CSM Game-Changer Issue with Cristiano Ronaldo 2019 BODY ISSUE - Lauren Flodquist | Page 75

just you and you have to be assertive and make
executive decisions to succeed. Sometimes these
decisions include switching coaches, accepting
or denying sponsorships that may or may not fit
with your image, cutting ties with toxic people,
spending extra time in the gym and meal prep-
ping instead of partying with your friends, etc.
CSM: How do you handle the situation if people
get intimidated by you and your work?
BRITTANY: I don’t take it personally anymore.
The way I see it is that if people are intimidated
by me, that’s a personal issue within themselves.
There’s a saying that comes to mind… “You
don’t have to blow out someone else’s candles,
to make yours shine brighter.” I used to be very
self-conscious and I have done lots of self-im-
provement both on my body and mind. If I can
do it, so can anyone else. We can all shine to-
gether. I will always be unapologetically me, as
long as I’m being respectful, kind, and not hurt-
ing anybody.
CSM: What game-changing results do you look
forward to this year?
BRITTANY projects. I’m also getting ready for
another NPC bikini bodybuilding competition to
re-qualify for nationals. I’m hoping to attend my
second national level competition later this year
to pursue my IFBB pro card. I’m working to-
wards becoming the first blind IFBB bikini pro.
CSM: Describe the person who made an impact
in your life and how that is significant.
BRITTANY: My great-grandmother Queene had
a huge hand in raising me up until she passed
away when I was 11 years old. She rarely ever
treated me like I was disabled. She saw things in
me that nobody else did, and made me feel smart
and capable. I will always be grateful for that,
and miss her even to this day.
CSM: How do you set goals for yourself?
BRITTANY: I set short-term goals and long-
term goals. Constantly thinking in the long-term
can be overwhelming and also when you do that
you don’t recognize the little things you are ac-
complishing along the way, which can make you
feel discouraged. It’s okay to think about the big-
ger picture, but every picture has important little
details that make it a complete picture. Body-
building has taught me things that translate into
other aspects of my life, such as self-discipline,
patience, and consistency.
CSM: What exactly motivates you to be a game-
changer and how do you do it?
BRITTANY: I honestly don’t know. I think the
fact that I don’t necessarily rely on motivation to
get things done is what keeps me going. Motiva-
tion is fleeting; it comes and goes. I’m not always
motivated to go to the gym, but I go anyway be-
cause I know that I’ll probably regret it the next
day. I’m not always motivated to eat clean, but I
know that eating clean is what keeps me looking
my best and keeps me on track. I always tell my
clients, “Sometimes in order to get the things we
want, we have to do the things we don’t always
want to do.” You probably don’t always want
to go to work, but you go anyway because you
know you have to make money to pay your bills.
Motivation is just a feeling; it’s not an action. Ul-
timately your actions are what get you what you
want. You can feel motivated, and then not do
anything about it. I think relying on dedication
and determination are more effective.
CSM: Describe the true nature of being sexy and
an eye-catching individual.
BRITTANY: You know what’s funny… even to
this day, I don’t consider myself to be sexy. I’m
a total goof, which just by looking at my photos
and watching me on stage, you wouldn’t be able
to tell. I think what may make me eye-catching
is being a tall, tattooed, blonde blind girl with a
Seeing Eye dog and sometimes my pink cane.
Now when I say I don’t consider myself to be
sexy, I don’t mean that I don’t like how I look;
I’m proud of my body and the fact that I take care
of myself. I’m really goofy and I do feel confi-
dent and beautiful in my own skin. Let’s just say
confidence is sexy.
CSM: The industry you are in right now is very
fast-paced, full of competition and full of talent
and unavoidable politics at times. What makes
you stand out and how do you keep up with tal-
ented people around you?
BRITTANY: I’m only in competition with my-
self. I only care about what I’m doing, and I will
say from personal experience that getting caught
up in comparing yourself to other people is a
dangerous game. Yes it is important to see what’s
happening in the industry in order to be progres-
sive, but you also need to focus on what sets you
apart from all of that. Everyone in this industry
is attractive, everyone is confident, and everyone
wants to be the next big thing. Amongst all of
that, you have to stay true to who you are and
build your brand around that or else you will
wake up one day and not even recognize your-
self anymore. Another thing to keep in mind is
that this industry is full of rejection. You have to
have a tough skin and not take the rejection too
personally. It’s okay to have your feelings and
feel them, but you have to take it with a grain of
salt and just keep going. Just because one door
closes, doesn’t mean there isn’t something bet-
ter in store for you. I know this because when-
ever I first started getting into modeling I went
to a casting call. I didn’t book the job and the
guy in charge flat out told me “I just don’t think
you are marketable”. Fast forward to today and I
have shot with many photographers who sought
me out, getting published in magazines, and I’m
still here kicking. Keep fighting for the things
you want.