Meet Ree

We were lucky to catch up with Ree recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ree, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Your average female will face insecurity early on, and this is especially true for women who are above average, meaning plus size or curvy.

My confidence developed in my later teen years when I used to watch a YouTuber who was advocating for those with larger frames.

I had already become convinced I would never be a noticeable person because I didn’t fit a beauty standard.

Now well within my adult years I embrace not fitting the mold, because I truly enjoy standing out from the crowd. Celebrating what is unique about me is where my self-esteem flourishes.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Aloha O Sher’ee ko’u inoa. (Greetings, Sher’ee is my name)

Hailing from the South Pacific isle, on a small Polynesian island in Hawai’i is where my story began. Born as The youngest daughter of 6 children to parents who worked and sacrificed tirelessly to provide for us- I began seeking a life outside of familiarity.

Growing up on a small island you learn to cherish what is available. accept life as being beautiful, simple, and peaceful. Nature becomes the backdrop of all your childhood memories, but as you advance in age you quickly become a victim to reality.

My experience affects how I portray myself now because I refuse to let my childhood dictate my future. While I was grateful to always have a roof over my head, and warm meals- I struggled with confidence and self esteem.

My home, my appearance and lifestyle were lackluster. Self care and self love was an unheard of aspect in my home. What we were taught however was to strive for being good in your soul, having a conscious mind and heart. Treating everything around you as sacred.

It was that foundation that makes me who I am today. I’m grateful to have learned later that my outward appearance can help reflect my inner beauty. Your physical presence is not nearly as important as who you are inward.

With the help of social media I’m able to create a community where I advocate not only for plus size women, but for those who are wanting to find their own confidence, by sharing positivity, realistic life experiences and my personal life. This approach allows for people to embrace their own experiences and be confident in who they are.

The most rewarding aspect of what I do is hearing stories or thanks from people who follow me that I’ve made a positive impact on their life.

As I continue this journey I hope to inspire more people to become accepting of diverse lifestyles and body types. Something my followers can look forward to is my podcast ReeCap where I discuss the challenges we face, and how people are able to overcome them. A variety of topics that include relationships, friendships, life itself and more exciting conversations to come!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The beginning of my journey wasn’t so much about finding people to help or inspire, but more so about showing up for myself in a way I felt was authentic. Gaining an audience became apart of that authenticity, I believe people felt like I was relatable which made it easy to share more of myself.

The most impactful part of this journey was being true to myself. Knowing I didn’t have to create a character for people to like.

For people wanting to become an influencer, I’d recommend being their natural selves, and finding a niche they can connect with. When you aren’t trying, is when the stars align.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

While the social media platform can be a rewarding place to positively impact people, you can run into naysayers and those who want to question your credibility or criticize you for what you do. More commonly I get questioned that I don’t have people’s best interest at heart, I only want to keep people from bettering themselves.

The way i approach this is different depending on what i feel is necessary, but more often than not I either ignore them, delete the negativity and on rare occasions I respond.

Dealing with the commentary in this way gives me the opportunity to dissolve the situation altogether because my mission isn’t to highlight negativity.

The fact is, people will always have their opinions or feelings and it isn’t my job to make people comfortable about how I articulate myself. I show up for the person who thinks they have to conform to a certain model to be accepted.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monaxisaa/