Let's Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari - Rebecca Minkoff Is One and Done With Housewives

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

Launching a business in the early 2000s compared to today, how she became a household name before social media, the biggest challenges she faced when launching a business, what she's doing to... look incredible in her 40s, how she almost lost her business during Covid, advice for launching a business, styling tips, plus what her experience on the housewives of NY was really like.A word from my sponsors:OPositiv - Take proactive care of your health and head to OPositiv.com/HONEST or enter code HONEST at checkout for 25% off your first purchaseQuince - Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to Quince.com/honest for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Fatty15 - You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/HONEST and using code HONEST at checkout.Cymbiotika - Go to cymbiotika.com/HONEST for 20% off your order + free shipping todayNutrafol - Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code HONEST.CookUnity - Go to https://www.cookunity.com/HONEST for 50% off your first week! Thanks to CookUnity for supporting the show! For more Let's Be Honest, follow along at:@kristincavallari on Instagram@kristincavallari and @dearmedia on TikTokLet's Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari on YouTubeProduced by Dear Media.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The following podcast is a Dear Media production. This is Let's Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari, a podcast all about getting real and open on everything from sex, relationships, reality TV, wellness, family, and so much more. And just a fair warning, there will probably be some oversharing. Welcome in to Let's Be Honest. I hope everyone is doing amazing on this fine Tuesday. Welcome in to Let's Be Honest. I hope everyone is doing amazing on this fine Tuesday. I am so excited for today's episode.
Starting point is 00:00:31 I am with Powerhouse Fashion Designers. She's an author. She's a new book out called Fearless. And now she can add reality star to her resume because she is the latest member of the Real Housewives of New York City. Rebecca Minkoff, welcome. Thank you. So excited to see you after all of these years.
Starting point is 00:00:49 And I appreciate you being in Nashville. I came for you, baby. I love that. Have you had any fun or is this strictly business? No, we had fun last night. We went out to dinner. Did you? Where'd you go?
Starting point is 00:01:00 Yeah, Fifth and Taylor. Oh, love. That's my favorite. Yeah, it was delicious. Did you hit up Broadway? No, we thought about it and then we're like, wait, we have to be up at 7 a.m. There's no, we're not hitting up Broadway. We will come back on a non-work trip and- There you go.
Starting point is 00:01:09 I'll take you out. I'll take you guys on Broadway. Done. Done. Okay. So you'll come back. Okay. I love this.
Starting point is 00:01:17 Okay. So we're going to get to the housewives of it all because I know my listeners are going to be so excited to hear about that, but I want to talk about your fashion career because that's like you said, that's how I know you. It's been a little over 20 years. And so I want to go back to the very beginning and I want to know what it was like launching a business in the early 2000s because it's very different launching a business back then as it is today.
Starting point is 00:01:38 It was wildly different. So I would say that things really hit with the bag. It was called the morning after bag. The zeitgeist was sex in the city. All of us wanted to have like our morning after walk of shame and be proud, right? I'm like, yeah, last night was awesome. I was 26 years old looking for love in New York City. And I think it hit a nerve with women in a way that they identify an experience with bags.
Starting point is 00:02:03 You know, I got my first bag when either it was a walk of shame or a career promotion or divorce or a new guy, like whatever it is, women have that, like, this was the bag that was here. And it was so simple back then. I simply just had to find someone that knew you and for you to wear it. And then it would be in all of the magazines and the bags would sell. You know, it's a wildly different landscape today as we know with influencers and paid people. Like this was an organic, like, I love this product.
Starting point is 00:02:30 I want to support this young designer. Let me wear it. And it was kind of beautiful at the time. It really is. Yeah. And so different than it is today. So in the beginning, that was what it took. It was leaning on the celebrities and you were lucky enough to get a few seen with your bags and then from there your name. I mean because you became a household name so that was what it took. Yeah there was also this website called Daily Candy. I don't know if you remember it. It was like one email when you were like, yay I got an email today and it was the hottest, newest, latest and so they wrote the email. Women like yourself, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, Hayden Panettiere,
Starting point is 00:03:06 Lindsay Lohan, were all wearing the bags. And it was through six degrees of separation. Like I remember clearly getting an email from an agent at CAI, I think her name was Leah. And she's like, hey, I'd like to order a bag. And I was like, I'll give you a bag if you get me to all of your girls. And that's how I got Lauren.
