I sat down with Erin Claire Jones, a Human Design expert, at her apartment in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood a few weeks ago. The apartment was filled with cream colored furniture, lively green plants, and vibrant rugs. She wore a long cream robe and spoke in a calm and comfortable voice as she sipped a green juice. No one questions that Erin gives amazing advice. After graduating from Brown University, she worked and consulted for numerous start-ups in New York City. She then went off on her own, traveling around the world. It was then that she eventually met her first Human Design teacher. Today, she works to help teams and individuals be their most optimal selves through her Human Design practice as well as helps oversee all the programming at the Assemblage — a consciousness hub in NYC. Through working with numerous individuals in New York City, her human design work has continued to become more influential.
Erin, where did you grow up, and how did it impact what you are doing now?
I am from Seattle, and I grew up there. I was all over the place with my interests as a kid and young adult. I was very curious. I wanted to be a singer, an astronaut, a poet — all the things. I played a lot of sports and, in college, I began to focus my energy on female sexuality and social entrepreneurship.
I wrote my college thesis on social entrepreneurship and interviewed over 90 for-profit companies around how they integrated social impact into their business. After college, I went to work at a startup in New York. It was a funding platform for people rather than companies. The company was mostly men and, in that environment, I realized my gift was in interacting with the people — whether it was with the team or our customers. As amazing as the people were at that first company, the team was not fully functional. I began to get curious about how teams could collaborate more effectively. On the side at this time, I did my vinyasa and kundalini yoga teacher training; I studied reiki and began to explore many different modalities.
What are you doing today?
I am a Human Design and leadership coach. I use Human Design to give people a blueprint to figure out how they can be their best selves in business and in life. For me, Human Design not only gives us the knowledge, but the tools to step into our highest potential. I also help curate all programming at the Assemblage in NYC as well as offer internal Human Design support to the team.
What is Human Design?
Human Design is a system that gives us information about ourselves that we can’t access anywhere else — our energetics. It is based on your exact time, date, and place of birth and gives you a map of your energy and how you’re meant to operate best in relationships, by yourself, within teams, and so much more. We are all incredibly unique, and Human Design is a look at how we are each uniquely designed to thrive.
When did you first learn about Human Design?
I learned about Human Design four years ago from my first teacher, Richard Learmont. And I connected to it, deeply and immediately. Part of what I was drawn to was that not only could Human Design support us in stepping into our individual potential, it was a tool to help people collaborate better together, whether it was in a romantic relationship or within a team. The applications are limitless. Many systems tell us about ourselves, but not what to do with it. Human Design gives us strategies to apply that knowledge through every decision we make.
How is human design different from strength finders and other online personality tests?
When you look at Myers-Briggs or other online tests, it is us answering questions about who we think we are or who we are aspiring to be. Yet that will often change depending on where we are or why we’re taking the test. Human Design reveals not only the things we are conscious of, but brings the unconscious energetics to the surface. It surfaces everything, so we can learn to flow with who we really are.
What should everyone understand about human design?
One thing I try to emphasize is that Human Design isn’t a belief system. I’m never trying to convince people of anything.
Rather it is simply a lens through which we can examine how we operate. We can choose to operate however we’d like, yet things tend to flow and feel a lot better when we align in a way that is operated with our design.
If you feel drawn to it, I’d encourage you to dive in and begin to integrate it into your life.
You did a lot of traveling before starting your business, eventually leading you to living in Bali. Why did you go to Bali? How long were you living there?
I reached a point where I did not feel fully aligned in New York anymore, so I decided to leave. I bought a one-way ticket to Tulum. Then I went to Los Angeles and met my first teacher and former business partner. Following Los Angeles, I found my way to Bali. I began to study Human Design and explored myself through so many different modalities in Bali, one of which was Vipassana — a 10-day silent meditation. Everything became so clear with where I wanted to go and, when it was time to go back to the U.S. and start my business, I found my way back to New York.
What’s a daily mindset you live by?
That anything is possible.
I have also been surrounded by people that are courageously building their dreams. I’m surrounded by this energy that all things are possible, and I’ve learned to trust it.
What’s the largest challenge you have faced?
I think that there is always a lot of uncertainty in how things look 10 days from now, 5 years from now. Not knowing what’s coming next or how I’m going to support myself can feel scary at times. When I launched my own practice, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. The challenge is when I get stuck in those limiting thoughts. Recognizing my path and continuing to trust it have helped keep me on track.
What does it mean for you to be powerful?
To be powerful is to be authentic and to boldly be ourselves. To boldly trust ourselves even if we don’t know where we are going and how it’s going to unfold. It’s not a loud power; it’s a very quiet one. The people that I admire are people that are in their flow and do not allow external conditioning to shake them from their path. These people are in their power. It’s not about having power over anyone. It’s about having power within and inspiring others to do the same.
Do you have a favorite product or item you use daily?
I started using Tata Harper skin care. I’m obsessed.
