I grew up a fat kid in a small town in Minnesota who was a tomboy and happened to play a mean violin. My goal was to be a famous concert artist some day.

Our daughter was the last in her class to get a cell phone and she had to earn it. She still doesn't have Instagram although she asks me for it every day.

Self esteem is built from the inside out and that is my inspiring message to all people.

I believe giving back is one of the greatest life lessons we can teach our children; that the world isn't all about them, and that through our actions people will really discover what kind of a person we truly are.

When people watch me on TV they see part of my life. I wanted to let them know the real me behind the scenes. The child who was a concert violinist from the age of six. The young woman who took on the challenge to compete in the Miss America pageant. The television journalist for twenty-five years. The mother of two who, just like most women, struggles to balance work and family.

We have rules in the house and a sticker chart for my kids to earn technology time. Maybe its because of the world I live in and work, that I don't see much of anything beneficial that comes out of social media for kids. Even though its how they communicate now, so you have to find the fine balance.

One of my Miss America judges called me a "God-clutcher" way back when because I spoke about my faith being an important part of my life during my interview.