At work and in her everyday life, role model Carm Bozzo is striving to be the best person she can be – and her friends, family and those who have experienced her benevolence couldn’t agree more.
When you can pair a passion with how you make a living, that’s where true success is found. For Carm Bozzo, she has found that sweet spot in her career as a fundraiser and event planner at a women’s shelter.
“I decided to get into special events after taking public relations in college,” she says. Her role gives her ample opportunity to test her creativity while giving back to her community. “I handle all the media relations and public speaking, which helps me share the stories of women who need our services. Being an advocate is the best part of my job.”
Walking the Walk
Walking the WalkBut Carm isn’t just an advocate for her workplace’s clients. She is a living, breathing representation of how a focus on fitness can provide a happier, more satisfying life. And for Carm, it’s not just about looking good – it’s about feeling better.
“My fitness activity of choice is strength training,” she shares. “I first discovered it in university to lose weight, like most women. But I don’t think I truly started loving it until my thirties and especially in my forties when I realized how much I loved getting stronger.”
It wasn’t always this way. Like many, Carm pushed herself in the gym to reach a specific weight, but now she recognizes the futility of that goal.
“I now value my strength as opposed to the number on the scale,” she says. “I try to look at challenges as opportunities and not sweat the small stuff. It is still hard to also incorporate these new things into my life, but I have learned to breathe through some hard things and not always overreact.”
Carm’s love of movement and activity is mirrored in her attitude toward life – you’ll never find her sitting still for very long. But when she does take a moment to relax, you’ll find her reading, cooking, or treating herself to a massage.
Larger than Life
Though admittedly on the shorter side, Carm’s personality is bigger than her stature implies. Friends describe her as supportive and a good listener. “They would also say for such a short woman I have a heavy foot!” she laughs. Her fashion sense also broadcasts her bombastic personality. You’ll always find her in heels to help boost her height – even when pregnant!
When looking for support and inspiration, she turns to her family, especially her kids, who she says make her proud every single day. “Watching my kids play sports is an amazing feeling and I try very hard never to miss a game,” notes Carm.
Staying Motivated
Showing off her hard work with her first photoshoot was also one of Carm’s biggest moments of pride, and she thinks that the same move could benefit other women looking to inject some positivity into their lives. “When I left that shoot, I felt so empowered!” she enthuses.
No matter how many changes in her body she sees in the gym, Carm still looks to her career for personal and professional satisfaction. As she says, “Success in my professional life is raising enough funds to make the goal, getting new people in the community more involved in the organization, and raising more awareness about the issue of domestic abuse.” With her help, local women in her community are one step closer to finding their own version of success.
In the future, be on the lookout for a podcast from Carm – she says it’s one of the most important entries on her bucket list, and with her experience and empathy, she’ll no doubt have more than enough to discuss with her audience and her guests.
Photos by Paul Buceta
