This conversation with Erin Williams, founder of clean beauty line Erin’s Faces covers everything: Body image, gaining weight during pregnancy, and what society has to say about it.  

We kick off the show by learning about my experience of being a blond-haired, light-eyed Jewish woman therefore not meeting most people’s expectations of what a Jewish person “should” look like. We talk about the challenges I had having my identity constantly called into question. We then discuss pregnancy, hearing about my journey, and what I learned. Having been a performer for most of my life, I was used to my body being in the public domain, but what I experienced while pregnant surprised me more than expected. We then talk about outgrowing my first marriage, ending my people-pleasing habit, and how I learned to set boundaries. Especially because there were many people in my life who benefitted from my not having any. 

LISTEN HERE!

Tweetable quotes from the episode:

 “When we don’t talk about things, we are all left suffering in silence. But when we talk about it and give a voice to these experiences, we realize that we’re not alone and we can support each other.” — Alissa Alter [0:12:12]

“There are people in your life who really benefit from you not having boundaries. So, when you set them, and what you’re really saying is, ‘I have to take care of myself right now,’ for them, it’s a slap in the face and you don’t care about them. ” — Alissa Alter [0:22:12]

“If you are happily married, don’t get divorced. But if you are miserable, get out of there.” — Alissa Alter [0:37:34]

“I don’t think I’ll ever consider myself not a performer. But the problem for me was that I could no longer tolerate handing over my power.” — Alissa Alter [0:40:50]

LISTEN HERE!