Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is an actress, singer, and Emmy awarding-winning host of the hit TV present The Actual. Bailon-Houghton initially rose to fame as a member of the woman group 3LW after which later starred in The Cheetah Ladies movies. On this interview, Bailon-Houghton sat down to debate a brand new partnership with Adobe Acrobat and shared how she prioritizes her psychological well being and wellbeing. She additionally provided recommendation to enterprise homeowners, and significantly entrepreneurs of colour, as we brace for a doable international recession.

Janice Gassam Asare: You latterly partnered with Adobe Acrobat to launch the Chief Residence Officer Equipment. Might you speak extra about that?

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Actually, this to me was to start with such an natural partnership and greater than that. Such an honor as a result of I have been utilizing Adobe Acrobat for such a very long time, for therefore a lot of my tasks that simply to have the ability to companion with them…they’ve actually been a lifesaver to me. So many people are actually working from residence and we’re our very personal Chief Residence Officers, together with myself, being an entrepreneur and actually operating my very own model, plus my two companies, XIXI, my jewellery firm, LA VOÛTE, my style firm, after which on high of that, additionally the renovations of the home.

Asare: Are you able to clarify a little bit bit about the way it works?

Bailon-Houghton: Completely. What I really like is that you simply truly can create your personal templates right here and that is just about what I’ve accomplished. I truly created my very own every day planner with the issues that I want. And I really like that the software program truly means that you can create no matter it’s that you simply want, whether or not it is budgeting. I do know so many people have used Acrobat and do not even understand it. There are issues that we have been despatched…whether or not it is a schedule from The Actual, they’ve positively despatched that form of stuff. I really like the truth that our workforce can truly collaborate and entry them collectively…that is tremendous essential.

You should utilize this to create templates, which is what I did. As I am checking issues off, I’ve a workforce of three different individuals which is my model supervisor, Lana…and I even have a graphic designer and likewise a inventive director of my model. The superior factor is that they’re all in a position to log into Adobe Acrobat and so they can see after I’ve up to date the planner…you may personalize it on so many ranges. My every day planner begins with, what am I grateful for? I additionally embrace psychological well being in my every day planners. Simply not go, go, go, here is the belongings you’ve received to perform, however what are the issues that encourage me to get these issues completed?

Asare: That is truly a very nice segue into my subsequent query, which is, as somebody within the public eye who has to continually be ‘on’, how do you prioritize your psychological well being and wellbeing?

Bailon-Houghton: It is precisely that; it’s important to make it a precedence. Carving out days and occasions the place you simply put you and your psychological well being in first place. I feel it was a couple of yr in the past that myself and Lana sat down and mentioned, hear, we will burnout. We’re in such a burnout tradition proper now…I truly love that the burnout tradition is popping its ugly head on itself the place now we’re seeing memes which can be like, no, all the things just isn’t about, ‘I am hustling, I am hustling. Cannot cease, will not cease.’ No, please cease. Please cease for a second and provides your self a second in order that you don’t burn out, so that you could prioritize your psychological well being. We truly began scheduling time for my psychological well being. On my weekly schedule, we might have a look at all the things. We might determine the place we might do something after which we might say, you want a time off. So, I might take at some point off every week…that was, actually nothing would get scheduled on that at some point. And it wasn’t at all times the identical as a result of clearly with a demanding schedule, there have been those that had been like, ‘no, we’d like you on Saturday, so you may’t take Saturday off.’ And perhaps it was the Tuesday that I used to be in a position to take off. I really like the saying that claims, if it would not get scheduled, it would not get accomplished. Placing into your scheduled time, an hour, two hours, an entire day when you want it. I wanted an entire day…only one complete day every week, that I can dedicate to my household, to my psychological well being and to myself. We guarantee that is in my calendar…it’s in my planner.

Asare: So, talking of psychological well being and psychological wellbeing…I wish to study extra in regards to the help programs that you have utilized all through your profession. What help programs have allowed you to thrive all through your profession?

Bailon-Houghton: I’ve to say, I actually, actually am grateful and I’m so lucky that I’ve an unbelievable household. For me, my household actually is that. I’ve at all times been given wings to soar as a result of I do know that I’ve a robust basis…having a basis of individuals that do not anticipate me to be wonderful on a regular basis. They do not have expectations of me that I’ve to carry myself as much as. I feel generally that sort of strain could be actually draining and actually troublesome and actually scary and might trigger anxiousness and despair whenever you’re like, oh my God, all these persons are relying on me, all these persons are anticipating this sure factor from me. I am actually grateful that I’ve surrounded myself with individuals who, their expectations of me are to be wholesome mentally, bodily, and to be comfortable.

That is the sort of individuals we have to encompass ourselves with. Being mentally comfortable does imply that I get to have a inventive outlet…that I get to pursue my desires…so for me, I do love working. Working for me is an outlet. I’ve a inventive job…I feel the hot button is to have individuals who help your desires, help your targets and in the end wish to see you content and wish to see you wholesome. They usually’re with you within the good occasions and the unhealthy occasions. And that they uplift you it doesn’t matter what.

Asare: Completely. I really like that. The final query I had was…we’re nonetheless coping with the pandemic…we’re about to enter a recession. Do you’ve gotten any recommendation for ladies of colour entrepreneurs attempting to juggle this house of uncertainty that we’re in?

Bailon-Houghton: I feel whenever you have a look at your personal life and your personal…no matter it’s that you simply’re obsessed with, what’s the want? What are individuals needing proper now? And I feel that is when individuals’s companies have actually flourished. You are seeing a recession is coming. What sort of inexpensive issues can we offer to those that they truly want? As a recession’s coming and that brings panic, what sort of issues can we offer for those who now give them a pocket of peace? As creatives and entrepreneurs and enterprise individuals, you may truly discover methods to make use of these exhausting occasions in a constructive means to assist individuals to…consider what it’s that you’d need throughout this time.

With the Adobe Acrobat planner that I created, for me I really feel like I can get very anxious after I consider all of the issues I’ve to do. If I am sincere, I had no concept that the renovations of my residence had been going to be so expensive and that there was going to be a lot delay. And that was actually tough for me. The one means it made it higher was to create this spreadsheet that actually allowed me to see and know, okay, so these items are coming on this month. Okay, these are the issues I needs to be anticipating. And it gave me one thing to sit up for. Even in a recession and even in a pandemic, and even with all of these items happening, it’s important to give your self one thing to sit up for. If we’re in a recession, as enterprise individuals, let’s begin fascinated about how we will lower these prices down and make it value efficient for ourselves and likewise our shopper. Tapping into the wants of individuals throughout exhausting occasions is unquestionably the important thing.

This interview has been flippantly edited for readability and brevity.