"Hitting Pan" Podcast Episode 10: Dana Patterson Wants You to Stop Being Afraid of the Word “Fat”
In the season one finale of IPSY’s Hitting Pan podcast, creator, model, and hair influencer Dana Patterson (aka @danaisabellaaa) gets to the bottom of getting scouted by Ford Models when when she was just 17, the difference between modeling in New York City vs. Los Angeles, and how she made the transition from print model to full-time creator who was in control of her own image and career. Dana also digs deep on body image struggles while advocating for the word “fat.”
Why You Need to Tune In to This Episode of Hitting Pan
If you know Dana through any of her channels, then you know that this episode of Hitting Pan will have you cackling, crying, and gasping for air. Her realer-than-real personality and sense of humor are truly undupeable—and you won’t want to miss a second of her industry insights and unbeatable hair care tips (she doesn’t have a series called Hair Science With Dana for nothing!). Plus, she’s spilling on what’s coming down the pipeline, including a brand-new podcast and an upcoming hair care line. We don’t know about you, but we’ll be one of the first in line to try them both!
Key Takeaways: The Dana Patterson
How She Took Control of Her Life: After a modeling job requested a social media post from Dana on top of her campaign work, she was hooked and began to grow her following. After a hectic period of splitting her time between the two roles, she decided to make the leap to become full-time creator. “It was a much better situation for me. I really loved being in control of my own content, in control of my own image, and in control of my own career. Obviously, when you’re signed to a print agent, it’s very curated and controlled by them in a lot of ways, and I just like to be able to helm my own ship, so to speak.”
Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity: “For me, body neutrality changed my life, and that’s kind of why I got out of the scope of body positivity. First of all, I’ve found that it’s really a movement that’s been co-opted by a lot of thin white women when it was created as a fat liberation movement. It didn’t really sit right with me once I learned the origins. But also, the new-age body positivity is all about feeling positive about the way you look 24/7, and that adds so much pressure. It’s very normal to have days when you feel off about your body, and when you’re practicing body neutrality, you’re able to just say, ‘You know what, it’s ok if I’m having a bad day. It’s all good. I’m gonna love on myself and just move on.’”
Sharing Her Hard-Earned Wisdom: “People are so afraid of the words ‘plus size’ and ‘fat’ and want to create a totally new whimsical word, but they’re ok. It’s not negative, there’s no reason to add this negative connotation. It’s just a descriptor. My little six to eight-year-old self so badly needed to hear that, so if I can have that impact on other people [*chef’s kiss*] that’s all I care about. Just bringing neutrality to it all is so incredibly important. It just allows you to live. It allows you to live freely and happily as yourself.”
Living Life Authentically: “I’m a beauty girl through and through, but I’m also lazy, I have ADHD, I’m tired. I don’t have time to do a four-hour routine…I think for me, it’s staying authentic to myself no matter what because partnerships are incredible, but there is no amount of money, there is no check that would make me risk my integrity and my trust with my followers because that’s truly all that matters. Once you lose that, it’s over for you.”
Additional Resources
Final Thoughts
Missed any of Hitting Pan season one? All 10 episodes are live on our YouTube channel and available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to follow IPSY on Instagram and TikTok for all the latest Hitting Pan news (including sneak peeks at season two!).
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