HerExchange Interviews Lynda Erkiletian

HerExchange.com:

If you’ve spent any time following HerExchange, you know by now that I’m a big fan of Bravo’s hit series, The Real Housewives. So naturally, as I prepared for my interview with the star of The Real Housewives of D.C., Lynda Erkiletian, I had a lot of excitement and even a few “reality” preconceived notions. Maybe you do too, but wait – whatever you thought – you have no idea!


You don’t have to look past Lynda’s bio to realize that this mother of four is a woman unlike any other; a woman that didn’t need reality TV to make her a star.


When Lynda was 18 years old, she began touring with R&B songstress, Candi Staton, as a back-up singer; that was just the beginning! Next up, Lynda mastered make-up and hair artistry before moving on to launch her own modeling and stylist agency in the often-fashionably-challenged market of Washington, D.C. With Lynda’s leadership and keen business sense, she’s put D.C. on the map with T-H-E Artists Agency.


You thought you had her figured out – ha! Come along, you’ll love the fashionable ride; meet Lynda.


SG: Lynda, you’ve certainly taken your own path – we just love that! Did you know early on that being an entrepreneur was your destiny?


LE: I didn’t feel like I had a choice because I was dyslexic. I believe everything in life is guiding you if you listen, so rather than being the victim of ‘I can’t spell’, or ‘I have difficulty with this,’ I asked, “OK, what am I good at? What can I do?” I’ve always been a dreamer; I just had to expand those dreams into something that was tangible.


Not everything I’ve touched has been successful, it’s been a journey.


SG: On The Real Housewives of D.C., you were very clear that you are a ‘mom’ first. Did you create your business around your life, or fit life around business? Women struggle to find balance…


LE: I would love to see women give up guilt! We’re people and we have our challenges, but being a working mother doesn’t have to be! I grew up in an environment where my mother was a nurse, she had 6 children, and still prepared all the meals and was head of the house. I feel that what I’ve done as a mom and in business is no different than the women before me.


This is funny – I had a very embarrassing ‘working mom’ moment after my first child, Aaron, was born. I was working as a make-up artist and I was hired to do Llyod Bridges’ make-up; I had not done any work since having Aaron and I was still nursing. Mom’s will relate to this, after you have your baby and you’re breast feeding, even when you think about your baby, especially your first couple of times away, you literally start producing milk. It happened to me right in the middle of doing make-up! I literally had to go to the ladies room and use the hand drier to dry out my dress – it was so embarrassing! I thought, welcome to being a mom who’s trying to do it all!


When I had my other children, I had T-H-E and when you came to my office you would see a baby on my lap or playing in my office. People say that they have to compartmentalize as a mom, and you do, but where you can include your family as a part of your working world you must.


Definitely in my community outreach I’ve involved my children. It’s important that they see a world beyond fashion and beauty and understand the impact T-H-E Agency has on the D.C. community.