancestors, so why not create an online forum where we could read inspiring stories about women who are making their own space in this world? So here I have created a safe place for mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers to share their stories to create a space of comfort, support, and inspiration.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration is you! It may sound strange, but it’s true. Everything I do is done to help others, and this mission – Annmarie Skin Care – is to help you rediscover your youth using the wisdom of nature.

Another inspiration to me is Sebastian and the Qero tribe in Peru. These people, until recently, have lived in the Andes Mountains since before the times of the Incas. They are strong, lighthearted, and provide such an admirable example of community and support.

Also, my soul mate, Kevin, is a huge inspiration to me. He keeps me on my toes, motivates me, and helps me remember why I do what I do.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

You want me to pick just one? Who came up with these questions, lol!

First was my education. I always struggled with the conventional way of learning. Unfortunately, my parents did not know of any other options for me and kept me in public school. How I got through my learning challenges was by getting involved in athletics. Somehow, I learned if my body was in motion my mind could tackle much more. Also, sports really helped with my self esteem, because I was able to find something I was really good at.

These days, I understand how I learn best, and that is by being totally and completely hands-on (maybe that is why I was so good at sports?). For other people who learn like me, I hope standardized testing evolves into testing to see how kids learn best, and then puts them on a learning track that highlights the best way for them to succeed.

Another one of my biggest challenges when I was growing up was making some silly mistakes by treating some people in a way that may have hurt them. I am sure my low self esteem was related to my poorer grades and challenges with school, but I never should have expressed this in a hurtful way to anyone. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken publicly about this, but it is still on my mind and I feel this is the best time to share it and apologize to anyone I might have hurt. I made some silly mistakes as all teenage girls do and hurt some good people in the process. Since then, I have really taken into account how my actions will make others feel. I feel this experience is directly related to what I do now!

Third was being stuck in a work environment that was very limiting to me. The work I did before as an Athletic Trainer was fulfilling, but I never felt I was rewarded for my time financially. With the help of my husband we started our own business and here I am today – appreciative, caring, and in service.

If money was no object what would you be doing?

I am doing it! Helping people is what I love! The next step for me is to work a little more with skin care policy and product regulation to rally against the horrible chemicals that are used in cosmetics, but I’ve just started this path…stay tuned.

Also, I’d like to spend some more time helping all the tribes that have been affected by the modern way of living to help them transition into modern society smoothly and also to help them preserve their heritage.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

“See one, do one, teach one.” This was a motto given to me in a college athletic training class and I still use it today. First, you see someone do something, then you do it yourself to internalize it, and, finally, you teach another what you’ve learned.

Since my college days, I’ve adjusted this motto to read like this…

“See one living life as you would want to live, learn from them, and teach others who want to learn.”

Where and when do you feel most at peace?

Being outside in nature. Throughout my entire life, anytime I have been stressed I’ve really felt my best after taking a nice long hike or run outside.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty to me is not only something tangible or someone looking pretty – it is an action; it is respecting others, yourself, the environment, and all of Mother Nature’s creatures.

Beauty is also living according to your heart and intuition – opening up your heart and listening to what it tells you.

What makes you feel beautiful?

Using my products of course, LOL! There are a lot of things that make me feel beautiful so I will just list them…

1.  Getting a compliment from someone
2.  Giving a compliment
3.  Making someone smile
4.  Lending a helping hand
4.  Being in nature
5.  Being with friends and family
6.  Eating healthy
7.  Sleeping well
8.  Thinking happy thoughts
9.  Holding hands with my husband
10.  Smelling flowers
11.  Walking in the rain
12. Sweating

There are more, but let’s start with these!

What’s your favorite beauty secret or tip?

Sleep, water, and exercise!  There is no secret here, just good old-fashioned taking care of yourself!

What do you do when you want to pamper yourself?

I love to take baths, walk barefoot in nature, do yoga, breathe, read a good book.

How does Annmarie’s mission fit into your lifestyle?

