In this episode, you will learn 10 FACTS about Ellie, what age she would like to go back to, and what advice she would give herself at that age! We also talk about the main causes of body image issues, how they come up, and how she overcomes them. And we discuss what aging means to her and to her body.
You can READ the interview transcript HERE
10 Facts About Ellie
(at the time of the project)
1. 46 years old.
2. Ellie is originally from Caracas, Venezuela.
3. She migrated to Australia in 2001.
4. Ellie has an older brother, but he and Ellie’s parents live in the US. So, she is basically in Australia by herself with her three children.
5. Ellie is a dentist. She started dentistry in Venezuela. And then when she moved to Australia, she had to go back to university and do it all over again in English. She became a registered dentist in Australia in 2004. Ellie is a general family practitioner.
6. Ellie has her own practice which she created nearly nine years ago from scratch, which she is very proud of. The practice is called The Dental Spa. It's located in Bondi Junction. Ellie created her practice with the concept of a one-stop-shop by integrating Facial Aesthetics with Dentistry where women can get their and their kids’ teeth done and then do their facial injectables. And it is female practitioners mainly.
7. Ellie has three beautiful children - a 15-year-old son Monty, a 14-year-old daughter Mila, and her youngest Tilly is 11
8. Ellie also has a fur baby, a dog named Oscars. it is a Westie.
9. To keep herself in great shape, apart from her good genetics, Ellie looks after herself by exercising and watching what she eats.
10. Ellie spent the last 46 years of her life building on her career. And then also being a mum she dedicated her life to the kids. But as she gets older Ellie wants to focus on herself. So aging, means she becomes wiser with her choices and decisions in general.
You can find Ellie here:
https://www.thedentalspa.com.au/
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
(auto-generated)
Hi, you're listening to the My Body, My Story podcast.
I just did. It's just about accepting yourself for who you are. But it is hard when you have like, really feel the pressure from everywhere, like
This is the 45 over 45 chapter where we celebrate Rule Breakers and role models, the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show their sensuality beauty, soul, and true essence. Here we talk about what it's like to be 45 Plus, adjusting to the changes that come with time, and we listened to the stories about participants. If you have an interesting story, we'd love for you to participate. You can email us at info@aleksandrawalker.com That's Aleksandra spelled with a K S. Or visit our website aleksandrawalker.com
Hello, everyone, and welcome to The My Body My Story project and today with us in the studio, Ellie. And while she's sitting in the makeup chair, Citra is creating her magic - doing makeup for her. I'll be asking her a few questions. Hi, Ellie, welcome to the studio. Welcome to the project.
Hi, Alex. Thanks for having me.
And tell us 10 facts about yourself.
Okay, where to start? So my name is Ellie. I'm 46 years old, nearly 47. I'm originally from Caracas, Venezuela. Oh, I migrated to Australia in 2001. I match my kid's father in Venezuela and then moved here with him. I'm a dentist. I started dentistry in Venezuela. And then when I moved to Australia, I have to pretty much go back to university and do it all over again in English. So I became a registered dentist in Australia in 2004.
And what's your specialty?
Just a general family practitioner
and you have your own practice.
I have my own practice which are created about nearly nine years ago from scratch, which I'm very proud of
and Where is it
the practice is called the dental spa. It's located in Bondi Junction. And I created the practice with the concept of integrating Facial Aesthetics with dentistry hence the name The Dental Spa. I have
is it together with some injections?
So yeah, I do facial injectables as well as cosmetic dentistry. So my idea was to create a space where women for example, because I'm among young kids, so I wanted to invite women like me less so in the place that you can come in, get your kids teeth, done yourself and then do your facial injectables. It's a one stop shop. I like to call it
I have female practitioners mainly. Not to be horrible to men, but sometimes women just like being in a space. So it's just women that feel more comfortable that way. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Yeah. It's been nearly nine years. And I'm very proud of the space that I created.
And where's it?
Where's the practices located in Bronte road her not far from Westfield Bondi Junction just away from all the main shops. Closer to like Bronte. More suburban that gets a small little practice, but that I've got a nice team of dentists hygienist receptionist and I'm there five days a week.
That's great. So how initially you decided to become a dentist?
