Dani DMC is a plus-size model, content creator, and confidence activist who inspires thousands with her message of self-love and acceptance. Her journey is not just about fashion or recognition, but about creating a safe and supportive community where people who have been "othered" can feel empowered. Dani's work challenges societal norms and promotes body diversity, encouraging individuals to embrace their unique beauty and worth.
Creating a Community of Confidence
For Dani DMC, her greatest achievement isn't a brand partnership or campaign, but the community she has created. This space allows individuals who have felt marginalized to find safety, support, and inspiration. Through her content, Dani aims to provide tools that her audience can use in their daily lives to foster self-acceptance and confidence.
Healing and Growth After a Breakup
Dani recently shared her experience of going through a breakup, highlighting her healing process and fresh start. Despite being a private person, she chose to be open with her community because she knew her experience was relatable. Dani emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health and taking the time to heal before sharing personal struggles. She also demonstrated that breakups don't always have to be negative, and it's possible to remain friends with an ex, especially when prioritizing personal growth.
Ironically, London had a huge role in her healing journey, as she spent almost 2 months there during that period where she hadn’t shared that she was single yet.
Exciting Future Projects
Looking ahead, Dani is enthusiastic about the future and her upcoming projects. After moving out of Los Angeles, she has a clear vision for her next steps and is more focused than ever. Dani feels ready for a new adventure, eager to challenge herself and explore what the world has to offer. While she couldn't reveal specific details, she assured her audience that she is one to watch. Los Angeles taught her that you can have anything you want if you work for it. It’s a city that makes you feel like there are no limits. LA also taught her that she can move across the country from her family and everyone she knows, start a new chapter, and build a life.
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Addressing Societal Inclusion and Body Diversity
Dani believes that society has made insufficient progress in making every human feel included. Growing up as someone who was constantly "othered," she refuses to settle for the bare minimum. She finds it embarrassing how little society has done to promote true inclusion, which is why she is committed to continuing her work. Dani challenges brands and individuals to overcome their fear of being different and to disrupt the status quo.
Navigating Stereotypes Around Self-Care and Gym Culture
Dani emphasizes the importance of treating her body with awareness and consciousness. She maintains a healthy lifestyle by being vegetarian, avoiding smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods. Despite this, she has faced assumptions that she doesn't take care of her body because she is plus-size. Dani's health numbers are excellent, proving that health and size are not mutually exclusive. She prioritizes internal physical and mental health, encouraging others to focus on self-love and making choices that nurture their well-being.
Leaving Los Angeles and Embracing New Opportunities
Dani's departure from Los Angeles was long overdue, as she felt a glass ceiling limiting her potential. Although LA was where her career began and flourished, she was ready for a change. Staying in LA felt too much like following the crowd, and she wanted to do something unexpected. The transition has been smooth, and she is grateful for the lessons the city taught her.
Building Meaningful Connections
Dani values honesty, mutual support, and trust in her friendships. As she has gotten older, she has gained clarity on what she wants in her life and what she will and won't tolerate. While not in a rush to find a best friend in her new city, she has already met incredible people who remind her of her friends from Chicago.
The Meaning of "The Best Is Yet to Come"
Dani believes that life has a way of surprising her. Despite a challenging childhood and adolescence, she believes those experiences have paved the way for a better future. She acknowledges that life will always have obstacles and moments of loneliness, but she also anticipates deep connections, purpose, and extraordinary adventures. Dani trusts that a force greater than herself is guiding her, and she approaches the future with excitement and optimism.
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Embracing Body Confidence and Self-Acceptance
Dani DMC leads by example, demonstrating that genuine confidence and unconditional self-love can liberate us from mental barriers and empower us to take control of our lives. She embodies the message that through self-acceptance, we can find freedom and live authentically.
Early Modeling Career
In 2017, Dani spontaneously moved from Chicago to L.A., where a mentor suggested she enter the plus-size modeling industry. Within two weeks, she signed with her first agency, marking the start of an incredible journey. Dani recalls the emotional moment of realizing her dream on Sunset Boulevard, defying expectations as a "fat girl" succeeding in Los Angeles. Showing up for women like herself has always been the best part of her career.
