#FEARLESS 2019 Issue 1

#FEARLESS

1/2019

BE

in the PURSUIT Of WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL on FIRE

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Hello, I’m Halee, I’m 29, I’m a children’s ministry worker at my church part time, I’m a wife and a mum of three pre-schoolers. About 18 months ago, I was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder called idiopathic intercranial hypertension (IIH) it can result in permanent blindness if not treated. There is no cure yet for this illness, although there are some things that can be done to help.. besides medication, weight loss has a chance of helping, but if that doesn’t work my options are being on medication permanently or even brain surgery!!

I suppose my fearless goal is to not let my condition hold me back from living a full life and being healthy in body, mind and spirit. When I was diagnosed I got serious about losing some weight so I lost about 10 kgs but my symptoms didn’t get any better. I wanted to have another baby, but because being pregnant involves gaining weight, it was seen as a risky decision as gain weight can make symptoms worse.

Seeing as I’d done everything the doctor had told me without any change in my condition in my symptoms, I decided I couldn’t live in fear of what might happen or wait around indefinitely for me to get better which may never happen. So I got pregnant. To cut a long story short, I now have a three month old baby boy, I am symptom free and continuing to lose weight to get myself to a healthy weight so that I can continue to manage my condition medication free.. and bonus side affect is looking better and feeling better about myself.. I felt like having a makeover would be one more step in my goal/encourage me to keep chasing my goal. Being healthy in body, mind and spirit.

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It was so much fun to have my hair and make up done and look my absolute best for the day! With three kids under 5 I’m usually a bit of a hot mess with little to no time for myself in my daily routine, I manage with my mum bun, no make up and my clothes pass the wearable test if they don’t have baby puke on them!

That being the case I rarely take photos of myself either!

Being glamoured up with beautiful hair and makeup and having a photo shoot helped me remember what my ultimate goals are in my journey, to be healthy in body mind and spirit. I feel like I’ve done a lot of work with my body in getting it to a healthier place, but in order to have a healthy mind and spirit too you need to take time to stop and look at yourself and acknowledge all the work you’ve done and tell yourself that you look fabulous and to enjoy that feeling of success! And having a glamour photoshoot with STUDIO81 was that occasion for me.

A ‘look at me!’ moment, I’m fearless and fabulous because of it!

Halee Peng

My name is Renee. I am 30 years old, originally from Zimbabwe. I am a wife the most wonderful Zimbabwean man and mother to a baby girl of 15 months.

I have always been a “hard worker�, going above and beyond to get things done and to please people.

I worked late hours, through lunch breaks and late into my pregnancy.

After having had my baby girl last year I viewed life so very differently. It dawned on me how I had been doing what most people do; conforming.

I realized that majority of people are settling when they know deep down that they can be so much MORE. Or they are conforming when they want to be so much of something else. They then go through life wondering why they have this inner void, feeling unfulfilled.

Me? I believe in DREAMING. I believe in sitting in silence.

Taking some total time-out; having a real moment of selfconnection and listening to my inner voice.

I ask myself.... “Who am I really?

What is my purpose?

What is it that truly makes my soul sing?�

I also believe in honoring and embracing this.

I believe I was brought into this beautiful world to make a difference; to make a positive impact on a global scale.

I FEEL that in every cell of my body. GIVING makes me HAPPY. Giving in both the physical and non-physical forms. đ&#x;’›đ&#x;’›đ&#x;’›

My sister and I are not only sisters. We are also best friends. We chat all the time, in great detail.

It was such a beautiful thing really that last year we experienced similar emotions and views on life at almost the exact same time!

We decided together that we were going to chase our freedom lifestyle that we yearned for and we went searching.

We CHOOSE to embrace opportunities when they present themselves. After much searching we are so happy to say that we found what we were looking for! Something that aligned 100% with who we are and what we truly stand for. We linked up with an incredible Automated Online Platform and launched our very own Online Business.

WE ARE OUR OWN BRAND! This is incredibly special to us because it allows us to be raw, real and 100% our authentic selves - as everyone should be!

Through attraction marketing we are able to inspire other women to dig deep within themselves, to find their deeper purpose and to also chase their dreams with FEARLESS PASSION. Stepping out into the public eye wasn’t easy. Having the courage to start your own business can be difficult. It takes courage. We are so incredibly grateful to have taken the first step because that’s the most difficult one for most people. As we are experiencing our business reach new levels we feel more motivated and grateful each day and we haven’t looked back since.

Remember this. WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE IN LIFE. What is stopping you from reaching your goals is YOU. Chase your dreams and be FEARLESS in your pursuit of happiness.

Renee Argyros

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Hi there, my name is Katie, and I turned 40 on Valentine’s Day. When I was 20 and going to University, pursuing my dreams of becoming a teacher, I had unusual pain and numb sensations going down my right arm. After various test and an MRI scan of my brain and spine, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) After the diagnosis I didn’t want anything to stop me, I carried on studying and graduated with my class of 2000, meet the man of my dreams who I have been now married for 14 years and have 3 beautiful children (12, 11 & 9) together.

During the last 20 years my M.S. has thrown me some massive punches. M.S. has slowly contradicted my passion of helping others as my walking, balance and strength have slowly deteriorated in the last 5 years. So, I had to let my family and friends help me and my young family.

My Fearless goal is for my legs to function, be strong, so I can go for long walks with my amazing, supportive and devoted husband and children along the beach. This year is for me to gain strength, physically and emotionally.

Katie Kerrigan Being the girl that suffered from posttraumatic stress after a traumatic event was really difficult. My childhood sexual assault left me fearful of the future and something that steered me away from friendships with my peers. I felt really left out growing up.

I’m a big advocate for people to find their voice and be confident with their past once they feel they are strong enough to really open up about their struggles. A women that owns her story is really brave and I think more women should feel empowered enough to speak up themselves.

Losing my father to suicide 6 months ago also left a huge hole in my heart and it’s going to take a lot of inner healing to deal with the grief.

Coming into a session with STUDIO81 was a chance to feel good about myself inside and out. The team were so lovely and made every minute fun and enjoyable! I highly recommend booking a session with the team - you won’t regret it

Georgia Harris 06

Kia orana! I’m a fearless single mum of 2 gorgeous boys of whom I share with their awesome dad. They are both 8 years old. One son has his birthday in March, I call him the one I pushed out. The other son has his birthday in October, hes adopted. I call him- the one I pulled in! It took us 4 years to legally adopt him from oranga tamariki. Knowing what he has survived, inspires me to be more fearless everyday.

My goal is to provide for my boys abundantly and independently.

Their dad will always help me if I need but because we share them 50/50 we dont really ask of money of each other as we are sharing the costs of looking after them 50/50 too. I am career driven but my chosen career has a salary ceiling and when you rent in Auckland you’re always on a tight budget. We manage ok. I’m aiming to pay for travel this year for my boys and to build a decent savings. I plan to do a side gig of some sort. Way out of my comfort zone but 2019 is about being fearless!!!

Bev Aerenga My journey, like many, has been long and challenging. I am transgender and made the decision to try to live as myself again about a year ago. My reasons for participating in this campaign were however simple.

I wanted to see the woman within, the one I am slowly getting to know. I wanted to show that beauty comes in many forms, that for some confidence isn’t given it is earned.

Confidence comes from being who you are and from being fearless in embracing that. I believe that all women, whatever their journey including those like me who were born of a different gender, deserve to be fearless. It is through understanding, accepting and loving who you are that this can be achieved.

This portrait gives me strength in that process.

Talia Child 07

B RIN G IN G OUT YOUR INNER WOMAN

Boudoir Photography is highly regarded as fine art photography, making it the perfect gift whether you’ve chosen to gift yourself or gifting someone else.

We, as women, don’t take the time to revel in our womanhood, enjoy or acknowledge our beauty or the freedom of indulgence, yet each of us deserves those special moments of feeling free and bold enough to be the woman we are inside.

Boudoir Photography encourages us to indulge in those moments of expression. It is all about capturing the beautiful you in ways that will have you appreciating the woman you are and perhaps falling back in love with yourself. If you’re slightly nervous, but have always wanted to do a boudoir session, there’s no better time than now.

There is no valid reason to wait. You’re perfect and beautiful just as you are. Our photographers are experienced in posing and capturing all body types and showing them off beautifully.

You deserve a fabulous experience. Envision the sensation of going to the spa for pampering, but in this case ending up with timeless and stunning images that will give you a lifetime of pleasure. Don’t let this be the one thing to regret never having experienced.

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Kama “I h ave n ever h a d a p rof e s s ion a l p ho toshoot be f ore s o with th is am az i n g o p p o rt un it y I d e cid e d to ris e a bo v e m y i n s e cur i t i es an d d o a b ou d oir ph o t o sh o o t .

J eff, my ph ot og ra p h e r m a d e m e at c o m p let e ease th rou gh ou t th e e n t i r e s ho o t, alt hou gh I c ou ld n ’ t h e lp b u t l au g h a t s o me of t he p os e s h e h a d m e i n u n t i l I s aw the f in al ou tcom e .

I was m in d blown . I c ou ld n ’ t b e l i e v e th e b eaut i f u l, s e xy , con f id e n t w o m an I wa s s tar in g at on th e s cre e n wa s m e . I a bso lut ely adore m y p h otos I h av e r ecomm e n d e d ST U D IO 8 1 t o e veryon e w ho h a s s e e n th e s e p h o t o s an d I will recomm e n d th e m f ore ve r. I w i l l b e b ack for m or e p h oto s h oots in t h e f u t u r e .

T ha n k you STU D IO 8 1 . ”

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#Fearless to me doesn’t mean lack of fear. It means I am going to face my fears. Everytime Everyday. The journey from a shy and timid school going girl to this confident ME, has not been easy. I am hurt but I heal and forgive. I am rediculed but I just smile and remind myself that I am wonderful. I am scarred but I still love passionately. I am judged but I still continue to do what I am meant to. I fall but I dust myself and stand up again. I have shattered and broken dreams but I dream again. I make mistakes but I don’t repeat them. I have stretch marks, I call them tigress’s stripes. I always believed in one thing: in the circle of life, you are a daughter, sister, wife, friend, partner, mother, grandmother but never forget that you are a woman first. You are YOU first. Love yourself and only then you will enjoy all these roles, if you don’t love yourself first, how will you love others ? So don’t be afraid to love. Don’t be afraid to live. Look in the mirror and tell yourself, bring it on, I am ready! #iamfearless.

