Building a new legacy: A conversation with Adrienne-Bailon Houghton video

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This video opens with a logo over an event in a banquet room.

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J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.

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A bold disclaimer appears in a text box:

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INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS:

Emcee:

Please help me welcome Adrienne Bailon and our moderator, Brigitte Killings.

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The J.P. Morgan Wealth Management logo moves to the upper right-hand side of the screen as two women make their way to a stage. They each sit in pink velvet chairs, with a brass table between them set with water and glasses. Identifying text appears over the moderator, who wears her hair in braids and a white jumpsuit with painted black accents:

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Brigitte M. Killings

COMMUNITY DIVISION DIRECTOR,

JPMORGAN CHASE

Brigitte M. Killings:

You grew up in Lower East Side of Manhattan and of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

That's right.

Brigitte M. Killings:

She—

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Latina.

Brigitte M. Killings:

I love it.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Pura Latina.

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Identifying text appears beside the featured speaker, who wears her hair in a sleek bun and an off-the-shoulder dress with a pleated skirt:

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Adrienne Bailon-Houghton

SINGER & TV PERSONALITY

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A disclaimer reads:

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This is a paid appearance. The speaker should not be considered an endorser of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.

Brigitte M. Killings:

I heard a "woo" over here.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Yes.

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A diverse audience listens attentively from round banquet tables. Brigitte reads from cue cards, and Adrienne addresses the audience and gestures as she speaks.

Brigitte M. Killings:

All right, so let's start from the beginning and get to know a little bit more about you. So, growing up, what was your experience with money?

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

My experience with money was that it wasn't discussed at all because we didn't have it. So...

[both laugh]

So, the reality is I grew up in the projects in New York City in the Lower East Side. I came from [a] hardworking family, but at the same time, I think... I didn't learn anything about finances because one, like I said, there was... really, it was, we were in survival mode, so to speak. And then the second half was they couldn't teach me anything that they didn't know. And so, it almost seemed like we were constantly— it was... I would honestly say that a lot of what I knew about money was fear-based, and the idea of money scared me because I wasn't knowledgeable enough. The idea that if somebody handed me a bunch of money, instead of being like, "Yes, I won the lottery!" it almost was something that I was afraid of because it seemed like I wasn't qualified to have money, and so I wouldn't know what to do with that. And so, honestly, it was very fear-based, I was afraid of not knowing, not having the knowledge of it. And... I really have to say, coming from humble beginnings really shifted my perspective on now how I'll raise my son, and the open and honest conversations that I want to have with my son about finances. Even in the good times and in the bad times, the conversations are absolutely necessary.

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A few members of the audience nod.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

So, if I could change something that— I think even my mom now would say she wished that I had known what was going on. I think it maybe would have even taken some pressure off of her just to simply even explain simple things like, "This is our budget, this is what it looks like. This is what groceries are going to cost today." I was kind of left out of it altogether, and I had to grow up pretty quickly when I went out on my own at 14 and a half, 15 years old. And it was very difficult for me.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Yeah. I understand that.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Yeah.

Brigitte M. Killings:

And thank you for sharing that story. And that story is... That happens to a lot of us. I know in my household, it was the same thing. We really didn't talk about finances in our household. And when mom and dad or mom, grandma, whoever it was that was in the house, that was the leader of that home, when it came to money conversations, they kind of shushed us away.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Yeah.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Right?

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

It was kept very hush-hush, and I think that it was done with good intentions. I think the idea was they're too young to know or to understand it, to understand these pressures. But I feel like being left out of it, it then hit us like a ton of bricks when we had to come to the age where we had to handle our own things.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Absolutely.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

We were clueless. So, I think that having these conversations are so necessary and not just necessary, but I think that there's so many teachable moments.

