American Family Insurance sponsored the event at the Atlanta History Center along with rolling out. The panel discussions were moderated by Let’s Talk LLC founder Rhonda Hight and featured: Andrea Riggs, owner of Get Body Beautiful; D’Andrea Bidgood of UniWorld Group; Sherry Bryant of Bryant & Associates; Mishon Bouyer of American Family Insurance; Katrina Mallory, VP of Academic Affairs, American Intercontinental University; and Sandra Moaney Wright of Possibilities Unlimited for Women.
Leakes, the most beloved personality on the highest-rated “Real Housewives” franchise, and Stanis, who played Thelma on the venerated “Good Times” sitcom in the 1970s, joined an illustrious panel of businesswomen who shared invaluable nuggets of information designed to help women pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Leakes shared how she overcame a childhood deprived of living with her mother and father and an abusive adult relationship to find happiness with her husband, Greg, and national stardom.
“I had big dreams. I wasn’t staying [in my small hometown], looking at them dirt roads and talking to those country dudes. That wasn’t going to happen. I knew I wanted big things. I knew I wanted to go to Hollywood. I wanted to be a celebrity,” said Leakes, who released her book, Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way, with the renowned Simon & Schuster publishing house.
“I had to figure out how to take care of me [and] Bryce and figure out how to give him a good life,” said Leakes during a spirited conversation punctuated by laughs and personal anecdotes. “And I grinded and grinded and grinded and one day I ran into Robi Reed, she’s a casting director for Spike Lee. She cast me in the film Fighting Temptations. Shortly after that she cast me in ‘Girlfriends,’ a short little piece, and cast me on ‘The Parkers.’ And then I ran into the producers for ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ and it all came together.”
Leakes and the panelists used their personal experiences to encourage the attendees to pursue their dreams.
“When I speak
with a group of women, I always try to figure out what can I say to them that
they can actually use to help them further their own vision,” said fitness and
health entrepreneur Andrea Riggs. “I want to everyone to look [at] their own
personal situation … [and ask themselves] what is it about me that’s unique that’s going to create a
company and a brand that speaks to people? And what speaks to people is
when you speak to them from the heart. –terry
shropshire
