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About the Blogger – Dannielle Miller

About Dannielle Miller,
CEO, Enlighten Education
B Ed, Grad Cert (Mgmt), Cert IV (Assessment and Workplace Training)

As an educator, a businesswoman and a mother, it has long concerned me that while teenage girls are excelling as never before and may appear to be coping with the demands life throws at them, behind closed doors many are silently imploding. Pressure comes from many sources, especially the barrage of media, marketing and pop culture voices telling girls that their true worth is determined by how hot and how thin they are.

In 2003, I decided it was time to do something about it: I co-founded Enlighten Education, which is now Australia’s leading provider of workshops for teen girls on body image, self-esteem and empowerment. Enlighten touches the lives of 20,000 girls every year across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

As the weekly Channel 9 Mornings contributor on parenting and women’s issues, I offer up solutions to the challenges girls and their mothers are facing. I am also an avid blogger on these issues and regularly contribute opinion pieces to national newspapers and websites.

In 2014, I was nominated as a Finalist for InStyle magazine’s Women Of Style Awards in the Charity and Community category.

2014 InStyle Women of Style Awards

In 2013, Prevention magazine listed me as one of Australia’s Most Inspiring Women over 40 in the “Game Changers” category. I was a nominee in the Australian of the Year Awards in 2012 and 2013 in the NSW Local Hero category, and in 2012, I was honoured with an Australian Leadership Award. In 2009, The Australian newspaper named me the country’s number one Emerging Leader in Learning, and I was listed among Sydney’s Top 100 Influential People by The The Sydney Morning Herald’s Sydney magazine. I was NSW Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007.

As CEO, it was a proud moment for me when Enlighten Education was a finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission Business Award in 2011. Enlighten was nominated for the Australian Small Business Champion Award in Educational Services in 2010 and was named the Australian Small Business Champion for Children’s Services in 2007.

My book The Butterfly Effect gives women a new perspective on raising happy, confident teenage girls. The companion book, The Girl with the Butterfly Tattoo, which I wrote especially for teen readers, is a girl’s guide to claiming her power. I am also the co-author of Loveability, which offers teen girls a positive and empowering perspective on relationships. All my books can be purchased here.

My life’s passion is to empower girls to grow into the bright, shiny adults they have the potential to be.

I am proud to have the opportunity to give back to the community and share my expertise in my roles as both an Ambassador for The Mirabel Foundation (a charity that supports children who have been removed from their homes due to illicit drug use), and as a Champion for Pregnant Pause (a non-profit initiative that aims to eliminate Foetal Alcohol Syndrome).

I was asked to join Germaine Greer, Eva Cox and Tara Moss at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in 2012. To watch our full one-hour panel discussion click here: “All Women Hate Each Other.”

You may also read more about my work, and access information about having me speak, at my own site: www.danniellemiller.com

16 Comments

  1. Great blog. I came across it through the edublog awards, and I like the content and the design. Excellent.

  2. THANK YOU! How generous of you to take the time to comment.:) It is a labour of love.

  3. I’m very impressed with your work Dannielle, congratulations!

    I’m the author of Goddess.com.au and the tools for the empowerment of world-wild women. Time and time again I wonder what would happen if we could learn from DAY ONE what precious and beautiful beings we were born to be…. How wonderful!

    Love love love,
    Anita

  4. Emily

    Hi Dannielle,
    I am a year 12 student in Adelaide and am currently working on a major assignement for Studies of Society exploring the sexualisation of children.
    I recently viewed your interview on 60 minutes and was really fascinated with your views and opinions relating to this issue.
    As apart of my issues analysis I am required to conduct and interview. I was just wondering if I could contact you by e-mail some time next week regarding my assignment if you would be willing to answer some of my questions.
    Thank you for your time
    Emily Rogers

  5. Cherie

    Hey Danni,
    Your blogs are really great. I love the way you see things. How different it is from so many people, and I think what you are doing is really great.