More power and love to all.

Meghana Trivedi I am 58 and turning 59 in March. I am a personal trainer and bodybuilder. I had an accident last year where I tore my quad off my knee and had surgery to reattach. I have been doing rehab for over a year now. I am personal training still and enjoy this as I love to empower my clients and see them raise their self esteem, confidence and realise their health and fitness goals.

I train all ages and levels, many bodybuilding competitors as well as every day people who want to feel better about themselves or just maintain there current fitness and healthy lifestyle.

So after my knee injury I thought that I would not be able to compete again as my right leg had lost all muscle. My fearless goal is to prove to myself and those that said it could never happen, to compete this year in September.

Naera Johnson 010

I was born in Miri, a Malaysian city on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo.

However, I was raised and educated in Brunei, and I migrated to New Zealand with my two children 15 years ago.

I am to one of co-host podcaster and a content manager for The MOREtivator Talk Show.

This is the first of its kind where a podcast is produced in the Chinese language in New Zealand. Now become one of the most popular Chinese talk shows available on Apple iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud. We present this talk show in a fun, casual and humorous manner. The podcast topics feature hot, spicy and challenging topics/issues on current affairs, be it cultural, social or gender issues, etc. in New Zealand and globally.

I wear a few caps and also work as personal assistance in an insurance financial advisory firm. My role entails communicating and collaborating with people from all different backgrounds.

What is your FEARLESS goal?

Turned my own fear to a FEARLESS goal to become an intimacy therapist. I had to walk out of my comfort zone, took my courage with the knowledge from what I had studied while living in the Netherlands to become that person to help others to maximise their intimacy and enjoy with their chosen partners and or special ones.

Yenny Beatrice

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I am a 42 year old solo mum of two! My first husband passed away in the first year of our marriage and our son was 5 months old. Later on I re-married and had a beautiful girl. Unfortunately this marriage also dissolved due to alcoholism and abuse. To get away from all of the unhappiness I turned to sport. I represented NZ in rugby league for many years, touch, Tag and Auckland rugby 7’s. I achieved greatness to prove to my kids that no matter what life throws at you, there are no excuses to not succeed. You are in control of your own destiny and if you work hard, committed and never give up, you can achieve anything.Â

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As a solo mum, I own my own home, I have learnt to do DIY and do things, that your husband or partner would do. I have instilled great values into my kids by making shithappen and being fearless all on my own!

I have had a hard physical life, on and off the field. i have always put my kids first I want to be fearless and look and feel beautiful without feeling guilty by putting me first!

Tasha Davie

Finding the “fearless” in you comes easy to some, but not to all. Once upon a time, that fearlessness may have been there (jumping out of a plane, hang-gliding of a cliff, rafting over a waterfall…) but then time plays its games and the daring, courageous and challenged inner-self can be pushed to the side. Becoming a mum, being a single parent, losing my mum to brain cancer and being a female in a predominantly male industry saw my fearlessness have its triumphs and defeats, gave me strength, yet pushed me down to my lowest of lows.

Hi, I’m Toni. I’m (only just) 47 years old (forever 28), and a mum to a beautiful 18-yearold daughter. I’ve been on my own for over ten years taking the time to be the best mum I can be, while working my way up in the automotive industry, including managing my own recruitment business. In my spare time I have played softball for an amazing team of mums and daughters, I enjoy baking, photography and travel and quite frankly, don’t take enough time to do those things for myself.

I’ve had a fantastic career moving up the ladder in a very male dominated industry which unfortunately brought with it the challenges that can make or break a person.

I had finally reached a management level that only a handful of ladies in New Zealand have reached and from the start was intimidated, harassed and humiliated until I had no choice but to resign. In this current time of encouraging equality in the workplace, I was an example of how equality was going backwards, not forwards.

All this was happening at the same time as losing my mum to brain cancer.

My goal is to find the “old me” (pre-28 and a healthier version) and to just laugh again.

Everyone should laugh out loud at least once a day!

Taking on 2019, my first step for the year was to say to myself, that each month, I am going to do something that I would not normally do, to challenge myself, and if possible, try and engage my teenage/grown-up (you know what I mean) daughter

to slot me in to her social calendar and to occasionally join me.

January saw us both jump on board the Steinlager 2 yacht in a Friday Rum Race. Fantastic afternoon and a few bruises to prove the not-so-classy effort, and an especially great day out with my girl.

February gave me the opportunity to do the “I AM FEARLESS” photography session with the most amazing team at STUDIO81. From the minute I was contacted by Annalise, I felt like I was being treated to something that I would never normally have a chance to do. I do not like having my photo taken!... at all!

My weight and appearance are not how I want to see myself.

Annalise did the most amazing job of my hair and makeup and then Jeff took me through a photographic experience I will never forget. His ability to make posing for a photograph effortless coupled with Dorin showing me the photos he had taken, was amazing. I never knew I could look as good as I did and feel so in awe of my own-self. Thank you all so very much x.

It’s taken some time and a phenomenal amount of rocky road, but I am determined to turn the fear-factor around and become even better, more confident, and stronger than before.

Most importantly I would like to become an advocate for bullying in the workplace, and secondly to promote women in business, especially in male dominated industries.

I have my first interview next week for a fantastic kick-butt opportunity in an industry that I know I can make a difference, so wish me luck!

2019 is the year that I decided to say to myself “I AM FEARLESS”.

Toni Vermeulen 013

My name is Joy, I am 54 years old. After my son passed away suddenly at 17 years old from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 3 years ago, I hit rock bottom, I didnt care about myself, didnt care if i lived or died.....My son was my world I spent 17 years being his full time carer what was I going to do without him???? I had nothing left to live for, I sunk further and further into a deep hole and just couldnt find anyway out. My days were spent on the couch watching TV crying and eating junk food, I put on 20 kg, I have decided enough is enough and have joined weight watches so my fearless journey is about to start.

My FEARLESS goal is To lose weight and get more fit and motivated so that i can start enjoying life again as my son would have wanted.

I am heavily involved with muscular dystrophy association as a volunteer and secretary on the northern branch committee and I also help with a society called Auckland Whanau Special Needs Support Group Inc helping other families who have children with special needs, I really enjoy helping others which is where I believe my passion lies.Thanks for listening to my fearless story.

Joy Jenkin My name is Rachel Watson I am 33 years of age, I am a mother of two girls Jayda 13 and Rihanna 12 years of age, I currently work as a full time Librarian which is my passion, absolutely adore Libraries and everything they offer!!!! I am doing this #fearlesscampaign as in 2017 I struggled with self confidence and self love after a terrible chemical burn accident I had at a different job I had cleaning, I endured big burns on my abdomen and I still have the big scars today that I am still struggling with to this day.

Although my confidence is slowly growing over the past few months, getting straight back into a work routine helped me with my mind, body and soul and helped me accept what had happened and I am a strong believer that “everything happens for a reason” I believe I was working to hard and needed a rest!!! And this accident made me rest and look at what’s most important in life, family, friends and experiences, life experiences! This made me more grounded and humble.

I am sharing this story to help encourage other women with self love and self confidence. We are all blessed, find gratitude in life.

Rachel Watson 014

I did this shoot to remind me who I am.

I have always been very strong minded and never afraid to say or do what I felt was right or what I believed in. I value my family, my culture and customs and I like to know that my life has purpose. In life I’m confident, direct and transparent and you always know exactly where you stand with me. In sport, I like to win and as a mother I want to lead by example.

6 months ago my whole world fell apart. My fiance and partner of 10 years decided he was no longer in love with me. There were loads of external factors, events and people involved and things went from bad to worse really quickly.

I did what I always do and I fought for what I believed in, I fought for my family and I fought for us, because I thought we were worth it. I was fighting too hard and trying so hard but the more I tried the worse it got and the more I pushed him away. We were both hurting, angry and emotional and over the weeks and then months that followed he became a stranger to me.

I’ve never felt so hopeless and broken. I couldn’t sleep and I developed the worst anxiety. The sadness consumed me and I thought I would never come out of it, so I got help.

I reached out to a few close friends and family and my sister booked me into some counselling sessions. My GP prescribed anti-depressants to ‘help’ but I don’t think it helped. If anything I felt like it was a temporary blocker. I was grateful but I didn’t like the pills and always felt like the counsellor didn’t understand. I made the choice to drop the pills and do things my own way. I didn’t want to feel numb, I needed to own it. I let the anger happen and then

I let the tears come. I cried and cried and cried until I thought I couldn’t cry any more.

Somewhere through all of that pain Wonder Wahine was born. I created the blog that was my own therapeutic way of dealing with ‘stuff’ and it helped. I’m so thankful to be surrounded by some amazing people and I feel like it’s also a little way for me to give back. I started to realise how much of me I had lost during those 10 years. I had stopped doing things I enjoyed and I had become fearful and resentful. Now I’m focusing on a few of my own personal goals and doing some of the things I always wanted to. I took advice from people I trust and who inspire me and I was encouraged by the story of a well known paddler who battled her own demons.

I’m paddling with positive people, I’m doing what I can to improve my skills in a single, I’m knocking off little goals I had pushed to the side and I’m travelling a bit with plans for more travel on the horizon.

The photo shoot was great and the whole team were so friendly. When the photos came up on the big screen I was surprised at how happy I looked, I certainly didn’t feel happy. It brought a tear to my eye because I hadn’t felt that happy in such a long time. It actually reminded me that I have a choice. I can choose to remain miserable or I can embrace the fearless woman I used to be 10 years ago and choose to be happy again.

My goals are still the same but the journey is just a little different now. I’m looking forward to the great things ahead of me!

Hana Solomon

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I am 32yrs old on Feb 22nd this year I am the eldest child of 12 I am the legal guardian to 7 of my siblings I have been caregiving them for the past 7yrs In my 5th year of of caregiving for them I decided to go and get qualified in what I’m passionate about international freight forwarding.

I achieved my level 4 2016 and achieved a diploma 2017.

I went back to work 2018 after 6yrs of caregiving and committing my time to my siblings.

They are abit older now and my purpose is to show them that anything is possible to achieve, and our life we are from does not define who we are as individuals.

My Fearless goal is to be confident in achieving anything you set your mind to.

