Eri, you started with dance and ballet, then became a fitness model, and now you’re developing medical aesthetics. What has been the biggest transformation in your journey?
The biggest transformation in my life is understanding my own emotions and desires and creating relationships based on value, making people better. Learning and experiencing as much as I can has helped me gain perspective as well. Once I fully understand myself (as a women your emotions and what they mean it helps me to communicate better to get what I need). Life is about relationships so I want to be involved with people of substance that can help me and I can help them. There is no life without giving and what you give comes back to you. Lastly I want to learn and experience everything I can in life. The more I do the less I know and the more appreciation I have for people and the struggles we all face. I am an empath so I have a heart of compassion and learning to use that gift has been part of my journey as well.
You’ve created your brand Inspire by Eri completely on your own. What inner qualities help you be a designer, a businesswoman, and a motivator at the same time?
It is really just pushing yourself, learning from people and then trying and failing and trying again until you find out that I’m not that bad at this. Persistence and determination over time always pay off. You just need to be comfortable learning, failing and growing from it all.
You pay a lot of attention to balance: strict discipline in nutrition, yet space for chocolate or a glass of wine. What does a “healthy balance” personally mean to you?
Balance for me is just finding a place for everything life has to offer without trying to do things that are good but make you miserable. There is chocolate that is healthy believe it or not. It just has to be made different. I am not a big drinker but will drink socially when it makes sense for me. I enjoy things that are good for me and have created a mindset that allows me to participate in a lot of things without over indulging. That way I can make my lifestyle fit the various situations I find myself in without seeming out of touch.
On your blog, you write about mental barriers in relationships. What is the main barrier you yourself have managed to overcome?
Not all people are good people. Many people have agendas and say all the right things. I have always wanted to see the good in people and take what they tell me as truth. I have realized people will tell you what they want you to hear and you have to watch their behavior. When your words and behavior don’t align I don’t trust those people. When their words and behavior match I trust more and all good relationships have a foundation of trust.
The Eri Anton Foundation is focused on developing women’s emotional intelligence. From your experience, which EQ tool can change a life the fastest?
Learning to be self-aware has been the most important. The more I learn about my own tendencies the better I am in conversations and understanding why certain things make me feel a certain way. Mastering self-awareness has helped me master self-control.
