The Scarlet Internet Starlet: An Interview with Panthers Ice Dancer Meg Liz Miller

One gets the feeling that a shortage of ideas will never ever really be a problem for Florida Panthers Ice Dancer Meg Liz Miller. And Meg Liz’s energy to put those ideas into action seems as abundant as Miami’s summer sun.   In a very rare combination, cheering for both major league baseball and NHL teams, Meg Liz has been on two South Florida pro dance squads; first the Mermaids of the baseball’s Florida Marlins, and currently finishing up her rookie season as an Ice Dancer for hockey’s Florida Panthers.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Meg Liz is a self-described “Athlete, Fitness & Motivational Enthusiast, Social Media Expert, Graphic Artist, and YouTuber.”  Multimedia in every way, this “Internet Fitness Starlet” comes complete with a website, Twitter, Facebook, and a YouTube channel, featuring her Ice Dancers calendar shoot video series (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).  She applied her social media enthusiasm to her Ice Dancer friends by setting up individual Facebook accounts for the squad members, which allows unique connections to the fans.  Perusing Meg Liz’s website, one finds a beehive of activity, including being part of the Redline Xtreme Racing Girls, with the unifying factor of her desire to motivate.  Meg Liz’s site’s includes her statement of purpose, “My mission is to encourage all my friends, fans, and family to LOVE LIFE as much as I do.”

Meg Liz took time from this incredible buzz of activity to discuss her motivations and their connections to her pro cheerleading career with UltimateCheerleaders.com.  We learn about Meg Liz’s connections to an animated, legendary mermaid, to “falling into” being a Marlins’ Mermaid on opening day, to possibly trying on mermaid gowns someday on TLC.

UC.com: I can just imagine when you were young, you were the girl with the lemonade stand on the street, but yours had WiFi, a drive thru, and a customer loyalty program. Have you always had a lot of self-motivation and what is the first idea you remember having that you put into motion 100%?

MLM: Yes, you got that right!  I have always been the young girl who was constantly dreaming of MORE!  My nickname is “Ariel” from The Little Mermaid, partly because of my long red hair, and also because as a young child, my mind was always reaching into a different world where all my dreams would come true.  My first memory was when I was three years old sitting on my tricycle in my driveway; I remember thinking, “Why am I only three years old? I wish I was a big girl already so I could travel the world!”  It was a pretty courageous thought for a three year old, but my imagination at this age took my mind years ahead of my age!

UC.com: Motivation is a passion of yours. Do you remember when you first started try to motivate those around you and a success story that comes to mind of someone whose life was changed due to your motivation?

MLM: My favorite quote is “Use your talent, your influence and your experience, not just to accomplish your goals, but to help release a dream in someone else.”

I have always been an extremely happy, motivated and driven person!  Being the cheerleader in my own life was rewarding, but there came a time in my life when motivating myself wasn’t enough.  My first success story has been the most rewarding event in my entire life.  My older sister and I were two different people, and because we didn’t have much in common, we never were very close in high school.  After high school, she became very unhappy in her chosen life, was unhealthy, and was gaining weight because of this. It hurt me to see her like this, so I stepped in with my motivational enthusiasm, put her on a diet and a exercise schedule.  She started to see results immediately and with her new found happiness, we became very close, dieting and training together. In less than six months, my sister lost 80 pounds and was happier than she had ever been! Changing someone’s life like this was the most rewarding experience in my entire life, and made me realize my purpose on this earth!

UC.com: Who inspires/motivates you?

MLM: Being a fine artist my entire life, music has always inspired me artistically! Listening and dancing to my favorite song unleashes my creativity like nothing else can! Professionally, challenging myself daily with small goals motivated me to keep pushing towards the larger goals in my life!  In my opinion the best way to keep yourself on track is to celebrate the small victories!

UC.com: I am sure you hear it all the time, people want to be fit and eat well but they don’t have the time. For people with busy schedules, what are ways someone can fit some exercise into their day, and some good/healthy food one can eat on the run?

MLM: I think this is the worst excuse in the book.  If you don’t have time to take care of yourself, you are just quickly moving closer and closer to old age and sickness!  Taking care of your health should be your first priority and the first thing you think about when you wake up, because the longer you live the longer you can enjoy the fruit of all your daily labor!  My best advice is to start replacing what you already eat with healthier options.  Everyone knows that wheat bread is better than white bread and Diet Coke is better than Coke!  Make smart decisions!  In my opinion, the enemies to our nations health are sugar and carbohydrates! Your body has absolutely no need for sugar and contrary to popular believe you do NOT need carbohydrates for energy!  I receive all my energy from the vegetables in my diet.  My daily diet is carbohydrate free, gluten free, and sugar free, and I have more energy than I have ever had!

