Take it from Brooke Burke: You might have to work harder than everyone else
Why Brooke Burke says "Dancing With the Stars" is harder than childbirth.
Brooke Burke isn't just a pretty face. At 47, the model, actress and entrepreneur is stronger than ever, both mentally and physically.
The mom of three, who launched her Brooke Burke Body fitness app last year, is often known for her fit physique, but she hopes to motivate women to make self-care a priority.
"If I have encouraged other women to be their best selves, then amazing, and I'm super proud and I've accomplished [something], but I would say to myself and other people, 'Love what you do.'"
Burke is getting stronger every day and now she wants to empower women to do the same.
"GMA" caught up with the Burke to find out her secrets to success and the lessons she's learned along the way. From her very first modeling gig to owning her "Buddha belly" during pregnancy, find out what she had to say.
We all want what we don’t have
Loving yourself doesn't always come easy. Burke remembers trying hard to tame her curly hair as a kid, despite the fact that big hair was all the rage at the time.
"But when you're born with it you're always fighting the trend," she said.
Burke recalls her sister paying to have her hair permed, while she was trying to do the opposite because she was insecure.
Confidence comes with age, but as Burke puts it, "When you're young and you don't have that confidence you're just you're fighting the system."
You gotta have hustle
Burke launched her modeling career with this "impactful photo" from a Skechers ad in 1995. It was her first national campaign and she still works with the footwear brand to this day.
"It's uncommon and a blessing to be able to work in the business for as long as I have," she said.
She chalks her success up to "a little luck, a little hustle."
She may seem like a natural in front of the camera, but Burke is the first to admit her shortcomings.
"I was never quite tall enough so I was always working harder than the next person."
That work ethic is still strong today -- and Burke makes sure to share that message with her family.
"I always tell my kids that you've got to have hustle."
Your body will change ... embrace it
Whether it's modeling in a nationwide campaign or raising children, Burke embraces each life experience as a new opportunity.
The doting mom of three says she "loved" being pregnant and that it was "a special time" in her life.
She even calls her pregnancy stomach her "Buddha belly."
Although everyone is different, Burke encourages other women to embrace their changing bodies during pregnancy because "it goes like that [snaps]. And then they're born and then it goes like that [snaps] and then they grow up and then they leave you."
You might have to work harder than everyone else
The TV personality won the seventh season of "Dancing With the Stars" with partner Derek Hough in 2008 and then went on to co-host the series for three years.
"Absolute truth: one of the hardest things I've done in my entire life. Harder than childbirth," she said of the competition.
She calls hoisting the show's Mirrorball trophy "one of the most amazing moments of my life."
Originally, Burke admits that she was only expecting to last a couple weeks, but credits her work ethic for helping her succeed.
"If you work harder than anybody else ... and you face your fears, you can do amazing things," Burke said.
Love what you do
Burke applies her work ethic to everything, especially when it comes to self-care. She launched her app last year to help share her workout regimen with other women and guide them along their fitness journeys.
"Health and fitness has been such a big part of my life, and now ... I can work out with women all over the globe," she said about the digital community that's been built with her app.
Burke says that exercise helps her de-stress and hopes her app inspires women to carve out time for themselves in their busy schedules.
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