When you’re an outsider or a misfit, if you play it smart, your motto should be, I’ll show ‘em. I will show you, says the outspoken Wendy Williams who has done just that by building one of daytime’s most successful syndicated talk shows, The Wendy Williams Show. Williams earned this outsider status growing up as the middle child of a working class family in suburban New Jersey. Overweight, tall and not the best student, Williams cites her misfit status as the driving fuel behind her relentless pursuit of success. I want to live my life being a winner… I’m a winner, even when I’m losing.
Williams got her start in radio over 20 years ago, cutting her teeth at a tiny station in St Croix earning just $3.75 an hour. I spent almost every day down there being miserable and crying, recalls Williams who spent what little money she made mailing out audition tapes. She quickly monkey barred her way to a stint in DC that sometimes required her to sleep in her car so she could make her gig at New York’s HOT 103.9. Resilience is my middle name, says Williams who quickly learned to block out the noise of people whether it be my parents, whether it be friends who see more glamour than hard work. Her ascent in radio was not without its challenges though. Williams struggled with cocaine abuse and body image. There’re always devils in everybody’s past, she admits.
William’s opinionated, envelope-pushing style instantly resonated with TV audiences after the launch of The Wendy Williams show in 2008. I’ve always been that way, a little bit inappropriate…saying what other people are feeling, describes the unapologetic Williams whose show is heavy on celebrity gossip and commentary. In part, she credits her appeal to her self-proclaimed Jersey girl status. I think that my audience connects with me because they realize that in more ways than not, I am one of them, says Williams who is more likely to be spotted cheering on the sidelines of her son’s track meet than sitting behind the velvet rope of a club with fellow celebs.
And it’s this style that has allowed Williams to build a remarkably loyal following that has propelled her personal brand far beyond daytime television. She now credits bestselling author, producer, and entrepreneur to her long list of accomplishments. Her latest ventures include designing an apparel collection for HSN and launching a new series of programming for the ID channel.
Williams’ proudest accomplishment though remains her family. Her husband, Kevin Hunter, works alongside Williams as her manager and her teenage son remains her number one priority. Never one to shy away from provocative points of view, she is unabashed about the challenges women face in balancing the intense demands of both career and family. My suggestion to women is always…use your entire 20s to work your behind off in your career… And then think about meeting that guy, cautions the 50-year-old. ‘Cause we’re the ones that lose in marriage. Not men.
She further points out buyer beware: It is difficult for men to accept really successful career women. Whether it be that we out-earn them or that our name is brighter than theirs. I also feel like marriage and babies stunt a woman’s growth career-wise…Once you get married and have kids, you can’t do all the things that you used to do and maintain this important precious thing that you built as a family.
I recently sat down with Williams to discuss her views on career, success and why women, not men, are the ones to lose out in marriage.