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Michigan Avenue - 2017 - Issue 1 - Spring - Giuliana Rancic

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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With a fairy-tale home life and a powerhouse personal brand, E! personality and dynamo entrepreneur Giuliana Rancic strides into her 15th year with the network—happy, healthy, and loving her new life in Chicago. by BILL RANCIC photography by ERIC LEVIN WHAT AN EPIC FIVE YEARS it's been for Giuliana Rancic. The longtime E! Fashion Police star was declared cancer-free after a double mastectomy in 2012, then welcomed her son, Duke, later that year. Since then, she has stepped back into the spotlight in a serious way, launching wildly popular HSN fashion collection G by Giuliana and wine line Xo, G; writing a New York Times best seller, Going Off Script; and partnering with husband Bill Rancic to debut Chicago dining hot spots RPM Italian and RPM Steak (plus the recently opened RPM Italian in DC), all while commuting between LA and her new home in Chicago. With Rancic gracing a record third Michigan Avenue cover, it was clear that only her husband could do the interview justice—and the former Apprentice winner was happy to oblige. In a playful pre-awards-season chat for Michigan Avenue in a cozy corner booth at RPM Steak, Giuliana talked frankly and openly with Bill about her newfound peace, the life-changing lessons of the past five years, and what makes Chicago feel like home. Bill Rancic: Giuliana, thank you for sitting down with me. I really appreciate you taking the time. It is an honor and a privilege. Giuliana Rancic: My goodness! I wasn't prepared for something so official. BR: I try to be a professional in every way I can. We're sitting here at RPM Steak, and I'm excited to let you know that you're the first three-time cover star in the history of Michigan Avenue magazine. GR: Wow—I honestly didn't know that. Being a three-time cover person on any magazine is cool, but I think this one is especially important just because I love Chicago so much. I've embraced this city, and this city has embraced me. BR: Last time you did the cover was five years ago, and you talked about bat- tling breast cancer. Just recently, you celebrated five years of having your final surgery. Take us through the journey of the last five years. GR: I remember that cover shoot like it was yesterday, because there was so much going on in my life. I was going into surgery in a few days, and I remem- ber seeing the pictures when they came out, and I could see the fear in my eyes. We have that cover framed, and it's sometimes hard to look at, because it represents a very hard time in my life. That's why this [new cover] is so spe- cial to me. The five-year milestone is so important in breast cancer. I feel like I've come full circle. When I did that cover, there was just so much fear and uncertainty in my future. At five years, I'm much more calm, and I'm such a different person in a way, and really better because of it. BR: Which leads me to my next question. When you look back at the five years, tell me the three biggest changes in Giuliana. GR: There's so many, but I think the main one is I appreciate life more. I mean, you just do. When you go through something like breast cancer, as you always say, Bill—I'm going to steal a line from you, and I'm giving you credit... BR: ... which is very rarely. GR: Normally, I steal lines from you but I don't give you credit. BR: That's okay. GR: Here I'm going to give you credit, since you're here in front of me. You always say, "When you go through something big in life, you turn down the volume on the little things and the things that don't matter, and you turn up the volume on the things that do matter." That's what I've done in the past five years, and I think you can see it through the decisions I've made, especially with work. BR: Yeah. GR: And personally, as well. The biggest has been pulling back on the day-to- day work life so that I could move to Chicago and be able to take Duke to school every day. Going back to your question, I think I'm much stronger than I was before. BR: I agree. GR: I used to think I was strong, but I didn't realize how strong I could be. I remember a great quote that I used to always look at; something along the lines of, "You realize your true strength when you have no other choice but to be strong." BR: You're out of options. GR: I had no choice, and I realized, "Wow, I'm a strong chick." That was one of the positives of breast cancer, that realization, because it has helped me go through other things these past five years. The third thing is... Let me think… You know, I've always been empathetic, but that got turned up a lot, especially with women and the issues women go through. BR: Speaking of that, one of the things I'm extremely proud of you for doing is creating Fab-U-Wish. Tell me what that has meant to you. FORCE g y-tale home life and a powerhouse personal brand g y-tale home life and a p rhouse personal brand and dynamo entrepreneur g Giuliana Rancic g Giuliana Rancic strides into he g ork—happy, healthy, and loving her new lif g ppy, healthy w lif by g BILL RANCIC g BILL RANCIC photography by g ERIC LEVIN g Giuliana Rancic. The longtime g Giuliana Rancic. longtime a double mastectomy in g double mastectomy in Since then, she has stepped g Since then, she has stepped uncertainty in my future. g uncertainty my future. a different person in a way g a different person in a way BR: g Which leads to g FORCE g FORCE MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 99

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