Few industries have suffered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as deeply as the global events industry has. But with multiple vaccines for the virus in circulation and being distributed to the general public, there is now a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel for many in the industry. From concerts to conferences, to community meetups and advocacy discussions, different events of all kinds are rearing to get back to a semblance of normalcy – as are the influencers and event planners who are ready to reconnect with their digital communities in person.
One such influencer and event organizer is Aby Deal, the body-positive advocate behind the brands @abyinreallife and @curvyconfidenceevents on Instagram and TikTok. Aby began her influencer journey in 2018 under the CurvyChicChick tag on Instagram after attending a plus-size bash in Las Vegas, NV. Since that time, Aby has relocated to Gainesville, FL while evolving her brand Curvy Confidence Events and refining its messaging to include body positivity and crucial discussions on mental health for her community of followers.
“While I work full time in IT purchasing,” Aby says on her website, “my passion is body-positive advocacy, mental health wellness, and women empowerment.”
As part of her mission to help plus-sized women and men not allow the shape or size of their bodies to define them, Aby is poised and ready to continue hosting community meetups and discussions through her health and lifestyle brand Curvy Confidence Events. After being unable to host events such as these throughout the past year due to the widespread impact of COVID-19, Aby has said she is excited to kick off her brand’s first body positive event of the year: the Curvy Confidence Summer Swim Soirée.
“We’re going to be celebrating all body types on Point Verda Beach, near Jacksonville, FL on June 12th later this year,” Aby tells us, “complete with a luxury picnic, gift bags, giveaways, and a body-positive photo shoot on the beach!”
One of the ways Aby helps spur the messaging of body positivity, diversity, and mental health advocacy in her brands is through her love of dance – a key component of the body-positive meetups she hosts for her followers – which she uses to promote movement and mental health. Aby was also recently featured in Zumba’s international women’s day campaign through the release of a music video that sought to represent and celebrate all body types. The campaign’s purpose was to show the world that one’s physical size does not limit the capacity for happiness, confidence, or pursuing one’s dreams. Aby is also currently working to become a certified plus-size Zumba instructor as a way to further contribute value to her brands and followers.
“I don’t allow my size, the opinions of others, or arbitrary industry standards of what beauty should look like to define me,” says Aby. “I believe all bodies are beautiful and that while we should all strive to be happy and healthy, I can STILL be confident, rock a bikini, dance, and hold my head high without fear of judgment or shame.”
To learn more about Aby and her brands, or to find out how you can participate in the Curvy Confidence Summer Swim Soirée, visit www.abyinreallife.com and follow @abyinreallife and @curvyconfidenceevents on Instagram and TikTok.
