Today, as part of our ´Women Inspiring Women´ series, we are happy to present you to Erin Corine, a musician, interdisciplinary artist, and creative coach specializing in life design and decolonized leadership from Chicago, Illinois. She is also a first time mom to daughter, Cora.
She came to Spain 10 years ago and has since found out who she is, met people like her, refined her career, and started to build a life and her legacy while inspiring others and growing herself.
Erin is inspiring and uplifting; she is eager to be involved; in fact, she is already building synergies with other Juno Women like Ali Olivier through a new coaching initiative. They recently proposed Juno Coaches Corner, a group in which coaches of all specialties can meet, exchange resources, and support each other in their personal and professional journeys, all while hosting interactive activities and workshops to connect with other Juno Women in organic and impactful ways. Erin is an influential individual, and we are overjoyed that she is a Juno woman.
If you want to learn more and keep up with Erin’s journey and work, connect on Instagram and on Linkedin.
What is your biggest most pervasive fear in life?
Leaving this life without breaking down barriers and leaving a lasting legacy for my child(ren).
Oh, funny! Last night, in particular, I had dreams that were so strange. I wish that every situation in life allowed us that level of foresight! I was reliving something on some intrinsic level. It was a slight return to my pre-long term relationship days, but with all of the wisdom of my current self, knowing that the phase was fleeting and not taking anything from those moments but lessons and experience. I was acutely aware that no one’s behavior was a reflection of me.
I am a deeply aural and visually-stimulated creator. Interactions with energy are where I gather most of my inspiration! I dream about energy sources in spaces where creative, innovative, passionate people convene.
As a performing artist, it might sound quite contradictory, but I’ve found that stillness and quiet allow me to observe and experience the world differently, and rely on a sense rather than my eyes and ears. First and foremost, I find beauty in solitude and silence. I have developed a deeper appreciation by slowing down and turning off the senses I work with most on a daily basis
I find happiness through fellowship, which makes me feel seen and inspires me, especially meeting other people who experience the world in a somewhat contrasting but compatible way. Closeness, in the form of hugs and words from people I love and admire, also makes me feel great.
My brand, Hola Magnolia, is a dedication to my ancestors and the journey that began when slavery in the United States was abolished by law but not in practice. It is a full-scale coaching, mentorship, leadership development, and cultural outreach organization designed to serve high-impact Black, Indigenous, and culturally-competent non-BIPOC artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs. My company, currently in its seeding phase, seeks to employ a reparations model that uses a large portion of profits from high-ticket non-Black and Indigenous clients to provide the same quality of mentorship opportunities to Black and Indigenous creators.
The personal meaning behind this name is quite interesting—and this will be the first time I will write about it.
The state tree and flower of the state from which the family migrated during The Great Migration, Mississippi, is the Magnolia. Several years ago, when living in Madrid, I was at the end of another life cycle, finding myself for the first time since I’d moved in 2012, desperate to find some connection to home in my surroundings. Black Lives Matter as a social movement was building in intensity, and I was searching desperately for some way to connect each part of who I am to where I was standing in the present. I don’t know if I was looking for a sign or for a feeling, but one day I fixated on the lyrics from “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday:
“Scent of Magnolia, clean and fresh… Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.”
While there is a slightly morbid call back to reality in that line, the line about Magnolias stuck with me. This idea is that in the midst of chaos and turmoil, the simplest things can give context and meaning, inspiring you to push on, tell your story, and make an impact.
So that was it. I needed to find some Magnolia trees.
I searched high and low, googling their origin, wondering if there were any ways I could find any in Spain or a neighboring country. One way or another, I had pulled away from this search for some evidence of Magnolia trees in Europe…Until one of the most memorable visits of my decade in Spain: my third cousin Stacey Johnson, straight from Jackson, Mississippi.
Stacey was visiting around this time four years ago, for her 50th birthday, and had let me know, “Oh please, don’t worry about me! Whenever you can see me is fine!” That pressure off of my shoulders to entertain a guest during one of the busiest seasons of the year made me want to make space for her even more—so we saw each other within hours of her landing. I hadn’t seen Stacey since I was about ten, so I didn’t know what to expect. I soon discovered that she and I were the fruit of the same tree.
A big, beautiful, Southern Magnolia tree.
Following the most epic family reunion in Pans (of all places) in Sol in Madrid, we went for a twilight walk towards my house in Ópera. Between the exchange of family stories, the hilarious banter taking stabs at the contrast between my Chicago-Southern and her Mississippi-Southern accents separated by decades and generations of linguistic evolution– but enough similarities to understand that they were versions of the same language – we were on clouds. We came to the Palacio Royal, where we sat on a bench and continued the conversation.
