Erin Andrews on how she decides what to open up about online: 'I want to be there for other women now'
Erin Andrews is getting ready for her busy season.
The sports broadcaster, who currently covers the NFL for Fox Sports, spoke to Yahoo Life about balancing her intense career with her personal life. That includes date nights with her husband, former NHL player Jarrett Stoll.
Now, Andrews is also embarking on a new endeavor: creating the new Superfan Influencer Team for 7-Eleven to cheer on their favorites during the NFL season. To be considered for the team, prospective influencers should post on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter sharing how 7-Eleven takes their game day to the next level, using hashtag #FuelYourFandomContest and tagging @7eleven in the post.
For Andrews, her busy life is all about balance — and finding the right snacks (and pillows!) to take with her on the road.
How do you make time for self-care when you’re in work mode?
I always make sure to get a workout in or some sort of [exercise]. Over the last couple of months, I've been great about taking time out for meditation or working on my breathing. I keep a lot of stuff inside, and that takes a toll on your mental health. It is hard with our schedule. A lot of my schedule is based on when the quarterback can get on the phone with us, or when the head coach can, as it should be — we’re basing our work schedule on their times.
I do try to put the phone away, and get off social media, or have dinner with my husband because he's working, too, in a different sport. But this is week one, so check in on me at week seven — I'll be a hot mess.
How do you and your husband find time for each other when you’re working in two different sports?
He's really good about it. He's really sweet. He'll be like, "You're home and I'm home, so I made us a reservation." We’ll do like, five o'clock dinners, and be in bed by eight. We're tired. We try to make time for date nights. We like hanging out together, we like cooking dinner together, we like watching shows together. It's just really important. A lot of times if I'm home, he may be at the rink or a game or working on a different things, so we have to have it in our mind that when we are together, we should do things together. That time is so precious. I'm grateful because he's really good about that.
What advice would you give women who want to go into this field but are worried about sexism?
I’ve been really lucky. Is it a male-dominated industry? Yeah. I think, for me, the best piece of advice is to work hard. Just put your head down and study and focus on your job. That's always been my advice. My biggest fear on the job is not being prepared. Something happens and I didn't read about or didn't know how to handle it. My other fear is that people will say, "Oh, she's never played the game." Not that I'm a woman, but that I never played. That's more of my insecurity than being a female. I’m a female and I know a lot about the game, and I know I do, and a lot of players and coaches trust me. I work my ass off, and they know that.
How do you know what to share in your personal life on social media?
My husband is a very private person, and sometimes it's hard for him when I say "Hey, I'm going to discuss this, or unveil this," but he knows I have the best intentions in mind. I just want to help other people. There's a lot I hold back and don’t discuss, but I think it's important for other women to realize "Hey, you're not alone." It doesn't matter if you live your life in the spotlight or if you have more money than someone else, things still suck sometimes. You have to stay positive and healthy, mentally. There are a lot of things that have happened to me in my life that haven't been great, and I'm lucky I've had a great support system. I want to be there for other women now and be like, "I get it. This stinks. It's not good." I think it just has to be organic.
What do you have on hand when you’re traveling?
A Tempur-Pedic pillow because my posture sucks. Sometimes hotel pillows are like, oh my God, now I have a headache. Now I couldn't carry any more hand sanitizer or Clorox wipes with me. I have my Taos Bakes, which is a healthy snack bar I can have down in the field. I travel with my collagen packs that I throw in my coffee, like Vital Proteins Collagen, for my face. At least, I hope it goes to my face. If there's a 7-Eleven on the road and I can grab a cup of coffee, that's great.
What do you want to do next career-wise?
I want to host a game show, and I want to host a talk show, Monday through Friday, with Kevin Hart. I don't get why he tries to be a comedian. Yeah, he's funny, but be funny with me on a talk show. Come on, Kevin! He knows this, by the way. I've told him this a number of times. I'm like dude, enough is enough, with going to these stadiums. We get it, you're funny, but let’s do a talk show.
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