You can achieve the impossible with the right love and support. Opportunities can be created if you want them, nothing is impossible to achieve I am fearless because I defeated all odds even though the odds were against us.

Jess Haturini

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In summary most would describe me as a single mother.

I spent most of my childhood in Kerikeri before moving to Auckland for tertiary education. I had what would be described as a common upbringing with a Mother and a Father and I was the eldest of 4 siblings. My parents separated when I was 16 years old and my Father was not apart of our lives after that.

I was married in 2014, to someone who at the time I thought was my match. We were engaged very quickly and married not long after. I am a very honest person so lying to me is not something I expect or understand. I felt that this man was someone who would compliment me and keep striving for the empire I had always dreamt of.

Three months to the night of our wedding night he assaulted me, punching me in the face giving me two black eyes and a fractured nose. He was a New Zealand title holder as a professional boxer. I convinced myself it wasn’t his fault, I didn’t understand why I felt this way, but I did.

In 2015 we conceived our first child, 12 weeks into the pregnancy I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. I was told that termination of my pregnancy may be the best option.

My fearlessness had already begun, I refused and was monitored throughout my pregnancy instead.

I gave birth to my world, a happy healthy baby girl at the start of 2016. The relationship with my husband had its ups and downs and I tried to stay out of his way. My husband and I had our own rooms, again I convinced myself that it was normal and we were happy. Social media convinced others. I had surgery for my Thyroid Cancer and during this time my Mother helped with my daughter as my husband chose to socialise and drink instead. Not long after I stopped speaking to my Mother as a result of this, as we started to blame her for a lot of our issues.

In 2017 my daughter had pneumonia which resulted in a week in hospital. This was the scariest time of my life to date, seeing her struggle broke me. My husband, my daughters father did not stay with us. Upon our arrival home he asked me where his dinner was? That was a Thursday; the following Sunday, I had a new house and we were separated.

The text messages and phone calls started. I was told he never loved me, I wasn’t what he wanted and was called every other name you could imagine. With this, I decided distance was needed and requested and had a protection order granted. From 2014 to 2017, I had disowned my family, lost contact with friends, suffered postpartum

depression and post traumatic stress, I had been physically, verbally and emotionally abused, I had believed lies and convinced myself of an unrealistic reality. It wasn’t until I became Fearless that I was able to see clearly and start making the positive changes in my life, not only for myself but also for my daughter.

I now live in a beautiful house and support my daughter with every part of my soul. I am a teacher, educating and supporting intermediate aged children to understand themselves and make the right choices. I hope that my daughter one day won’t just see me as a single mother as others might, but see me as a strong, smart and fearless independent women.

What does being Fearless mean to me?

Being fearless is something that can be extremely easy or extremely difficult. However, the struggle still has a result. During my relationship I feared being a single mother or a divorcee, I feared being laughed at, judged or never finding happiness in a relationship again. It wasn’t until I became all those things, I realised any one of those were better than being fearful, not only of what others may think but also being in a toxic and abusive relationship. Being Fearless doesn’t mean you are aggressive or outspoken it just means you no longer fear YOUR fears.

Believe in your story, in your truth and support yourself, no matter who may be telling a different story.

I chose to do this photoshoot because I had been told that if I ever got fat he would leave me, I was told that I wasn’t good enough. However, now that I am fearless, I can stand with all the rolls I’ve gained and never had before and still feel more beautiful and more happy than I ever have. I hope that this campaign inspires others, thank you.

Renee Rose

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Being born in a broken family, I always had trust issues and struggled with relationships. I battled with low-esteem, inferiority complex and depression and did not have anyone to help, to guide, look up to or even talk to. I feared to take new steps, make new decisions and wasted my years struggling to find a way and purpose. But with god’s help and watching, listening to inspirational and motivational messages I became better.

life is precious and I should love it.

The #IAMFEARLESS campaign was wonderful and definitely increased my confidence. Along with the transformation picture, reading stories of many women was very encouraging. It made me feel I am not alone and has given me more hope and inner strength. I wish everyone the best. God bless.

Lydia Varghese

I started loving myself, trusting god more. Now I know that I am born with a purpose and have goals to achieve. Even if I still deal with difficulties, I am stronger and look forward to the good things and count my blessings. I realized that

I am 32years of age and a single mother to 5..eldest being 12 and youngest 1 year.

I haven’t diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis for the past 5years and have been on meds to control it. It gets hard to control when I have the flares especially on my own but I push my self to fight the disease for my children.

My fearless goal is to loose 15kgs In 3months. As I have gained weight quickly due to steroids. I need and want to feel confident about myself.

Katalina Toia

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I am a proud mother to my three precious jewels aged 7, 3 and 7 weeks old and a devoted wife to my hardworking man.

I love to be outdoors and relaxing enjoying the sun and pretty much life in general. Have no room for negativity and drama or stress as it will give me wrinkles and I am only 33.

I am an early childhood teacher and one thing I believe is that children are our most precious gift.

My Fearless goal is to become more self confident and be more brave when I’m out on social events or gatherings. Be thankful of who I am as a human being.

Lavenia Mataitini

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I’m a mother of 3 awesome kids that participate in many afterschool activities and wife to an amazing husband who has his own building business, so every day is busy busy busy. Being a mum and business owner, you tend to forget you’re your own person too, you ensure everyone else is taken care of, but who is taking care of you? I was blessed with the opportunity to take time for myself and what better way to do that, than a makeover and photoshoot at the prestigious STUDIO81 for their #IamFearless Campaign.

When I heard of the campaign I had to take a step back What did being Fearless mean to me, am I actually Fearless? The word YES kept spiralling round in my head, but not in the sense that I have no Fear at all, but taking what I fear most and not let it control me. I’ve experienced the worse fear for any parent and that’s losing a child, the heartache and pain is unbearable but I choose to wake up each day and make that day count without fear of doing it my way, I choose to love honestly and deeply without fear that it can hurt sometimes, I choose to keep going without fear of the days when I’m falling for I have the most loving and supportive family & friends ever, who are and always have been there by my side to carry me on those days. I choose my kids, my husband and ME, making choices and not allowing what scares you, stop you, for me is being Fearless.

The whole photoshoot experience is totally foreign to me, I’ve sat for family photos, but never of just myself. As soon as I walked into the studio, bag of nerves, I was greeted with open arms, and treated like a Queen. Annalise worked her magic and transformed me something fierce, walking on set the nerves I had, simply went away as Jeff the photographer put me at ease with his professionalism and made the whole photoshoot process so easy and fun.

Another choice is I also advocate for safety at Rail Pedestrian Level Crossings and the One Ear Out safety awareness campaign, when you’re out and about listening to music and/or using your mobile to remove your risk of distraction by taking one earphone out and putting your mobile aware, so you’re aware to your surroundings and get to where your going safely. www.facebook.com/OneEarOutNZ Keep OneEarOut, Tune Into Your Surroundings.

Thank you STUDIO81 for bringing a bit of that sparkle back.

Karamea Matthes 020

I’ve just woken up from supporting another beautiful mama all night to help her bring her baby earthside to start her family. I held her fear as well as her husbands and keep mine in check every time I’m present at a birth guarding 2 lives on the cusp of life and death. Even when she has been told it can’t be done!

Being a midwife everyday requires me to be fearless but i also survive bipolar depression and raise 2 devine daughters alone. Feel the fear and do it anyway that is how I have led my life scared to parent alone.. Do it.. Scared to study midwifery full time with little kids..

Do it.. Juggle diabetes and bipolar.. Do it..

I’ve had enough of the fear of not being enough.

Loose 40kg and become a new person loose my lover at the same time.. Done.

I am enough and I want to show my fearlessness to the world! I’ve lost 40kg and there is a whole new me that has emerged I want to show the little girl that has lost her protective layer how to be courageous and live without fear

Liz Good

I have overcome 8 years of debilitating chronic illness. Less than 5% of people recover from chronic fatigue syndrome. I’m one of the less than 5%.

My fearless goal is to walk up all the accessible volcano cones in Auckland, to prove to myself and the world that I can do anything.

Rachel Bates 021

Being overweight my entire life had a major impact on many decisions, opportunities, dreams and goals. I am 39 years old and separated from my husband of 16 years, after recently losing 67kgs due to having weight lose surgery in 2017 it changed my outlook on my life and gave me the confidence to conquer many FEARS. Being overweight my whole life came with many challenges, heartache, fear and self-doubt. After being married for a few years, I realised I settled for someone who didn’t love me as much as I loved him, because I feared that I would never find someone who would love me for who I was. Because of that, I tolerated being emotionally and mentally abused thinking it was love, and that I couldn’t do any better.

I feared that if I left, how would I manage? I didn’t have the confidence, and I didn’t believe that I could do it.I didn’t live my life to the fullest as a young girl because of the fear of being judged by others or being teased or ridiculed because fat people are not accepted easily into society.

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The past 2 years of my life have been the most testing time. I have gained the confidence to end a 16-year relationship, I have the courage to stand up for myself, I do not live in fear of being judged, or not being loved the way I should be. I have the confidence to love who I am.

My FEARLESS goal is to love life, to live life and to love me for who I am. I want to do all the things I feared doing because I didn’t have the confidence to do so, like riding a horse or bungee jumping even - though I have a fear of heights. I want to love someone without the fear of wondering if they love me. My fearless goal is to be fearless of whatever situation life throws at me.

Thank you to Dorin, Jeff, Annalise, Hugo & Checkers for the most amazing experience, from the makeup to the photoshoot and the section of the photos was perfect, this was something I have wanted to do for a very, very long time but just never had the courage to do it, I was pushed out of my comfort zone but it was defiantly a fear I have overcome and for that I am so grateful.

Kim Hanekom

Believe in yourself, trust your strengths, identify your weakness, and turn your dreams into reality.

Nothing is impossible if we do anything with dedication and passion. I’m Kehma Selvaraju from Asian Food Lovers, and I would like to share my ‘Fearless’ experience how I pursued my desired business, which is bringing mouthwatering South East Asian Cuisine to your table. Cooking for family and friends has been always my passion and I found it very “relaxing” where one day I decided to turn my interest in cooking into business in 2013. I advertised my first cooking demo very nervously, but at same time very excited immediately on a local Facebook trading page. The locals started to join my Facebook page called “Asian Food Lovers” which is my company now and gave me tremendous positive feedback which encouraged me so much.

I decided to consider my dream business very seriously and seek my mum’s help (who was a chef in Malaysia), teaching me her skills in cooking South East Asian’s food. Coming from a background of country which often been called as a Food Heaven – Malaysia, gave me more opportunities to cook our multicultural delicacies such as Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, and some Vietnamese. I introduced myself as a private cook who cook for private dinner parties, and we also cook in

catering basis for larger groups. This concept was welcomed by the locals in Queenstown, as it was so convenient for them to organise dinner parties within their budgeted cost and venue that they preferred (often at their homes), and also to enjoy multicultural Asian food. I am very thankful to my family for their tremendous support for me to carry out my business goal without going through much obstacles. Despite facing day to day challenges as a full time employee and mother of two, I am truly blessed when I see the smile on my client’s faces as a reward for my hard work. We women, whom are born with multitasking ability, should never limit our dreams and passions in whatever we like to pursue.

Always remember: No pain, No gain.

Kehma Selvaraju

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I am fearless - love, live, dream.

My name is Stacey Wyatt. I am brilliant and beautiful. I haven’t always felt this way about myself. When I was 17, a friend and I were walking down the road and were kidnapped. We got shoved in a car. The door was closed behind us, and we were driven to a house and forced to go inside. Fortunately we were able to escape by taking the car keys, and we bunny hopped our way to a nearby petrol station. It was an extremely scary experience, but we survived.

Another significant event in my life was when I was 19 and was in a car accident with my father, in which he died.

I still carry the physical scars as well as some emotional ones. I received a brain injury which took time to recover, and I was temporarily paralysed on one side. I was also diagnosed with PTSD. Now I find it easier to talk to people, I can play my saxophone again, I can do physical exercise - like running and jumping without pain. I also hold down a full-time job and I have just bought my first home. These are important steps in my life as I have been able to overcome adversity.

Prior to the accident I had been a model, both runway and in photoshoots, but because of the scarring and balance issues, I had to give it up. I have also found God and this has been an important part of my healing and recovery. At one stage, I thought I wanted to die - not take my only life, but just that my life was so hard. However, God told me that I was to enjoy life, and that it was not time to go to Heaven yet.

With God’s help, I have managed to overcome these things and I am working to get to a place where I am bold, and help people as God intended me to do before the plan of creation. God is getting me to a place that I am Fearless.

Stacey Wyatt

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My name is Lorraine Maguire and I am a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Advanced Rapid Transformational Therapist. I help clients with many issues but I specialise in helping people stop over-eating and drop excess weight, reduce anxiety/panic attacks and depression, let go of fears and bad habits like smoking and drinking and improve self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and lovability. I help clients find their limiting beliefs and face similar issues to that which I have overcome. I release people from their inner blocks and help them activate the power and strength that is inside them and always has been.

I began my personal development and self-empowerment journey in 2001, at the age of 24, when I gave up alcohol due to the negative effects in my life.

My journey since then has taken me to many places including support groups, mindfulness courses, meditation retreats, women’s retreats and psychotherapy.

But nothing has freed me of old limiting beliefs like Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). For example, with RTT I have let go of panic attacks and reduced anxiety, stopped all medication, increased my confidence and stopped over-eating, started exercising and have dropped over 20kg and it has stayed off.

I love being active including hiking, dancing in the dark and I swim between 2.5-3km every week 2-3x in the pool and ocean. I have a loving relationship after being single for 11 years. I feel better, look better, live better! I have transformed my life and now empower others to transform theirsI wanted to

do the fearless campaign photo shoot as I never used to like being in front of a camera because I never felt good enough, pretty enough or slim enough and I was a little nervous about it but it was amazing. I felt really confident and the photos came out amazing. I am so proud of myself and my transformation.

I still get fear in my life but with everything I have overcome I fear less and less. The more I face the less I fear.

My FEARLESS goals before the photo shoot were to complete an ocean swim race and to put myself out there as a therapist so I can help more and more people live their lives to the fullest like I finally am without addictions or emotional issues holding them back.

I can proudly say I entered my first ocean race on 6 April 2019 and swam the 2km Harbour Bridge swim in under 40 minutes. I was amazed at how fast I swam and it was so empowering and I can’t wait to do more next season.

I am also in the process of ‘putting myself out there’ so more people can be aware of how I can help them with my therapy practice and this campaign kick started that for me. In the past my life was ruled by a fear of what people thought of me so it held me back from saying “I have found an answer that not only helps me but can empower you too.” After the photo shoot I saw how I can positively impact others with my knowledge and experience and it encouraged me to take more action.

Watch this space!

Lorraine Maguire

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My name is Elly Pickering. I was born in Germany in 1978 to a loving devoted father and an unawares mother.

We returned to NZ when I was around five years old.

My brother and I were lucky to not be separated when we were promptly dropped off to (at that time) social welfare. After several family attempts we were both fostered out to a lovely farming family in the far north, Hokianga.

A Maori father and an English mother. The family soon grew to five siblings, three aunts and an uncle. By the time I was 15 years old I was able to manage a dairy farm, was an A student, a keen ocean swimmer, the grumpiest babysitter and looking to explore more than the gorgeous beach life of Opononi. Our family moved to Rotorua when I was 17 years old, and when I was old enough I joined the NZ Army.

The next 15 years of my life were amazing. I traveled the world and NZ. I was exposed to different cultures, different people and different ways of life. During this time I learnt how large our family truly was. I enjoyed being apart of a large family, being loved, and having a sense of belonging. During my time in the Army, I also found out I couldn’t have children. At 20 I didn’t understand it. At 30 I was yearning for a child. At 35 I felt defeated. To fill in the gap, I became a fitness fanatic, participating in triathlons, half iron man events and any sporting event that cropped up. I travelled the length of the country visiting my siblings and their growing families, all the while feeling empty for not having a family of my own.

When I was 27 the woman I called mother died from lung cancer. The following year I got married. A few more years after that I was separated. And a few more years after that our grandparents passed, and Dad got sick. All the while my friends and family around me were continually growing their families. I became a God Mother to my baby sisters first born. And after a few more years I became the best Aunty ever to my nephews and niece’s. By the time I was 39 I decided to donate my spare kidney to the man I called Dad. However he passed before my 40th birthday. My spare kidney still found a home, it went to my younger cousin, who was also sick.

Today I am looking forward to my 41st birthday, am healthy, healing and loving life as the best Aunty, who is no longer in the military but working with offenders in the capacity as a group Facilitator of therapeutic rehabilitation programs. I am Fearless!

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Elly Pickering

I’m 37 a mumma with 3 kids soon to be 4, due in march. I’m a support worker for healthcare rehabilitation. I’m Maori I have overcome many things in my life. I was malested at 4yrs old, my brother passed of suicide, I had to fight to have full custody of my daughter in a court battle I did win. I have overcome other things but these have been some challenging times. I’m still working and helping others, due to go on maternity leave. My due date also falls on my brothers birthday whom passed 21years ago.

To be the best woman I can be; strong, proud and fearless in all the things I have been through and anything that try to stop me. Proud of the woman I am and show my children they too can achieve anything they put there mind. Also to show those that have been affected like me, that they are beautiful, loved and not alone.

Janie Martin

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I weighed 106kg two and a half years ago, and today I weigh 87kg. I have had a roller coaster journey with weight and life in general due to some very traumatic and challenging personal circumstances. My husband was incarcerated as a political prisoner for five years for standing up against the current Government in Fiji. I lost my brother shortly thereafter.

Four years ago, I had an emergency Laparoscopic surgery due to an ectopic pregnancy. I was minutes away from a ruptured tube which would have killed me due to excessive blood loss, had it not been for the emergency surgery to remove my right fallopian tube. Only by the grace of God, I am still here today. A few months later, I lost my youngest sister. A year later in 2016, I lost both my parents, Dad in March and Mum in July; while heavily pregnant to my son Rafael, who I gave birth to in August.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the photo shoot and while I was still pondering about it, out came Annalise with a huge beautiful smile and gave me a big hug and I felt so at ease right away. I love how they’ve made me feel about myself.Dorin, I love your unconditional support, and Jeff thank you for the beautiful photos, you’re the best. I can’t believe that that was me on the big screen so glamorous!

Now I am focused on shedding a few more kilos and pursuing a healthy, happy lifestyle with my family.

Kara Roqica-Naulago

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Hi there, my name is Suzannah Shackell, i am 23 years old and I am an Early Childhood Teacher. I am currently studying at university, finishing my degree in Early Childhood Education. I love the gym and all thing beauty. My story is that I want people to learn from my high school experience.

Long story short, I was super shy, I was lonely and unhappy. I went to an all girls school. I was bullied. I thought I was going to be like this for the rest of my life. It might not seem like a big deal for some people, but it definitely affected me. I just didn’t have this self love for myself.

I chose to leave school in year 13 and do a course in early childhood. It honestly was the best choice I made. I made friends and my confidence built, I joined the gym and began to see the beauty in myself. To me, it is like the metaphor- the ugly duckling has turned into a beautiful swan, inside and out My fearless goal is that I want woman to see the beauty in themselves, and know that things can get better. I still doubt myself at times, but I remember how much I’ve grown as a person. Self-love can be defined in different ways, it’s not the same for everyone. Do things you love, surround yourself with positive people. Work towards having that self-love for yourself

Suzannah Shackell

My experience at STUDIO81 was really fun! I didn’t know what to expect but Annalise made me feel comfortable. She did an amazing make over on me, I felt a million dollars! Jeff was great with the photoshoot. He advised me on poses that looked good. I was a bit nervous and then started to get into the hang of it. It was really empowering looking at my photos in the viewing room. I want to thank STUDIO81 for this amazing opportunity #iamfearless

I am a mother of 3 and have had a considerably hard life bringing up my girls, at times a solo mother, as my partner was in and out of prison and gangs for years. I lived in domestic violence throughout those years, where verbal, physical and emotional abuse, unfaithfulness, drugs, and alcohol abuse ruled my life which lead me to be very suicidal. After 20 years of fighting for my family to stay as one and my now husband to be the man and father I knew he was, I have succeeded. We now are happily married and living a drug, alcohol, and violence free life surrounded by the most positive people we could ever imagineI have discovered in recent years that I am more important than I knew, I have got to know myself a lot more. I am currently working with Legacy to empower not only myself but my 3 now teenage daughters to have the strength I didn’t have all those years ago to get away from the negative/toxic in your life and to love yourself.