UC.com: Where do you see technology taking us in the next years, and how will it affect pro cheerleading?

MLM: I see QR (Quick Response) codes becoming the personal identification method of the future!  Currently, you can place a QR code on an advertisement that can be linked to your company’s website, an advertisement, a coupon, et cetera. I believe in the future we will have a personal QR code that will be placed on our drivers license.  When scanned, all of our personal information can be accessed: address, phones number, email address, et cetera.  In addition, we can hold all of our resume and portfolio information in this code.  For example, if I showed up at a pro cheerleading audition, I could scan my code and all my experience as a Florida Marlins Mermaid and a Florida Panthers Ice Dancer could be accessed.  This includes photos and video!

UC.com: When is a tweet officially “too long”?

MLM:  A tweet can only be 140 characters. Websites like twitlonger.com, which allow you to type a longer tweet, destroys the purpose of Twitter! Twitter is micro-blogging, meaning short messages allowing users to exchange small elements of content. We are in a society of MORE content FASTER! Longer tweets defeat this blogging model.

UC.com: Tell us about your life’s journey, and how it took you to Miami.

MLM: I was born in the small Midwest town of Sylvania, Ohio.  I loved growing up in a small town, but as soon as I graduated high school, I was the first one to leave the state!  I went to college in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the University of North Carolina.  I graduated Cum Laude, with a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design.  As I mentioned before, I am all about the next challenge, and exploring new places, so as soon as I graduated I choose the beautiful city of Miami, Florida as my next destination!  I chose Miami because of the beautiful weather.  I grew up in Ohio where there are nine months of bitter cold, snow, and gloomy skies!  Miami has the most sun on the east coast, and with family in Naples, Florida, it was the perfect choice!

UC.com: Tell us about you started in dance and previous dance squad history.

MLM:  I started dancing when I was ten years old!  I wish I could have started younger, but my family could not afford it.  I was a natural at ten years old and performing has been my passion ever since! There is nothing in the world that gives me a better adrenaline rush than performing in front of thousands of people!  I danced on a competition dance team in High School called the O’Connell’s Hot Shots.  I was the captain of my dance team in High School, and danced on my college dance team for our NCAA basketball team. I was captain of my college dance team my senior year! When I moved to Miami, I auditioned for the first pro team that was holding auditions, the Florida Marlins! I danced as a Florida Marlins Mermaid my first year, auditioning in 2008-2009. It was an amazing experience! The next year I traveled to San Diego and made it to the finals for the Charger Girls. I did not make the final team so I came back to Florida. I then auditioned for the Florida Panthers and now I am a Florida Panthers Ice Dancer. The Florida Panthers are my favorite pro team I have cheered for, I LOVE IT!

UC.com: What is part of your workout routine and your typical menu of eating? Besides dance/cheer, what other sports have you participated in the past or currently?

MLM:  My diet consists of protein supplements from VPX Sports/Redline, grilled chicken, grilled fish, lots of veggies, and lots of water!  My diet is 100% carbohydrate free, gluten free, and sugar free (that means no fruit for me). I love playing football, and I am pretty good at it!

UC.com: You are very unique, but is one thing especially unique: cheering for both baseball and hockey. Cheering for the Marlins and Panthers, compare and contrast:

MLM: Every role I take on has its challenges! Nothing in life comes easy and that is why life is so exciting!  The greater the challenge to conquer the greater the reward! Cheering for the Marlins was difficult in that we had eighty plus home games, meaning double the amount of routines to memorize.  The routines were challenging but the excitement of having to nail a difficult routine in front of thousands of people at the Dolphins Stadium was unforgettably rewarding!  Dancing for the Florida Panthers is not a task for the faint of heart, when you see us perform a kick line and jump split on the ice, and enthusiastically cheer throughout the entire game at the chilly BankAtlantic Center, its easy to see how it requires a great deal of dedication, professionalism, and a “whatever-it-takes” attitude. Each experience will forever leave long lasting memories in my heart and it is surely an honor to be a part of both teams!