Starting point is 00:03:22 So, and you, and so, no, you were through Tamara, but it was still like friends helping friends. And there was like this fun excitement around the brand. Oh, that's so cool. I love hearing stories like that. So what were the biggest challenges that you faced back in the day? Back in the day, the challenges were money.
Starting point is 00:03:37 Like this was all being funded on literally my brother's Amex, he mortgaged his house. We couldn't get a traditional bank loan. We couldn't get, you know, funding wasn't something people did back then. No one was raising money for their companies like they are today. Interesting. And so it was just like rubbing nickels together every day. Like, are we going to make payroll? Can I pay my rent? You know, my initial salary was $23,000 a year, which was in New York City, very unlivable. Yeah. And so it was just like, let's put everything we got into this. This is a rocket ride.
Starting point is 00:04:08 And we're just going to cross our fingers that we can make ends meet literally every day. That is amazing. So when did you start to feel like, okay, I can come up for air. I can breathe a little bit and it's not penny to penny. Never. I know. Never. That never goes away.
Starting point is 00:04:22 I'll tell you this. Just when we thought we were like in the clear, there was a president who made some very expensive tariffs which, you know, forced us to lose a lot of money. And then COVID hit and then it was like, cool, I guess this is going to be our lives. I know it. I know. Well, okay. So, but for over 20 years, you've managed to stay relevant.
Starting point is 00:04:43 That is so hard to do. What do you credit that to? I just think about Madonna. She is the queen of reinvention and she has stayed true to who she is and her music, but she has constantly been in the zeitgeist with whatever's happening. And I think for us as a brand,
Starting point is 00:05:00 it's what projects are we aligning with? What artists, what musicians, what brand ambassadors, and how are we storytelling? I think if you can get those things right, you can remain relevant, but you can't just do the same thing over and over. There's no cookie cutter recipe. And there's also no other brand you can follow.
Starting point is 00:05:17 It's almost like you have to create your own path, which is sometimes scary and risky. Absolutely, yeah. But I completely agree with you. What about, so you leaned on celebrity in the beginning and now the landscape is influencers. Do you guys lean on influencers today? Do you play that whole game? We do, but we don't play it in the way that a lot of brands do where they're spending millions of dollars a year. I think we're very thoughtful about who we use and
Starting point is 00:05:40 why. And then for us, it's really all about these experiential activations, whether it's a lunch or a dinner or a weekend experience at a great venue or partnering with someone out of the blue like a Morgan Stanley to reinvent what a banker bag means to women in finance. We're just constantly trying to make sure that it's not just we're hitting these influencers who are known for their style. We're hitting many other types of women. Yeah. Because our customer base is that diverse. Exactly. Well, and you know, the whole goal with a brand is marketing, right? It's hitting as many people as you can.
Starting point is 00:06:13 So you have to get creative. Very creative. Yeah, very creative. And you have four kids, which I mean, you look incredible. How old is your youngest? Young, right? He's two. He's going to turn two on Sunday.
Starting point is 00:06:23 And then how old is the oldest? He's 13. OK, amazing. So you've got. And then how old is the oldest? He's 13. Okay, amazing. So you've got four kids. You have a new book out, which I want to talk about. Obviously you're running this business. You're on TV. I'm sure you get this question a lot, but how do you balance it all?
Starting point is 00:06:34 How do you do it all? Sometimes I'm like, I need to break it down for everybody. My kids are in school from nine to five. My son goes to daycare from nine to five. That is my workday. I have an incredible team with every aspect of my business, whether it's my PR team, my son goes to daycare from nine to five. That is my workday I have an incredible team with every aspect of my business whether it's my PR team my social team You know the team that continues to design and innovate while I'm gone And so, you know, I'm the forward-facing person you see but man, there are a lot of women
Starting point is 00:06:57 Maybe two men that are supporting me. So I think and also in my home life, right? I have a woman that is incredible and does the dishes in the laundry because it's something I'm never gonna get to. I just had to be like, all right, what can I take off my plate that isn't important? Laundry and dishes. Off my plate. I make my kids do their own laundry now, right, Sailor?
