A bit extreme, but my point will get across. From 2003 till 2016 I was in Entertainment. Anytime I landed a gig the support and cheers I got from people I knew to people I didn’t were staggering. I felt pretty accomplished and had a lot of drive to keep achieving. Transitioning my life back to normalcy has not always been the easiest on me mentally. Outside of the constant snide and underhanded comments of the outside world, the near silence I hear through all my personal big life moments and career stuff has been hard to get used to.
People feel excited when they can look at a TV and see or hear someone they know. It is something they can tell others about that is far more interesting than “Adrianne sells avon”. I used to be the person people would use in a conversation if there was a runway show on tv, if top model was on, etc. Now that I am not in that world. It can sometimes be a hard adjustment. Surprisingly, I am not talking about fans or even appearing on a screen…I am talking about people asking about what I do for a living. I am talking about when I am proud of something I achieved and state it…and there is a thunderous silence in comparison to what I had been accustomed to. I must come off as so mundane and uninteresting to people in comparison to my former tv star/model/red carpet/ comic con life.
Learning to validate myself and to only expect a “amazing!” or “good job!” from a select few people in comparison to the large support group I once had has been incredibly humbling. I suppose I was tossed into the game at such an early age, it was something I became incredibly accustomed to. In one year, I managed to become one of Avon’s top selling reps. I worked my ass right off and put all of myself into changing my life and it was a lot of grit and determination. Learning to accept the back pats from my hubby and a select few has been one of my life’s biggest challenges.
What a weird thing, right? Most of us do not get any fucking validation for the hard work we do in life. As my husband said, I just so happened to land an impossible gig…doing impossible things….and it was so rare, people took notice. My transition into normalcy has been HUGE. I have had a lot of life adjustments. Getting used to no one asking about my work has surprisingly been one of the biggest!
(PIC: Wearing JULIA jewelry from Avon…Avon iconics collection eyeshadow and blush, true color brow definer and love at first lash mascara, and flawless foundation?
Welcome to the REAL world! 😉
indeed. I will say, it would have been a bit easier had that other stuff not happened…mentally
Making big transitions are hard on anyone. Mostly, we want to share our successes with the world and when our world is small they are often overlooked. In reality those successes are the most joyess success we could celebrate because we shared them only with the ones that ment the most to us.
I’m a single mom in the military, constantly moving around by myself, while my family is in Montana whom I only usually see once a year. Those are my people and they are the ones I share my successes with. A small but perfect audience that celebrates my accomplishments and had a shoulder for me to rest on when I need it.
From what I’ve seen of you, you are doing wonderful things. I admire who you are because of what you’ve accomplished and what your future holds. Do not ever think your star is dying, rather only sharing its light with those that actually deserve its radiance.
Hey, girl. Just wanted to tell you how happy for you I am. Yeah, you’ve seen and done so much since ’03. What you accomplished then was definitely something to be proud of. At the end of the day, though, is that shit even worth it if we lose who we are? What you’re doing now is actually so much more amazing to me, though. You and your husband uprooted yourselves and gave up that life in search of a way to create so much better of one. I mean, fucking Montana?! That’s a literal dream of mine, to amscray into the fucking mountains with my husband and kids. To get that high into Avon isn’t a small feat, either, especially if you compare what you left behind and what you’re able to create for yourself now. I’m so damn proud of you. ❤️
You continue to inspire and push those around you (and us!) to look into ourselves, find TRUE meaning in our lives, and to put aside the selfishness and toxicity that lives in and around all of us. You’re like the gift that keeps on giving! Look forward to seeing what other amazing things 2019 has in store for you. <3
You’re a beautiful person inside and out. You may be a little rough around the edges to some but I think that is what is so appealing about you. You are a real person. I’m proud of you getting out of Hollywierd. It probably saved you life.
I too became very popular in my career. No where near the level that you were though. I had hundreds of friends and acquaintances and did some local TV interviews. But the stress was killing me literally. So I made the decision to end my career of 15 years and work in a humble field helping people with disadvantages and animal rescue. I don’t make nearly the salary as before and lost contact with almost everyone I knew. I was hurt in the beginning but I’m healthier and in time became happier than I was before. I came to realize that the only people you can really count on are Family.
You’ve inspired me to take better care of my skin and to improve my appearance not only for myself but to please my man of 23 years. Thank you!!!
Transition is hard but in my opinion the only people that should worry about validation is you and your husband. You both know how hard it was for you to get to where you are and that’s what’s important. I won’t even go see movies anymore because of the way Hollywood actors have changed. I think it’s awesome how you’ve grown your Avon in only a year.
Personally, I’m more in awe of the fact that you live on a 20 acre ranch!!! I have so many questions and hi-fives for that! Much more than your Hollywood life prior. I find this new “normal” life much more interesting….but I may be biased because living on a ranch like this myself is one of my dreams. So to some people, now you’ve really made it!
You are still one of my all-time favorite Howard Stern guests. Have you thought about going back on his show and talking about your evolution? I bet it would be every bit as interesting to people as your previous interview. I know
I would enjoy it.
I am wondering if you’ve taken the time to analyze your situation with respect to the folks who used to interact with you at Comic Con. You are now in the situation most of the fans were in their entire life except for the few days each year they “got out of their parents’ basement.” Those attendees lead mundane lives enriched with comics, gaming, etc. without having the wonderful relationship you now have. Do you possibly now have a better understanding of why they geeked out the way they did? In their eyes, you were a nerd goddess and their lack of social graces in some cases may have just been a result of social awkwardness. I hope you’ve had a chance to consider this and don’t harbor any ill will toward your fans.
Personally, I like the new you. It is wonderful to see you happy in a life without a spotlight. I hope it hasn’t dulled your gaming skills, though
Best wishes for 2019!
You were always someone, your fame just allowed more of us to know you in some small way.
Yours is a fun and inspiring story. Congratulations and best wishes!
Well it’s definitely more “from something to…something else.” 🙂 What drew you to Avon? I’ve never been much into it but I remember my grandma always had a catalog and fun little samples and a friend sold it for a bit in high school. Seems like everyone is selling SeneGence these days.