UC.com: Pro cheerleaders have now been used in lots of reality and game shows. Miami pro cheerleaders have been on “The Bachelor”/”Bachlorette,” and “The Amazing Race,” other cheerleaders have been on “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.” Of all of the shows, like “The Apprentice” and others, if you could choose one to be on, what would it be? What would you tell the producers to convince them you were perfect for the show?

MLM: When I get engaged I would love to be on “Say Yes to the Dress” or David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding.” I think once I tell the producers that all my bridesmaids are pro cheerleaders, there would not be much convincing to do!

UC.com: Describe your idea for the perfect show for you to HOST….

MLM:  Since all the weight loss shows are taken, I would love to host a show helping young women make the right connections to land their dream job. There are so many shows, like MADE that turn girls into skateboarders, or rock stars, but what about a show that is REAL and will help a young woman to become the professional she has always wanted to be? This will give a women in a small town or someone less fortunate the business connections she would not have otherwise.

UC.com: Tell me how you became associated with the Redline Girls; what do the Redline Girls do, and where will we be able to see them in the 2011?

MLM: I work full-time in Marketing for VPX Sports/Redline.  Additionally, I am in charge of all the models. I have created the Redline Xtreme Race Girls team as a group of promotional models for our Redline Xtreme Indy Race Car!  The Redline Girls will travel with the Redline Xtreme Machine (that’s what our Indy Car is named) to all the Indy races this season.  Our girls also hold demos, sampling events, and calendar signings in many areas around the US.  Our biggest event this year will be the Indianapolis 500 on May 29th. We have an incredibly talented driver, Tomas Scheckter, driving the Redline Xtreme Machine in this race!  All the Redline Xtreme Race Girls will be in attendance!  It’s going to be a blast and we will all be there cheering our race car on and watching it go to the front!

UC.com: Any funny, memorable, or embarrassing stories of cheering for the Marlins and the Panthers?

MLM: My most embarrassing moment happened opening day of the Marlins season. It was my first time dancing in my cheer boots, and my first time dancing on the field!  As I quickly discovered the Marlins water the grass on the field before each game. The grass was wet and slippery and I fell right on my butt in the middle of the formation! It was so embarrassing but was a lesson well learned! At least I didn’t fall off the dugout! We also danced on the dugout, various times throughout the game.  This experience also helped me with dancing on the Ice at the Panthers games! After this embarrassment, I guarantee I could dance on the slickest, most slippery stage man could find!

UC.com: What are your favorite parts of being part on the Ice Dancers?

MLM: My favorite part of being an Ice Dancer is performing on the ice, it is such a rush!  Performing is my passion and it makes me feel alive!  I also love connecting with the fans!  It is such an honor to put a smile on a child’s face just by simply signing an autograph or taking a picture!  This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am enjoying every second of it!  Another blessing that has come from being an Ice Dancer is the many friendships I have made!  We have an awesome squad this year, and I know these girls will be my friends for life!

UC.com: From your videos, it looks like the Ice Dancers rookies had a little prank pulled on them this season by those vets. Tell us about it, and was there any rookie retaliation?

MLM:  The veterans pull a prank on the rookies each season!  This year they told us were were having a Halloween photo shoot to promote the first game, which was in October.  We were told to dress up like zombies, and the scariest most outrageous costume would receive a prize! We have a great group of rookies this season, we are all very dedicated, so we went ALL OUT! We even had a girl glue a fake puck to her head with blood dripping down!  When we showed up at the BankAtlantic Center, we were greeted by all the veterans dressed in jeans and pink heels, with cameras and video cameras, laughing at us and snapping pictures!  Instead of a photo shoot we had our annual I.C.E Social (Integrating and Connecting Everyone).  We had a great night bonding with all our new best friends.  There was no retaliation because in the end, the vets spent a lot of time and effort planning a fun and memorable night for us all, we were thankful! You can watch the video here.

UC.com: What are your goals for the future?

MLM:  My goals are to travel the world as a motivational speaker and change the lives of many!  I work for an amazing company VPX Sports/Redline and we are all dedicated to making the world healthy, one family at a time! Our goal is to have a VPX product in every household! I speak from experience when I say that giving a person the knowledge to live a healthy and active lifestyle can change someones life and put them on an uphill journey toward success!

Thank you Meg Liz for giving us some insight into all of your motivations!  I have a feeling things will continue to go swimmingly as this former Mermaid skates to the completion of her first year with the Ice Dancers, and as she races into the new adventures.  No doubt, we will be hearing her siren’s song calling all to live a healthy lifestyle far into the future.