Name: Elizabeth Anne Criner
Age: 29
Occupation: Founder of "Discover your True Beauty" workshops for young women.

Elizabeth Criner is a clinical nutritionist, massage therapist and lifestyle consultant. She worked as a model for a few years when she finished school and then realised that she actually wanted to support true beauty as opposed to external beauty and body image. This led her to create the "Discover your True Beauty" workshops and courses for young women.

She says: "I am motivated by all of the beauty in life…. the truly beautiful things like rainbows, sunsets, the full moon, the vast unknowable ocean, real happy smiles, people dancing and celebrating life, individual expression and uniqueness, and most of all when I see someone who is confident in who they are and has the courage to be authentic and real. I am motivated by the burning desire to make a difference in this world and to make my dreams come true. I am passionate about inspiring others to be themselves and celebrate their own gifts, realising they can create anything they wish for.

I am passionate about assisting young girls through their journey into womanhood, so they may know the magic of being a woman. I am passionate about dancing, having fun, laughing, eating good food with good friends, being healthy and feeling good in my body, being a part of a community of people that support one another in living our dreams. And most of all I am passionate about reminding others that we must not look outside ourselves for the leader, but become the leaders, for we are our own greatest teachers…. "

Who was your role model/s when you were a teen?
My role model as a teenager was a woman named Kira, she was a very successful international model who had decided to become a naturopath and inspire women with her beauty in a more real way!!

How did your role model/s help you?
My role model didn't really "do" much to help me, other than just be herself and be REAL. It was her presence that inspired me to become who I am today. She gave me hope and awareness that it was possible to be beautiful inside and out. It was at that moment that I realized TRUE beauty came from within, and interestingly enough I now do almost exactly what she was doing when I met her!! Funny how that works hey?

What role or influence do you think role models have?
I believe that role models are absolutely essential. In traditional tribal cultures children were raised by everyone in the tribe, aunties, uncles, grandparents, etc. In our society today we usually only have our mum and dad raising us, constantly teaching us everything we know, telling us what is right and wrong, etc. As a child grows into a teenager they want to become their own person, so naturally they begin to rebel and separate from their parents. This is where I feel a role model is important to inspire and encourage them in becoming an individual, finding their own passion for life and their own way of doing things. I feel that teenagers will listen to someone who is not their parents. A role model can show them what it looks like to be real in this world, so they can begin to see that their dreams are possible.

What were some of the issues you face as a teen?
I was always in trouble at school because I wasn't interested in what they were teaching me. I felt like it was all about control and no one saw who I really was. My dad wasn't around and I didn't get along with my step-dad so there wasn't anyone in the house to keep me in line. I pretty much did everything I wasn't supposed to do. I think it was actually a call for someone to notice that I wasn't ok. I was very insecure and I thought I had to be beautiful in order to be cool and liked. Then my mum had a breakdown in my last year of school and yr 12 was the worst year of my life!! I got a terrible mark, and was completely depressed.

How do you overcome these issues?
I struggled after school to find my path. I started modelling and constantly tried to overcome the feeling that I had failed in life because I wasn't smart enough and I would never succeed because I didn't get into university. Then one day I passed the Natural Therapies Collage and went in to have a look. I started crying because I felt like I had found where I was supposed to be. The people were so friendly and the courses looked amazing so I decided to enrol in Naturopathy. It brought me so much joy going there everyday and I realised how much I loved learning about natural health. I focused on what brought me joy, instead of what was wrong with me, or what I wasn't good at. We are all amazing at what we were born to do, what we LOVE doing, but somehow we get convinced that we have to be practical in order to "survive". So we try some career that has nothing to do with our passion but it might make us some money, and convince ourselves that it is what we like!! I overcame my issues of negative self-esteem when I realised that the only way we can truly be successful is if we do what we LOVE. Then we will be the best at it because it is our passion.

What do you remember most about being a teen?
Feeling confused and alone, like no one understood how I was feeling. I was so self-conscious and constantly tried to be cool but underneath felt very insecure. I never felt like anyone actually assisted me in finding out what I really wanted to do with my life.

What qualities do you think you possess that have helped you succeed in your chosen field?
The ability to see the positive in every situation and turn difficulties into an opportunity for growth. My sensitivity, which I thought was a bad thing when I was young, I now realise my ability to feel what others are feeling has made me successful in what I do today.

Outside of career success, what is it that you are most proud of?
The positive relationships that I have with my family and friends and the people around me.

Do you undertake activities to help others/community?
Yes, I volunteer at a women's shelter to help women who have been abused or have nowhere to live. It has changed my life and I recommend for everyone to do something like it in their life. Every time I leave my heart is filled with so much gratitude for what I have and there is nothing that brings more joy than to help others. I believe this as the greatest gift we have as humans…. the ability to give to others.

Your advice to youths about realising their own potential...
I think I have already said this in the questions above, but it is worth hearing again and again…. DO WHAT YOU LOVE !!! Take the time to ask yourself what makes YOU happy, what brings you JOY… not what you think you should do, or what other people think you should do…. But what actually comes from your own heart…. that which makes you unique. I know that when we follow our heart everything always works out in the end.

When it comes to how you live your life, what are the most important factors/values?
Integrity and truth; acceptance of others instead of judgement; self love, kindness and compassion; fun and happiness from within; appreciation of all of the beauty around us in every moment; choosing to focus on the positive instead of the negative; family and friends; helping others and giving back to those around us; inspiring others to be who they really are; and taking ACTION towards our dreams everyday.

Why do you think you make a good role model?
Through all of my challenges I had the opportunity to give up and become a negative person or a victim to life, but I never did. I chose to use the difficulties as an opportunity to grow and become a better person so that I could be there to help others in their difficult times. I LOVE LOVE LOVE more than anything to help others and inspire them to be the best they can be and create everything they could possibly imagine in their own lives. YAY!!!! It is so much fun to all enjoy this life together!!!