Every other Thursday I profile a new incredible woman, each from a different walk of life. Different professions, causes, backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and anything/everything else!

So without further delay, let me introduce the wonderful Erin Karpluk…

Erin Karpluk knows how important life’s pivotal moments can be. As the lead in CBC’s incredibly popular Being Erica, Erin’s character has the chance to revisit key points in her life and change what she believes went wrong. A challenging role that Erin nails to perfection.

The show being just one of her many and continuing credits, we’ve definitely only seen the beginning of Erin, and as this week’s Shameless Woman, she tells us why she pushes her limits “physically, mentally, and creatively” and why you should be prepared to work your ass off.

What drives you to do what you do?

Good question. It’s definitely hard to put into words as it’s more a feeling of what I am supposed to be doing, somehow knowing I’m walking down the right path. Some of the best times in my life have been spent on a set, either through the work I’m doing in a scene (which doesn’t come every day but I keep trying), or from sharing the whole experience of filming with the family of cast and crew. Our make-up artist (Christine Hart) just said to me this morning ‘The industry is addictive, my friends don’t know why I do it! But I LOVE it.’ I couldn’t agree more. As actors we are constantly pushing ourselves to the limits physically, mentally, and creatively … I love coming home exhausted & fulfilled, knowing that I’ve put in all I can, that I’ve earned it. The driving force for me in life and work at the simplest is always my friends and family.

How does being a woman empower / challenge you?

I certainly love the men in my life, men in general, and am very much in tune with my masculine side, but I much prefer to be a woman. I love that we are the nurturers, childbearers, that we are soft, complex, and yet at the end of the day, we often tend to have the final say in matters. Intuition. The ability to multitask. FASHION. The challenge? I feel very lucky to have the freedom Canadian women have over other countries and cultures … but do still fall into situations where I am not taken seriously because I’m a women, or expected to act differently because I am a woman. Unfortunately this trend still very much exists in many industries. I do not consider myself a victim of it but am extremely aware of it.

Name one person, place, or thing every young woman should know about?

Oprah Winfrey and laser hair removal.

What is the most important thing we can do in order to change the world?

Be a good person and live life with integrity.

What advice would you give to young women who want to follow in your footsteps?

Be prepared to work your ass off. Don’t sacrifice your beliefs but be open to growth and change. Trust your instincts. Surround yourself only with good people, you will know who they are when can simply be yourself with them. Work with people that are better than you so you can learn, if it’s flipped around try only to teach by example. Learn and abide by integrity. The outcome is often not quite like you imagined, be grateful for this either way. Laugh at yourself when you fall, but make sure to jump right back up.

Make sure to catch the second season of Being Erica on CBC Tuesday’s at 9pm or click here to find Being Erica online.