Introducing Erin Treloar, a babe on a mission to help girls and women learn to live from a place of self-love. In 2014, Erin launched Raw Beauty Talks, an inspiring interview series that features women without makeup, photo editing, or filters. The goal of these interviews was to ignite a conversation surrounding beauty, confidence, and self-love. Raw Beauty Talks now has featured over 200 women and has evolved into a diverse organization that offers a variety of services including private coaching with Erin, mentorship, and fundraising for programs that increase self-esteem in youth.
What does babes supporting babes mean to you?
“Who Run the World? GIRLS!” Beyonce nailed it when she said this but we can only do it successfully when we do it together. When women stop competing and start supporting and collaborating with one another, WE MAKE MAGIC. Some of the most important moments in history (The Famous 5, #metoo, Women Wage Peace March, Black Lives Matter) were the result of women coming together to create change. Somewhere along the way, we started to believe that there was only room for some at the top. That’s just ego. There’s room for everyone, so start holding hands and we’ll do it together, better.
Do you have a life mantra/motto that you live by?
Hold the vision, trust the process.
What’s your spirit animal?
Mother hen or unicorn. Depends on the moment.
What’s your proudest babe moment or achievement?
Letting go of my 9-5 job in order to really pursue my passion. I just took the leap last month. The safety net is gone. It’s scary as hell but I know that the fall or the flight will be way more exciting than always sitting on the sideline wondering, “What if?”
What’s your most used app?
Planoly. It’s a lifesaver for anyone who needs to map out and plan social posts.
What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren’t selling anymore?
Glossier Tinted Primer and Coffee Crisp. Both necessities. If I stopped eating the latter I probably wouldn’t need the primer 😉 Life’s short though. You have to eat the chocolate.
What emoji best describes you?
The face-palm girl, the hallelujah hands or the peace sign.
What was the best piece of advice you received when you were first starting your career?
Be patient and enjoy the ride. I heard this lots when I was younger but never really understood it until more recently. I was always rushing and felt tremendous pressure to get everything done (successful career, family, house etc.) by the time I was 30. We live in a generation where we want everything RIGHT NOW but you miss a lot of precious moments when you’re always thinking, “What’s next?”. Your career is going to unfold over years and years and it will look different in many seasons. You’ll probably never feel like you’ve, “figured it out,” so you may as well breathe, learn and practice getting comfortable in the ebbs and flows.
Who should EVERYONE be following right now?
Whoever makes you feel like the best version of yourself!! I know that’s not the answer you were hoping for but I think it’s important to only follow people and brands that inspire, uplift and add to your life, otherwise social can become toxic for your mind, body, and spirit. Who cares who I like following. Focus on figuring out who you like following.
When I dance I look like….
I think I look like Beyonce but it’s probably a lot more like Phoebe from ‘Friends’ when she’s running.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Something country. Probably Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats.”
Tell us about a Babe who has supported you?
I’m so lucky to have a lot of really supportive women in my life so I can’t pick just one. Many of my closest friends are creative entrepreneurs/business women/moms and we are fiercely supportive of one another in life and our careers. I know who my biggest supporters are by the fact they are excited for me when good things happen and at my door when things feel like they are going hopelessly wrong.
How would you describe your personal style?
OMG, this is a hard question. Rosie Huntington-Whitely’s street style is my inspiration, so however you would describe that 😉 A lot of classic jeans and tees with a great jacket, boots (or converse) and hoop earrings.
What’s your favourite thing about living in Vancouver?
The fact that the ocean, mountains, forest, and beaches are all within minutes of one another.
What’s the most fulfilling part of your career?
Having the opportunity to walk beside women as they learn to treat themselves with love, compassion, and grace. I get to experience their transformation with them and I learn a lot about myself in the process.
What inspired you to start pursuing Raw Beauty Talks?
I struggled with an eating disorder in high school that was largely perpetuated by the false ideal of beauty portrayed in the media. As I went through recovery I realized there were no cool, relatable spaces online for women to see real representations of women. It was either highly edited images, purple butterfly self-esteem sites or celebrities being caught in candid moments with subtitles like, “Britney gains 20lbs and looks haggard pumping gas.” So I started our interview series featuring beautiful images of women without makeup, editing or filters.
We celebrate laugh lines and have had honest conversations about everything from body image to botox. After interviewing women from all across North America I felt called to offer more than just a conversation so I got my coaching certification and started working one-on-one with women to help them reconnect with their body, find confidence and feel healthy mind, body, and soul. I’m grateful every day that I get to do what I do.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Keeping up with the Kardashians.
What quality are you working on yourself right now?
Not taking on other people’s stuff. I worry a lot about the people I love and I recognize that doesn’t usually help anyone.
What is the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome in business?
MYSELF. My fears. Getting in my own head.
Click here to visit The Babe Shop!
Keep up with Erin on Instagram @rawbeautytalks
Introduction written by Lindsay Pearce.
Photography by Ryan Pugsley.