Ximena Duque has always known what she wanted: a beautiful family, a job that filled her with happiness and financial solvency so she could better help people who need it most. It was only a matter of time before her goals became a reality.
In an exclusive interview with HOLA! USA, the Colombian entrepreneur and actress welcomed us into her new Miami home. For the first time during her six-month-pregnancy, Ximena shows her stunning family and baby belly. The now 35-year-old entrepreneur expressed excitement in expectation of Skye, her third baby and second daughter, with her husband Jay Adkins.
This moment of her life is not only filled with personal happiness, but also professional success. Ximena has inspired countless women with her continued business ventures.
Ximena could not be more proud of Cristian, her first-born son, who she had at 19 with her then partner Christian Carabias. Two years ago, she revisited that happiness when Luna was born. In three months she will welcome the newest addition to the family, Skye.
We hope you enjoy this stunning digital cover that tells the story of Ximena and her growing family.
How do you feel about this pregnancy?
Good. Very different from Luna and my son (Cristan)! There are two years of difference between Luna and Skye and the truth is that I can feel the difference in my body, in my energy, in everything. But hey, we are doing well.
Congratulations on this third baby, how are you going with the preparations for Skye‘s arrival?
Unlike my daughter Luna, with Skye I am super relaxed. I already have Luna and I have many little things that I saved. When Luna starts to grow up I start donating a lot of clothes, but you know, some of our favorite things I start saving. Jay and I knew we wanted to have another baby but we didn‘t know it was going to be a girl but I had that hunch I get as a mother, that “I’m going to have another girl” instinct. And two days ago, taking out the little things, washing them, I see that Skye is attached to everything and everything reminds me of her. I don’t have to go shopping, so we are doing very well with the preparations. At least all the essentials, as soon as the baby is born, she will have everything.
What is the difference between the two pregnancies? Are you feeling nervous?
I am actually nervous about the delivery. I think, of course, I know what it is, but 14 years passed with my son and then I kind of forgot. And with Luna it‘s recent so I have very clear labor pain. I have become a coward, I don’t know if one becomes a coward over the years, but I say that if I have already done it twice, I will do it a third time. That makes me a little anxious, I’m not going to lie to you. Especially that with Luna it was 36 hours of labor. It was complicated. But I’m very positive that everything is going to be fine. It’s the only thing that makes me nervous. I see Luna who is two and a half years old and I see that time passes very quickly. That first year of sacrifice, because obviously they are very young, or the first months that they get up at dawn ... I know what awaits me, but I also know that it is worth it and one must adapt.
Have you planned to have some kind of special delivery with all this pandemic stuff? What precautions are you taking for delivery?
Well, right now we are taking care of ourselves a lot. In fact, for Thanksgiving the family will not even come, and there aren’t even a lot of us. We assume this with great responsibility and it will be a different birth because my mother and my son will not be able to be there because they were with Lunita, I will not have anyone who can record me, who can take photos ... that is a little sad but nothing, we have to adapt to this situation and the most important thing is to take care of ourselves. It will be a different birth. I had my son in water, I was very brave because I was barely 19 years old. That was without anesthesia, with nothing, which I would never do again. So to say: “No look, because of the pandemic I’m going to have it in my house”, no. I’m going straight to the hospital (laughs).
How has Luna taken the arrival of her little sister, has she become somewhat jealous?
She‘s fine, and I thought everything was perfect because she kisses my belly and says she’s going to play with Skye, etc. A few days ago, I started taking Luna’s clothes and she began to say: “this is mine”, and I say to her: “no, sweetie, that’s going to be for Skye, remember that it doesn’t fit you anymore and the beauty thing is that you’re going to share everything with Skye ”, and she kind of didn’t like it very much and started picking up the clothes and saying: “No, this is mine!”. That’s when I realized that this is not going to be as easy as I thought and I’ve heard a lot. In fact, I had a meeting with a child psychologist in Colombia and she told me that changes are coming for everyone, especially for Luna, because she has been the center of attention, but it is a matter of organizing. I told my husband that we are going to take turns, as I always put her to sleep, that she does not feel that Skye was born and that I can no longer tell her her story to put her to bed. It is a matter of having that balance and not changing the routine that we already have with her. It’s going to be a bit tricky, but I know it can be done.
How is your son Cristian taking it?
He is very happy and says: “I can‘t wait to meet Skye, I want to see who she is going to look like. Likewise, as a good teenager, I do not make him do anything with Luna and I do not intend to make him do anything with Skye, because he says: “I don’t change diapers”, and indeed he has never changed a diaper for Luna. He is very loving and is looking forward to being the older brother of two little princesses. He is very happy about that. He has his own character, he is a very responsible, very mature child, I say he is an old soul. He’s very “daddy” because he takes care of Luna a lot and protects her.
What difference do you find between the Ximena from before to the Ximena from now?
Ugh… God! I think every day we grow, right? The Ximena from before, from the artistic world, worked more for that ego than for the important things in life and part of that is the family. The Ximena from before was maybe a little selfish, the Ximena from before if I had a project in Mexico I didn‘t think twice and I had to go, I was even doing a project in Los Angeles and I had to travel every week and almost I couldn’t be with my son. That was for eight months about five years ago and at that time I had to do it, let’s talk about things like they are, in the artistic environment you have to survive. I think that people who are millionaires as actors or public figures are the ones who take them to another level. As a soap opera actress, I did stay that way, I had a very good income, but it was not that income that could give me that financial independence in which I could afford to help the children of my country, which It is what I am doing today and I am so passionate about it. The Ximena of now does not need to feed any ego, she does not need to be on screen to feel like someone. Ximena now knows that what she has to offer is her heart, her leadership with other people, it is my way to shine as well and to feel good. Before suddenly I needed to see myself on screen to feel good. The Ximena of today discovered that she does not need a screen or a prime time novel to impact lives or for people to love her, it is enough to be me, to be who I am, because in my social networks I do not pretend to be anyone, I am not I am neither an actress nor a character, I am Ximena. I have evolved a lot on this issue, I have become more aware of what will happen when I am old, how my old age will be, that I will build now for when I reach that stage of my life I am calm, my family is calm and I can leave a legacy to my children, then already a little bit of knowing what to do with the money, how to invest it and how to help. Perhaps before it did not generate as much money as now, then you cling a little more to money. Today I have the possibility of not being so attached to money but of being able to give more and that is what I am doing. In life, the more you give, the more you receive. Now I am doing a project with the children in Colombia of the Guajiras who need it so much and that for me is better than any Hollywood movie I may be making.