    Cherie x

  6. Sarah Casey

    Danni,

    Wow! Well done! I adore your site – I am so pleased you’re doing this work, and I look forward to learning more about it. Excellent refererences as well.

    You’ve got a new dedicated reader….

    Thanks, and take care,

    Sarah.

  7. Ellen Miller

    Hi Gorgeous!!

    I am from Quakers hill high, and I loved all that you did today, it was great. A great day, A great speaker, A great set up all in all it was a fabulous day! I hope that you can come back next year and see us in year ten! I hope that you keep doing what you did today for as long as you can, you are an inspiration, an insight, and so many other things that I can’t think of at the moment. I just want to say thankyou, it was fantastic and I hope that I run into you again sometime!

    Ellen Miller

  8. Helen Jahn

    I heard you on the Conversation Hour today (catching up with the last part on net now whilst trawling the website for you and “Get Real”!) More power to you!!! Keep it up! I have a gorgeous almost 11 year old daughter and am really worried about what seems to be going on in the teenage world. Hope to get onto your book soon- sounds great!!

  9. Julie Harvey

    Hi Danni

    Do you believe in destiny – well I think that I am destined to read your book. My sister driving near Caloundra could only get 1 radio station – which just happened to be your interview on the ABC. She was so excited to hear you speaking that she came home and gave me your details and told me that I had to get this book. Then my daughter (Bec) returns from the Canteen camp last weekend all talk about Gorgeous and everything that you guys talked about. Imagine my surprise to learn that both my sister and daughter were talking about the same person. I am looking forward to reading your book, and thanks so much for the inspiration that you gave to the girls at the camp.

    Julie

  10. Eryn Sharp

    Hey Gorgeous,

    You came to my school, St Clare’s College the other day and I just want to thank you sooo much!!! You are an inspiration to me and a courageous beautiful person resembling an angel. Your workshop has taught me so much in multiple ways and your personal stories touched me in an indescribable way. Thank you so much for sharing them – although I bet it was hard, the outcome is something to be proud of.

    Keep up the great work that you are doing. You are an idol for many women and girls, including me! Hope to see you again someday 🙂

    Eryn Sharp

  11. ava

    wooo u girls are FAB!
    Go Fran and Danni !

  12. Pia

    Hello!
    Thank you so much for linking to our site. Would love to connect and share what we are both up to. My email is piaguerrero@comcast.net. Looking forward to connecting!

    Warmly,
    Pia Guerrero
    Co-Founder and Editor
    Adios Barbie

  13. jessica tonkin

    hay gorgeous,

    I’d lust like to thank you for coming to our school(kaleen Primary) my friends and I are so happy to welcome you to our club, sweet cheeks chocolate where we play games and we get named after chocolates we know and love!!!!!!!
    thanks for everything
    jessica
    P.S my nick name is forever yours!

  14. Annalise

    Hi Gorgeous,
    Peace Man! I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for coming to Clonard and inspiring me and everyone else to look within ourselves and know that we are beautiful. I had Selena Gomez’s song stuck in my head that night and it wasll thanks to you. You made it such a fun and enjoyable day for everyone. I used to to think I wasn’t that beautiful but now I know that natural beauty is the best and it’s what’s on the inside that counts. I am starting my three week challenge and am determined to finish it! You are an amazing woman who I am so glad to have met.

    Love,
    Annalise, or you may remember me better as the girl with the peace lil miss sunshine shirt!

  15. Hi Danni,

    I LOVE reading your blog and opinions -I came across it doing some research about teen girls. I am so glad I did! I am a life coach for teen girls in the US and you are such an inspiration/role model. Keep up the beautiful work you do!

  16. Karen Kataline

    Dear Danielle,

    I’m so glad to find your blog. As I have time to read more of your writing and hopefully, read your book, I will put a link on my site. Looking forward to following you more. Karen Kataline

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