My fearless goal is to overcome my weaknesses I gained over the years. Hold my self more confidently and to show my daughter’s a woman’s real worth. I intend to empower other women like myself that think there is no way out.

Jessica King

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I am a fulltime Mum of 4 boys, and an Early Childhood Head Teacher.

Life is busy and chaotic most of the time, with work, study, school things, and normal home life.

Last year, 2018, saw myself facing a very sudden battle with mental illness. After what can only be described as a mini breakdown, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

This was a devastating shock as I spiralled into some pretty dark days. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and some days struggled to get out of bed. I ended up losing alot of weight in a short time, and even began struggling against self-harm.

After lots of therapy, it came to light that I had never dealt with some pretty confronting past experiences. I was encouraged to write about it all, and so began my journey to healing and selfdiscovery.

During this time, I created my

facebook page, Aspire to Live, as a place for people, or people with loved ones battling mental illness.

The aim is to provide love, support, encouragement, and inspiration to my followers, in what is most likely the darkest times of their lives. Aspire to Live continues to grow daily, and I have recieved amazing feedback from those who have found support from this page already.

I know my battle with mental illness will be a lifelong thing, but I am happy to say I am doing very well.

I am very lucky to be surrounded by some pretty amazing people.

My family, my work family, some very special friends, my therapist, and my Aspire to Live community.

I will never be able to thank them all enough for supporting me through those impossible days, and for loving me when I couldn’t love myself. But I will continue on my healing journey, and will hopefully be able to help others in the process.

Tessa Taurere

Coming from a small coastal village of Fiji, I have grown a lot from my experience in New Zealand. Being a mother of two daughters.

Studying my honours degree, working as an economics tutor at AUT and being a wife can be handful. Life is interesting when is full of activities and commitments, and we enjoy it at a trill.

My biggest challenge was dealing with my parents breakup and took a emotion toll on me. Maybe sometimes, some relations are too painful and better to let the go but many others are affected when marriage dissolve. With time, the pain is a little less and keeping involved helps. My goal is life is to be a good leader and be influencial in my society. I want to encourage women in leadership and add goodwill to the community through my platform of volunteerism.

Priya Chand

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I’m a 40 year old single mother of 2 teenage kids. I live in Karaka, Auckland on a lifestyle farm with 150 alpacas. I was engaged to a man and was meant to be getting married in March but last year he up and walked out on me and my children and left me for someone younger with no kids. A male friend from Australia who also breeds alpacas rung me every night after David left and we subsequently became more than friends. He has since sold all his alpacas and his farm and he moved to NZ on Valentine’s Day this year to be with me permenantly.

My fearless goal is just want to be happy and live the best life possible with my family and never taking a single day for granted

Lisa Charteris

NUMBER ONE

BE

FEARLESS MAKE A CHANGE

#1

Do you feel you have an entrepreneurial streak?

NUMBER TWO

#2

Are you self-motivated with a desire to succeed and improve your life, one step at a time? Are you willing to ‘put yourself out there’ if you see solid results coming your way?

#3

NUMBER THREE

Do you want a successful career and also a flourishing family life? Do you believe you can have both with the right business model?

NUMBER FOUR

#4

Are you ready for change and do you accept that change starts with you?

If you answered “Yes” to the above four questions, we want you to contact us. We are mums, sisters and best friends who said “No” to conforming and we decided to live life on OUR terms. To chase our Freedom lifestyle.

Our mission is to help other women create incredible success from home. It absolutely IS possible to live the life you long for and deserve!

Like and Follow our Facebook Page: Holly and Renee Wiles Send us a direct message and let’s have a conversation to see if this is a right fit for you.

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Wow! I didn’t realize a makeover and a personal photoshoot could be so life changing. I am a full time working mumma with 2 kids (one 4 year old and other my husband). Over 4 years ago, I had my son and like any other mum I immersed myself fully to my family and didn’t realize how and when I lost myself in looking after them. I have a tendency of putting everyone else (be it my son, husband, my parents, relatives, friends) before me and everyone’s needs (including my friends and family) takes the priority over me and comes before me. My husband is a business owner who is really busy in building his business and has very little time for us sometimes. Life is really busy in making sure my little family is well taken care of and so are all the household chores. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

It was a lightbulb moment when I saw this Fearless Campaign and getting email from Annalise confirming that I have been selected to go through this absolute life changing experience. It was overwhelming in the beginning and I tried every reason under the sun to push it a bit (as I always do when it’s come to doing anything for myself) however finally the day came. I actually took my bestie with me for support and to actually get me through this. And then I met Annalise at the reception and in no time, Annalise put me to ease with her warmth as

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soon as I met her in the studio. She listened to me carefully when I said it’s my first time and TRUST ME I am no Super model. I have no idea what I am going to do. She listened patiently and started doing her magic on me. I absolutely loved she paid attention to each and every small detail of what I asked for and turned me looking into no less than a celebrity. That boosted my confidence and after that, Jeff took over and was very calm in dictating what and how he wanted to pose and that felt like my moment.

For that time, I felt like a STAR. When it came to viewing, my bestie helped me choose and kept me calm as I absolutely loved each and every photo and I wanted to buy all of them. It was really hard to choose but end product was awesome. I can’t thank STUDIO81 Team for this awesome, life changing experience and the memories of this whole experience as a reminder it is absolutely beautiful to BE FEARLESS and be shameless to make yourself a PRIORITY because if you don’t, no one else ever will and always remember you are bold and beautiful beyond your size, colour, skin, ethnicity etc. I am so so proud and honoured to be part of this campaign.

Parul Sharma

Hi, my name is Tina. I’m 43 years old, and have been with my hubby for 23 years. We have two beautiful children. Our son, who will be turning 21 and in his last year at uni, and our daughter who is at high school (16 going on 21!) My hubby and I are going through a rough time at the moment as he has PTSD from a traumatic experience a few years ago, and trying to help him is taking a toll on our marriage. But we work through it... baby steps.

My ultimate goal is to get more confidence in myself. I’m a big girl, and I have a face that goes red from Rosacea (I think) when I get hot, or someone says something to me thats complimentary.

I hide myself behind trying to be funny as a barrier. I would like to be confident in the way I look, and not feel my family are embarrassed of me because of my weight or my red face.

I came into this experience not very confident and feeling like I would get nothing out of it. Oh how wrong I was... Even walking down the road to the studio that morning, I felt like maybe I should turn around and not bother. But I walked up the stairs and into the studio, and felt so at ease with Annalise. She made me feel like had always known her and was so easy to converse with. She explained everything that would be happening throughout the process, and so I wasn’t anxious about what would happen next. Getting my make up done was a whole new experience for me as I wear zero makeup in my everyday life.

As the makeup was being applied, Annalise explained everything she was doing, like what makeup and shades she was putting on, and helped me decide what would look good with the clothes I brought. All the time chatting and giggling along with me. After that, I had my hair done, and the final result? WOW! I looked amazing! After that, I went to have my photos taken. The photographer was great! Jeff helpfully directed me throughout the shoot. He showed me how to do the poses and which positions would work really well, and also made sure that the photos looked natural and not forced.

Afterwards was my viewing session, when you see all of your shots in a slideshow. I can tell you I didn’t believe it was me. I walked out of the studio that day and felt like a million dollars. I can’t thank the team at STUDIO81 for giving me the opportunity to do this. Sometimes you just need to take a small step out of your comfort zone and try something new, and like me it could be an awesome experience. But you don’t know if you don’t try.

Tina Martin 033

I had breast cancer 22 years ago after treatment and a mastectomy I waited 18 years and finally had a breast reconstruction. Love my new breast but still find photos of me now are not confidence building and up until 6 months ago I took all the photos of everyone and nobody suggested taking photos with me in them. Thought my family were embarrassed of me. Gave me a bit of a complex.

My fearless goal is to be more confident on the inside and show this on the outside. My insecurities of many years have just vanished thanks to the team at STUDIO81. Jeff a very quiet spoken kind of guy, was a great tutor in the art of relax and pose. Annalise and her magic makeup brushes and eye for the stunning was total magic. I looked at my photos in the viewing room and the tears just rolled down my face. WHO was this beautiful woman I was looking at, I was looking at a glowing beautiful ME. Time had been spent on ME. My husband sitting beside me admitted to needing a tissue also as he was feeling my joy, my amazement and my confidence overflow. I am fearless, I am confident, I am beautiful inside and out and I can now feel this within.

Anne Wharepapa

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info@muchogustowine.co.nz

Hi, I’m Joanna, and I’m turning 49 very soon. I was married for 23 years, but am now a Solo Mum, and have been for the past 5 years. I am currently raising 3 amazing children. I also work 3 jobs. I’ve recently lost my mum, and I’m trying to be kind to myself this year, as I have put everyone else first.

My goal is to lose the old Joanna (tired, overweight, alone, sad), and find my new groove 2019 before I hit the 50 next year. When Thursday arrived for my shoot, I was both nervous and excited. Upon arrival I was immediately put at ease. Not once did I sneak a peek at my makeup as Annalise created the smokey eyed look I requested.

The end result was STUNNING! I could feel my confidence grow. There is no better feeling than being happy, comfortable and Fearless; I was ready to be in front of the camera.The next few hours pass in a blur, following Jeffery’s instructions. Feeling like a Cindy, Naomi, Linda, Christie of the 90s Super Model, I too would not get out of bed for less than $10,000. After a short wait, Dorin took me into the viewing room and I saw myself larger than life on the big screen. Not only did I look Fearless, I felt and believed it also! From when I signed up to the campaign, I am 10kg lighter and feeling like my old self with a new outlook on Life.

Joanna Legall-Misikini

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My Name is Tina, and I’m turning 48 this year. I’m a mother of 2 (son and a daughter), and I’m a Filipina. My family moved to New Zealand 12 years ago from the Philippines in a quest for a better future for my kids. All my life here in New Zealand, my husband and I worked hard to be able to settle here and save for our future house someday. During our first few years here we ventured to different kind of jobs - jobs that we do not prefer, but had no choice to keep to make ends meet. After 2 years, I was able to get a job that was finally related to my profession.

Since then we started saving, and with the help of the Lord, 4 years ago we were able to have our own house at last! It was not just a house, it was beyond our expectations because it was a brand new one that we personally designed and have built. Dreams do come true. During the past 12 years, I was so focused on how to earn, I totally forgot about myself. During my younger years I always wanted to have a nice photo of myself, but I never had a chance to have them because of financial reasons.

Now that I am here in NZ, life really went past quickly. I am becoming old, two years more before my Golden years! As I scrolled through Facebook, I came across the STUDIO81 page.

The stories of the different women here inspired me a lot and I told my self ‘Oh this might be the sign! It’s time to share mine and have a Me time.’I was blessed to be selected in this campaign. Come the day of the photo shoot I was nervous and at the same time excited. I didn’t know what would happen. It reminded me of the same situation 12 years ago, which made me want go on and do this!

Thank you to the whole STUDIO81 team for this lovely photoshoot experience. Just like our house, the results exceeded my expectations! Bucket list ticked! They say ‘You only lived once,’ so do the things you really love before it’s too late. If you have goals in life, do your best in order to achieve it. At first I was so afraid of migrating to a different place. What if I’m not successful, and go back home empty handed? With God’s grace and with the help of my husband, I was able to achieve our dream of having our new house someday. God is Good! Truly if God is with you, who else is against you? NOTHING TO FEAR ABOUT IF GOD IS WITH YOU. For this I am forever grateful and I will serve HIM all the days of life.

Valentina Reynosa

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After 30 plus years of working in education, theatre and business I have decided to take the plunge and become a professional speaker. My goal is to be an international speaker and author on the topic of problem solving in our personal, career and business lives. I also want to continue developing my theatre business so that all young people get to experience a quality theatre experience at least once before they leave school. Theatre provides a platform for learning life long skills and is often undervalued. I want to change that.

Monica Stowers

When I get asked “Why did I move to New Zealand”? My normal answer would be for higher education. But that’s just a convenient way of putting it to avoid further questions. I moved here to escape from an abusive marriage. I hear people often say we cannot run away from our issues wherever we go, and that’s true to an extent, but for me “moving far from home” did help to start my life fresh. My problems and depression phase is not over yet but I see hope.

Moving to New Zealand was the best decision in my life, I am thankful to my parents and siblings to help make this possible. I am also happy to get a very supportive employer and bunch of good friends here. I would like to make use of my life more by bringing light to other people’s lives. Like there are many people out there waiting to be heard. I would want to figure out a way to provide food, shelter and education to the less fortunate, sometime in future. I would also like to engage in a creative space, coz that makes me happy.

Anu Anirudhan 037

I have experienced a few challenges in my 57 years, which has resulted in a rather rough emotional journey through life. The most life impacting event has been the loss of my darling son in a tragic car accident 8 years ago. This has been extremely devastating and heartbreaking. His death has left a deep scar in my heart which will never heal. Not a day goes by that he is not in my thoughts. It could simply be triggered by a song, a scent, a word or an image - this will bring back a flood of emotions. The despair of losing a child is indescribable and is a parents worse nightmare.

Another life impacting challenge is being adopted as a child.

The sense of ‘lost identity’ and of ‘not belonging’ has been all consuming, and the ensuing insecurities that come with it have plagued me through my teens and into adulthood. The need to be accepted and loved has been so overwhelming.

Why am I Fearless? I’m Fearless because despite all the insecurities, heartache, despair and pain, I have managed to pull through and overcome it all. Having a loving and supportive little family of my own has really helped. Sometimes I put up a facade to appear strong but the truth shows through the lens of the camera which always captures a hint of sadness and aloofness, discomfort even. Consequently I’m camera shy and am always reluctant to be photographed.

My fearless goal is to accept myself, insecurities and all. I hoped that my experience at STUDIO81 would bring out the confidence in me. Two words describe my experience at STUDIO81 - welcoming and uplifting. To summarise, I was greeted with a warm hug, the make-up session was entertaining and fun, the photoshoot went smoothly, and the viewing session was personal and stress free. I came away feeling happy and encouraged!

Nellie Coe

The power to win business through

Digital marketing

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idmnz.com

My name is Mariska and I am a passionate wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Auckland. I live for what I do as because I help people capture the raw emotions and true memories. I immigrated to New Zealand from South Africa about 3 years ago. Rerooting your family in a new country with no family and no friends is not an easy thing to do. Yet we knew that our children would have a better future in this beautiful country and we took the giant leap of faith. Soon after coming here, I started my two business (the Photography business as well as a bespoke, designer Ceramic Range which I hand made from start to finish). After being successful in SA, I was positive that they would pick up quickly and become well established.

In the meantime, I had to go through a separation from my husband and best friend, and I also started studying a Level 7 qualification in Digital Marketing. What I have learned through this journey, is that we always have choice: we can choose how we handle circumstances, we can choose to be happy, we can choose to make this world a better place, and we can choose to be thankful for every blessing that we have. There is always something to be grateful for, no matter what the circumstance.

I chose to not let anything get to me, but instead to use these emotions to drive me to become someone better: a better Mum to my two girls, a better friend, a better businesswoman. But above all, it helped me discover who I really am so that I could become the best version of ME. Don’t let anything ever stand in your way of chasing your dreams. No matter how big or small. This campaign has just made me realise once again that we as women are made to be Fearless.

We were born to be unstoppable. Having my photo taken has brought me to my knees in gratitude, because after feeling like I have failed in so many things, I could see the strength in my own eyes. And that has given me hope and determination to grow even more…and to reach for the stars! Stay #FEARLESS!

Mariska Steyn

www.mariskasteyn.com email: msphotography.nz@gmail.com

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My name is Jessie. I am a 48 years old mum blessed with 3 beautiful children aged 22, 18 and 5, and a wonderful husband.

Cake Decorator as my profession is quite demanding and stressful. My job takes top priority next to my family. It requires focus and a lot of attention to detail. Juggling the time between my family and the job I tend not to give enough attention or time to myself.

When I saw the #IAMFEARLESS Campaign advert on FB, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to take part and I signed on. Soon after, I got a reply saying that they would love to have me on board. I was so thrilled and super excited.

I always wanted to do something like this. I thought to myself ‘Finally, this is the time for me to prove not just to myself, but to the world that I am Fearless, fabulous and beautiful.’

I believe, being as beautiful as you can be is every girls dream.

When an opportunity like this comes your way, why not embrace it? Let’s capture the moment and be forever grateful.

Story of my life: after having two sons, I told my husband that my life is not complete without a daughter in the family. We waited and waited for the right moment in our life. It was the job, finances, family holidays, something or the other made us keep on postponing. Time went passing by very quickly and I was getting older. To make thing worse, I was made redundant and looking for a job again.

Our hopes of having a girl in the family was slowly slipping away. Just when I thought my dream was over, God answered my prayers. I was not expecting it at all. Late 2013 our beautiful daughter was born. It was a very happy as well as a challenging time for all of us. But as a family we stuck together and got through. Now when I think about it, it was the perfect time for me after all, I did not have a job so I could give the full attention to my baby girl. Now my life is complete!

Jessie De Zoysa

I’m a Mid 30s mum of an absolutely fearless child! My goal in life was to raise a happy healthy kind and limitless kid! I have lived my entire life plagued with self doubt and I did not want history to repeat itself.My career has suffered because of my tendency to doubt myself. I have always dreamed of a job in the creative sector but I have never had the guts to pursue it.My daughter inspires me everyday. I see her out there smashing her goals and creating her destiny which makes me so proud and also makes me to want to be better, do better, become fearless, just like her!My fearless goal is To be able to do what I love every single day!

Renee Sharp

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I’m a full time mother of 5 kids. Working and dealing with my kids including my disabled child can be challenging at times. We often get caught up in our daily lives that we forget to take time out for ourselves but also checking in with our children. Being a Fearless mum I would like to encourage all our parents out there that it’s important to communicate with our kids in today’s age and time. It’s important that our children can confide in us.

‘Depression’ is a word that we all don’t like to hear or mention at times, but it’s becoming more common and people are turning to suicide.

The rate at which suicide is getting more and more prevalent among youth is quite alarming. The use of social media can be extremely toxic activity for already depressed people. It is equally important for us to be sensitive and help people who tend to post suicidal statuses. Support them and stay with them and make them feel that they are not alone. If it doesn’t work then seek professional help. Depression is more than just sadness, it is a form of sickness that sometimes needs medical and psychiatric remedies. Above all we need to be kind to one another especially to our own selves.

Teresia Muliaga

I have recently, in the last 18 months, gone out on my own as a H&S professional, and work mainly in the construction industry. Working for myself was something I always wanted to do. I am loving it, but does take a bit of multi-tasking, and big days/nights sometimes as I am studying also. I’m 30 years old (nearly 31) and not married yet or have kids. I’m heading that way hopefully, but I’m feeling the potential struggle of building a career and having a family.

I’ve had a few people say to me when I mention my partner and I are thinking about having children soon “oh but what about your business?” which is a bit sad when it’s coming from other women.

Why can’t we have families and still have our careers? Well we can, but I still think it’s a lot harder than it is for men. Also, I’m not looking forward to being a pregnant woman (if it does happen) walking around construction sites haha.

Unfortunately, gender discrimination is alive and real still out there in many industries, and from my own experience, in construction. The stares, condescending tones, and sexist jokes is a common thing for me, and I know of other women in the industry that get the same treatment. My fearless goal is to empower women in a predominantly male industry (or any other industries for that matter), and that women can raise families and have careers. We are amazing creatures!

Jemma Walker 041

When I was 23 my beautiful mother unfortunately passed away after a difficult battle with cancer, I made a promise to her the day before she died. I promised her I would never give up on my dream of helping people improve their health naturally. So here I am 6 years later running my own Nutrition Consulting company called DNA Nutrition. I decided that I didn’t want to see more people suffer like my mother did.

Since then, it is my mission is to empower people to take ownership of their health outcomes. I want to help people be more proactive about preventing diseases they may be predisposed to, rather than waiting for a major health crisis to change their diet and lifestyle habits. I have always been passionate about health, science and nutrition from a young age, so it was an easy decision for me to study Nutrition and Biochemistry at Otago University.

Since graduating, I have been practicing as a Nutrition consultant specializing in Nutrigenomics, which is the science of how your genes interact with your diet. I use DNA testing to help identify key genes that may be contributing to health concerns such as high cholesterol, food sensitivities or difficulty loosing weight. I then help people understand their DNA results so they can start living and eating in harmony with their genes to optimize their health naturally. DNA testing takes the guesswork out of nutrition using a highly accurate and science based approach. I then use the results to educate people about their unique body type so they can not only eat the right foods; but also avoid foods or supplements which are not suitable for them.

My fearless goal is to become a world renowned Nutrigenomic consultant to help millions of people improve their health, by teaching them how to eat according to their genes. For more information on my company DNA Nutrition visit our website www.dna-nutrition.com and for more info on the DNA lab visit www.smartdna.com.au.

Elaine Bracefield PERSONALISED NUTRITION BASED ON YOUR GENOMIC PROFILE With just one simple saliva sample sent to the SmartDNA lab for Analysis, we can reveal your unique genetic attributes and predispositions, helping you reach peak performance and make better diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. Everyone from regular people to professional athletes can benefit from getting their DNA tested.

For more information visit www.dna-nutrition.com and www.smartdna.com.au or call us on 021421219

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My husband and I were in a serious car accident in 2017. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with brain concussion. For almost a year, I could not sleep every night due to brain trauma. It was as if my dreams went down the drain. It felt that healing was a far cry. When I was bedridden, I would stare through the window and seeing how busy everyone was outside, I felt that the world was moving but I had no part in it. I started feeling more depressed. I found no meaning with my life anymore, to a point where I wanted to kill myself. The accident happened only a year after I moved to NZ; when I was still dealing with severe homesickness. I lived every single day with doubts and fear.

Even though my emotions were all over the place due to my illness, my husband never stopped showering me with genuine love (sacrificing his sleep most nights to caress my hair until I calmed down) and my loving friends who became my family supported me in many ways. I decided to rise from my depression and face every day not with fear but with hope and eyes of gratitude by the grace of God. I started counting my blessings rather than what I lacked. It opened my eyes to the power of gratefulness in all circumstances. When I was undergoing physiotherapy and brain therapy, I was afraid I would never be able to paint again due to severe body pains and trouble concentrating. Still with fear yet courage, I picked up my brushes and acrylic paints again. I’m glad I did, for since then I created masterpieces which spark joy and inspiration to many.

Elly Roberts

My journey towards healing was painful yet beautiful. It allowed me to take bold, fearless steps towards acceptance and choosing to see the good in everything. Acceptance springs forth peace and joy. It is true that courage is not the absence of fear. It is the presence of fear but choosing to do it anyway. When I decided to be grateful, there were still thoughts like, “What if I’ll never get well?” But I pushed aside these negative thoughts and reaffirmed myself that everything will get better in time. It took a lot of courage to ignore the negative voices but it was really worth it. God turned my life around. When I opened my heart to God, my pain took on a beautiful purpose. He blessed me with a job as an Executive Assistant to the CEO and God used my pain to bless others. It filled my heart with more compassion which moved me towards reaching out those who are going through sickness and depression because I went through it myself. We should never underestimate the power of gratitude. When we look at everything with eyes of wonder, faith, and gratefulness, all will be well even in seemingly crushing situations. There is power in deciding never to give up. There is always hope no matter how hopeless a situation may seem. There is power in trusting that everything will fall into place in God’s perfect time.

And speaking of perfect time, I believe my #Fearless photo shoot at STUDIO81 was that – perfect timing! I had to reschedule a couple of times as something always got in the way to a point where I wanted to cancel. Thank God I didn’t because the experience was one I will always treasure in my heart. Annalise is such a gifted make-up artist. She was able to bring out the best in me. Jeff was very patient and professional in taking my photos. I had a heart-to-heart conversation with Dorin during the photo viewing. When I saw my stunning photos on the big screen, my tears fell. Beyond my makeup and joyful smile, I saw a woman who has been through so much in life and yet, still standing by the grace of God. I had a flashback of my fearless journey in the Philippines; one which led to my fearless journey in NZ. Looking at my photos took me back to the time when I suffered tragic deaths of my loved-ones right after I gave up a promising career to pursue my love for writing. I was often approached by women with broken hearts; women who felt they were not pretty enough or worthy enough. There was a burning desire in me to write a book to empower women about their true worth but I didn’t know how and where to start so I went to an Adoration chapel where I sought for answers. I closed my eyes and prayed, “Lord, I know you called me to be an author, please give me a writing mentor.” As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a man in front of the Holy Eucharist. That stranger approached me with his calling card. When I saw what was written on it, I cried my eyes out. “He is an author! A perfect answer to my prayers!” Little did I know that God not only planned to give me a mentor but a husband as well. (You can read our love story through this link: https://www.worththechase.com/ love-story.html ) Our miraculous meeting gave birth to our first co-authored book called “Worth the Chase: Finding Love God’s Way, a book on forgiveness, healing, discovering your purpose, surrendering to God’s will, finding genuine love no matter your past, how to remain joyful in the midst of trials, and seeing your worth in God’s eyes. (If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V7IRN2WI shared to Dorin how the photo shoot has set the fire ablaze in me again when it comes to empowering women through the book I wrote with my husband and because of that, I am beyond grateful to STUDIO81’s amazing team.

My fearless goal is to inspire people that we are more than the sum of our weaknesses; that it is okay to be afraid, but to never allow fear to paralyse us from doing the things that make us alive and full of joy.

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Hi, I am a mum of two kids. One is 9 years old and other one is 2. I am suffering from diastasis recti. This is a term not known by many. In short, it’s a gap in between your right and left abdominal wall muscles that can result in a rounded, protruding belly ‘pooch’.

It makes you look few months pregnant even after an year of giving birth. This is something that is proving to be a painful emotional blow for me. One day I saw the #IAMFEARLESS campaign by STUDIO81 on Facebook and decided to participate. I am really thankful to the STUDIO81 team for encouraging me and make me realise that no matter what comes in life: never doubt yourself. Thank you STUDIO81 team for an amazing experience and beautiful makeover.

Ruchi Tomar

I have always suffered with my confidence, self esteem, and always hated my body. I got into fitness and focused on my health couple years ago culminating in finishing the Great Wall of China half marathon, but due to many other issues, I fell off the wagon.

The past year has been both horrible and beautiful, losing my husband to a tragic accident, and welcoming our first two grandchildren. I’ve been drained, depressed, and excited all in one.

I thank God everyday that I am strong, and have lived my life regardless of my feelings. I have endured a sad childhood and raised 5 children.

My goal is that I want to feel empowered, beautiful, and like I can achieve anything. I take on a lot of many different things to hide how I truly feel and what I am going through. I like to keep busy, but at same time am yet to feel FREE. I want to feel like I am ME.

Evelyn Kumar

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My name is Niketa. I am an independent woman. Presently I live in Auckland. Recently I have come out of an abusive and violent relationship in which I was stuck for about 12 years. The person I was in relationship with was the first person I fell in love with, I was just sixteen then. He was around 11 years older than me but that was ok with me because I thought that he loved me and that age doesn’t matter in love.

Just a few months into the relationship and he started verbally abusing me and then physical abuse followed. It all soon became frequent. He used to hit me, verbally abuse me and used to torture me mentally. Every incident was somewhat like this –> He would verbally abuse me; hit me; throw stuff around the house; break glasses or anything that he could get his hands on; mentally torture me, even threaten to kill me; accuse me of anything that would not even make any sense; made me believe that everything was my fault.

After 2-3 days or more would apologise but still say it was all my fault, would shower me with love. I would forgive him and after few days everything would be repeated. It was a cycle and I was stuck in it. I did not share these things with my parents or anyone. Even if someone would ask about him particularly, I always praised him and told everyone that he was a good man.

He would be a completely different person in front of others. In front of my parents and relatives he would say that how much he loved me and would show everyone that he cared for me a lot. Although I knew that he was an abusive person and that he used to hurt me, but I could not leave him. I just didn’t have the courage to leave him and also because he made me believe that the way he treats me was his love. He used to say that every couple fights and the same happens in every relationship.

I never had any other romantic relationship with anyone before him, so I lacked experience, but I also used to be confused because I never saw my parents fight that way or anyone even in my extended family behave like he did. I used be so scared around him because I could not predict that how he would behave or react the next moment.

Eventually all those things started taking a toll on my mental health. I started getting anxiety attacks and panic attacks.

My health in general deteriorated, I used fall sick often and was definitely not happy in life. One fine day I decided that I wanted to continue my studies from where I had left. My parents supported me. When I was pursuing my master’s, some of my friends and classmates got to know about his abusive behaviour as they themselves witnessed it. They encouraged me to talk to my parents about him and so I did. Once my parents came to know about it, no doubt they were shocked but they saved me from him and are still supporting me endlessly. I was able to make it clear to my ex that I did not want to continue the relationship with him anymore.

At first he thought that I was just kidding but as soon as he got to know that I was serious about it he started begging me to not leave. He pleaded me to think about how much he loved me and that how I was making a mistake. He still keeps on attempting to talk to me, but I have completely blocked him.For me, being Fearless is to face my fears and that is what I have learnt in all these years. I am sharing my story, not because I am seeking sympathy from anyone, but to create awareness about domestic violence and mental health. I thank Studio81 to give me that opportunity with #IamFearless campaign. My photo shoot experience was awesome.

My FEARLESS goal is to be strong and overcome all challenges in life. As mentioned above, I want to create awareness about domestic violence and mental health issues among everyone. I want to help others who are going through the same that I once went through.t

Niketa Sinha 045

Hello, my name is Kiran and I’m 32 year old. I came to this beautiful country four years ago after getting married to a man named Lalit with whom this new phase of life became even more beautiful. I have always been a person who loves to do make up, likes to keep myself fit, and well groomed.

2018 was the year when I gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy Reyansh.

Time flies, he is 14 months old now. I’m an at-home Mum, which is now I realise is the busiest job in the world. Like any other Mother, all day long I was busy with my little one and doing household chores. I think it won’t be right if I say I didn’t get time for myself, but rather I got lazy to take out time for myself. My husband always encouraged me, to keep me motivated towards fitness, and always by my side helping me with everything. He is no less than a prince who every girl would dream of.

Sooner, as a mum I learnt a lesson that self care is the priority. If you are happy and healthy, then only you can take best care of your family.