Starting point is 00:07:17 My daughter's homesick today from school. I've tried and they throw the darks and the lights all together, they overstuff the machine, it breaks. And I was like, you know what? I'd rather have you like, mow the lawn. That would be nice. Yeah. I'm going to make my boys start mowing the lawn.
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Starting point is 00:12:31 their 90 day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com slash honest and using code honest at checkout. Well, okay, let's talk about your personal style. I love your personal style. Thank you. And you just touched on this too, but would you say that your brand, you know, Rebecca Minkoff, the brand, is a representation of your style or is it more of an extension so
Starting point is 00:12:57 it is slightly different? I would say that for sure the brand is a representation of my style, but if you look at like, you know, those food pyramids. Yeah, I think that we have to extend and widen the representation at Rebecca Minkoff to be inclusive of women who are not in urban cities, whose most you know, whose biggest experience might be the purchase of my tote or my fragrance. And so you sort of widen what that looks like.
Starting point is 00:13:20 But it all kind of levels back to close your eyes. What do you think of when you think of the brand? And can I still see that fitting in? So, right. It's it's wider. But I think let's just say that as a representative of the brand, hopefully I'm like the most concentrated version. OK, absolutely. But I love a messy sweatshirt and sweatpants.
Starting point is 00:13:39 I'd be in them if I wasn't on your podcast. Well, we could have gone that route today. But you look you look good. How do you describe your personal style? I would say that for the most part, my castmates are like, you're only wearing black all the time. So I wear a lot of black. I think that when I'm home in downtime, it is the casual, just easy.
Starting point is 00:13:58 And then when I get to dress up, it's fun. Like today, our dichotomy is amazing with the snow. But this is perfect because when you walked in, I was like, I want to talk about how good you look. So this is perfect. So on that note, let's talk about it. So I think you're one of the most beautiful women and naturally beautiful. So can we talk about your beauty secrets, your tips, your tricks? What are you doing to look this incredible? Well thank you. I had been carrying around some extra baby weight and I thought running was the solution. And a year ago, actually, I was doom scrolling my own photo stream,
Starting point is 00:14:31 like, when did I look and feel my best? I love that. So relatable. Right? I was just like, I looked better than this. I swear I did. And I was like, okay, 2014, I wasn't just running. I was lifting weights and working out at the gym with a trainer. So I said, you know what, this is my year. I knew I was going wasn't just running. I was lifting weights and working out at the gym with a trainer. So I said, you know what? This is my year. I knew I was gonna be on TV.
Starting point is 00:14:49 I knew that that can add some LBs to the situation. And I said, I'm gonna commit to getting into the best shape of my life in a healthy and long-term sustainable way. So I re-upped with a trainer. I told him, and he was like, if you want this to happen, you're actually gonna have to like watch what you eat. Like it's great you eat healthy,
Starting point is 00:15:08 but a cup of cashews is 700 calories. Oh, okay. So he has you counting calories. He had me counting calories. I don't have to count them anymore. But for the first, I'd say six months, I counted my calories and I ate. I didn't starve myself.
Starting point is 00:15:21 I ate very healthy, but I was just much more cognizant of like what I was putting in my body. And I've become obsessed with hormones. I don't want to get old lady on you, but like perimenopause is real. So I had to balance my hormones out and gut health. Like I take a supplement, it's called BioMe and it's the new fiber, right? That we need to like have a great gut.
Starting point is 00:15:43 And I just think that I was just committed to like, let me see how good I can feel. And I've never felt better. I've never felt more confident. And I'm like, man, why didn't I doom scroll this, you know, six years ago? Right. Imagine if you started that in your 20s. But it's never too late. I'm all into gut health right now and testing your hormones and your food sensitivities and testing everything. I do it every like six months to a year. And same thing, I feel the best I ever have. Okay, what about like skin secrets and beauty treatments?
Starting point is 00:16:13 What are all the things you're doing there? So I had filler once here. I did not like that experience. So I refused to ever do filler. I definitely do a healthy dose of Botox here. Otherwise I look like Keith Richards. Not pretty. And on my skin, I found I'm very much into clean, but not just when a brand says that clean, it's clean.
