This week’s Meet a Mom interview is with Bridgett Burrick Brown, a Greenwich Mom who moved to town from the city just prior to the pandemic. After a career in modeling, she founded the Beyond Beauty Project, a multi-media platform and movement all about self-esteem and mental health. We asked Bridgett to tell us more about herself as well as this wonderful initiative.
Can you please share a bit about yourself?
I am a midwesterner turned New Yorker (lived there for 25 years) and now a resident of CT for the past year! I am a Mom, a model, an activist and entrepreneur. I have been a professional model the past 20+ years. And I am also the founder of the Beyond Beauty Project. Dance has always been one of my passions so when I’m not with family or friends or working I try and take a ballet or hip hop class. I am passionate about mental health and wellness! I live in Riverside with my husband Jason and daughter—the loves of my life.
What do you love about this area?
We moved to Riverside last summer and, although, the timing worked out to be at the same time as COVID hit, we were a pre-Covid move. We chose this area because we were coming from the city and it’s a very doable everyday commute. But we also wanted a community we could grow with. We didn’t have that in the city as much because it’s just more of a transient place. But a blessing from COVID is that we now have a lot of our city friends out here and we will get to grow with them! We also absolutely fell in love with the beach and the healthy lifestyle we saw people living out here. Everyone is doing something outside whether it’s biking, running, playing tennis or golf. We are into that!
What is the Beyond Beauty Project? And how can people become involved?
The Beyond Beauty Project is a multi-media platform that is redefining the meaning of beauty. It’s a movement to help improve our self-esteem and confidence around body image and mental health. We have created a safe space for conversations surrounding beauty in our society—starting new narratives about how feeling beautiful on the inside is really what it’s all about. And expanding conversations of being beautiful at every age and with all kinds of bodies and skin types. We are fighting towards equality by building each other up with confidence, strong voices, and self-love.
You can join my free subscription on my website www.beyondbeautyproject.com. This weekly subscription includes: quotes I live by, episode releases & guests favorite products and exclusive Beyond Beauty Lists. You also won’t miss out on any events or workshops we have going on! I always encourage everyone to DM me or email me to ask any questions, share thoughts or if there’s a topic they wish we would talk about! I’m doing Instagram lives most Tuesdays at 12noon EST and you can also find us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Pinterest!
What ages are part of the project?
All ages! All genders! All of us!!! Sometimes I do focus a bit more a women and children because that is what I know best but this is for all of us and I’m determined to get all of our voices heard!
Why did you start it?
I created a platform I wish I had when I was younger and struggling with confidence and self-esteem around body image and mental health. I have modeled for over 20 years and I learned quickly that it didn’t matter how I looked on the outside, if I didn’t feel good on the inside!! After educating myself as a qualified personal trainer, certified holistic counselor and years of therapy, I also understood how valuable it is for women, in particular, to truly know and nurture their bodies.
As women, we are taught from an early age to act, look and portray ourselves in a certain way to be accepted in society — and after having my daughter and then a few far along miscarriages, I then fully realized just how damaging these thoughts were to our self-esteem. I appreciate fitting into my “skinny jeans” like anyone else, but I truly believe our real beauty comes from within our physical, mental and spiritual health. It comes from accepting ourselves and freeing ourselves from the lies we are are told everyday that we can’t age out of beauty or size of beauty to be good enough. My hope is that our children will have these healthier beliefs instinctively one day!
Can you tell me a bit about your podcast and what it will entail?
The podcast is a safe space for having real and raw conversations about beauty. We chat physical, mental, and spiritual health, along with all-time favorite wellness & beauty products and tips! But we also get into deeper topics like eating disorders, the patriarchy system, racism and media and how it affects our self esteem. Each conversation is thoughtfully curated to pull out the wisdom from guests that have mastered their trade and have the courage to be vulnerable!
What is the shop and the boxes that are coming soon to your site—they sound great!
The Beyond Beauty Boutique is place where you can shop my favorite beauty and wellness products as well as each of my guests! Along with asking them their favorite products during each episode, I also ask them what’s always in their bag beauty/wellness wise. So those goodies are on there as well!
The Beyond Beauty Box will be curated boxes of favorites products! This will have an a la carte option or a subscription option.
What is your proudest moment or favorite memory on this journey?
My proudest moment so far was the release of my first episode. I had worked so hard for months and to see if finally come to life was amazing. My favorite memory is when I did a workshop for a sorority for the University of Delaware and got their feedback. To see the comments like “you have no idea how much I needed this” or to see tears in their eyes when I had them write a love letter to their body was something I am so grateful for because I saw how needed this work and conversation is for us.
What is next?
More workshops for sure! I love to connect with people and provide them with tools and insights they can take into their lives. I want to do them on a bigger scale and bring in professionals and healers! My show will continue to be a weekly release. But we also have our Beyond Beauty Boxes coming out soon and I have a beauty journal in the works. Also, some other events and speaking events. The sky’s the limit and I’m so excited!