One fine day when my husband saw the campaign by STUDIO81. He booked the appointment and I was pretty nervous about the shoot. I was welcomed by beautiful Annalise, and in no time I was calm and relaxed for the shoot after talking to her. She is a wonderful girl and a great makeup artist. I was so happy with my hair and makeover. I had a great time shooting with Jeff. He made the photoshoot so easy. When the pictures came out I couldn’t believe myself, and I felt like I’m still beautiful and strong. I’m happy that I grabbed the opportunity and ended up doing this shoot.

Kiran Chauhan

Hi, I’m Kirsty, and I’m a 29 year old mother of two. I constantly feel anxious in social situations, and feel I have lost the confidence I used to have. I tend to stay home a lot and avoid social get togethers.

My goal was that I wanted to regain my confidence, and not rely so much on my children to be my security blanket. I want to not only feel more confident, but I also want to look forward to simply going out.

With having a newborn and toddler, I don’t get much time to myself. It was a really nice experience to have my Hair and Makeup done, and photos taken at the studio. It left me feeling more confident within myself afterward.

Kirsty Stewart

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Kia ora, my name is Frances. I saw the Fearless Campaign on Facebook and was attracted to the “Before & After” pics of ALL the stunning looking ladies.

Their stories were so intriguing, they inspired me to share mine too as well as aim for that “Wow” look!

My Masterpiece has always and will forever be my Husband, and 3 son’s aged 25, 23 and 21, along with our 2 four legged cats.The pros and cons of living and loving the life of a happily married Wife and Mum are the best gifts one could ever receive, not forgetting “me time.” Attending to your families needs and wants along with your own, at times been employed too then going home to cook and clean can be exhausting but also rewarding.

However, the significance of it all is to focus on how important it is to allow more time to pamper ourselves so that we can still look good and feel good for our family. I believe we are the backbone as we have a huge responsibility, and unnecessarily sometimes take on too much, accept a lot of negativity, are judged, sometimes feel like we haven’t done enough; just to name a few without considering our own well being and health.

2008 was a happy & sad year for me. My Mum, the Matriarch of our family passed in August, and ironically a couple of months prior, she told me on the phone that “I will look beautiful in my wedding dress & that we should marry earlier”, I got married November with her pearl set that my Dad gifted to me.

He brought it for her birthday back in 1987.

Then my mother n law passed December, and what a blessing it was to have her present at our big day. 6 years later the Head of our house passed, My Dad. To this day I am so blessed he walked me down the aisle. Funny memory that day, he told my Husband “I bring her in here (to the church), and you take her out”. He said it with so much love and joy.

The moral of this is “we are taught important family values but not taught how to live without our loved ones. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”We need to keep shining bright like a diamond Ladies! Walking into STUDIO81 with my two youngest son’s wanting to come along for the ride has been an unforgettable experience. It was quite nerve wrecking as I didn’t know what to expect, but then my anxiety and adrenaline rush all came to a end. We were greeted by a happy and welcoming Annalise. My son’s and I introduced ourselves then they went on their merry way into town. In my 45years other than my wedding day back in 2008, this is the first time I have had an extreme makeover. A few days before this shoot I got my nails done, that was a first ever.

Annalise did a very simple but yet such an elegant job with my hair & makeup, I felt like a million dollars! Then came the dress code with photographer Jeff. I must admit I was nervous at first because of his gender as I had never done a one on one photoshoot with a Male, but that feeling immediately disappeared once I got changed and saw his setup, my confidence went from 1-10! So patient he was, and I loved his taste of clothes, jewellery and the different poses. The final results came from Dorin, both my son’s were welcomed to view the photos with me. Unbelievable how beautiful and natural I looked! The lighting just made all my photos look complete. So gobsmacked, I really got the “Wow” look that I wanted and achieved it 100%! One of my son’s said “Wooah, doesn’t even look like you Mum” (I jokingly said: so are you saying I looked ugly before lol), and the other said “Wooah, mean as Mum” (He was already rattling off which photos he liked). Dorin was such a great help when it came to choosing the best shots, my son’s and I were so stunned we didn’t know where to start lol. I would like to acknowledge STUDIO81 and their staff: Annalise, Jeff and Dorin for their professionalism, and upmost time, work and respect. Thank you so much for this great & special opportunity! #ManIFeelLikeAWoman

Frances Mahu 047

After a personally very challenging period - I decided to change my life 180 degrees in order to become a happier person. Following my heart and letting my life long dream become true, was the one thing that I was craving, regardless the circumstances. So, I broke up after almost 10 years with my partner, sold all my possessions, applied for a working holiday visa, bought a one way ticket to the country of my dreams and moved across the globe to AUSTRALIA. Doing so, confronted me with my biggest fears, and more than once I thought I couldn’t do it but I did! And in return of being #fearless - I was rewarded with unforgettable times which let me grow and become a better version of myself. I managed to stay two years in Australia, where I was lucky enough to meet wonderful souls, saw stunning beautiful nature and experienced an endless variety of different situations. I consciously put myself outside my comfort zone over and over again. I was so curious about anything “new” and I got to learn so much, mainly about myself. The sweetest moments in life, also came along with some of the darkest. After 27 months of constantly traveling around in Australia & New Zealand, my health and my permanently empty bank account lead to my decision to settle down in Auckland in March 2018. Since then, I enjoy the perks of a settled life with a stable social network, a place called home and an office job which ensures income.

Applying for the #IAMFEARLESS campaign with STUDIO81 was my way to get out of my comfort zone again. Taking photos of myself is some sort of horror for me. Since I can remember, I was un-photogenic. Even as a kid and later as teenager I entirely refused to take pictures. Traveling, naturally comes with taking pictures and I got a bit more used to it by the constant exposure to it. But still, I never find a picture that contains me, which I look at and think “Oh, wow, that’s beautiful!” Years back, even professional photographers told me, not just once, that “It’s hopeless, you look decent in reality - but as soon as I take a picture of you, you look like crap.” But, I put myself out there again, to get the full on experience with make up, hair and a photo shooting, to face my fears and work on my damaged self image. Thanks to the great team of STUDIO81 and their excellent work I am now a little step closer to my goal to truly love myself.

Kirsten Schleuter

Hi my name is Mary Fetu Richard, and I am fearless and beautiful.

This year my husband and I will be celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary. We have been blessed with 3 beautiful young men, and in the past year our two eldest sons have moved to Australia. It has been such a journey to bless and release them, but with releasing them it has meant more time for me and my husband, but especially for me.

This is my second year of my 4 year bachelor of bicultural social work degree. I never thought studying was for me, but stepping in faith has really helped me to see what I am able to do when God is at the forefront. I believe that being a mum is my calling, and social work is just an extension of that calling. As a mum I speak truth, life and love into the lives of my children and family no matter how hard the journey. And what God has allowed me to walk in with my family, it is to share and help other families.

I really wanted a make-over to bring out the beauty in me hahaha!!!

But this was beyond my expectations. I really want to acknowledge the team for showing me how beautiful and fearless I AM!!!!Tears of joy and an overwhelming sense of love just came over me to see the beauty within come to the forefront.

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Mary Fetu Richard

Hi I’m 23 years old, I have a career in construction and modelling at the same time. Living a very busy life is actually making me more empowered as a woman.

My fearless goal is to create schools in some villages of developing countries, to give women a basic education for free.

Therefore they can advance themselves and pursue their dreams.

I have grown up in a family that value education as a number one goal. I can never see anything better than this. As I’m growing up, I believe a good education and a good work ethic will bring you far. No one worth to be called not smart enough, they just unfortunate for not being able to access a good education. As you can see, it is happening in most developing countries where the gaps between rich and poor is quite high. And I barely heard that they have a loan programme for a further education or something similar like that.

In here, I put my major focus on women. In some countries where culture and customs are highly emphasised, they forgot that women can also have a fearless dream to be whatever they desired to be. Especially for women who were born in a family who’s financially struggle, they were forced to forget about their dreams and even got married at the very young age. Since they don’t have a good education on their background, most of them ended up in a violent marriage and any other similar event. It is just simply because they have no choice.

Education is the key. It can get you out of poverty and more knowledgeable in life.

Therefore, it is important to embrace this matter, at least a basic knowledge will give a confidence in life. We are all fortunate in life, we just need to help each other. There is no reason for these women to be walked over as they are uneducated or a little bit behind than sophisticated women. You can’t choose how you’re born, but you can make the changes in life.

Ayu Chandrewi

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I spent 10 years working in an aviation/humanitarian organisation, based in both New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The latter stint was a particularly challenging context, as I struggled to work in a male dominated world whilst coping with life in the Highlands of PNG - one of the most difficult and dangerous places in which to be a woman and a foreigner. I returned to NZ in January 2018 with a severe case of PTSD and Burnout, but with no chance to take some time out and rest or recover. Instead, I looked after the family home while my mother recovered from ankle surgery for three months, helped her care for my grandmother who was declining with dementia, moved through various house sits, saw the death of my grandmother just before Christmas, and went through a particularly painful relationship break up in the midst of fighting my way through a myriad of health struggles brought on by the PTSD. Throughout the worst times, I was fortunate to have the support of my strong and beautiful family. But I was surprised at the amount of negativity and sometimes direct antagonism that came from other people throughout those tough PNG years, particularly from women. I couldn’t understand why, in a world that is already so hard on women, we would be the first to crucify each other. In PNG, I started a kickback group called “WE: Women Empowered”, which was designed to encourage women to be each others’ strongest supporters. Back in New Zealand I used my online column to write about this issue from multiple angles. I couldn’t stop talking about it, or believing that there had to be a better way. When I heard about the Fearless Women Campaign, it resonated deep within my heart, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this movement.

Stepping into STUDIO81 for my first ever photo shoot was thrilling and affirming beyond words. Meeting the amazing team, attending a Fearless Women event, and hearing the stories of other brave and beautiful women has been a breath of fresh air. But even more significant is the clear and powerful message of empowerment - by women to women for women. I have seen first hand how easily and cruelly women can tear each other down. What a beautiful disruption this is of that blindly accepted story line! Here, we understand that we are each other’s loudest and proudest cheerleaders. Here, we are greeted with inspiration and shared courage, to tell our stories and to hold each others’ with compassion and appreciation.

If there is a message behind the Fearless Women movement, for me it is this: We are braver than we seem, stronger than we realise, more beautiful than we will ever know. And if every woman believes this and passes it on to every other woman, there is no limit to the wonder and power and goodness we will pour into this world.

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Emma McGeorge

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