Starting point is 00:16:31 I really do a deep dive. So there is a product called In Your Face Cream. It is the best, most moisturizing product I've ever found. And the shelf life is probably like two months, which I love. That you need to use it and it's real and it's alive. And then I try and use really just clean products on my face, whether it's say for makeup or, you know,
Starting point is 00:16:52 Victoria Beckham has some nice products, but I'm pretty like, if I don't have to put on makeup, I'm not putting it on. Okay. Yeah. I'm actually the exact same way. Okay. These are great. Are you doing lasers? Are you doing red light therapy or just, I seem pretty low maintenance. I can't, like I'm like, when will I do this? Well, right, exactly.
Starting point is 00:17:09 You don't have time. No time. I have not done any lasers, but I want to, and I'm scared. So I need someone to tell me what are the lasers we're gonna do. Okay, so I go to Joanna Cech in New York when I'm in New York. She actually says, don't do lasers
Starting point is 00:17:23 because they're bad for your skin barrier. What? And I will tell you, I've done every freaking laser on the planet. I've never noticed a difference ever. I think they're a waste of time and money. So don't do it. I don't think you should be doing it.
Starting point is 00:17:33 Okay, because I really felt like I could do a laser here. I could do a laser here. Well, maybe your chest could handle a little bit more. I don't know. And my tummy, like the skin is like- After babies, it's like a little creepy. I know. A friend of mine recommended Morpheus for that,
Starting point is 00:17:49 but I also heard they're scarring and I'm just like, I don't wanna make this look any scarier than it already was. Yeah, I know, I know. It's that creepy, I know. Go to Joanna Chuck, she's so good. She's so good and she's right there in New York. Okay, let's talk about your book.
Starting point is 00:18:00 Tell me about your book, Fearless. Yes, so I wrote this book during the pandemic. I released it during the pandemic in hardcover. So this is coming out in paperback. Okay, got it. There is an added chapter with a lot of hindsight from COVID. We almost lost the business during COVID,
Starting point is 00:18:16 like staring at the barrel of, we're gonna go out of business. And so I wanted to add more content to it, being distant from COVID and what I've learned and how we've rebuilt the company. And so the actually the last chapter is all about money and how we don't talk about money enough. We'll talk about sex and relationships and family and our kids.
Starting point is 00:18:35 It's the first thing most women go to when they're with their friends. They're not like, how much did you make on that deal? Are you investing in anything good? How much do you have saved just in case? And so the goal is to get more women to just get comfortable with that. I love that. Yeah, that's smart.
Starting point is 00:18:49 How did you guys rebound from COVID? Oh my God. Well, we got, we like survived barely. It was the end of 2021. Then all the factories where we make our product in Indonesia were shutting down and or only allowing part of their workforce in. So we had 3000 of 300,000 units
Starting point is 00:19:09 that we were able to receive for our biggest season of the year, which is our fall and holiday. Wow. So if you can imagine cashflow comes to a complete halt, you can't ship anyone, no one can pay you. And you're sitting there, your bank has already been generous and extended their loan to you.