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The J.P. Morgan logo is projected on a back wall of the banquet hall as attendees listen.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Again, the good and the bad.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Absolutely.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

So especially for me, I have a Puerto Rican mom, but my dad is Ecuadorian. I think the immigrant experience is very unique. And I think even the way my dad viewed simple things like grocery shopping, coming from Ecuador, Manta, a very small place where the grocery stores were smaller than this platform here and everything was either fresh. And then you walk into places like— I'm going to age myself, but Pathmark or Fine Fare— I don't know if you guys have any of those out here, but, even now, if you look at a Walmart or a Super Walmart, Super Kmart's, and there's just so much, I think even that impacted how he viewed groceries and how he spent money because it was something he didn't have. And so, I learned so many of those little nuances; some of them were great and some of them were really bad.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Yes.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Yeah.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Oh, thank you so much for sharing.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Accessibility made me want to go buy it all, you know what I mean? I learned that from my dad and his immigrant experience. And I think that we take a little bit from our parents, and we try to do better and learn from their knowledge or their mistakes.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Absolutely, absolutely. And our kids are going to learn if we're open with them, they're going to learn from us as well. So having that dialog early on is important. It's very important.

On screen:

Men and women in the audience smile as they listen.

Brigitte M. Killings:

So, as we all know, you wear many hats, right? Many of us, especially Black and Latina women, we find ourselves at a point where we are simultaneously managing everything and everyone. We have kids, we have parents, we have careers, we have even our own retirement. There are so many women I meet that they were taken care of by their spouses and when the spouse goes, they have no idea what to do, right? So now, we're trying to take a lot more control of all of that. So, there's a need to navigate in competing priorities. And it's real because there's a lot that we have to do, and we have to manage. So, how have you managed to balance the demands of your career with your commitments, with your family, and what strategies have played a key role into you doing that, because that's a lot?

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Honestly, organization and planning is key. I think recognizing that, while I am a mother, I am an entrepreneur, I am an entertainer, I am a wife, I am all these different things. I absolutely can be all those things, maybe not at the exact same time. So, for me, having a schedule and sticking to them, I am a psycho that is obsessed with lists. Is anyone else in here obsessed with lists?

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Several audience members raise their hands.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

I have them on my desk, my fridge, on the counter, because I recognize that if I don't plan ahead, if I don't map out— I'm talking, I'm crazy to the point of being like "7:03, stand up, 7:05, go to the bathroom. 7:0—" I have to keep myself on a very, very tight schedule or else nothing gets done. And when we're having conversations about building a new legacy, no one is going to do it for you and no one's going to care as much as you do.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Absolutely.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Yeah.

Brigitte M. Killings:

So, what does legacy mean to you? Let's just wrap this and sum it all up.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

For me, at this point, legacy means... what my mom said, that every generation gets better. And I feel like... I'm now even learning— I'm more impassioned, like I'm more excited to learn because there's a level of pressure on me to prepare my son for the world, to prepare my son for what's out there, to prepare him to be knowledgeable, to make sure that, even what I do leave to him, that he does a great— that he is prepared for that and that he knows how to handle that. So, there's so much. I mean... legacy. I want to be known as someone who... I'm a girl's girl, I love to empower other women, I know there's men in this room as well. But the idea of sharing knowledge and being someone that kept it real and never gatekept— I'm the first person to be like, "Girl, let me tell you how I saved money in this area." And I think that there's something really awesome about that. So, just to be known for that, for somebody that wanted to help others. That's the legacy that I want to leave. But most of all, that my son gets to be... firsthand at that experience.

Brigitte M. Killings:

I love it.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

...when it comes to finances.

Brigitte M. Killings:

I love it. So, this has been phenomenal, at least from my point of view talking to her. I've had a great girlfriend conversation. So, I hope you all did enjoy this so far. Can we give Ms. Adrienne a hand?

[applause]

On screen:

Brigitte shakes Adrienne's hand.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Thank you, Adrienne.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Thank you.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Just for, just being Adrienne.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Thank you, guys, for having me.

Brigitte M. Killings:

Being so friendly. This has been just great.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Thank you.

Brigitte M. Killings:

So, with that being said... we are done. Some networking is to begin.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:

Let's hang.

[audience cheers]

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Members of the audience applaud,

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Investing involves market risk, including possible loss of principal, and there is no guarantee that investment objectives will be achieved.

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(in bold) Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

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The information and views expressed are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions. For specific guidance on how this information should be applied to your situation, you should consult a financial professional.

J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is a business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which offers investment products and services through (in bold) J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS), a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC. JPMS and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPMCB) are affiliated companies under the common control of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Copyright 2025 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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