Author and Model Elizabeth Pipko: “It is beyond heartbreaking to imagine someone not having a place to call home; I have always dreamed of being able to start an organization to fight homelessness”

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I have always dreamed of being able to start an organization to fight homelessness. I assume it is probably because my parent’s home growing up was my favorite place in the world, and to imagine someone not having a place to call home like that is beyond heartbreaking … Homelessness, and specifically, veteran homelessness, is an issue I hope to one day have enough influence to be able to help within anyway, shape, or form.

I had the pleasure to interview author and model Elizabeth Pipko. Elizabeth is the author of Sweet Sixteen and About You. As a model, Elizabeth has appeared in DT Magazine, Maxim, and Esquire. She appeared in the “Perfectly Imperfect” campaign for Vizcaya Swimwear, an anti-photoshop campaign promoting positive body image which was covered by major publications such as People and Vanity Fair. Elizabeth Pipko has also appeared on the cover of Supermodels SA and L’officiel Baltics in June 2018.

Marco: Thank you so much for joining us Elizabeth. Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I don’t think there is one specific story, nor do I think I have, or will ever have one specific career path. I grew up with so many goals and dreams and was raised by the most amazing parents who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and to stand up for what I believed in. I think that’s basically what I am doing right now.

Marco: Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It definitely wasn’t funny at the moment, but before my first appearance on Fox and Friends, I was actually sitting on the floor of the bathroom at the studio, in the dark, and vomiting into a cup from nerves…

Not my classiest moment.

Marco: I’m very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I grew up having so many role models in different fields; each one of them meant something to me and inspired me differently. I think little girls and boys everywhere deserve to be able to see someone that they can identify with and relate to and have that person to look up to, in order to get inspired and feel like they too can achieve their dreams.

Marco: What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started,” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I wish that there were five, but there really is only one.

It is a sad fact, but people are going to try to stop you from succeeding. Whether it be people you know, family members, or perfect strangers that have found a reason to dislike you that you will never understand, that will always be the case. You must decide whose opinion matters to you and whose does not because there will be too many opinions to count, and many of them will be extremely difficult to hear.

Decide what you want to do, why you want to do it, and never let anybody stand in your way!

Marco: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I always believed that success at a job would make me happy, but unfortunately had to learn that I was wrong. Working nonstop to achieve your goals with the hope that could make you feel true happiness is the best way to eventually burn out.

However, if you find the things that truly matter to you and people to spend time with who make life worth living for you, it will make everything better and keep you from ever feeling burned out.

Marco: You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I have always dreamed of being able to start an organization to fight homelessness. I assume it is probably because my parent’s home growing up was my favorite place in the world. To imagine someone not having a place to call home like that is beyond heartbreaking…

Homelessness, and specifically veteran homelessness, is an issue I hope to one day have enough influence to be able to help within anyway, shape, or form.

Marco: None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person whom you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about them?

Darren Centinello!

I’m incredibly grateful to a lot of people, because like you said, it is very difficult to achieve success without some help along the way.

I think right now, however, I feel the person that has helped me the most is my husband. I always remember thinking that a relationship would be a distraction from trying to achieve any of my dreams, and specifically, I remember thinking to myself that I never even wanted to get married.

But my husband has supported me in ways I never really knew possible until I met him. He has made me a much better version of myself in everything that I have ever attempted.

I can only hope I have done the same for him.

Marco: Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how it was relevant to you in your life?

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

-Mark Twain

I live by this quote and always think about it when I feel as if something isn’t working out the way that I would like it to. It’s never about who you are, it's always about how much fight you have in you.

Marco: Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

That person would be Kanye West. Having the confidence to be 100% yourself all the time is not something found in many people. I would love to try and gain some of that confidence by learning from him.

I think the worst thing that can happen to someone is when they feel as though the world is trying to change them into someone else…or even worse when they let it. I hope to never let that happen to me.

Marco: How can our readers follow you on all your social media?

Readers can follow me on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elizabethpipko

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethpipko/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!

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Inspiring True Stories with Marco Derhy
Authority Magazine

Entrepreneur | Author | 20 years in publication | Content Creator & Interviews w/media Impact | Writer |Film producer|Founder @ Derhy Enterprises.“God is First”