SUMMER 2019 BOX PARTNER

“Volunteer” and “charity” are two words that were strongly ingrained in Eva Longoria’s childhood, so it’s no wonder she constantly strives to leave a positive impact.

From directing and acting to motherhood and her philanthropic work with ELF, Longoria is sharing what inspires her to give back to communities in our exclusive interview below.

Why did you decide to partner with FabFitFun?
I was so excited to partner with FabFitFun [because] the beautiful boxes [are] full of amazing products — often from female-owned companies. It was right up my alley. It’s exciting because every quarter, [you] partner with a charity — and, for me, it’s really important that there are companies and products that actually give back to their consumers.

How do you stay true to who you are?
I have an amazing family to really keep me grounded and I was really lucky to have been raised by very strong, independent women who taught me self-worth at a very early age. Between my family and how I was raised, it’s just ingrained in me to be authentic to who I am as a person. It’s not easy, by the way. Daily events and experiences reshape that authenticity, so it doesn’t mean you can’t evolve.

As a mom, entrepreneur, actor, and philanthropist, how do you balance it all?
I have a great family, I have great friends, [and] I have great people who work around me. I have a lot of women who I look up to who empower me every day to do what I want to do. And it’s also about prioritizing what’s important in your life; for your heart, for your soul, for your community, for your family…it’s just a daily grind of prioritization.

What inspired you to start the Eva Longoria Foundation?
I started the Eva Longoria Foundation because I really wanted to help young women reach their full potential in life, whether it’s through educational programs or entrepreneurial programs. Women contribute so much to our families, our households, the workplace, the economies, [and] countries. Having a small part in helping them do that excites me.

Can you talk about the ELF partnership with Global Gift Foundation USA?
Global Gift is a global platform that really connects the dots with charities. We find fiscally responsible organizations all over the world — every country [and] every city has a different need and a different way to approach it, and…[we help] them reach their goals and [help] them help more people.

You’re so incredibly driven. Are there any women in your life that inspired your work ethic?
My mom has the best work ethic. She worked a full-time job, raised four girls — one with special-needs — drove us to four different schools, and drove us to different activities. She was a human taxi, and taking care of my special-needs sister was a handful in itself. And then, [she made] sure that dinner was on the table every day at 6 p.m. without fail. So every time I think that I’m doing so much, I just think back to my mom and how much she did and I think, “I’m not even tapping into a tenth of my potential.” She’s really my superhero.

How did your childhood and upbringing influence your desire to give back to women and young girls?
Well, I grew up with a special-needs sister, and I was born into her world. We knew the word “volunteer” very early in our lives. We knew the word “charity” very early in our lives. It’s literally in the DNA of who I am and understanding that this world doesn’t work without communities [or families] helping each other. So being raised in her world and in that environment really instilled the idea of giving back.

Santiago is adorable! What do you hope your son learns from you?
I’m hoping that my son learns about equality. I think having me as a mom and being surrounded by feminists, he’ll see that women are just as strong as men. Women deserve equal access to opportunity [and] equal access to reach their full potential and I think my son will be ingrained with that as he grows up in my household.

What words of wisdom can you share with FFF members on being their most authentic self?
I live by the Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So with every encounter in my daily life, whether I’m getting coffee at Starbucks, talking to my mom, or producing, directing, or acting…I try to keep that in mind. Making people feel good makes you feel good, so [lead] your life with kindness.

When do you feel the most fearless?
When I’m educated. When I’m really literate on a subject, a topic, or an issue and I really get involved. Whether it’s directing, producing, politics, activism, or my foundation, I really love to dig into the academic and educational support of those issues, understand it, and then be able to communicate that to people. That’s probably when I feel the most fearless because I know I got this, I know this. This is my truth.

Anything coming up for you?
I filmed Dora the Explorer last year, so that’ll be coming out this year. I play Dora’s mom and it was so much fun shooting [the movie]. I shot it when Santi was two months old, so it’ll be fun to see him watch it.

xx, The FabFitFun Team

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