Named by Glamour magazine as one of America's top-ten college women "most likely to succeed—at anything," 26-year-old best-selling author and motivational speaker Nancy Redd has spent the most recent years of her life on a mission to tackle the issues least discussed but most significant in young women's lives.

In her new book Body Drama, which is a New York Times Best-Seller, Nancy celebrates the many versions of "normal," replacing seriously erroneous information with the honest, medically proven truth in a language all girls can understand. Body Drama dares to empower a new generation—with facts instead of fantasies, and the priceless gift of self-knowledge.

Two weeks after graduating from Harvard with an honors degree in Women's Studies, author Nancy Redd won the title of Miss Virginia, going on to make the Top 10 and winning the swimsuit competition at Miss America 2004. Nancy once won $250,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2002 (donating 10% to 4-H, where she sat on the Board of Trustees until this year), and Nancy has been named L'OREAL's Beauty of Giving Young Woman of the Year and was one of Harvard magazine's Top Six Seniors. She is also a former National Coca-Cola Scholar, a Toyota Scholar, and an Ebony Magazine Scholar.

Nancy is a contributing editor at CosmoGIRL! Magazine, where she is also the Body & Soul expert. She is also a guest editor for Dove's new campaign for real beauty website and an AOL Wellness Coach. She and her unique views have been featured on E! True Hollywood Stories, PEOPLE magazine, NPR, PBS, Inside Edition, CBS' The Early Show, Eyewitness Kids News, Discovery Channel, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Times, ABC's Good Morning America, J14, and more.

1. Did you or do you ever struggle with low self image? How did you rise above these feelings and embrace the gifts that you do possess?
Everyone has their good days and bad days, if someone ever says there's one day they don't feel bad, they're lying. And it's totally mental. The thing to do is just stay strong. My thing was body odor. As an early teen, when I started maturing and I started to smell I thought it was all over. I was so confused and alone. I wish I had something like "Body Drama" to help me out. While weight became a concern later, at first, it wasn't weight, weight wasn't a concern. It was more about worrying that my breath stunk, or that there was something in my hair. It was all the physical stuff that we never talk about.

2. What advice can you give to women who struggle with poor self-esteem or who constantly criticize themselves by comparing themselves to others or not feeling good enough?
We are all in this together. The person who you are comparing yourself to, especially if it's a magazine model, it's important to understand that their pictures are airbrushed. They don't look like that in real life and they have doubts too. If you're worried you're not going to find love because of how you look, you're wrong. You can either have a great life by working with what you have, or you could wish for something better and never get it and spend your time unhappy. I could wish to be taller or for many other things, but why waste my time on it when, as my pageant coach said, I can work with what I've got.

3. Who has inspired you in your life? What did he/she do to gain your respect and admiration?
When I was a kid I was big on Judy Blume. She was writing about sexuality and masturbation and this was the 80s! She was just a trailblazer. Even though people tried to bash her books at first, she felt strongly enough about acknowledging the embarrassing things that we are afraid to talk about to keep pushing forward. I was always looking for pictures of women bodies just to compare myself and see if I was normal when I was younger. Alice Walker's book, "Possessing the Secret of Joy"was the first time I've ever seen a vagina. I felt so empowered at 13 and I realized what a good author can do for the reader. I felt connected to those two authors because I know that when they were writing they were thinking of me even though they never met me.

4. What do you love and admire about yourself?
Even when I was writing the book I was nervous about writing my own story. But now I'm really excited. I like that I can share my stories with stressed out girls, so that they can be less stressed out.

5. Part of our mission at hangPROUD is to give back and refocus negative energy into making positive changes in the community and for friends and family. What types of things would you encourage women to do regarding paying it forward and giving back?
The next time you hear one of your friends putting their body down, cut them off. Say 'look, putting yourself down isn't going to help anything.' Let's try to get rid of the negativity because the more negative things you say about yourself the more chance you have to perpetuate that negativity. And if we can help someone stop hating on themselves, it's a start. It might be hard at first but in time, you know, self-love will make a difference.

6. Tell us the "words you live by"

Ever since I was young, my mother always said "luck equals opportunity plus preparation". When you say "oh it's not possible" you dampen your spirits. If you prepare and continue to look for opportunity it will happen. I always wanted to write this book. Many might say that your goals are unachievable but you have to prove them wrong. Work towards your goal.