Be a Media Giant: Smile Makeover and Giant Dreams

An updated look, at an extraordinary event for a former MHS Student, Haley Jordan, who now has over a million followers since this story began! (October, 2024)

When I took the position of Library Media Center Specialist four years ago, I had a lot of dreams. Winning a National Smile Makeover Contest for someone else was NOT one of them. Sometimes Dreams Come to Us in the Most Unusual Ways.

Happy New Year, 2018! I hope this first blog post of the new year gives you reason to smile. It is the celebration of an almost two-year journey, a dreams-do-come-true story chronicling how our library's presence on social media led to a local girl winning a National Smile Makeover Contest in an improbable intersection of circumstances - a New Year's viral video, @giantslibrary on Twitter, and a generous cosmetic dentist (Dr. Daniel Rubinshtein) from NYC. It is the inspirational story of a Smile Makeover for Haley Jordan, a 2012 MHS grad with Giant Dreams, who continues to make her dreams come true.
It has been called the most important human gesture we can give - the smile. In Ron Gutman’s Ted Talk, The Hidden Power of Smiling, he reports that British researchers found that one smile can provide the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 chocolate bars! According to one article, smiling can increase your lifespan by 7 years! Sharing a smile costs nothing and reaps priceless benefits, making Haley's gift much more priceless than the aesthetic value alone.

Put aside the political press about Twitter, now X. This tale is a testament to the powerful capability of social media for good. Haley’s story inspired Dr. Rubinshtein, and in turn, his spirit of giving inspires others to give back as well. His own version of Haley’s Smile Makeover has over 60,000 views!

Just after New Year’s 2016, Dr. Rubinshtein’s Smile Makeover Contest had gone viral. As Marion High School’s Library Media Specialist, I saw the video on Twitter; a young dentist was offering a life-changing opportunity, the chance for a new smile for a complete stranger. Immediately, I KNEW who could use that makeover, a former Marion High School alumni, who was part of a rising new YouTube sensation, The Fitness Marshall, consisting of three Marion grads, Allison Florea(2012), Haley, and its creator, Caleb Marshall (2011). I went to work on my entry. It would be a long shot; after all, this was a national contest; there would be thousands of entries.

Two weeks later, I received a call from NYC - Haley was the winner! I felt like I’d won the lottery! True to his word, Dr. Rubinshtein paid for Haley’s travel as well as her dental care as she began traveling between Indiana and New York for her dental visits while she attended Ball State University. It wasn’t long after Haley’s braces were put on, that her smile began to change. By Christmas of the following year, it was already beautiful!

Haley meets Dr. Daniel for the first time.

While the online popularity of the Fitness Marshall continued to climb, in March of 2016, Haley began her own YouTube channel with just over one million subscribers!

Eighteen months after her first consultation, on October 17, 2017,Haley underwent her final visit with Dr. Rubinshtein. As a surprise for her, Dr. Rubinshtein invited me to fly to NYC to be there for the unforgettable celebration as Haley’s smile was completed. I will always carry with me the joy of that afternoon, meeting Dr. Daniel in person, and seeing Haley’s beautiful smile without braces for the first time. Most of all, I’ll remember this improbable journey of generosity and heart. In Giving Back: A New Year's Resolution for Social Media Celebrities, Barrett Wiseman identifies a new class of celebrity, “the social media influencer,” and challenges them to give back with consistent dedication, rather than the usual one-stop photo op or one-time donation.

Haley sees her smile without braces for the First Time.

Also known as “Dr. Snapchat,” Dr Rubinshtein went beyond what Wiseman suggested by committing to a long-term investment in Haley. How easily he could’ve chosen someone closer to NYC, someone whose treatment would be over in a few months. Instead, he spent almost a year and a half flying Haley back and forth from Indiana to NYC, making adjustments until all was just right. He is a rare giver and asks only that Haley give back as well. One only has to catch her vlog and see her passion for helping others be healthy to know she is already doing that. She is generous with her time and engaged with her followers in ways that depict a sense of responsibility to give back.

Between the time of her initial consultation with Dr. Rubinshtein and Haley’s final visit, The Fitness Marshall achieved star status (now with over SIX million subscribers!) The Fitness Marshall has also been named NUMBER 1 by Glamour Magazine for the Best YouTube workouts! “Its fans and popularity have grown beyond the groups wildest dreams and has granted Haley a life that once seemed unattainable.”

Jennifer Sherlock of jennacommunications

With a smile that matches her personality Haley, Haley just reached the milestone of over one million followers, and was thrilled to be chosen as a representative for Ulta Collective and Fenty Beauty as well as endorsing other name brands like Hello Fresh and ClassPass.

With his Smile Makeover Contest, Dr. Rubinshtein hoped to inspire others to “find ways to integrate your interests and skills with the needs of others.” Although we all may not be in the position to offer such a substantial gift, we are capable of helping others, in both large and small ways. Whatever ‘good’ you do, science, psychology, and the smiles of grateful people say it’s good for you as well as for them.

May 2018 be filled with Giant Dreams and genuine smiles, both ones you give and ones you receive. With one smile, you CAN change your world. Never underestimate its power.