Taryn Williams #backyourself Interview

Taryn Williams #backyourself Interview

Ladies, it is a good day to #backyourself! In 2013, Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook has advised you to lean in. Now Taryn Williams, Founder and Managing Director of WINK Models and her team declaim that it is time to #backyourself - a social media campaign which encourages women especially young women to have confidence and believe themselves and more importantly showcase what they have done on building a more positive self-image.

Being a small business owner and entrepreneur, Taryn, a former model knows the challenges women faces everyday too well 'We can be our own worst enemy, or our own best friend. Often we give ourselves too hard a time. While it's worthwhile to be self-aware at times, lack of self-confidence and self-esteem can drag our whole lives down. We need to be our own cheerleader, supporting ourselves by creating a positive conversation about who we are and the things we do. That little voice inside our heads needs to offer words of encouragement rather than words of disapproval."

Williams found the greatest success can only achieved by taking risk and backing yourself and it all starts with taking small steps everyday. The #backyourself campaign wants women especially young women to take action on working towards a positive self-esteem and confidence in a world full of comparisons and criticism and showcase that action on their social media by attaching #backyourself. Like Nike says, just do it!

Join the movement and spread the words because ladies, you are worth it!

Interview with Taryn Williams

Question: What is the #backyourself campaign?

Taryn Williams: #backyourself is a campaign to empower women to embrace a healthy sense of self, and promote positive body image. It will roll out as a Social Media Movement established by WINK Models.


Question: What is the main message of the #backyourself campaign?

Taryn Williams: It's an initiative by WINK Models to help encourage Australian's to back themselves in whatever they do - to have that self-confidence and self-belief needed to achieve their goals and be their own best friend, and greatest supporter.


Question: How do you hope to spread the message of #backyourself?

Taryn Williams: Through the power of Social Media. We have produced a video that we hope to see go viral - it's a reminder that's it's okay to have flaws, that it's okay to not be perfect, but you need to believe that you are strong, beautiful, and can achieve your goals.

Question: How can Australians get involved in the #backyourself campaign?

Taryn Williams: By simply posting an image of themselves on Social Media of something they are proud of, of something that took them backing themselves to achieve. We want people to celebrate themselves and their achievements!


Question: Why do you believe young women are lacking confidence and self-belief?

Taryn Williams: We don't think the principle of lacking confidence and self-belief is strictly limited to women - it applies to all ages and genders. It stems from a society where we are constantly comparing and constantly judging. Whilst the power of social media and interconnectedness stemming from technology can be great, it can also be quite detrimental as the availability of comparisons is always at the touch of a button.


Question: How do you ensure you showcase your positive self-image?

Taryn Williams: At WINK Models we encourage all our models to be naturally beautiful - to be themselves. We will never encourage a model to 'lose weight"! We motivate our models to partake in exercise and healthy eating, and lead a healthy lifestyle, have positive self-esteem and self-belief. Confidence is beautiful!


Question: How can we create a positive conversation regarding what we do?

Taryn Williams: We can help improve the voices in our heads by not being so critical - by understanding we all have imperfections and we all have faults. It's these imperfections and faults that make us who we are. It's embracing these characteristics that define us and using them to our advantage. It's putting our mind to goals that once may have seemed impossible and achieving those goals through belief and motivation. It's celebrating our success and our achievements, and celebrating others.


Question: How can we ensure we are supporting others?
Taryn Williams: We can support others through positive conversations, through appreciating and rewarding where it's due and by encouraging every individual's characteristics. We can celebrate the hard-work and beauty we are surrounded by everyday, through celebrating the small victories.


Question: What is your motto?

Taryn Williams: 'We can be our own worst enemy, or our own best friend. Often we give ourselves too hard a time. While it's worthwhile to be self-aware at times, lack of self-confidence and self-esteem can drag our whole lives down. We need to be our own cheerleader, supporting ourselves by creating a positive conversation about who we are and the things we do. That little voice inside our heads needs to offer words of encouragement rather than words of disapproval."

Short mottos:
Back yourself.
Be your own cheerleader
Be your own greatest supporter.


Interview by Brooke Hunter