On Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, she plays the referee, constantly settling feuds between her friends and castmates. Lisa Wu Hartwell is the real deal. She remains calm, strong and positive no matter what is going on in her life. No wonder she quickly accepted the invitation to host Women On The Move “Unveil Your Pink Event, a fundraiser to benefit the South Florida chapter of Susan G. Komen for the cure.
According to Leslie Harris, President of Women On The Move, “She is always positive and constantly on the move. Lisa Wu and Women On The Move are a great fit.”
The movement stresses positivity among women, and so is Lisa in her career and personal life. She has had numerous television appearances as well as magazines and other public speaking engagements.
Daedrian McNaughton of Premier Guide Miami had a chance to talk with Lisa Wu-Hartwell about her career, involvement with Women On The Move and her plans for the future.
PGM: Congrats on the success of your career, and Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta.
LWH: Well thak you. It has been a fun ride. It’s been fun, very entertaining, and you learn a few lessons along the way. It has really been great.
PGM: What has been the most important lesson you have learned from it?
LWH: You cannot please everyone. There are alot of viewers who tune into the show, millions of people weekly, and you just cannot please them all. You will never be able to please everyone, so just stay true to yourself, and with friends and loved ones. That is really what matters. I could say something on camera next week, like, ” I don’t like purple”, and all of a sudden, because you like purple, you don’t like me. I can’t please everybody.
PGM: Tell us a little about Lisa Wu-Hartwell.
LWH: Who is Lisa? A wife, a mother, a great friend, a business woman, etc. I am just an ordinary woman trying to make a difference in people’s lives, especially from the lessons I have learned along the way. I believe we are all here for a purpose and everyone should find out what that purpose is.
PGM: You are a mother, wife, woman, etc. As women, we have so many things that overwhelm our lives. How do you juggle all of these things in your life? How do you manage to stay focus and strong?
LWH: I have a lot of energy, not only energy, I have a great team, I do. My husband is very supportive in anything I do. He helps me to run the businesses, so we run them together. I think having a great team, and a family who supports you is really essential to being successful in anything you do.
PGM: Would you say your greatest support comes from your husband?
LWH: Of course, he supports me when things are good and when things are bad. I do have a lot of supporters and a lot of fans, and I am very thankful to them. They have accepted me for who I am. You don’t have to bring out the drama, i don’t feel the need to entertain anyone. Lisa is being Lisa whether the camera is there or not. It doesn’t change.
PGM: You will be appearing in Boca for Women On The Move, Unveil Your Pink event…..
LWH: Leslie has this fabulous event, March 20, 2010, and it’s for a great cause, Susan G. Komen for the cure. It’s for breast cancer awareness for the survivors. I have friends who are going through the same issue and it’s very dear to my heart. I think early detection is key. A lot of people think they are ok, then it happens. It is very hard to accept, but at the same time, I recognize women who have survived it. They are very strong women, and i encourage any woman who is going through anything, to dig a little deeper, and you will find purpose for everything.
PGM: How are you connected to Leslie Harris of Women On The Move?
LWH: My girlfriend, Tammy(host of Womeen On The Move) was talking to Leslie about the event. They enquired about me, and I told them I would do it. I love the movement that Leslie Harris is doing. It is great. Positivity in women. There are so many women out there who talk about each other, and it’s such a waste of time. It is so not productive. We should spend time building each other up, and stop finding faults.
PGM: What is your “Pink”?
LWH: Pink is a nice color, it is pretty and at the same time it’s bold. Unveil your pink to me is unveil your confidence, positivity, and just awareness. It is a pretty color, but it stands out.
PGM: It puts a smile on your face, represents strength….
LWH: Yes it does. Unveil Your Pink. We are doing tons of reviews, and there are a lot of people who want to come out and support us. It is going to be great, a fabulous event for a great cause. They are also having an auction and a private moment with me. I can’t wait.
PGM: We are all burdened in our lives with domestic, personal and work stress. How do you cope in situations like these?
LWH: I have a strong belief in God. I do, and I don’t try to push that on anybody. I truly believe that everything I have gone through in my life is for a purpose. I speak alot about domestic violence, and I believe that I was allowed to go through that situation to help and encourage other women. I think when you take the focus off yourself and realize the bigger picture, that it’s not all about me, i think that you are able to build a little better. Just encourage people. The state of the ecenomy right now-a lot of people are having a hard time. We are not talking about average working people, we are talking about friends of mine who are millionaires who are having problems, because they have lost millions. The economy has affected everyone, I think being optimistic and knowing it will be better.
PGM: If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be, and what would you do all over again?
LWH: I would have to say my greatest achievement is being a wife and a mother. That’s my biggest accomplishment. I have great kids and a wonderful husband, and I would not do anythng over again. There are a lot of lessons you have learned along the way, and when you have been through things they become your experience to learn from. I don’t like to repeat the same mistakes, of course. I wouldn’t do anything different. I believe I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now, and at the time I am supposed to be there.
PGM: We have followed you on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, and you have stayed above the drama. However, you are always caught in the middle of your friends feuds trying to difuse fights….
LWH: I just think it is not productive, not to say I don’t have my share of drama every now and then. Sometimes when you surround yourself with certain people, you are going to get pulled somewhere. It’s not like I can say, I am totally drama free. When you are in the middle of a situation, somewhere you are going to get sucked in. I try to avoid confrontation. I am a martial artist and that takes discipline. I am not going to be in your face, I am not going to call you names, I am about building women up, not tearing them down. I am not going to do that on camera or anywhere for that matter.
PGM: Is this how you are in your everyday life?
LWH: This is my everyday life. What you get is what you see. Lisa is the same Lisa, whether the camera is here or not. It doesn’t change-will not change for anyone.
PGM: Do you have any secrets or previews you would like to share with us?
LWH: I believe we are getting a new housewife. We don’t know who that is yet-tune in. I am sure there is going to be more drama, but it’s not all about drama really. We do have other things going on in our lives. It is television, sometimes we film for 7 hours a day, and you might only get to see 5 minutes of it which happens to be the drama part. It is not like everyone is turning on for the camera, sometimes they do, but I can’t say they do everytime they are taping.
PGM: What do you hope to accomplish from the show, and do you think it’s a good platform for you to be a role model for young girls and women?
LWH: It has been a great platform to inspire women. I get thousands of emails from women across the world who said I have inspired them through what I do. I think it is all worth it. It has served its purpose.
PGM: Tell us about the progress of your new line, Closet Freak.
LWH: Closet Freak will be in stores really soon. We are trying to solidify a few deals and I will let you know where and when.
PGM: What can we expect from Lisa Wu in the future?
LWH: Where ever God leads me, that is where I am going to go. I speak a lot at colleges, and churches. He has it planned out for me. I am doing a lot of stuff on television, I also write movies. I have been writing movies for years now, so where ever he takes me, I will go.
PGM: What advice do you have for a woman who is trying to be on the move?
LWH: Equip yourself with all the tools necessary within your field, and network. A lot of people underestimate the power of networking. Talk to people whereever you go. Sometimes people are afraid to talk to the people next to them, because they don’t know them, but you have no idea who you are next to. They could have a connection that you need. I believe that who you know, get you through the door, but what you know, keeps you there. Although you may get the hook-up, you need the knowledge to stay there.
PGM: Lisa Wu-Hartwell, are you a Woman On The Move?
LWH: I am absolutely a woman on the move-I am probably moving too fast.
Lisa will be appearing on Meet The Browns on February 24, please check her site for more information.
For more information on Women On The Move auction, please visit http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/susangkomen/catalog_items?page=1&per_page=10