Yeah, so I am the daughter of obstetrician. My mom's a surgeon, my dad's an engineer. So I always joke that I've kind of learned with my dad to use tools and drills and stuff from an early age and from my mother, how to treat patients and be caring and empathetic towards my patients. So it's like a combination. I think dentistry is a combination between engineering and medicine. I wanted to be a surgeon like my mom, but I think dentistry is actually better suited for me. It gives me I like, I like to think I'm creative. So yeah,
so you do when we're talking about I'm not really good at understanding the differences in specialities. But is it to do with veneer? Like the cosmetic look? Yeah,
I think when I was a little bit younger, I used to be more towards cosmetics transformation foods. smile makeovers but I think as I get older and also because of my demands with my children and my family, I'm very conservative I like to call my dad type of dentistry just minimal intervention, dentistry, which means preserving the tooth structure. When people go through the veneers and stuff is quite aggressive. You have to drill away teeth. just prefer to you know, preserve teeth and sometimes is why it's good integrating. Sometimes people don't like something about the smile, but it could be just the shine too much gum, in which case, Botox can help with that without having to damage your own teeth. So yeah, it's just more like a holistic approach to cosmetic dentistry that I have in a way.
Great. And you mentioned that you have kids and so how old they are.
I have three beautiful children have a 15 year old son Monty. I've got a 14 year old daughter Mila, and my youngest Tilly, she's 11
all teenagers
My mum used to say to me little kids, little problems, big kids big problems, and I understand exactly what that means. Now just different challenges as they get older. But I think they're also in debt. That's the best job I've ever done in my life. Just being a mum.
Yeah, yeah, it's a bit more and you'll be free.
Yes, well, I don't think it's ever gonna happen. My mum always and again used to say to me you never sleep again after you have children because then they will have their own kids and you worry about as well. That definitely keeps me busy.
So what do you do when you free time from your work and your teenagers? I know probably they take all your time.
I really do not have a lot of free time. But I do like exercising. I like taking my dog, I’ve got another baby a fur baby named Oscars it is a dog Westie. So I like taking him for walks. I like exercising. I like going around the shops. That's our other sport. there but I don't really have a lot of free time to be honest.
Yeah, I'm asking because like, people who listen listening to us, they don't see you and Ellie in a great shape like she has perfect body. Okay, we will move to this questions a bit later. That's why I think it may be you doing kind of magic exercise to keep it look,
I think a lot of that comes down to genetics. Yeah, my mother looks amazing. She's 72 My grandmother. So I've got a thing, my genetics for that. But I do look after myself, I do watch what I eat. And I think as I get older, I think we need to well, I've decided I need to start looking after myself a little bit more.
So, so what while we move to this subject? So I will ask you, I will ask you the next question. Yeah. And what does ageing means to you?
I think, I was looking at the question before. Ageing means to me have become wiser. I think as I get older, I have to really have to start looking after myself. I think I've spent the last 46 years of my life building on my career. And then also being a mum I dedicated my life to when the kids will very little, you know, making sure that they will save and all that but I think as I get older is I want to be around to see my kids grow up and get married and all that I just really need to focus on myself. Now. You've got to my mental health. My physical health. Well, I mean, to me ageing, means I'll become wiser like wiser with my choices, my decisions in general.
And if you could go back to any age, what age it would be, why, and what advice would you give yourself?
Oh, look, if I could go back to any age. I think I will go back to being 15. And I think I will and the reason why there were a lot of changes in my family back then. I lost my younger brother and it was a it was a tricky times, confusing times. And I think I will tell myself, that everything's gonna be fine. You've got yourself mainly to look after yourself. And yeah, I wish I could just give my 15 year old self a little crystal ball and show her look where you're going to be like in 30 years, you're going to be okay.
So your family is still living in.
So my parents live in… I’ve got an older brother who lives in America, and my mom and dad situation in Venezuela. We came from bad to worse. So my parents left four years ago and they live in the US with my older brothers. So I'm basically here by myself. I don't have any immediate family other than my three children.
And do you travel to do visit them?
Look, I've travelled I last summer went to Venezuela was about 10 years ago. It's just very dangerous there. I just wouldn't want to go and put myself in risk. And then, you know, my kids really need me. So I don't, I don't go back to Venezuela anymore, which is really sad. I was actually thinking about Venezuela this morning. But my home is when my parents and my brother are so I travel every couple of years to see them in the US. My mum comes through from time to time as well. Yeah.
So where does she like more us? Australia?
Pretty much like Yeah, it's so now would have lived here for as long as I've lived in Venezuela. So I guess I don't actually know. People ask me, where are you from? I'm originally from Venezuela. But you also feel like I'm mostly because my kids are Australian Sidney is where my home is. So yeah,
I think most of the people here from somewhere or their roots from somewhere.
yeah, we're all migrated from somewhere, I guess. Yeah.
I know. How long did it take for you to start feeling Australia home?
Ah, look, I think I fell home. I felt really homesick. I think at the beginning, because I moved here when I was fairly young 24. And in Venezuela, you don't really leave your parents until unless you get married. So I never really lived out of my family home from my parents. So when I came here, I was really homesick for a while. But I love living in Sydney in Australia. I loved everything about it. So I will say took me a good two years to suffer in this was home. And it really feels at this time. Like whenever I travel. I can't wait to go home.
Do you get the help that you were young to adjusted?
Oh, absolutely. It helped her I was young helped that I could speak English or learn English. Always wanted to learn English. My dad went, spent some time in the US. And I took it upon myself to learn English. So I guess that opened doors when I came here. Yeah. But look, I like to feel like I'm Australian. I know. You know, some people. Some, some people call themselves Australian Australian 100%. Australians. I know you say that everyone came from somewhere because Australia is a young country. But yeah, this this is how I feel. This is my home. Definitely.
So let's move to the body image questions. And my first question would be where do you think? Because you're from, let's say, the profession where it's to do with beauty, as well as health? And what way do you think? What do you think are the main causes of body image? Issues, insecurities, and it's to do with like body and face
pressure that women feel? To look good? I come from a beauty conscious country, when as well as one so many beauty pageants. And Miss Universe, I think is this like we have the record of. So I think beauty is very looking good in general. So I think from a very young age, I had a pressure of my mother, I think when I was a teenager, she put me on a diet because I was caught in it too fat. And you know, I think the pressure probably starts from, from what you can see at home. And I think this day is all to do with social media, like I have two teenage daughters that all they sees these Kardashians. And so I think is the main the body issue. Problems come with that perception that we have to look good, and not just look good women in general, when told we need to be good, we need to be good at this. And we need to be good at that. And we had to do also look good.
to find a good man and marry
I think initially, yes, it's like to find a good man, to find a good job. You just You just have to look good. And people tell you that from a very young age. And there's all these insecurities that then build up because you feel like you're never good enough or you never look good enough.
So it's interesting that you mentioned finding a job, because not many people talk about that. And so do you believe that this negative body image or perception of yourself affects relationships, including working space, like schools, I don't know, like society, not only your own relationship,
oh, 100% Because I think if you're constantly feeling that pressure, that you have to look good or better, then you know, you're obviously in conflict with yourself. And if you don't have self love and self respect, and I think that's definitely going to affect your relationships with your partner with work colleagues. If you don't love yourself, nobody's gonna love you or accept you.
Do you think that other people perceive you in a different way as well? When you have some body issues.
Yeah. 100% like me personally, or in general?
general
Totally. If you're not confident or happy with yourself, yet definitely people will perceive that as well. And treat you differently.
Yeah, yeah, treat him. Like they will feel that they can be more like us.
You think, you know, some people are just really confident. They have that confidence in them. And they might not be a supermodel. But they have that confidence. And I think that attracts people. Yeah, yeah.
So how do you overcome some body related insecurities if they come? And the main my other half of the question, Has it changed with age?
Yes, I asked like to think of myself, I always call mom I do. So if there's something that is bothering me, I'll work towards that. For example, if I'm not happy with a workplace or something, I will change I will do something to change it. So if I go on holidays, and I eat a drink too much, and I feel like I put on a little bit of weight, then I just go and try to fix that and go to the gym. I just I'm not one of those people that are gonna do now I feel sorry for myself and then blame others for it like
to do diet,
do you do that? You said you don't do much.
