Living the Dream: Erin Weed
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Name: Erin Weed
Age: 30
Location: Denver
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill.
Job Title: Founder and Executive Director of Girls Fight Back!
What She Does: Erin’s travels the country teaching young women empowerment, safety, and self-defense. She’s also the host of a local radio show and author of Girls Fight Back: The College Girl’s Guide to Protecting Herself, now in its second printing.
How She Got Her Gig: In 2001, Erin was working at her first dream job, producing a television show in New York City, when she received a phone call that would not only change her career but also her life. One of her closest friends and sorority sisters, Shannon McNamara, was murdered by an intruder on her college campus. In that moment, Erin took on a very personal mission—to empower and teach women how to defend themselves. “I vowed at that moment never to let fear take over my life,” she says.
Self-Defense Schooling: Erin couldn’t teach self-defense without a little training of her own, so she traveled the country taking classes at National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, Modern Warrior Academy, and Krav Maga. “I was determined to start this company no matter what, and I wanted to be trained by the best trainers in the country,” she says, though she racked up nearly $50,000 worth of credit-card debt in the process. (She’s since paid it off in full.) In 2002, she gave her first seminar and speaking engagement at her and Shannon’s alma mater, and she hasn’t stopped since. “Before every speech, I always ask Shannon for help,” says Erin, who also sells personal safety items such as pepper spray, door and window alarms, and radio flashlights on her website. “She always delivers!”
Words To Live By: “There is nothing more dangerous than a pissed-off woman” is a mantra she shares with her audiences. Though her message is serious, Erin tries to inject as much humor as possible into her seminars. “When people are laughing, they’re listening,” says Erin. “With my audience—college kids—if you don’t gain their attention, you won’t get through to them.”
Proudest Achievement: In 2003, the John Walsh show named her a Hometown Hero, an award presented to individuals who take a stand against crime and violence in their communities. The show had special significance for Erin, as she shared the honor with Shannon’s parents. “A lot of people ask me what Shannon would think [of Girls Fight Back!],” says Erin. “She would think this was so typical of me to go overboard and do things on such a grand scale.”
This Job Is for You if: You want your cause to be heard and you love to speak in front of large groups. “I have never been a ‘picket sign’ kind of activist,” says Erin. “I’m a little louder than that!”