Erin Woodward is an established entrepreneur and thought leader who has transformed the beauty industry, making a mark locally in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, with her CoolSculpting boutique, Platinum Sculpt CoolSculpting. Coolsculpting is a non-invasive, non-surgical process of freezing fat cells to the point they can no longer survive, and those dead cells pass through the body gradually. The subcutaneous fat on the surface of the human body freezes at a warmer temperature than the rest of the body. Erin says it’s “fatally cool.” Erin loves to make a positive difference and shares with us an exciting charity program she started in her local community.
What is your charity?
Erin: “The Real “Cool’ Housewives of Bowling Green, Kentucky (RCHW).” It’s a spoof of the reality TV series on Bravo, Real Housewives, and the format is a contest that allows for one person with diet-resistant and exercise-resistant fat to receive an expenses-paid body contouring and skin care makeover sponsored exclusively by Platinum Sculpt CoolSculpting and HydraFacial BG.
How does the charity benefit others?
Erin: It changes people’s lives by changing their bodies and mindset. The good samaritans that are out there working and grinding every day, who wouldn’t necessarily think about shifting the focus to themselves, this benefits them. A great many people carry guilt for investing in themselves, but what they don’t realize is that putting their needs in line with the needs of others, they create more energy, bandwidth, and fulfillment for everyone around them. My giveaway contest gives them permanent fat reduction without the risks of surgery.
What was the inspiration for starting the RCHW charity?
Erin: In 2019, when I founded the charity giveaway, one of the actual New York Real Housewives, Sonja Morgan, was the CoolSculpting Spokesperson. The light bulb came on, and The Real Cool Housewives of Bowling Green was born as a giveaway-contest to not only transform someone’s confidence and outward appearance, but also educate and raise awareness of our unhealthy desire in society to change our attributes, compare ourselves to others, and risk our lives doing so. It’s better to age gracefully and noninvasively.
How has it been received by the community?
Erin: People seem to genuinely love it, we get 800 to 1,000 participants each year. We still participate in the typical charities, however, we also wanted to bring something special to an underappreciated demographic, the folks who don’t qualify for other types of goodwill, but deserve something special nonetheless.
What is the process?
Erin: In the spring, residents nominate themselves or a friend. It takes us about a month to vet them, determining first and foremost candidacy for permanent fat reduction. It is an FDA-cleared medical procedure, we need to review medical history and their reasons for wanting the procedure. We assess the tissue to make sure that they’d get an excellent outcome, and vet each candidate’s comfort level with going public about their body transformation. Chosen candidates must be well-spoken, kind-hearted, take care of their body, at least 21, well respected in the community, and have a reasonable presence on social media (200+ friends).
Who can participate?
Erin: Anyone! Any gender with diet-resistant and exercise-resistant body fat, of any relationship status, over age 21, in and around Bowling Green, Kentucky. We determine three finalists and then have a public vote. The finalists have about a month to round up the most votes. We film the three finalists and air them on the commercial breaks of The Real Housewives of NY, Potomac, and Beverly Hills. After the voting period, the winning finalist will start their body transformation. The winner becomes our spokesperson for a year.
What is your advice to others wanting to start charity efforts?
Erin: Get creative and don’t do what’s already been done. Charity comes in different forms and styles. Whatever you’re good at, whatever you’re passionate about, if that thing carries value, consider giving it away in sponsorship or contest. It’s not always about writing checks to an organization; that’s often what we think of when we think of charities. Giving freely of your time, energy, and effort, those things often carry more value than writing a check. My mantra for answering the burning question, “How ought we to live?” is perpetually in service to others. I learned this from Alma Mater, Regis University, and it’s served me well in all facets of my life.
Follow Erin Woodward on social media @e.b.woodward, @platinumsculpt, @hydrafacialbg, and her websites ebwoodward.com and platinumsculpt.com.