I do watch what I eat. And I'd like to think I've kept myself active. I think my job. It's very physical as well, which keeps me active. But the way I overcome issues in general, not just body image issues is just a work on them. Like if there's an issue that presents to me, I just did work to solve it.
Has it changed? Like the way you eat? Or do you have to adjust your eating habits while ageing or you don't?
Well, I think it's an again, because from a young age, my mom put me on a diet. And it's always been, you know, she was always really gorgeous. And she always used to look at herself in the mirror and go, Oh, I'm so fat or so these have always been conscious of my body. Like, I've never really felt 100% happy and I don't think there's any woman they would ever feel 100% Happy with their bodies. But I think as I get older, then again, I just I really need to start looking at my health. Not so much about being skinny and Unitas like health healthy. Yeah, healthy in general.
It's interesting that you said, I agree with you. I also think this way that it's impossible for a woman to feel happy with herself. 100%. But there are some attempts, you know, or programmes, let's put it say and I want to know your opinion about this body positive movement. What do you think about that? Considering what you said that? Not everyone, No woman can feel completely satisfied?
No, I think it's just about self confidence and self respect. I just did. It's just about accepting yourself for who you are. But it is hard when you have like you really feel the pressure from everywhere.
Do you think it's kind of they trying to talk themselves in loving themselves? Or do you believe it's possible to like when, let's say, I'm interested that over if someone is overweight, like fit me at the moment, I'm overweight, I'm not happy with that. And I'm thinking okay, there is a body positive movement that teaches you to love yourself, but I cannot love my overweight self, because it's causing me some problems, you know, and however I try, I cannot talk myself into that.
Yeah, that's conflictive isn't it? Because you psych you trying to convince yourself? I don't know, I just always think if you have to stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself I'm prosperous, I'm wealthy, I'm happy. I think you already have an issue. If you have to look at yourself in the mirror and try to convince yourself of that. Do you know that's not going to happen? Yeah. So yeah, I don't know. I feel like if you are not happy with yourself, maybe it's not your body. Maybe there's something else. But then again, this is just the I'm always trying to fix things and make them work. Yeah, I don't know. There might be an underlying issue there that's stopping you from being who you really want to be meaning like go to psychologists and sorted.
Oh, just it's just an again, it's just accepting. I think accepting yourself and being kind to yourself and then everything suddenly starts changing.
Yeah, it's a hard work like, I mean, I think it's a great movement. But we shouldn't fool ourselves. Like and put the weight problem by convincing ourselves with another social media movement.
Yeah, no, I carry. I don't know no one to follow trends or movements. So just think you have to work what works for you.
Yeah, so if your body could talk, what do you think it would ask you? Or tell you?
My body will tell me to slow down? Yeah, I'm always running at dinner. 100 and 100%. I'm a people pleaser, so I'm always trying to please others. So nothing my body would actually tell me. How about you start looking after yourself first, before you go out to just always try to make things better for everyone else. Just take time for yourself.
you are in the right place today!
Yeah, exactly. This is why this is so good. For me. It's the first time I actually do something for myself, which I'm loving.
So my last question is, if you have any favourite saying or court about being a woman, or maybe your own thoughts,
or there is actually a beautiful poem and actually have a tattoo on my wrist, this is still our rice. And it's from a poet Maya Angelou, black lady in America. And she wrote this beautiful poem about it's all about self-confidence, self-respect. Despite all these challenges that women have faced over the years, we still owe them this is why I like saying this to myself as still still our rice. That to me, it's just just some stop being a woman.
Thank you, Ellie. Thank you very much for sharing your story and your thoughts. And I hope you will have a wonderful rest of your day.
I look beautiful, that's for sure.
And I hope you will feel beautiful as well.
If you have an interesting story, we'd love for you to participate. You can email us at info@aleksandrawalker.com That's Aleksandra spelled with a K S. Or visit our website aleksandrawalker.com
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This is the 45 over 45 chapter of MY BODY MY STORY podcast, where we celebrate rule breakers and role models - the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show their SENSUALITY, BEAUTY, SOUL, and TRUE ESSENCE.
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