It IS my lifestyle, hehe. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are your words of wisdom to other beauties out there…

Speak, act and love from your heart! Everything else will follow…

(If you’re interested in being featured as one of our Beautiful Voices, please email us at info [at] annmariegianni.com)

Much Love,
Annmarie Gianni
“Teaching People About Beauty From the Inside Out”

“You may know me as the author of a natural beauty blog called The Glamorganic Goddess – but I am not your typical tree-hugger! I’m notoriously known for my sassy product reviews and fabulous money saving tips… in other words, caviar taste on a fish stick budget. It is through this platform that I’ve turned my pain into purpose by publicly documenting my journey as a young cancer survivor on a mission to find healthy beauty products, without sacrificing my standards.

My adventures in Cancer-Land began unexpectedly in 2009 when I was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer at the age of 31. In the past few years I’ve undergone surgery twice, had radiation treatments and have since chosen the road less traveled in terms of treatment. The hardest part for me was when my health took a dramatic turn and I realized that nobody could tell me what caused  it…or how to prevent it from returning in the future, especially since I had no family history. This forced me to take a look at the choices I made every day, most importantly what I was putting in and on my body. I realized that lifestyle factors such as an organic, plant-based diet, vitamins, exercise, natural cosmetics and body care products, non-toxic cleaning products, stress levels, sleep habits, emotional and spiritual well-being, etc. were all things actually in my control, when everything seemed so out of control.

Many of you might ask why this is so important. We all know about diet and exercise, and blah, blah, blah…but why are beauty products important in the scheme of things? Well, for me, beauty products have played a major role in my life and have been a passion ever since I was a little girl – an ice princess, in fact. I, like many other little ballerinas, gymnasts, and cheerleaders out there have been wearing makeup since my first figure skating competition at the age of four, and have gone on to become a national, international and world gold-medalist in my nearly three decades in the sport – getting all dolled up, all along the way. I can’t help but wonder if this might have had some sort of an impact on my health. I say this because in the United States cosmetics are part of a multi-billion dollar industry that offers some of the least regulated consumer products on the market today. By law, there is no pre-market testing for safety required before a beauty product hits store shelves. Environmental toxins from many of these products can accumulate in our bodies over time, making us sick, causing dis-ease and contribute to what’s known as our overall “body burden”. In my opinion – if what we’re using isn’t helping, it’s hurting and if you aren’t as outraged by this as I am, then you aren’t paying attention!

Despite being at the height of a 15 year professional skating career when the Big C crashed my party, I truly believe that it was this unique combination of circumstances that helped me to see my scars as stars and change the course of my life forever to become the healthy beauty advocate I am today. I’ve since dedicated my life to educating others about the importance of cancer prevention through a truly healthy lifestyle – one natural, organic and fabulous beauty product at a time!”

AMG: Who do you feel you are today? What event has defined your life?

DM: See above.

AMG: Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

DG: What inspires me most are the people who read what I write on The GG Blog, my Facebook Fans + my Twitter Followers! They are MY support group, but probably don’t know that! When I’m having a tough day, they remind me not to give up and stop me from running back to my toxic, old flame…aka, the MAC Makeup Counter. My larger-than-life heroes are David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., PhD. (author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life), Kris Carr (Crazy Sexy Cancer Documentary, Books, etc.), Suzanne Somers (author of Knockout), Louise Hay (author of You Can Heal Your Life), and so many more…I could go on forever!

AMG: What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

DM: Aside from kicking Cancer’s A$$ and convincing everyone in my life that I’m not crazy for doing things my way (without drugs, chemo, etc)…my biggest challenge has probably been breaking through the common stigma that ‘natural products don’t work’. My second biggest challenge is actually finding the truly natural beauty products that do work! The ingredients can be as pure as they get – but if the product doesn’t work, people aren’t going to use them. It’s all about the journey here – not the destination. Always searching, reading ingredient labels, in constant contact with company owners and reps with questions, experimenting with tons of beauty products…all in the name of research, of course.

AMG: If money was no object what would you be doing? Would it be exactly what you are already doing?

DM: I would have my own cosmetics line. Makeup is where my passion really lies.

AMG: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

DM: “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” – Maya Angelou. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.“ – Robert Frost.

AMG: What does beauty mean to you?

DM: Besides all the glitz + glam (if that’s what you’re into), I think beauty is based on how you treat yourself and how you treat others. If you’re ugly on the inside and treat others terribly, no amount of outer beauty can make up for it.

AMG: What makes you feel beautiful?

