Mother, wife, media mogul, entrepreneur, performer and best-selling author, Wendy Williams came to Montclair State University on October 24th for a leadership-focused talk. Thanks to the Center for Leadership Development and the National Society of Leadership and Success, the event was open to members of the MSU community and the energy in the room was roaring as Wendy came out.
Starting off the talk with her famous saying “How you doin’?’” Wendy explained how lucky we are to have these talks because she did not have this opportunity in college or high school. What I took from Wendy’s talk in regards to working in the industry, was how important it is to study the media and not as much the textbook. In general, she explained that you need to gain knowledge of the industry you’re planning on pursuing and the history of it. You can always read the textbook later. She urged everyone to seek out a solid internship no matter what year you’re in. “You are doing yourself a disservice, period… and I am talking about an internship in your actual chosen field.”
Especially during this time, Wendy acknowledged how hard it is because we are dealing with political issues, immigration, sexism, racism, and let’s not forget the Weinst-ism of them all. She gave students hope by saying “hold your head,” but she also said that she can’t even “tell you what to do”. We all have to do what we have to do to fight our power to be the best we can be. What stuck out to me is how Wendy compared being a leader and a boss, “when you are leader, you are all in a pack and you are the one wearing the red dress, it’s like we are all on the same level” but being a boss is about taking charge and leading others. There was so much more advice Wendy shared. It was definitely an inspiring and eye-opening night.
If you want to see a recap of the leadership talk – check out this video I produced below!
Wendy Willams Leadership Talk @ MSU from Laura Galarza on Vimeo.