Episode:Â 19
STUPORMODEL - Become the Creative Director of Your Life
With Layne Beachley, Tess Brouwer and Erica Heynatz
Listen on:
What if your prettiness was never your worthiness?
In this deeply honest and fiery conversation, Tess and Layne sit down with actress, model, performer and creator Erica Heynatz to unpack identity, rejection, shame, reinvention, and what it really takes to bet on yourself at 50.
This episode begins at sunrise.
Tess shares the story of meeting Erica during one of the lowest chapters of her life. Two women, rebuilding quietly. No industry baggage. No preconceived ideas. Just ocean, honesty, and a slow forming friendship that became a turning point.
Erica opens up about the pressure of being assessed by aesthetics for over two decades, the commodification of women’s self esteem, and the impossible standards women are expected to uphold professionally and personally.
She shares the creation of her one woman cabaret show Stupermodel, a raw exploration of beauty culture, aging, commodification, and the armor women wear to survive.
This is an episode about finding your voice. About challenging the patriarchy without losing your grace. About menopause, mental chatter, and finally knowing what is non negotiable. About taking the risk on yourself before it is too late.
And above all, it is about this truth:
You are the creative director of your life.
What you will learn
- How to survive rejection without losing yourself
- Why competition between women is a myth worth dismantling
- The mindset required to move from aesthetics to agency
- How perimenopause and menopause reshape identity
- Why vulnerability is power
- The courage required to be seen at every stage of life
- Why your value extends far beyond appearance
- Why rest is not weakness, but a form of leadership
5 Key takeaways
- Your Prettiness Does Not Determine Your Worthiness For years Erica was assessed for how she looked, not what she thought. This episode dismantles the belief that beauty equals value and reminds women their voice, grit, intellect and creativity are the real assets.
- Rejection Builds Refinement Rejection is not personal. It is part of the process. Whether in acting, sport, or business, resilience is built through repeated no’s. The win feels sweeter because you earned your stripes.
- Shame Loses Power When You Sit In It You cannot bypass shame. You make friends with it. Through storytelling, performance and radical honesty, Erica transformed private pain into public empowerment.
- Menopause Is a Reckoning and a Rebirth Perimenopause and menopause brought anxiety, insomnia, brain fog and identity shifts. But they also brought clarity, autonomy and non negotiable boundaries
- You Are the Creative Director of Your Life No matter your age or stage, you get to decide. You are not at the mercy of expectation, industry, patriarchy, or past roles. You get to rewrite the script.
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Disclaimer
The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.
If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast.
Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.
