"Live your Dream"
The Munich-born American actually wanted to become an opera singer - but life had other plans. Today, Judith Williams is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Germany. With passion, courage and the guiding principle “Bloom where you are planted” She turns every challenge into an opportunity – and lives her dream.
Judith Williams Stations to Happiness
At the age of four, she appeared on stage for the first time with her father, the internationally known basso profondo Daniel Lewis Williams. After graduating from high school, the American studied classical singing at the University of Music in Cologne and ballet at the Royal Academy of Dance. She then celebrated her first stage successes, including as “Maria” in “West Side Story” and was well on her way to conquering the world’s opera stages.
But fate thwarted these plans. In the mid-90s, Judith Williams was diagnosed with a benign tumor. The doctors gave the young woman a choice: an operation that would result in her not being able to have children, or hormone treatment that would affect her voice for years? Judith Williams decided to have children and not have a career. During a temporary job in a fitness center, where she regularly sold an above-average number of drinks at the counter, she discovered her sales talent, applied straight away to the shopping channel QVC in Düsseldorf - and was only accepted on the second attempt.
But after that it happened in quick succession. In 2001, Judith Williams moved to HSE in Munich. In 2004 she got her own jewelry format. In 2007, Judith Williams ended her career as a presenter and founded her first company, Judith Williams GmbH. Because of her personal history, it is particularly important to her to get involved socially. She has been an ambassador for SOS Children's Villages since 2009 and supports various women's shelters and the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation.
In 2018, she took part as a prominent dancer in the RTL show Let's Dance and made it to the final, where she ended up in excellent second place - true to the motto: "You are a winner, you never lose and when you don't win, you learn!" She wanted to encourage people to rediscover themselves and to open up rigid pigeonholing. Her motto: "Why shouldn't we business women be allowed to be creative? Creativity and emotions are what ultimately separate us from machines. Invest in yourself and find your inner purpose. Live your dream."
Creativity was something she was born with
The American, who was born in Munich, stood with her father, the internationally famous basso, for the first time when she was just four years old profondo Daniel Lewis Williams, on stage.
Your first dance steps
After graduating from high school, Judith Williams studied classical music Singing at the University of Music in Cologne and ballet at the Royal Academy of Dance.
On the boards that mean the world
As a soprano, including roles as “Maria” in “West Side Story” and “Papagena” in “The Magic Flute”, Judith Williams was well on her way to conquering the world's opera stages. However, she had to abruptly end her singing career due to a benign tumor.
Started as a presenter at HSE
A difficult time is followed by a new start. “Bloom where you are planted” Judith Williams discovers her sales talent in a temporary job and starts her career in home shopping.
Judith Williams starts her cosmetics company
In 2007 she ventured into self-employment with her own cosmetics brand, Judith Williams Cosmetics!
Children are a gift!
In 2007, Judith became mother for the first time to a sweet daughter named Sophia. In 2009, her second daughter Angelina made the family happiness perfect.
The Beauty Institute was opened
There was now an oasis of well-being in the heart of Munich! Here customers were able to experience Judith Williams products up close.
Help for the José Carreras Foundation
Judith Williams will donate the proceeds from her biography “Stumbling Blocks to Happiness” to the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation at the “Golden Germany” gala. Judith Williams has been a foundation ambassador for the foundation since 2013 and in 2017 she sang together with José Carreras at the José Carreras Gala for a good cause.
The lions roar for the first time
In 2014, the award-winning TV show “The Lions’ Den” opens its doors for the first time. The TV entrepreneur has a whole series of start-ups in her twelve seasons supported and led to success. Her focus is product quality, sustainability and long-term brand building.
Ambassador for the SOS Children's Village
Since 2009, Judith Williams and her husband Alexander-Klaus Stecher have been ambassadors for the SOS Children's Village and support various women's shelters. In 2015 they visited the SOS Children's Village in Addis Ababa.
Glow Beauty Convention
The first “Glow Beauty Convention”, the largest beauty and influencer trade fair in Germany, which Judith founded together with her business partner Dr. Georg Kofler in 2016, is taking place in Berlin.
Judith Williams at dm drugstore
In 2017, she was the first TV entrepreneur to successfully expand Judith Williams Cosmetics into international stationary retail, with dm-Drogeriemarkt as a partner.
Let's Dance!
In 2018, Judith Williams took part in the RTL show Let's Dance and made it to the final, where she finished in excellent second place - true to the motto: "You are a winner, you never lose and when you don't win, you learn!"
A price for mindfulness
In 2019, the Vienna Awards for Fashion and Lifestyle honored Judith with the “Special Vienna Award” in the “Awareness for the greater goods” category for her social commitment.
Judith's feel-good oasis opens
Beauty, Beauty, Beauty has been the motto at the Judith Williams Beauty World in Innsbruck since summer 2020! In the cosmetics experience, Judith's team advises on skin care and make-up and pampers customers in the in-house cosmetic studio. In addition, the integrated shop with its many highly effective products will make everyone's beauty hearts beat faster.
Patron for young talent – Judith Williams Cup
Since 2021, Judith Williams has been the proud patron of the TSV Herrsching handball girls. With their support, the Judith Williams Cup was created - a tournament that strengthens, motivates and promotes the development of young female athletes.
HER story
Judith Williams gives inspiring women a platform - with real stories of courage, strength and self-realization. She was accompanied by a film team for a year – for the Sky documentary “HER STORY”.
