Meet The Schmiddlebopper
I recently met an incredible young woman that I want to tell you about. Her name is Emily-Anne Rigal, but you may know her as The Schmiddlebopper, which is the nickname she goes by in the world of online media, in which she is fully entrenched.
I met Emily-Anne at a small gathering of changemakers and people working in the empowerment-building community pulled together by friend, kick-butt Smart Girl, and Actionist (TM) Jess Weiner. At only 16 years old, Emily was the only teen in the group. I knew something must be very special about this young woman to have had such an impact on Jess, who is my personal role model when it comes to the way I want to live my passion and be fully committed to creating positive change for women and girls everywhere.
Now that I’ve gotten to know Emily and find out what she’s all about, I’ve got another role model to look up to. A queen of social media (you’ll find her on , , and ), Emily-Anne is probably best known for her where she posts video blogs about whatever’s on her mind. What I love best about her videos is that they’re unapologetically Emily-Anne – they’re smart, quirky, honest, and most importantly, REAL. As Emily says in her introductory video (you can ), “I go out of my way to be different. You know, the more I think about it, I’m not weird…I’m just limited edition.”
For me, that line really resonates. If only all girls and women could have that same sense of confidence in who they are to know that their uniqueness is worthy of being embraced and celebrated. So, thank you Emily-Anne for putting your thoughts, perspectives, ideas, opinions, and bloopers out there for all the world to see. By being who you are so beautifully, you give girls everywhere inspiration to celebrate their own individuality!
Check out Emily-Anne’s latest video on YouTube featuring her thoughts on the upcoming ABC Family show, HUGE, which features Nicky Blonsky spending the summer at a weight loss camp for overweight teens. (I’ll be posting more on that show next week after the premiere Monday night.)
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Jacquelyn Ottman Said,
June 25, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
Let’s hear it for teen girls who show their individuality — there should be a Billy Eliot on Broadway for teen girls –and Emily-Anne “the Schmiddlebopper” should star!
dreber Said,
June 25, 2010 @ 12:34 pm
Agreed, Jacquelyn!
Cathy Baker Said,
June 25, 2010 @ 6:03 pm
agreed with Jacquelyn also! I love Emily-Anne, I would love to meet her one day because….she’s awesome!
Becca Wertheim Said,
June 25, 2010 @ 6:43 pm
Emily-Anne is a true inspiration to teens! People like her remind us that simply being ourselves is the best way to be!
Melissa Wardy Said,
June 25, 2010 @ 10:39 pm
I love me some Schmiddlebopper. I am so hoping this show is a huge success. A HUGE success. There are so many kids who need diversity in the media. I think ABC Family really did a great job casting, and rolling the dice with the one.
Denise Restauri Said,
June 26, 2010 @ 7:31 am
I am very lucky because I know and work with Emily-Anne! She is an AllyKatzz Advisory Board member, she’s a lead AllyKatzz teen reporter. She is amazing! Emily-Anne posted a blog with her HUGE video on AllyKatzz.com… here’s a comment from a tween girl:
“Great Blog! This is the best blog. I have had several accounts in the past 3 years, and this is THE best one I have read so far. I personally am not over weight. Yet, this video that you posted in the blog was self empowering. I don’t plan on watching the show. Awesome blog!!”
Johanna Vandenberg Said,
June 26, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
I am fortunate to have met Emily Anne, I am a fan because I love to laugh, she also is a teenager who gives me hope for the world. I wore the blue bracelet she gave me “We Stop Hate” to the Clearwater Festival on Sunday!
ines Said,
June 28, 2010 @ 1:41 pm
The latest video from Emily-Anne is great.
Jeanne Demers Said,
July 2, 2010 @ 8:47 am
Yay, Emily-Anne! Yeah, I count myself among the lucky who gets to work with Emily-Anne. She helps with The Ruby Books and I’m laughing pretty much all through our Skype meetings because the girl knows so much more about just about everything than I do. She has this great way of saying, “You probably already thought of this, too, but…” and then lays a great idea on me.
Loving this site, too 🙂 Thanks for letting me know about it, E-A! Keep rockin’ the free world!
dreber Said,
July 2, 2010 @ 1:05 pm
Thanks Jeanne 🙂 You made me LOL about E-A knowing more about everything…she is the future, and it’s pretty exciting stuff!
Isabella k. Said,
November 23, 2010 @ 3:39 am
I went to school with Emily-Anne for about four years and she hasnt changed one bit! She’s still very confident and funny and great to be around. Keep up the great work EAR!
India 🙂