Kathy Ireland : Children Keep Us Humble and Teach Us so

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Kathy Ireland known as the Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers—especially the 25th anniversary edition, the best-selling swimsuit issue to date. Now she is former supermodel turned mogul and mom is a lot more than a pretty face and body.
But  Discovered at age 17, she retired from the cutthroat industry emotionally unscathed, went on to act in Melrose Place and other TV series, then launched her own eponymous brand in 1993 with a popular pair of—wait for it—socks! Today, Kathy Ireland, dubbed the “prototype for model-turned-mogul” by Forbes, sells over 15,000 products, from home furniture to exercise videos, from books to those famous socks, worldwide.

Despite her accomplishments, the California-based mom of three is remarkably down-to-earth. In New York City to promote her latest project, a self-help tome titled Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity, Ireland, still stunning at age 46 and decked out in casual business attire and bare feet, chatted frankly  about her weight struggles, work-life balance and her strong views on sensitive topics such as abortion.

How did you decide what kind of company you wanted to start?
Becoming a mom for the first time changed my life in so many ways. My mission crystallized after my son was born: it’s finding solutions for families, especially busy moms. So many things I took for granted–like taking a shower–became a huge luxury. I don’t know if Elizabeth Taylor intended it when she developed it, but [her perfume] White Diamonds is really a solution for busy moms: It’s a shower in a bottle! It comes in handy for those days when you can’t fit bathing in.

Is it true you recently lost some weight?
The gain was very gradual–about a pound a year for the last 25 years. Very easy to sneak up on you! Our son was running around with a new camera he got, taking pictures of everything in sight [and when my youngest saw one of the pictures he had taken of me], she blurted out, “Mommy, you look pregnant!” That photo really caused me to take a good look in the mirror. I didn’t look healthy, I looked overwhelmed, I looked over-everything. [The media] focused on my appearance, but didn’t ask about triglyceride levels or C-reactive protein that can determine if you’re going to have heart problems. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America. I want to be there for my family. I don’t want to leave my husband to raise our kids alone.

She turned things around by hiring a personal trainer/nutritionist. She started making healthier food choices, eliminating bad snacks and sweets. She also works out three days a week and is back to her healthier self.

Did you learn anything during your years as a model that helps you as an entrepreneur?
Rejection. It really doesn’t faze me. Nobody loves it, but it doesn’t destroy me when people slam doors in my face. Rejection is a part of life. If we don’t get rejected then we’re not trying hard enough.

I noticed your website and book offer some fashion solutions but nothing about beauty.
Beauty has its place and it’s wonderful, but I like to focus on what comes from within.

You have three children, a husband and a thriving business. Do you believe it’s possible to have it all?
On a panel I respectfully disagreed with Barbara Walters, who said she didn’t believe women could have it all. I think we can–only not all at once. Our kids are only going to be little for a short window of time. For me, that means I have to say “no” to a lot of things for now. I didn’t learn that “no” is a complete sentence until I was 40. You don’t need to attach an excuse. There are only so many hours in the day. Sometimes we have to say “no” to good things so we can do great things.

What is your best quality as a CEO?
I’m tough. I mean that as a compliment. I think that women get a bad rep. It’s okay for a man, but if a woman is tough somehow it’s not attractive. I hope I’m tough. I hope I will fight to protect our team members and the customers we’re serving. You’ve got to ask the tough questions, and you’ve got to be willing to deal with tough issues.

You founded the Kathy Ireland Mentor Program for Single Teen Mothers. What attracted you to this cause?
Life is difficult. Sometimes you can find yourself in situations that are less than ideal. I’ve got great respect for these girls–and they are girls. They’re taking a bad situation, a situation that was not planned, and turning it into something wonderful. I applaud their bravery and their courage to break negative cycles. We do tangible things to help these girls achieve their goals, from helping them dress for a job interviews to finding public transportation, to prenatal and postnatal care.

Does this tie in with your anti-abortion views?
I was pro-choice for many years, and I’ve always fought and will continue to fight for the rights of women. I look at this not as a women’s rights issue, but as a human rights issue. It has nothing to do with my faith. I think when an abortion happens there are two victims. It’s easy to say, well, it’s a woman’s choice, but I know so many women who were devastated by [having abortions], and they carry this guilt with them. First, they need to know nothing is too big to be forgiven, so they shouldn’t beat themselves up. At the same time, women deserve to be educated. They deserve to know the facts. If an unborn child is not a human being, then have as many abortions as you want. No justification necessary. But if it is a human being, I believe no justification is adequate unless another human life is at stake. In that case, you’re not taking a life; you’re saving the life of the mother.

What are three adjectives that you’d use to describe yourself as a mom?
Tired, joyful, constantly amazed. Our kids are incredible. They keep us humble, and they teach us so much.

As the involved mom of three very active children, the supportive wife of an emergency room doctor, and a dynamic businesswoman, Kathy knows of these struggles firsthand. She credits her strong faith in God and her parents’ love and support for any success she has today and dedicates her days to finding the solutions that can make life easier for busy moms in all phases of life. As she tackles the tough financial concerns families feel today and many other issues, Kathy offers empathy and encouragement. She shares stories from her own life and wisdom she has gained through her years from teenager with a paper route to successful supermodel to mom to entrepreneur with a dream for big business big business which was realized by building what Forbes now calls the “Billion Dollar Brand.” This book could help you, mom.

You can own Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity on sale for $23.99 $15.28
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