Starting point is 00:19:24 And you're like, this is when I need the big guns. This is when I need a strategic partner that can come in, that has an office in Hong Kong, has multiple factories that can get us goods. And so we sold the company to a strategic that had that muscle. And so they acquired it in February of 22. It was the most exciting and scary experience, but they've been amazing partners and I still
Starting point is 00:19:46 have my day job. There you go. And yeah, and I get to focus on the things that I love versus the holes in the boat. Okay. That makes sense to me. So that's interesting because I'm actually, we're about to take Uncommon James out to investors and it's the scariest thing I've ever done. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:20:01 So the process has been okay for you. You seem happy. I've been through it many times. So offline or on, I'll tell you everything to avoid because we sold the company in different pieces throughout the years. And sometimes we had bad marriages, but the contract you sign is worse than any marriage contract you're trying to get out of. So you just have to be careful and like really make sure that you're not like, oh, in seven
Starting point is 00:20:23 years you have the right to sell the whole company. If we can't find a buyer, like in the, in the beginning, you're just like, ah, seven years, it's so far away. But when it comes up fast, you know, it can be, it can be scary. So there's things to know and avoid. Okay. And I think if you have a great lawyer, someone advising you, then, then it's good, but don't, don't give up control. Oh, I, I know it. I actually have a friend who unfortunately did that and it really, it messed with, you know, it bit him in the ass. And so, yeah, I've learned, I think, what to do and not to do, but I still, I'm
Starting point is 00:20:55 like, okay, it's happening, but it's exciting. It's exciting. Okay. I want to know what the highlight of your career has been or if there's been like one era that you just absolutely loved? The era, I mean I still go back to the early days when you know I would see you wearing my bag or you know literally like doing drug deals on the street with bags like there was a super model who she rode up on her bike I give her literally a trash bag because I don't know why
Starting point is 00:21:24 I've filled the bag that she had selected and she like strapped it on her bike and rode off and then wore the bag like all over the place. I love that. I don't know. There was just an innocence and a naivety and like there wasn't this transactional quality that there is today. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:39 Where it's if you want me, how much you're going to pay me. Yeah. And I don't know how to get that back because these big brands have huge budgets and they will pay people so well that everyone now thinks, oh, this is what I cost. And I just want to get back to this like love and excitement and support in a way that could feel more organic. And I don't know how we get there. I agree. It's totally changed. And there it was so beautiful back in the day because it was, it was like you'd get a bag and you'd just be excited about it. So you would just wear it, you know, where yeah, it has, it's changed. I will say, I do think if I'm gifted something and I just love the designer or the brand or
Starting point is 00:22:14 whatever, I will post on social media. Have you seen that? People saying like, thank you so much for the bag or- For sure. Does that help? It makes a difference. It creates brand awareness. But the like virality of like, again, what you or Hayden or Lindsay created with sales, it's really hard to get that pop these days, which is why I think so many brands have to like hire so many different people. It's not just one size fits all. I think people also like the whole putting celebrity on a pedestal thing has kind of
Starting point is 00:22:43 come down to. And I think especially with this influencer world, people realize now people are getting paid to wear a bag or talk about a brand. It's lost that, luster is the right word, but that's sort of like the aspirational piece. That's kind of gone, which is so sad. I know. I know. Now what I'm seeing is about how are you embracing and bringing your community
Starting point is 00:23:05 along? Yeah. Are you inviting them to come watch the podcast? Are you inviting them to a dinner? Like are you inviting the community on a trip? Yeah. Which is exciting. And I think it's like time to sort of balance it out a little bit. Yeah, that's a good point. Okay, you guys know I also love NutriFull.
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Starting point is 00:27:10 course, the convenience of it, having meals just show up at your doorstep is huge and such a time saver, but I also love having peace of mind that you're made with local in-season ingredients, high in protein, and they're good for you. I got a wellness grilled chicken with Farro, which I have to say guys was really good. Again, I love shouting from the rooftops that healthy does not equal boring and Cook Unity is here to co-sign that statement. And I'm on a huge protein kick right now, so I love so much that they also focus on high protein meals because I do find you eat more protein not as hungry throughout the day I definitely snack less when I'm getting all of my
Starting point is 00:27:54 protein in. Crush your health goals with nourishing convenient chef crafted meals delivered straight to your door. Okay so go to cookunity.com slash honest or enter code honest before checkout for 50% off your first week. That's 50% off your first week by using code honest or go to cookunity.com slash honest. For women listening who want to start a business, what would your advice be today for them? Today, I would say you need to know that you are committed to this, that you are in it for all the hard, ugly stuff, which is most of the time, and that this is your North Star, and that you will get up every day after you've been hit in the face, smacked around. You're like, yep, still love what
Starting point is 00:28:42 I do, so I'm going to go do. Because it's hard. And I think obviously, it's there's a lot of glossy magazines and Instagrams and social media looks like my trip here is gonna look so fantastic. Right. But there's a lot of hard work to get here. And so I think it's just like, no, that it's ugly. There's failures. There's hardships. There's more nos than yeses. And if you still can say, I'm good with all that, then do it. Great advice. Yes, it is not for the faint of heart. That is
Starting point is 00:29:10 for sure. Even when I start thinking about launching other categories that are adjacent to the brand, I'm like, Oh God, I know the work this is going to take. Am I up for it? Even the book. I know. Am I up for this? I know. It's so much work. It's a lot of work. It is. Yeah. No. And that's why a lot of people don't end up doing it. And that's why, again, your career is so incredible for over 20 years that you're still sitting here and having this resurgence and you're still a household name. I just think it's incredible. Thank you. Okay. And you're a style icon, you're a fashionista. What are your best fashion tips for the girlies?
