April M. Jackson-Hunter is known as everyone’s favorite PHAT Girl and proudly wears the title “plus sized author bae.” But her story is bigger than a tagline. She is an award-winning, best-selling author, speaker, life and health coach, and advocate who helps survivors reclaim their voice and rebuild their confidence—without shame and without apology.
Based in Snellville, Georgia, April is also highly educated, holding a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Herzing University and a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in Victimology and Victim Services from Argosy University. Her academic background gives her insight into trauma and recovery, but her life experience is what makes her message hit home. April is a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault, and she is clear about one thing: what happened to her does not define her.
For April, writing became more than creativity. Writing became rescue. Her work—especially the Mercedes Closet series—helped her find her voice and build a platform that empowers survivors across the globe. She is also a proud advocate for survivors within the LGBTQ+ community, making sure the people who are often overlooked feel seen, supported, and strengthened.
Below is the story of how April turned pain into purpose, and why her message is helping people lose more than weight—helping them lose fear, shame, and the mindset that keeps them stuck.
From “Surviving” to Standing Strong in Public
Many people think becoming a survivor means the danger is over. April’s truth is deeper: surviving is only the beginning. Healing is a whole other journey.
After living through domestic violence and sexual assault, April had to learn how to feel safe again—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. That process isn’t quick. It is layered. It can show up in your confidence, your choices, your relationships, and even your health. April’s story reflects what many survivors experience: the trauma may be in the past, but the effects can follow you for years.
Instead of hiding, April chose to build. She chose to tell the truth. She chose to speak for the person who feels too broken to speak. Her voice became a bridge for people who didn’t have words for what they went through. Over time, that honesty turned into a calling—one that now fuels her writing, coaching, and advocacy work.
She doesn’t show up as a perfect person with a perfect life. She shows up as proof that you can rebuild yourself, piece by piece, and still be powerful.
The Mercedes Closet Series: The Books That Saved Her Voice
April credits the Mercedes Closet series as a major turning point in her life. It became her “saving grace,” not because it made life easy, but because it helped her find her voice again. Writing gave her a way to process, release, and reframe her story. It also gave her something many survivors crave: ownership. When you write your story, trauma stops being the only narrator.
The Mercedes Closet series didn’t just impact readers—it transformed the author. Through that journey, April birthed April M. Jackson-Hunter LLC and stepped into her role as a leader who empowers survivors around the world. Her platform is not built on trends. It’s built on testimony, truth, and the kind of resilience you don’t learn in a classroom.
What makes her books powerful is that they carry the energy of someone who has lived through something—and came out determined to help others live too. She writes with compassion, but she also writes with fire. Her readers don’t just feel entertained. They feel understood.
Hey PHAT Girl: The Weight-Loss Story That Was Really a Life Story
April’s latest book, Hey Phat Girl: A Phat Girl’s Guide to Loving Yourself Back to Life, was inspired by a struggle many people deal with privately: weight, health, and the emotional battles tied to both.
As April approached her “roaring forties,” she found herself near 400 pounds and dealing with growing health complications. Her healthcare provider suggested gastric bypass, and she agreed. She also had to face the judgment that often comes with that choice. Some people call surgery “the lazy way.” April calls that statement what it is: ignorance.
Her journey wasn’t easy—and it wasn’t just physical. It forced her to confront hard questions most people avoid:
How did I get here?
What am I going to do about it?
How do I make sure I never go back?
April explains that the surgery was only one part. The bigger battle was mind, body, and soul. And the result was real: she stood in front of the world 120 pounds lighter, but more importantly, stronger in her identity and committed to her healing.
This is why her book hits deeper than “weight loss.” It’s about the truth that many people need to hear: real change is internal before it’s external. You can lose weight and still be stuck. You can look different and still feel broken. April’s work focuses on the kind of transformation that lasts.
Not Just Dieting: The Mindset Shift That Keeps You From Going Back
April is clear about the key message she believes the world needs right now: it’s not just about losing the weight. Most people have “lost weight before.” Many people have done it multiple times. The real breakthrough is what keeps you from returning to the same patterns.
Her message focuses on sustainable transformation—shifting mindset, habits, and your relationship with food and self. She teaches a different “vibe”: moving from living to eat to eating to live. That shift sounds simple, but it changes everything.
When people struggle with weight, it’s rarely only about food. It can be stress, trauma, comfort habits, self-worth issues, and coping mechanisms that formed during painful seasons. April doesn’t shame people for that. She helps them confront it with honesty and rebuild with strategy.
Her work brings a strong reminder: the goal isn’t to look good for a season. The goal is to live better for a lifetime. And that requires deeper work than a quick diet plan.
A Nonprofit, Ghostwriting, and Coaching That Gives Survivors Their Power Back
April’s mission isn’t limited to her own books. She uses her platform to create real-world impact, especially for survivors.
She is the founder and president of a nonprofit called Mercedes Closet, created to support survivors and remind them they do not have to navigate dark seasons alone. Her work also includes ghostwriting—helping survivors bring their words to life so the world can experience their story on the page. That service matters because many survivors want to share their story but don’t know how to structure it, write it, or feel safe enough to release it.
In addition, April is a life and health coach who helps survivors reconnect with self-love and self-care, shift their mindset, and rebuild confidence. Her coaching is not theory-based. It is lived. She teaches what she has had to practice.
Her platform is for the person who is tired of being strong for everyone else while feeling empty inside. She helps people rebuild from the inside out so they can stop surviving and start living.
“The Challenge Was Me”: How April Beat Self-Doubt and Built Confidence Anyway
When April talks about the hardest part of writing her book, she doesn’t blame time, publishers, or critics. She says the biggest challenge was simple: herself.
She describes being her own worst enemy—self-doubt, overthinking, and the weight of being on her own healing journey. Some days felt heavy. Some days she questioned whether she was ready to share her story. That kind of honesty matters because many people assume confident leaders never struggle with insecurity. April proves that confidence is not the absence of doubt—it’s the decision to keep moving anyway.
How did she overcome it? By doing what she asks her clients to do. April committed to completing the same 90-day program she guides others through. She practiced what she teaches. She rebuilt her own confidence while building the book. That’s why her coaching carries credibility—she is not talking at people. She is walking with them.
And when she says, “Let’s build confidence together,” she means it. She has lived that path in real time.
Contact Information
April M. Jackson-Hunter
Snellville, Georgia
Instagram: @authoraprilmjacksonhunter
Facebook: @authoraprilmjacksonhunter
LinkedIn: April M. Jackson-Hunter
Website: heyphatgirl.org/letsgettowork
