“We are worthy, deserving and enough”

After a trip to SA in August for women’s month, Adrienne Houghton, co-host of Emmy Award-winning talk show The Real, chatted to us about the significance of this trip and the values she acquired in her journey to becoming the successful, empowered woman s

Adrienne Houghton talks being empowered

What brought you to Sa?

My husband, gospel musician Israel Houghton, had a concert in Joburg, which is his favourite place in the entire world, so I decided to join him. When I mentioned this on The Real’s Instagram page (@therealdaytime), I was flooded with messages from fans saying I should arrange a meet and greet. Coincidentally, it was women’s month and I was able to have great conversations about empowerment, and share my journey and story. It just affirms that as women, regardless of where we’re from, we’re a lot more alike than we are different.

What’s the biggest challenge facing Women today?

Honestly, I would say self-love. And recognising that we are worthy, deserving and enough. Realising this will change a lot of the issues we go through, whether it’s in relationships or how we’re treated in the workplace. Once we start recognising our own value and self-worth, we’ll demand better treatment and not tolerate anything less.

you’ve Worked With Women your Whole life. describe that experience.

My upbringing really prepared me for that. I was raised in a family of just

women – my aunts, cousins, all were women. They helped develop me into a woman that empowers and uplifts others, and not to be competitive. My sister and my girlfriends are not my competition. When they win, I win. I’m so grateful to my mom for instilling this into me from a young age, as it’s something that I plan on teaching my future daughter. Women are so much stronger together. That’s what I want to be a part of and that’s what I want my legacy to be.

do you ever feel like you’ve been pitted against other Women?

For sure, but we shouldn’t allow that propaganda to get inside our minds and our hearts. It’s important to nip it in the bud immediately. If someone leaves a comment on my Instagram saying, “Adrienne is the prettiest one,” or “Adrienne’s outfit is flyer than Jeannie Mai’s,” I’ll respond with, “No, we’re all beautiful and we all have fly outfits.” If you’re praising me while putting someone else down, then I don’t accept that compliment. We’re all queens and it’s important that we fix each other’s crowns.

the # metoo and time’s up movements brought a lot of issues regarding Sexual harassment in hollywood to the forefront. What has been your experience?

I started out in the industry as a young teenager, but I’m really grateful to my mom, Nilda Felix, who was honest about the challenges that I would be facing. I’ve definitely experienced comments or remarks that made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, but I had enough of a backbone and confidence in myself, and my talent, to say, “No, thank you. I don’t feel I have to do any of these things to get ahead in my career.” I’m thankful that these movements are opening up forums for women to speak freely about these issues and support one another.

What advice do you have for young Women Who are being pressured to look and live a certain Way?

Filter what you allow in your mind and heart. If you’re following Instagram pages that make you feel less than, unfollow those pages! Why continue to saturate your mind with things that don’t make you feel good about yourself? We have to retrain our minds and the way we see beauty. People need to realise that the images on some of these pages have been altered and it’s not a true depiction of someone’s life. Rather spend your time looking in the mirror and finding something beautiful, or find pages that promote self-love and individuality.

you Seem So at peace With yourself, how did you get to this point?

There’s something really beautiful about taking the time to enjoy your own company and being in a quiet place where you can fall in love with yourself. In 2015, I was in a relationship that left me confused and unsure about myself, so I embarked on my own Eat Pray Love journey. I decided to go on hiatus and study fashion, art history and photography. I had my own little apartment in Paris, France, which I lived in for almost four months. I would take the train with everyone else every morning, go eat by myself, walk through the gardens and find beauty in the small things. I know that not everyone has the luxury to do that, but in your own way, you can make time for yourself to get solace and peace of mind. I also strengthened my relationship with God – that played a huge role in restoring myself. So when I met my husband, he fell in love with me because I had fallen in love with myself, and that changed everything.

What’s next for you?

I’m super excited for Israel’s album, Road to Demaskus, which came out in September. I got a chance to work on it as the creative director for it and I’m singing on two songs (‘Secrets’ and ‘I’m with you/be still’). It’s been exciting finding my voice, and being able to listen to it and enjoy it.