DM: Personally, I’m totally in my element when I’m getting glammed-up! I want to note that I do not feel that I have to wear makeup; I like to. Since I’ve always been artsy, it’s just another way to allow my creativity to flow. I say my affirmations as I’m looking into the mirror and find it quite relaxing.

AMG: What’s your favorite beauty secret or tip?

DM: Affirmations, Facial Masks + Baths.

AMG: What do you do when you want to pamper yourself?

DM: See above.

AMG: How does Annmarie’s mission fit into your lifestyle?

DM: Annmarie’s mission fits into my lifestyle by knowing that I can trust the ingredients that go into the Annmarie Gianni Skin Care Brand. One of my most Golden Rules is not to ever trust an entire company – to go product by product, ignoring all the pretty bottles and miraculous marketing claims, and read the ingredient labels. Out of the hundreds I write about- there is only one other product line I completely trust besides Annmarie Gianni Skin Care!  That says a lot!

Thanks for sharing! Danielle is an inspiration to all of us at ASC! Keep up with her journey at http://theglamorganicgoddess.blogspot.com.

(If you’re interested in being featured as one of our Beautiful Voices, please email us at info [at] annmariegianni.com)

Brenna is a Certified Holistic Health Coach – trained through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and licensed by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She has a passion for healing through food. Brenna motivates, educates and inspires women to live healthy, energetic and fulfilling lives.

(If you’re interested in being featured as one of our Beautiful Voices, please email us at info [at] annmariegianni.com)

AMG: Who do you feel you are today?  What event has defined your life?

BT: My eyes are open and I am thriving. Meeting my future husband and changing my diet, job, and knowledge of how the universe works has defined my life as it is now.

AMG: What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

BT: When everyone close to me expected a certain life from me and I did the complete opposite. I overcame it by just doing it and now sharing my knowledge with my family is changing their lives as well.

AMG: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

BT: Feel the fear and do it anyway.

AMG: Where and when do you feel most at peace?

BT: In my garden.

AMG: What does beauty mean to you?

BT: Feeling comfort in your own skin.

AMG: What makes you feel beautiful?

BT: My enthusiasm and passion for life. Not to mention the glow from green juices

AMG: What’s your favorite beauty secret or tip?

BT: I think I just answered that above!

AMG: What do you do when you want to pamper yourself?

BT: Massage!

AMG: How does Annmarie’s mission fit into your lifestyle?

BT: Annmarie’s products are real food and herbs. What goes on the outside is JUST as important as what goes on the inside. Your skin is your biggest organ and soaks up what you put on it!

AMG: What are your words of wisdom to other beauties out there?

BT: My favorite quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

Isn’t she beautiful? If you want to keep up with Brenna’s amazing life follow her blog at healthylittlebit.com!

Much Love,
Annmarie Gianni
“Teaching People About Beauty From the Inside Out”

In my life, I have been blessed with meeting so many amazing women. Whether it has been though my website or in person, I’m always thrilled when someone tells me their story. Even though we don’t always know each other well (or at all!), I always feel like we are friends in a unique and beautiful way.

Then I had an idea. Why not share these incredible stories with everyone? Why not introduce you personally to these women and let them share their wisdom with you themselves?

I’m proud to introduce Beautiful Voices, our latest blog series that highlights some of the amazing people I’ve encountered on my journey with Annmarie Skincare (or before!).

I love them, and I know you will too.

For our first Beautiful Voices post, I’d like to introduce you to my amazing friend Lori (whom I happen to know very well). Lori opened her doors to my husband and I when we were traveling a few years ago and we had an instant bond. Mother, raw food chef, holistic health practitioner – Lori’s wisdom and compassion for those around her inspires me! Read on and get to know her more.

(If you’re interested in being featured as one of our Beautiful Voices, please email us at info [at] annmariegianni.com)

What event has defined your life?