Embracing Her Body and Moving to Social Media
Embracing her body played a significant role in Dani's modeling journey. After years of rewiring her mind from societal pressures, she moved to L.A. with unwavering confidence. This confidence influenced her work ethic, energy on set, and performance in castings, ultimately leading her to social media. Dani felt that something was missing from modeling, as she couldn't fully express her raw self. The modeling industry's issues with editing and airbrushing further motivated her to connect with her community on a deeper level. In 2018, she created her first YouTube video and never looked back.
Being a Role Model
Being considered a role model means the world to Dani. Her journey began with being a role model for her younger self, who constantly fought against societal narratives. Dani knew she was rare and prepared to stand her ground. Everything she did in the beginning was to empower that young girl who was told she needed to conform. Every one of her followers now has a bit of the little girl in them. So while showing up for her younger self, she simultaneously created a safe space for any woman who has ever felt othered.
Challenging Beauty Standards
Dani refuses to give attention to current beauty standards, as they are often unattainable and leave many feeling unworthy. Instead, she challenges them by creating a new narrative where every human is seen as beautiful.
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Advice for Body Acceptance
Dani advises starting at the root by understanding that most thoughts about one's body are not self-generated but imposed by others. She encourages individuals to destroy these external visions and start from scratch, being patient and diligent on their self-love journey. Learning to accept your body and your full self is work that is not for the faint of heart, but a solid relationship with yourself is the most powerful relationship you will ever have in this lifetime.
The Confidence Crew
Dani created the name "Confidence Crew" for her online community to emphasize that her work is for them. She aims to show her followers that the confidence and love she has for herself is obtainable. By calling them The Confidence Crew, it made it obvious what we're here for and that it's possible right now. If you're part of the confidence crew, then you're confident! You hold the power. You are truly in control. She says when it comes to confidence, I'm part of 1% of people who truly unconditionally and unapologetically love themselves.
Authenticity and Impact
Dani believes she’s part of the 1% of people who truly, unconditionally, and unapologetically love themselves. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and acknowledges that her career and activism have reinforced the significance of her work.
Dani's Weight Loss Journey and Sleeve Gastrectomy
Dani Arnedo, another individual, shared her journey with weight loss surgery. Dani had been experiencing obesity since she was a child. Despite her regular exercise routine for years, she cycled through a pattern of losing weight and gaining it back. After years of losing and regaining weight, Dani decided to consider surgery. Her general practitioner in Queens referred her to Columbia's Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery, where Dani met with the surgery team. They recommended a sleeve gastrectomy: the option most appropriate for Dani’s weight and medical history. The procedure would remove about three-quarters of Dani’s stomach.
Dani underwent a sleeve gastrectomy at Columbia and has been documenting her experiences on social media. She shares milestones, challenges, and recipes with her community, creating connections with people from around the world. Dani usually feels winded after going up flights of stairs, but after the surgery, she notices a change.
The Decision for Surgery and Pre-Op Preparation
After years of struggling with weight, Dani decided to consider surgery, with her mom's encouragement. She was referred to Columbia's Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery, where she was recommended a sleeve gastrectomy. In the lead-up to her operation, Dani dutifully followed the routine prescribed by her care team: a liquid diet, a 6-month weight log, and an abdomen ultrasound. Adjusting to the diet was the hardest part.
Post-Surgery Recovery and Milestones
Over the coming months, Dani’s pain was minimal, and she experienced no complications. Still, the recovery process took patience. For three weeks, she was back on a purely liquid diet as the postoperative course requires a graded transition to a regular diet. Medications had to be crushed up and taken with water. Slowly but surely, though, Dani healed. Now, seven months later, Dani is reaching new milestones nearly every day. She’s just two pounds from her goal weight, and she’s made many “non-scale” victories, too-like going up and down the subway stairs without feeling out of breath. The surgery has also helped Dani achieve a renewed sense of control. She uses her platform to share her experience and connect with others going through similar journeys.
The Importance of Community and Managing Expectations
Dani emphasizes the value of the online community in her journey but also cautions against overthinking and comparing oneself to others on social media. She advises others to stay calm and not overthink things if you’re looking through social media. Everyone is different. There are people who have pain after surgery, and there are people who have very minimal pain. She focuses on living in the moment and celebrating her progress.