Brittany is a publicist who specialises in building up expert profiles in the lifestyle, business and wellness space. She is the founder of Bennett PR, a boutique agency based in Sydney and www.experthub.com.au. Clients include the likes of 28 by Sam Wood, Aussie Sprouts,12RND Fitness, Luke Mcleod’s Soul Alive, Flow Athletic, Vitruvian Form, Red Paddle Co, Whole Earth & Sea, ZADI, Rose Hip Specialists to name a few.
Brittany is a publicist who specialises in building up expert profiles in the lifestyle, business and wellness space. She is the founder of Bennett PR, a boutique agency based in Sydney and www.experthub.com.au. Clients include the likes of 28 by Sam Wood, Aussie Sprouts,12RND Fitness, Luke Mcleod’s Soul Alive, Flow Athletic, Vitruvian Form, Red Paddle Co, Whole Earth & Sea, ZADI, Rose Hip Specialists to name a few.
Prior to working in PR, Brittany modelled internationally for 8 years (starting at 15 and moving to NYC at 17) spending most of her time in NYC, London and Paris. She has been the face of Model Co, Sportscraft, Diane Ferrari, Industrie to name a few brands in Australia and internationally worked for the likes of Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Dior, Springfield, Macy’s, Freepeople and more.
Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
Yes and no, I must say I definitely sleep in more now that I don’t work with my staff everyday so Covid has certainly changed up my routine a bit.
In an ideal world my routine would be:
- Wake up at 6:10 am
- COFFEE
- Go for a walk at 6:40 am with my puppy Pikachu and my boyfriend, assuming he is awake then
- Make some oats with cinnamon, frozen blueberries and macadamias
- Start work at 7:30 am
- Lunch at around 1 pm, which is usually cooked cabbage and haloumi
- Work until 3:50 pm
- 4 pm Reformer Pilates
- 5 pm last minute emails
- 6 pm: Dinner, usually a mix of roasted and stir-fry veggies
- Then enjoy the evening with my partner. We are currently watching Yellowstone, Westworld and Sugar Rush
- 8:30 pm Monday and Wednesday night I do meditation through soulalive.com.au
However due to Covid and the restrictions I can’t always get into Pilates when I want to do it so now I am signed up to 3 studios and I book into any class that can fit me in at any time. I like my routine, so I do find this to be annoying but I understand it is necessary. I am about to buy a reformer so I can train even if I can’t get into a class.
Work wise, I come to the city one day a week to work with my team and I also do all my meetings in one day each week so I can spend the rest of my week focusing on my work. I find having random meetings every day to be distracting.
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you overcome it?
I have had a lot of challenges with my wellbeing. The main one that has affected me the longest would be disordered eating and being hyper critical of the more insignificant things when it comes to myself (ie. Appearance).
I started in the fashion industry when I was 15 years old and while some people are lovely and sing your praises, there are also a lot of people who you don’t even know the names of who enjoy sharing their thoughts about what’s wrong with you ie. Too fat, too thin, cheeks not chiseled enough, hair should be brighter, face too puffy.
In this industry, if you go to 8 castings a day and book 1 job that is considered to be extremely good, but it still means you were rejected 7 times that day and all based on how you look.
It obviously led to somewhat disordered eating (there were way less resources back then for good health than there are now) and a complex every time I don’t feel that I am 100% or have circles under my eyes.
While I now have a very thick skin when it comes to most people and other elements in my life, which is a good thing as a business owner, I am still incredibly critical on myself and it has led to years of not being completely happy.
I spent many years trying to move past those feelings, but last year I realized that it is probably something that will stick with me for life. I get around it by being super strict throughout the week so I can manage that element of my personality and doing whatever I want on the weekend so I:
- Don’t bother my friends with my antics
- Can experience normal for a few days and I quite enjoy those days.
I do find it to be quite ironic that during Covid when so many businesses are closing down, and I myself am a business owner, my only stress is Covid kilos and bags under my eyes from sleeping too much. Just goes to show what years and years of conditioning from a young age can do.
If I ever have daughters, I will certainly will be very careful with what I tell them when it comes to weight, appearance and self-worth.
What does being healthy mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
For me being healthy is feeling good in your body, having a clear and sharp mind (some foods make me a bit cloudy so that’s why this one is going in there) and feeling happy.
I often have stints when life gets very busy so during those times I map out everything from when I am working out to what time I am going to sleep and I do my best to follow it.
I know that every time my workout and sleep schedule has gone out the window it often leads to an extended period of time of me not feeling my best so it’s important to make sure they happen, even if it means you need to work on the weekend.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
Last year I was feeling really stressed. I was really busy with work, I had a few other things going on my life that felt like they were weighing me down and one day I woke up and just thought, I’m going to Europe. I told my friend who was also having a hard time and she was like, I will come for some of the time too.
I messaged some of the girls I used to work with when I lived in Europe and while I only planned to come for 2 weeks, they ended up booking 3.5 weeks in with me.
While it wasn’t a “yoga” vacation or anything like that, it was extremely liberating. I was able to see people I hadn’t seen in 10 years, I went to so many unique and culturally rich places including Saint Petersburg, Sweden, Milan, Sicily and a few places in Egypt. I was on over 10 flights in 3 weeks, I met so many people, I tried so many things from wake-boarding to cooking classes. I came back to Australia a whole new person as because the trip was so random, it gave me the feeling that I can do anything I want to do.
When I landed back in Australia, I attracted a tonne of new business with great clients who I loved working with and I quickly met my now boyfriend, Luke and he is literally everything you could ask for. It’s amazing what you can attract when you take yourself away from your stresses and change your mindset. Also, super glad I stayed the extra 10 days, as it looks like I won’t be going far this year.
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, tell us about yours?
In both business and my personal life, whenever I have been brave enough to step away from those who cause me anxiety, everything else seemed to fall into place. I currently have zero negative influences in my life and things are good.
So be aware of the people in your circle, be aware of the people you bring into your life, your heart and your business. For me things tend to be much better when I step away.
Want to tell your story? Reach out to us via info@healthandfitnesstravel.com.au and be featured as our next strong, healthy woman.
