Meet Danielle Goddard (@dani_girlsofto). Blogger and content creator from Toronto and #swimsuitmodel.
Why did you choose this career path?
After leaving my 9-5 marketing job I felt lost, but motivated to find something more. I was only running my blog (girlsofto.com) part time, and unable to find a job that I felt was right for me, so I decided to commit myself to the blog and a few years later, here we are! While it was one of the most difficult moments in my life, it is now so beautiful and encouraging when I’m reminded of how far I’ve come in these last few years.
What are your hobbies, interests?
I absolutely love to explore, so whether it’s discovering a new brunch spot in the city or escaping the city altogether, I love seeing new places! I could also sit on my couch and binge watch a Netflix series like it’s my job!
How would describe yourself?
Energetic, creative, and thoughtful.
What are three personality traits you identify with?
1. Determined
2. Young at heart
3. Caring
What are three words your best friend or partner would use to describe you?
Loving, creative, and beautiful (thanks Mom).
What do you want people to know about you?
I want people to know that I am no different than them. We are all beautiful and have so much to offer and, even though it can feel difficult, we only succeed when we believe in ourselves. I have struggled in my past and for that, I have learned to be grateful for my journey. I am who I am today and I will never apologize for that. While I am just like the average gal who can feel the weight of the world and its expectations, I have focused on keeping good company around me, celebrate small accomplishments, and that it is too exhausting to care what everyone thinks of me. It’s important to just love yourself.
What are you hoping to achieve with your social media following and with your relationships to your followers?
I wanted to take this fortunate opportunity to open up a little bit more with my followers so that they could get to know more about me and what I’m passionate about. This swimsuit experience has been such a beautiful project to be a part of and I wanted to share what it’s like to look and feel good half naked! In a world full of social media and only seeing everyone’s “highlight reel”, it’s easy to doubt your growth, so I hope that my followers can relate to my journey and remind themselves that it is a beautiful thing when you are honest about yourself.
How do you hope to connect with, touch, or inspire the people that follow you?
I hope that by seeing me in this campaign, other girls and women can relate to my story. I also hope that I inspire them to live their best life with no regrets and remind them how good that feels.
We selected you for this campaign because we believe your life is aspirational. What do you feel makes your life aspirational? Why did you decide to participate in this campaign?
I decided to participate in this campaign because I wanted to give women the visual reminder that there are so many variations of beautiful bodies in the world. I am a former national athlete and though I can struggle with self-doubt at times, just like anyone else, I know that I am powerful and strong, and beautiful in my own way, and I want that to be a reminder to other women out there. I believe that leading an aspirational life has more to do with what makes YOU happy more than anything else. As long as you are living your best life and encouraging, inspiring, and motivating yourself, there is no reason why that can’t reflect on others.
What did you enjoy most about working with us on this campaign?
Not only was Hawaii absolutely spectacular, but the Swimco team was so supportive and endearing as well. It was such an encouraging and fun experience, and it became so much more than just modelling swimsuits, but rather, a celebration of our bodies and what they can do.
Did you discover anything about yourself?
I wouldn’t say that I discovered anything, but this opportunity definitely served as a reminder that while it can be difficult to find confidence within yourself, we are all beautiful and bring something different to the table.
If you could say one thing to someone who may not be confident with their body, what would it be?
It is never too late to change your mind. Ignore the negative vibes and be surrounded with only the people and things that make you smile. I promise you that it isn’t always easy, but in the long run, you will learn to appreciate your own journey. Focus only on what makes you feel amazing and encourage and push yourself to discover beautiful things about yourself.