Starting point is 00:29:43 Okay. It drives me crazy when a girlie is going to put on a shoe that she cannot wear the whole night. I don't want to see you limping. I know. I don't want to see you like holding on to a friend. There's no phone a friend. If the shoe is uncomfortable, by all means, just don't wear it. Okay.
Starting point is 00:29:58 Yeah. I can take that advice now. I can't walk in heels like I used to. I mean, these went on and they're going right off. And you're sitting the whole time. I love that. I think the other thing is, is like, obviously with Gen Z, there's a lot of trends coming back from our OG era. And I think for our, I'm older than you,
Starting point is 00:30:15 but for our age group, like we don't need to revisit, like, you know, some of these things. I agree. And leave it to Gen Z. They can wear the vintage, but like you don't have to participate in every trend. Like honestly, if you look great for you and your body type, I always say like go on Pinterest,
Starting point is 00:30:31 find someone that looks like you who you admire and like build your vision board because you can look great as you. And that's, that's when you feel most confident. Not like, Oh, I got to do this trend and baggy jeans and crop tops and low rise and baby teas. Like I'm never wearing a baby tee again. I think, well, after kids, I know it all changes. I think you would still look good in a baby tee,
Starting point is 00:30:49 but I know what you're saying. That's great advice. I completely agree with that. And cause not every trend looks good on every body type either. Not at all. No, I also think investing in a tailor can really go a long way.
Starting point is 00:31:01 I didn't believe you until I was on Roni and Jessel gave me the name of a Taylor and I went in and I had everything just tweaked and I was like, what have I been doing my whole life? Right? Game changer. Game changer. Yeah. It really does make a difference.
Starting point is 00:31:17 Okay. Well, we have to talk about Housewives, obviously. Let's go there. Let's go there. Okay. I want to know how difficult the decision was to go on the show or was it like, no, this is great. I'm excited.
Starting point is 00:31:28 And how did it come about? It was an incredibly difficult decision. There were so many things that I weighed. You know, am I going to show my family? Am I going to show my personal life? How will this impact my career or not? Like what is going to potentially be exposed? Like someone was like, oh, the skeleton in your closet are going to come out. Like someone was like, all the skeleton in your closet
Starting point is 00:31:46 are going to come out. And I was like, what are my skeletons? And am I okay with that? So I wrestled with it for months. But I also committed to going on the journey where you're interviewing and talking to, you know, producers and they're deciding if, you know, you're a fit. And the day came and I also talked to a lot of people
Starting point is 00:32:03 within the industry and fans and just like, what do you think? And it dawned on me after talking to so many people that there are a lot of people that I respect and admire that are big fans of the brand that also like the show. Yeah. And so to me, if I could be at that Nexus, it was good for me. It was good for the brand. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:32:22 You know, Brynn in the reunion is like, if you, you should have just done an advertisement for your brand instead of coming on the brand. Absolutely. You know, Brynn in the reunion is like, if you should have just done an advertisement for your brand instead of coming on the show. And I'm like, why are you on the show? Like everyone here is doing an advertisement. Well, right. I mean, that's what it is now. It's like, were we here for like the betterment of humanity?
Starting point is 00:32:36 Exactly. I mean, that's what it's about now. Of course you're gonna come from a selfish angle. Everybody is. I mean, everyone's promoting something on almost all their shows. Well, and again, you came in with an established name. People know you for your brand.
Starting point is 00:32:50 So that just makes sense. Of course you're going to talk about your brand. Okay, so I want to know. I didn't even talk about it. I was just wearing it and that was considered too far. And that's too much. God forbid I wear my brand on TV. That's ridiculous.