After yet another hearty belly laugh and a sigh, Stacey paused and turned towards the trees in front of us. She tilted her head curiously and said in the most surprised but endearing tone as if having unexpectedly run into an old friend in the most unexpected place:
“My, what are these old Magnolia trees doing so far away from Mississippi?”
I paused, blinked, and stuttered.
“…Wait, what?”
She said, “Look at that big Magnolia! And it’s in bloom!”
Context: We had just had a long, chilly spring in Madrid, so many trees had bloomed late that year, if at all. What I hadn’t recognized because I hadn’t visited Mississippi in over two decades is that not only were there Magnolia trees in Europe, but there was a whole ring of them steps from my home—and it took my cousin’s visit and her Native Mississippian eye for me to see them. The irony, fate, and symbolism of that are not lost on me.
…And when I tell you that I walked up to that tree, almost in a trance, collapsing over its branches and sobbing for five straight minutes, believe me. It was the ugliest, most cathartic cry I can remember having experienced up to that point in my life.
It was that moment in which, personally, seeing all those Magnolia trees that had been watching over me for years (YEARS!!!), taken and planted so far away from their Native lands, my Native lands, I decided with certainty that wherever they could flourish, take root and thrive, so could I.
And with that and subsequent experiences since, the seed for Hola Magnolia was planted—and with it, my life’s work as a champion of decolonization and social integration by nurturing excellence through mentorship, identity exploration, and creative development of Black people, Indigenous people, and the multicultural communities that we serve.
Moving away from home just shy of 25 and finding who I am and people like me in the process. With that, I’ve mastered new iterations of my native and chosen language, redefined a career, and put myself first despite trials and lingering trauma.
I’ve managed to build a life and the beginnings of a legacy for myself in the ten years I’ve been here, and I am so proud of how far I’ve come.
On that note, I think a failure to address certain mental challenges related to neurodiversity due to shame or societal stigma has resulted in wasted years worrying about whether or not I am truly good enough to do the things I dream of both personally and professionally.
Instead of addressing challenges as symptoms of neurodivergence and lack of education or opportunity, I often took these as severe defects that would always limit my potential. I’ve wasted time, energy, and money trying to ignore or deflect these issues rather than holding that power firmly in my hands and persevering not in spite of them, but in light of them. As a result, I’ve resolved never to let shame or stigma limit my capacity to learn or grow ever again.
I am that child that played restaurant growing up, created lemonade stand menus with the enthusiasm of a Michelin chef, and sold friendship bracelets to friends and family as though they were my life’s work. I always knew that I had an aptitude for identifying opportunities to serve and provide for those around me. Still, I didn’t always feel that there was a clear path that combined my passions for art, language, and education. Little did I know, right?
My project is a pure synthesis of every element of my identity that I’ve come to know and embrace over the years, as well as modes of service that I am good at; mentorship, leadership, and communion.
My maternal grandmother is truly my hero. She basically raised me for the first five years of my life, and our relationship has evolved from that of a secondary parent and child to friends who love, care for, and admire each other.
I’ve been so blessed to live her stories, both before and since I was born, and learn from all the experiences she has braved in her life. Through her figure, I’ve been able to identify qualities I associate with her in other role models in my life: my mom and aunt, my paternal grandmother and aunt, several cousins. As well as my absolute favorite Civil Rights and Black Feminist icon, Fannie Lou Hamer.
It really is my best-kept secret: I have about 12 cumulative years of extensive retail leadership, sales, and customer service experience in boutique and big-box retail in the US—and it all started at a small store called Maurices in Plainfield, Illinois, when I was 17, going into my senior year in high school!
A combination of a love story and destiny!
I am obsessed with sci-fi and fantasy. Star Wars and Harry Potter are my two favorite literary Universes of all time!
I am ambidextrous and I have crazy-quick reflexes! I attribute that to growing up playing both sports and music!
Restorative Justice through Reparations.
Two of the most primitive elements of my core as an individual are Listening to nostalgic music or an insightful podcast while caring for my natural hair. Combining those seemingly unrelated activities feels like an instant reset button to me!
It is impossible to be behind in your own life. Trust the signs and trust the process.
When I need some femme badassery in my life, @uglyworldwide is my go-to. It’s not necessarily because she is personal style inspo for me, but because her quirkiness and confidence is SO freaking infectious. I see her and just want to be beautifully weird, comfortable in my skin, and dare anyone to say something about it!
My favorite guiding mantra as of late that came to me in lieu of a New Year’s Resolution in early 2021: “Why not now?”
