In a world where social media can completely wreak havoc on a person’s self-esteem and invoke feelings of unworthiness, there remains a critical need for Black women and girls to be uplifted.
“At any given moment, you can click on social media and see images that are not so empowering, images that will possibly have someone second guessing who they are, second-guessing their purpose, second-guessing their identity because they’re now looking at images that are not always real,” said Pastor Andria Hudson, assistant pastor and wife to Archbishop William Hudson III of The Powerhouse Chicago.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”I think it’s important now more than ever, in 2023 and beyond,” said Hudson, “That our women and younger generation of girls are empowered to walk in their God-given identity.” [/perfectpullquote]
Hudson, a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, media mogul and author, is doing her part.
“I’ve always had a passion for helping women. We also help men, but women are our primary demographic,” she said.
Through her company, ASH Enterprises, Inc., she empowers women and girls across generations, along with men, through various means and mediums, from hosting women’s conferences and professional development seminars to writing books and producing stage plays.
In her latest venture, the “Wives Matter Network,” Hudson empowers wives, singles who wish to be married and every woman in between.
In an exclusive interview, she shares her journey of leveraging those passions into viable projects whose profit is ultimately derived from enriching the lives of others.
Hudson also talks about the genesis of the “Wives Matter Network” and the latest edition of her magazine, which features Chicago Defender Publisher Dyanna Lewis.
Her path is a testament to resilience and the rewards of following one’s calling.
Writing Her Own Entrepreneurship Story
Hudson’s love for writing began at 11 when she wrote her first screenplay. As a grade school student, she was the kid classmates would go to for writing advice. Some would even ask her to write their term papers.
From there, her passion for writing was born, and it helped propel her academic career.
Hudson attended Lewis University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Journalism.
That same love for the written word became the cornerstone of her entrepreneurial endeavors. After enjoying a successful career as a paralegal, Hudson launched ASH Enterprises in 2014, and through her company she has released several books, coaching programs, conferences and stage productions. She wrote her first book, “He Saved the Best for Last – Singles Becoming Vessels of Honor,” to encourage single men and women.
Through ASH, the acronym for her name, Hudson now extends her expertise to aspiring authors and writers, coaching them on the art of storytelling.
Wives Matter Network: The Genesis
The genesis of the Wives Matter Network Magazine emerged from Hudson’s heartfelt conversation with a friend.
“In 2022, I was praying on this last year and just looking for a direction of what else I could do to empower and help women,” Hudson said.
“I met with one of my team members, and she said, ‘You know what, you should do something for wives.’ And I said,’ Well, I’ve done something for pastors’ wives in the past.'”
Her friend responded, ‘No, not just for pastors’ wives; you need to have something for wives in general.”
It was from this conversation that the Wives Matter Network was born.
“We did an interest meeting in December of 2022, where we had over 100 women that were in attendance online to find out more information about the network,” she said.
It has grown ever since.
Through Wives Matter, Hudson said, “We give them inspirational and empowerment videos every single month, where we talk about marriage, we talk about relationships, we talk about business, we talk about conflict resolution.
“We also have women who have been married, women who have been divorced, and women who are widows that are a part of this network.”
Starting her very own magazine through Wives Matter was destined, given that they were also a passion that emanated from her childhood.
Launching the Wives Matter Network Magazine
The recently released Wives Matter Network Magazine, second edition, featuring The Chicago Defender’s Dyanna Lewis (Photo, ASH Enterprises, Inc./Facebook).
Growing up, Hudson was really into magazines.
“I was an Essence magazine girl. I was a Jet magazine girl. I was a Vogue magazine girl. Whenever we would go to the grocery store, I would be picking out all the magazines, and my mom and dad would be like, ‘Okay, you can only choose about one or two.'”
Or they would tell her to put that magazine down, she joked.
“I was just that girl that would just love to grab those magazines, come home, flip through the pages, cut out pictures, read the articles.”
So, starting the Wives Matter Network magazine was a natural progression.
“It was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this magazine.”
The first edition, which features Hudson on the cover, was launched in March. The recently released second edition features Dyanna Lewis, who graces the cover and shares her story about becoming a mother and media mogul. It also features impactful articles on families, finding your passion and purpose, relationships and even holiday recipes.
Again, it was conceived to inspire and allow folks to realize their God-given identity.
During our interview, Hudson took the time to offer more encouragement to anyone who might be reading this article. The short of it is this: It’s never too late to begin again.
Reflecting on the end of the year, Hudson ended with this:
“All it takes is one decision. You can get up today and say, ‘I want to try that. I want to go back to school. I can launch a business. Let me launch the business. I can write a book. Let me write something.'”
“As long as you have breath in your body, you have the power to begin again.”
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