Do you miss acting?
Yes, definitely! The other day I did a Live and said that maybe at 38, I‘m 35 and Skye will be born when I am 36 ... maybe at 38 I can start looking for my way again in the artistic medium or in productions. Yes, weird, but I don’t wonder that they control my time, I don’t like that and I know what would happen if I have a contract with a television station. What I would love is to return to the artistic environment with something of my own. I have always dreamed of writing something, of producing something and today we have many possibilities. Right now I am working for that purpose that if God wants the day that I return to the screen it is with the story that I want, whether with the character that I want, or with the protagonist that I want and be able to produce it myself, to be able to have that control of some way. I think “La fan” was not the last novel that Ximena Duque did, I think there is more to come and there is much more for me in the artistic medium. If it happens, wonderful, if it doesn’t happen, nothing happens. I feel full, but I am going to work for it maybe in a few years, that is before my 40s.
How does this business change come into your life?
Look, Monat comes into my life at the perfect time. Great leaders are made from crises, and the most successful people in the history of the entire world were born from a crisis. When Monat came into my life, Telemundo and I said that we are no longer going to be exclusive, I was in a wonderful comfort zone for many years. I worked with the network that I appreciate very much, I really grew up there. They supported me a lot. So, when they take away that balance or stability, the floor moves and you say, what am I going to do now? I had always wanted, beyond a business, to see how I could impact lives. So many women who write to me on my social networks and tell me that they admire me, how I did to succeed, and I wanted to be a spokesperson for them. I remember that before Monat I said I was going to do conferences for women, but what am I going to say? Tell my story, that how I got there, that, if I was illegal, that I had my young son, I fought for him ... but what else? I remember that I was in that search asking God to show me something that I can stay at home. Just, they were talking to me to do something in Colombia, in Mexico, some independent productions and I was working on that. Monat comes into my life and I found the possibility to help thousands of people and take advantage of my digital influence in a very positive way. I realize and do a market analysis and there was no public figure doing Monat or doing a network marketing as such and for me it was like my brain was opened and I said: “here it is!”. I am going to be the pioneer in an industry and I am going to show not only my art industry but also the normal person that they can have the life they have dreamed of. She had no idea how she was going to do it. It is a career in which I not only sell, there are many things and I got in my head. My ego told me: ”Either you do it well or you do it”, because you listen to things. You think about what they will say like: ”Ximena Duque ended up selling shampoo, poor thing” and all those little voices that begin to fill your head with negative things. I remember that even my husband told me: “how can you think of it, if you are doing so well on social networks as an influencer”, and I saw further. Since I left Colombia I envisioned myself winning prizes, as a protagonist, successful in the artistic medium, I didn‘t even know how I was going to do it. All of that came and when I joined Monet I began to decree it in my mind. That was my chance and other public figures came after me. I am very proud to say it because I opened that door for my many colleagues in the art world to make this movement with me. I grabbed the bull by the horns and jumped in, I forgot what they will say and when you leave that behind and focus on yourself you can achieve great things.
Are you where you want to be or would you ask for something more from life?
I always want more and with my husband we talked about it the other day because I have a clear mission which is helpful. Right now, with the hurricane in Central America, she said: “Ay. How lucky would it be to be a billionaire to be able to send money to all parts of the world ”. So, as I have that purpose in life to help and I am passionate about it. I would like to fill myself with money to help the children because you don‘t have to suffer or be on the street or starving. I am in a position right now where I can help a tiny part of the world. The day Ximena leaves this land, I want her to be remembered as a person who helped, someone who left a legacy that will pass on to her children. I am with the family that I did dream of, I do not want another husband, I want to die with my husband and reach old age hand in hand. I want to grow with him, I want to see my children grow, I want to grow more economically, professionally, I would like to open my own production company as I was saying because I know that it is a source of money for tomorrow, it is a source of work for many colleagues even that they have been very affected by all this of the pandemic and that suddenly they do not come out to say it, but it is a reality. I always want more, we have a divine boat and I see a much bigger one and I say: “I want that boat”, I am a very ambitious person and I think that is a good thing. I am in an emotionally happy place and my heart is where I have always wanted to be, but professionally I know that I can have so much more.
How are you going through the final stretch of your pregnancy?
Super good! I have three months left, there is nothing left. I have the little clock for the countdown. I know Skye will be born in February, I have three months to work that extra mile and be able to relax for at least three months to be focused on the baby and my recovery. I am very happy, enjoying every moment. My sciatic nerve hurts, my back hurts, I am swollen, well… everything that I did not experience with Luna but I know it is a stage, it will pass and I will recover.
Have you thought about having more children?
No, not anymore. I feel like when you do a check mark. With Luna I knew that I was going to get pregnant again because we wanted to, so I remember that my excuse for not going to the gym was: “oh, but I‘m going to get pregnant again”, but right now with Skye I no longer have excuses And now I’m done and I have to get super fit again. We already have our two girls and Christian, we are already super good.