Emmylou MacCarthy #confidenceiscontagious Interview

#confidenceiscontagious

Question: Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind #confidenceiscontagious?

Emmylou MacCarthy: 'Confidence is contagious' comes from a mixture of feedback from my fans and what I truly believe happens when I exude confidence. Ever since I was a little girl I remember being told that my personality is infectious. From family, to school teachers and then peers and colleagues – it's always been a common point of feedback. As the 'Emmylou Loves' profile has grown, being confident is another word I hear in the great feedback I receive. What I've found through my IG stories, whether it be fashion styling, cooking, make-up tips, just walking through the market place or talking directly to my fans, the messages were often, "Hey Emmylou, I love how confident you are". So when it came time to rebrand my website, my web designer asked me, "What would be the one sentence that would typify my website?". I straight away thought these two concepts come together in 'Confidence is contagious'.


Question: What advice do you have for other women who struggle to be confident?

Emmylou MacCarthy: I think what really helps is being ok with those times when you're not feeling confident. It's about not trying to fight through these moments and instead, taking a step back and trying to and understand some tiny, little adjustments that you can make to increase your confidence levels, day by day.

Confidence relates directly to what makes you comfortable and happy. Everybody is different. For me the things that made me feel comfortable were fashion styling and utilising my skills in makeup artistry. These two things helped bring me back to a happy space. For others, it may be health and well-being – getting back into daily exercise and eating healthy foods or it might be listening to a daily podcast, playing an instrument or joining a social group. One things for sure, confidence is always about self-discovery and understanding what makes you comfortable. And it's about being proud of what you've discovered.

I started rediscovering my make-up artistry and styling skills and the more I rediscovered them, the more proud I felt. It was enough to get me out the door, feeling confident, feeling happy.


Question: What tools can we use to assist us in feeling body positive?

Emmylou MacCarthy: What I have come to realise is that it's not about waking up and just feeling confident with your body. There is no one big thing that you can do or buy that is going to fix things. I came to understand that it's a daily practice that I needed to commit to and work on until I could mentally catch up. Here are a few of the things I worked on:

Self-talk: If negative self-talk kicks in, think to yourself, "Would I talk to my BFF like this?" Hell no! So give yourself a break. As long as you are being kind and honest in life, no one else's opinion counts.
Own it: Work with where your body is at right now. If you are at a stage where leggings and an over-sized top is all that fits then so be it, but OWN it. Choose some earrings that you love, bust out your favourite shade of lipstick, add a slight heel or boot for a little sass and have some fun with it!

Pick the low-hanging fruit: If that physical change you are working towards is still a way off, focus on the things that can instantly lift you. Get a hairstyle you can maintain and style, treat yourself to great skincare, start a healthy skin routine and drink loads of water so you radiate life and love through your face and eyes. For me, having a pedicure in the dark moments really lifts my spirits!


Question: What originally inspired you to spend more time on your Instagram?

Emmylou MacCarthy: It's always been a dream for me to be a Presenter. I decided to focus in on this goal over the next two years and I created the hashtag #Logies2018. I chose Instagram initially to try and nail my presenting skills, setting myself some challenges. When I first started IG stories I made a promise to myself that I would capture my 15 sec recordings in one take. I found I really enjoyed cooking live on Instagram. It's so much fun and really keeps me on my toes and my fans absolutely love it.


Question: What's a typical day like, for you?

Emmylou MacCarthy: It can be anything from looking after kids to a photo shoot. It really does vary.


Question: What's next, for you?

Emmylou MacCarthy: #Logies2018. That is my goal.


Interview by Brooke Hunter