From Purity to Liberation: A Conversation with Erica Smith

In this episode of Finding Fearless, Madeline sits down with Erica Smith, sex educator and founder of Purity Culture Dropout. Together they explore Erica"s journey from nonprofit sexual health work to entrepreneurship, focusing on helping individuals deconstruct harmful messages about sexuality. Key themes include: the challenges of becoming an entrepreneur, ethical sales practices, the importance of community, and the impact of political climates on sexuality education. Erica also announces her upcoming programs and a new book aimed at addressing sexual health for those raised in purity culture. Timestamps: 00:38 Meet Erica Smith: Fighting Purity Culture 01:31 Erica"s Journey and Business Insights 02:11 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship 03:31 Erica"s Background and Career Shift 05:37 Building Purity Culture Dropout 11:03 Navigating Business Ethics and Sales 18:48 The Impact of Purity Culture on Society 28:45 Transitioning to Social Media Presence 32:20 Navigating Instagram and Work-Life Balance 34:32 Intentional Social Media Breaks 35:00 Adapting Work Hours to Personal Rhythms 36:41 Challenges of Social Media for Content Creators 39:05 Censorship and the Future of Social Media 46:31 Community and Connection in Business 53:41 Advice for Deconstructing Purity Culture 56:23 Erica"s Upcoming Projects and Resources Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition, releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST. If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless! Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at hello@fearlessfoundry.com if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry. Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry.