Speaking more about her book, Getting Real, and what it means to be a fearless, authentic version of your best self, Gretchen Carlson credited the traditional values she was raised with in shaping her into the person she is today. The 1989 'Miss America' winner was adamant that the discipline instilled in her as a young girl growing up in Minnesota was the an integral part of building self-confidence "from the inside out." 

Using the example of her early training as a classical violist, Gretchen shared that the hours of practice gave her a strong work ethic. She said, "I practiced a lot of hours a day. I think it's a great lesson for any kid that when you put attention to something or time, you get better at it, and kids love that. It builds self esteem and they feel better about themselves. So that's one great thing about having grown up with those old fashioned values."

Gretchen, who has been married to sports agent Casey Close since 1997, stated that she still uses those discipline lessons "every day at work." She added, "It's the same thing that I'm trying to impart to my young children now, who are ten and twelve years old."

Speaking of her own parenting style and the role the discipline plays in her own household, Gretchen commented, "I don't put them [my children] to bed at night, and say their prayers, and say, 'Wow, I wish you a lot of luck in life.' I say, 'It's about hard work and it's about making the most of the talents that you were given by God. There's pleasure and self-esteem building in that."

Along with hard work and self-discipline, Gretchen also ranks her Christian background as one of the biggest parts of who she is. However, her Christianity hasn't always served her well in terms of her popularity. "I get a lot of criticism for speaking out about my Christian values," she confessed. "I'm one of the few national news anchors that doesn't have a problem saying that I'm a Christian, and doing stories on it, and professing my faith."

However, this criticism hasn't deterred Gretchen from giving viewers "the real story" of who she is. In fact, she insists, quite the opposite. "I learned to grow up standing up for what I believe in and speaking out about what I believe in. And I think I'm making the right choices because if I'm walking down the street and I just happen to be recognized by someone that watches FOX, nine times out of ten they will say to me, 'Thank you so much for standing up for your Christianity.' So I think I'm striking the right nerve."

Perhaps her ability to stay level-headed despite criticism and embrace her message all the more as a result of it, is also a result of Gretchen Carlson's upbringing. She recalls, "My grandfather, who was a minister, used to say that Christians need adversity in their lives."

Elaborating on that thought, she added, "It's good to have naysayers because that keeps us on our toes. It almost strengthens our own belief. You need people to disagree with you because it actually keeps you on your toes and makes you work harder in your messaging."

Despite her perfectly coiffed blonde hair and tailored appearance on television, Carlson is the first to admit that she's not perfect; a fact that she references often in her new memoir. "I talk about a lot of my failures in my book." She names infertility, family health issues, career setbacks and sexism in the workplace as some of the many struggles that she has faced.

One struggle that might especially surprise Gretchen's fans is that she wasn't always in swimsuit competition shape (although she does still fit into her Miss America pageant ballroom gown today.) Speaking about growing up a "chubby/fat kid", Gretchen said, "I didn't really think that much about it until I was interested in boys. I wanted to date a senior, I was in tenth grade, and I overheard him say, 'She's a nice girl, but she's just too fat.' For the first time, it affected me and I went on a diet that day." 

But Gretchen doesn't recommend that young girls focus on their appearance. She clarified, "I think the lesson is: We should build our self esteem from our souls. We shouldn't be so concerned about how we look on the outside." She made sure to add, "If there's one lesson in the entire book that I can inspire young women and young girls about, it's that." 

See Part Two of BREATHEcast's interview with Gretchen Carlson below, and check out part 1 here: