In the business of image management and getting her clients in the news Ana set out to walk the walk and talk the talk. In 120 days she wanted people to turn their heads, be in command of a room and co-create an image management division. Hence the new Ana Tackett and Tony Felice PR & Image Management (www.tonyfelicepr.com/image) was born.
Ana now inspires other women to be the best they can be. She brought the best and brightest talent in Phoenix together to form a team of advisors for artists and celebrities that would otherwise go to New York, Los Angeles or London for representation. She is working on a novel and is in the midst of launching Pimp of Persuasion, a movement that takes the power of persuasion and the gift of inner and outer beauty to empower women to obtain their goals.
Below are recent pictures of Ana's transformation. She is a mom to a toddler and is now empowering other women in, and out of, the business world to look and feel their best. I was given the opportunity to ask Ana about her amazing and inspirational transformation!
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| photo credit: Christos Sewell, Fashion Photographer http://imagebychristos.com/ |
What made you decide to make these changes in your life?
I am in the image management field and that means that I work with celebrities, artists and CEOs. I woke up the middle one day and told myself that I can’t be represent someone if I am not the best me I could be. At that time, I surrounded myself with a lot of negativity and what I call toxic people. It is so important not to let others define you and to define yourself and that is when it hit me that I need a change.
How did you do it?
My story is unique in the sense that I have lived and breathed image management by doing a complete transformation and reinvention on myself. I hired the best nutritionist, best fashion stylist, hairdresser and fashion photographer with the end goal of doing a series of professional fashion shoots. I also took a hard look at myself and my friendships and asked myself if these were healthy people to be around. I then started putting myself first and kept my eye on the prize.
Who or what motivated you?
I read the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin where the author talks about taking one aspect of your life and working on that for a month to find what makes each individual happy. It came to me that I had several areas to work on but wanted to do it in a boot camp style per se. Sometimes society doesn’t wait for one to have their act together. I am motivated by the vote of confidence I started receiving by people that were the best in their game. I am not here to be sub par. I want to make an impact and sometimes you just have to look internally for that.
What was your biggest challenge?
When anyone undergoes a transformation, they have a mental challenge to overcome. When you get stuck in a rut and do the same thing for so long, it’s hard to envision what you could become. All I drank for four months was coffee and water, and what was difficult was avoiding social situations where others might not understand why you can’t join them for that glass of wine. During the transformation I survived Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Social situations were very challenging because you are almost expected to play along. I am not a follower. I have always been a leader. It takes a strong person, with a strong voice to overcome obstacles and with that you have to learn to say no.
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| photo credit: Christos Sewell, Fashion Photographer http://imagebychristos.com/ |
You changed inside and out. What was the biggest change overall?
The biggest overall change was my attitude and perspective in life. I am healthy. I am beautiful and if things aren’t perfect by the end of the day then I don’t sweat the small stuff. Life is all about facing reality and living in the moment. It takes a long time to realize that while your past does shape who you are today that living in the moment is important.
How can your experience help other women?
As a woman and as a mother, it is important to have some you time and to put yourself first. For women who are stuck in a rut and who want to reinvent themselves it is never too late. From personal experience it is important to make stretch goals in the beginning of the year that are realistic and then work towards them and make them happen. It is never too late to reinvent yourself. We currently do skype consultations with clients who are looking for a change but not sure where they want to go professionally.
Do you have any advice for other women?
As a woman it is important to look and feel your very best daily. The most important thing is to not listen to any negativity around you. If a friend, family member or anyone else is negative with you, no matter who that person is, it is time to step away. Surround yourself with those that uplift you. You may not have strength in numbers, but you will have strength in meaningful relationships. Never use the phrase, “I will do that tomorrow.” Tomorrow may never come. Today is the day to start. To tell that special someone that you love them or to say you are sorry to a friend you might be in conflict with. There is nothing in life that is expected of you and when a woman starts to remember that only then she can be the best she can be.
Can you tell me more about image management. What are the benefits if you are an artist or celebrity?
Image management is the ability to think big picture while protecting the integrity and brand of a company or individual. You need to have to have the ability to step back and ask our clients a similar question to those that I asked myself long ago. Why is your “million dollar idea” not selling? Image management is all about the brutal honest truth. It is about taking off the rose colored glasses, to tell a story in a more creative manner, it is to protect the brand of an individual, to live and breathe their passion and to make sure they are living to their full potential. It is to the ability to ask your clients hard questions and for them to have an open mind and accept at times reinvention. I wanted to be in publicity and image management because I recognize that life is not always fair or cookie cutter and a company, individual or brand needs the guidance to always put their best foot forward.
Your book is in the works. Can you tell us about it?
I am working on writing a novel about the power of persuasion. It will be part fiction and part non-fiction through my own life experiences. Rather than a self-help book I see it as a series of short stories that will be a hard truth of how women get ahead in life. People’s names will be changed to protect their identity.
Where do you see yourself in the future? What are your short term and long term goals?
In the future I see myself being and remaining the best me I can be. My short term goals are to grow business and especially the image management division, it is to maintain my weight loss by a +/- five pound weight gain, it is to nourish my current relationships and friendships and to spend quality time with my family. My long term goal is to complete my novel and to continue to define a brand. Oh and to rule the world. Okay, maybe just parts of it.
Many women will be inspired by you and your success. Who inspires you?
There are many women that inspire me but most of them are no ordinary people. They are acknowledged paragons in their own career field, they possesses a huge fan base which treat them like icons. They might not have that pretty face or good looking figure but their hunger for success is relentless. Everyone from Natalie Massenet who is the founder and chairman of the world’s premier luxury fashion website to Drew Barrymore who after years of getting rid of depression and addiction has now triumphed. In the words of Albert Ellis, “The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.
Thanks Ana for taking the time to inspire and empower women everywhere. I'm looking forward to reading your book!
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