Losing my 5 year old daughter, Brittany, to leukemia 20 years ago. Watching her struggle and having to make the heartbreaking decision to remove life support broke me, utterly and completely. Over time it also served to shift me from a very unhealthy life to one of compassion, service, and health. Sometimes what breaks your heart will ultimately be the thing that rebuilds – strengthens you and makes your life’s path clear.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

First off, my children! Erik, 22, and Gage, 17, and My Little Angel Brittany. Secondly, The Human Spirit. Watching people triumph over adversity, seeing their smiles and the light in their face. Compassion and empathy for each other and seeing the beauty in ALL. Being a part of someone’s healing, growth, or just watching something inspiring fills me with so much joy…it keeps me going and striving towards being a better person.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

After I lost my daughter I plummeted into a severe depression and alcohol abuse. It’s been a journey to overcome and regain my life. But through making conscious choices to put one foot in front of the other each day and live a life of compassion, love, and service, always looking for ways to grow, and having the courage to walk through painful and scary things I have found my purpose. Living authentically, on purpose, with love guiding me I have found strength as well as forgiveness for myself and have been able to help others find their way through their tough times, too.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

I’ve gotten so much great advice over the years! Recently I was given some great advice from a few people.

“ No Fear! When you go into a place of fear, you stop your growth! Do what your heart tells you with NO fear!” – Omar from Rawtopia

“The walk UP the mountain is the hardest part of the journey, that takes many steps. At the top of the mountain all you have to do take is that ONE step and leap…Take the leap of Faith” – Shivie Cook

“Stop looking at the negative!” – Uncle Wayne

I’m so blessed to have some of the most amazing people in my life. I have depended on everyone’s advice. So MY advice is to LISTEN when people give you advice. There have been seeds planted that I didn’t “get” at the time but as time went by these words of wisdom have taken root and they started growing in a place in my life when I really needed them.

When and where do you feel most at peace?

I feel most at peace in the mountains and nature. Connecting with the natural world, sitting on rocks, hearing the wind blowing through the trees. Finding peace, beauty, and stillness in Nature connects me to Spirit. Being in Nature for me is like the very breath that keeps me alive. It’s the RESET button. I come away from my time in nature with clarity, calmness, and a glow – ready to take on life.

Who do you think you are today?

Today is a far cry from who I was 20 years ago, but also from 3 months ago, as well as a week ago. Every stage of my life has brought challenges and opportunities for amazing growth. But as for who I am right now, I am filled with joy, love, compassion. I radiate from deep inside and I can feel it intensely in everything I do! From my smile to the way I walk, my energy and sense of aliveness. I LOVE helping others find their own sense of peace through health counseling, raw foods, yoga and massage. I’m simply a vehicle through which the Universe/Great Spirit sends healing. I have just found a way to be open for that energy to flow through. Walking on a path of love, light, and health opens my incredible spiritual energy….

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty to me means an inner peace and calmness and an “ok-ness”; a feeling of joy and compassion that radiates through your smile and eyes. It’s the very foundation that everything else sits on. No fancy clothes, make up or hairstyle will really do the trick unless you carry that inner joy that shines through you. Food is also a critical part of what creates beauty. It makes your skin glow, your eyes clear, gives you energy, and helps create better moods! Choose nutrient dense food!

What makes you feel beautiful?

When I feel most beautiful is when I have an inner sense of purpose and joy and being able to take action to bring that purpose to life. So caring for my spirit and living my dreams no matter what and living authentically is key. I smile more, my eyes sparkle, and I walk taller with grace. I listen to uplifting, spiritual music…it makes my heart shine and that “shininess” radiates out and makes me feel beautiful!

How does Annmarie’s mission fit into your lifestyle?

Annmarie has the biggest heart! She is truly dedicated to bringing education, truth, love and compassion to all she does. She actually walks her talk and is selfless with her time and heart. She inspires me.

What are your words of wisdom to other beauties out there?

Look inside to find your true path. Live authentically. Stay positive. Don’t allow yourself to live in excuses, victim mentality, and fear. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and weed out the people who drag you down. Exercise every day! It improves your attitude and mood as well as your body. Practice deep breathing and listen to uplifting music. Spend time in nature! Do something to help someone else. Write affirmations and “Happy Words” on your body like “I love you”  “You are beautiful!”  “Joy”  “Health”!

To keep up with Lori, visit her site at pureblisshealth.com!

(If you’re interested in being featured as one of our Beautiful Voices, please email us at info [at] annmariegianni.com)

Much Love,
Annmarie Gianni
“Teaching People About Beauty From the Inside Out”