Seen on TV and film
HER STORY
For almost a year, Judith Williams was accompanied by a camera team led by director Peta Jenkin. The occasion was the Sky Original documentary series “Her Story”, which portrays successful women and was released in spring 2023.
RIVERBOAT
Guests on the talk show RIVERBOAT with Aenne & Katharina Dähne, Adel Tawil, Thomas Rath, Pascal Bock, Wladimir Kaminer and Peggy March. Broadcast on March 3rd, 2023, MDR
STARS IN THE RING
On December 30, 2022, Judith Williams fulfilled a long-awaited childhood dream and, alongside many other celebrities such as Nazan Eckes, Dieter Hallervorden and Guido Cantz, appeared in front of the audience as a clown in the Circus Krone in Munich in the TV classic "Stars in der Manege".
THE MASKED SINGER
Alongside Ruth Moschner, Judith Williams and Riccardo Simonetti formed the guessing team for the big trophy in the final of “The Masked Singer”. Broadcast on November 6th, 2022, ProSieben
HIRSCHHAUSENS QUIZ OF MAN
Dr. On the day before Mother's Day, Eckart von Hirschhausen explains the influence mother-in-law has on mothers and how parental burnout can occur. These two teams compete against each other: Smudo, Judith Williams, Samuel Koch against Rúrik Gíslason, Enie van de Meiklokjes and Frank Plasberg. Broadcast on May 7th, 2022, WDR
WHO KNOWS ANYTHING?
For the second time, Judith Williams is answering Kai Pflaume's questions in the ARD quiz "Who knows something like that?" Together with Elton they compete against the team of Ralf Dümmel and Bernhard Hoëcker. Broadcast on March 22nd, 2022, ARD
THE COMEDY FAIRY TALE HOUR
Bad Cinderella, fresh prince. “The Comedy Fairy Tale Hour” brings new impetus to the classic fairy tale “Cinderella”. Mirja Boes, Oliver Pocher, Martin Schneider, Judith Williams, Wigald Boning, Volker "Zack" Michalowski, Eko Fresh, Pam Pengco, Heinz Hoenig, Susan Sideropoulos and Mimi Fiedler provide fairytale comedy in the run-up to Christmas. As theater director, Uwe Ochsenknecht leads the fun fairy tale evening.
THE GREAT GERMANY QUIZ
Henry Maske, Anja Kling, Leonard Lansink, Armin Rohde, Sonja Zietlow, Judith Williams, Bettina Zimmermann and Kai Wiesinger play for a good cause. In quiz duels they ask themselves questions about Germany and show how diverse our homeland is.
SMALL VS BIG
In the mental arithmetic duel, the entrepreneurs Dagmar Wöhrl and Judith Williams have to prove their arithmetic skills. 10-year-old Mohamed claims he can do math better in his head than both of them combined.
JONAS KAUFMANN - A PRIVATE WORLD STAR
Judith Williams is a guest in the documentary about the star tenor and good friend Jonas Kaufmann. Emotionally and in a very personal way, this documentary provides deep insights into the life of the multiple award-winning opera singer.
YOU'LL NEVER GET THAT
Or maybe it is... Two prominent guessing teams play against each other for victory in eight game rounds. Judith Williams fought in a team with Atze Schröder and Christian Sievers. The strange questions required creativity.
LET'S DANCE
In 2018, Judith Williams danced her way to the final in the 11th season of the successful TV show "Let's Dance" together with professional dancer Erich Klann. After the show, Judith remained loyal to dance because movement of any kind is nourishment for her body and mind.
ENTREPRENEURSHIPS OF THE FUTURE
Together with Dorothee Bär, Minister of State for Digitalization in the Federal Chancellery, Judith Williams is taking over the patronage of the Entrepreneurs of the Future funding program in 2019 from Global Digital Women (GDW), the Association of German Entrepreneurs (VdU), BRIGITTE Academy and Amazon.
DANCING ON ICE
In addition to Judith Williams, the two-time Olympic champion Katarina Witt and the figure skating commentator and German champion Daniel Weiss 2019 are on the jury for Dancing on Ice.
MY SONG FOR YOU
Judith Williams hosted the new music show in 2019. The focus was on people who wanted to create a musical surprise for a very special person in their life and then presented it. The ambitious singers were supported by prominent coaches such as Sarah Connor, Sasha, Johannes Oerding and Giovanni Zarrella.
WHO WILL BE A MILLIONAIRE
If you don't dare, you don't win. At the celebrity edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Judith Williams left all of her prominent competitors behind and fought her way to the 500,000 euro question. It's just bad luck that Judith was just wrong on the last question... Judith made up for the imaginary loss in the program "RTL-Spendenmarathon - The Finale" and handed over a check from the proceeds of her new book "How Dreams Learn to Fly".
“Take the first step and everything will fall into place”
-Judith Williams
How dreams learn to fly
She is someone very special: a power woman with a lot of humor, empathy, passion and energy - professionally one of the most successful entrepreneurs in European home shopping, privately a wife and mother of two. Millions of viewers know her as the confident investor from "The Lions' Den", but like most women, Judith Williams finds it particularly challenging to balance family and career. With a wink, she talks about her varied everyday life and her career - wants to encourage women to follow their visions despite all obstacles. Judith Williams is absolutely convinced of one thing: dreams are there to be realized. And that even works. She did it herself – and is now passing her experiences on to others. Because: “We are here to connect, strengthen each other and encourage each other!”
