What if the real glow-up isn’t a new face, a new body, or a new role… but a new voice?

In this episode, Tess and Layne sit down with actor and creator Erika Heynatz for an honest, funny and empowering conversation about rejection, ageing, identity, and finally owning your voice.

They rewind to sunrise walks in Mona Vale, where a slow-burn friendship helped both women navigate self-doubt and rebuilding seasons. From there, Erika opens up about being assessed for a living, surviving constant rejection, and the resilience it takes to not let “no” define your worth. Her reframe? If you got the script, you’re already in the game.

At the heart of the conversation is Erika’s one-woman cabaret show Stupormodel , a bold exploration of the modelling industry, impossible beauty standards, shame, and the commodification of women’s self-esteem. Writing it, funding it and performing it became a cathartic act of courage: choosing to be seen, fully.

They also unpack perimenopause and menopause, from brain fog and insomnia to weight changes and anxiety, and what’s actually helped: hormone therapy, Chinese medicine, breathwork, sunlight, ocean time, and fiercely protecting non-negotiables.

The episode lands on a powerful reminder: you are the creative director of your life.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Rejection and resilience in high-pressure industries
• Beauty, brains, and being labelled “too much”
• Shame, vulnerability, and taking creative risks
• Perimenopause/menopause and real support strategies
• Women backing women instead of competing
• Why your looks never determines your worthiness

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been living by someone else’s script, this episode is a reminder that you can rewrite it. You can get louder. You can get truer. You can take up space. And you can choose a life that actually feels like yours.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses

https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

Connect with Erika

• Instagram: @erikaheynatz

• Website: erikaheynatz.com

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