Starting point is 00:33:01 Okay. Well, okay. So I have a friend who described you as a sleeper sniper. She said that, I know I love this, that you were just getting the lay of the land, taking it all in, but that you're super smart and you're just getting your game plan together. Do you think that's an accurate description
Starting point is 00:33:15 of your first season? My first and last season? I'm gonna ask you that's my next question. Wait, so you're one and done. I am one and done. I think that, and I genuinely think that, but when I was going through the process, what was told to me about the style
Starting point is 00:33:30 and the direction of the show was something that is not what it became. I was told this is a revamp. We want to showcase powerful, like successful women, gonna be fun, funny with a little bit of drama. And I was like, I can get on board with that. And I said in my interviews, I said, I am not here to take other women down.
Starting point is 00:33:50 I will not be gossiping behind their backs. I will not be coming up with petty stuff to attack them for. That is not who I am. And if that is not right for the show, great. And they were like, no, we don't need that from you. We have that. And I was like, perfect. And then it became something different
Starting point is 00:34:07 and that's not who I am. It's not what I stand for. And so I just, I can't do it. Yeah, no. And I mean, I respect that. It's of course, they're gonna tell you what you wanna hear too. I think they genuinely believed it.
Starting point is 00:34:18 Maybe they did. Maybe they did. That's what I'm hoping for. And then the cameras start rolling and everyone it's like, oh my God, I don't even know what just happened. It brings out the worst in people I really do think. I remember sitting there so many times being like, wow, everyone is being so extra.
Starting point is 00:34:33 And then I sat there and then when I rewatched it, I was like, I look so quiet. I mean, I was obviously edited and they only showed the quiet parts. But I was like, I never was trying to get my moment because I was like, I don't need that. So what do you say to the other cast members and or audience who yeah, called you boring?
Starting point is 00:34:51 This is what I would say, somehow being nice, being respectful is boring, which is sad that women are doing that to each other. Yeah, I agree. And I would say there was so much, I was vocal, I was participatory. I had things to say. We showed other aspects of my life.
Starting point is 00:35:07 We shot other aspects of my life, whether it was me and my daughter at a photo shoot or a female founder collective event where we united like 20 industry icons for this incredible event. And all that was cut out and I was distilled into the times I wasn't saying anything. And I have no control over that. And that's, you know, it's a waste to be honest, because I really gave a lot and that side wasn't shown. Yeah, that's a bummer. That's a huge bummer.
Starting point is 00:35:33 And what about forming connections with the other ladies? Did you find that really difficult or were you able to have some allies? I think during filming, I think we all know who wasn't my ally. But I appreciate that, you know, Brynn showed who she was from day one. And at least you know what's coming. At least you know, like, alright, I'm going to stay away from you. But towards the end, you know, really, I love Uba. She and I got close. I love Jessel.
Starting point is 00:35:58 She's like a truly great person. And I just think that real people and how they act all the way through and to the end, you know, either come through or they don't. Yeah, exactly. So do you think you'll stay in touch with them? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Okay. Well, good. I'm in touch with most everybody. It's okay. You know, so not a complete waste. I never look at it as a waste. You know, as a brand, the only reason why we're still here is we took risks. Yeah. In so many ways, a lot of it was social based or technology based. This was a risk. I have zero regrets. It was great for my business. It was great for being able to have a platform to
Starting point is 00:36:33 celebrate 20 years, but I got to learn something and I've learned my lesson. And you're done. And that's that. Well, as far as the brand goes, because I know firsthand, And that's that. Well, as far as the brand goes, because I know firsthand being on a TV show and being able to expose a brand is you can't buy that kind of marketing. So did you guys see an uptick in sales and traffic to the site? Yeah, the traffic to the site was quite unreal. Amazing. Like every Tuesday, Wednesday, you just see these spikes and no one sitting on the marketing
Starting point is 00:37:02 team is like, that's because I did an ad on Google. They're like, no, no, no, I'm pretty sure it was the TV show. Thanks. Well, that's great. Yeah. So, I mean, you know, that's good. That's good. No, business has been incredible from it. It's also though, I really sat there, I said, business has done well. Awesome. Awareness is up. But this took me out of being able to think about my priorities in life. You know, like my four kids, I don't know about you, but this took me out of being able to think about my priorities in life. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:25 You know, like my four kids, I don't know about you, but like having had a baby later in life, I was able to be president in a way that I wasn't with the first three when I was like building my company and all in it. And I don't want that being taken away from me because I'm thinking about some petty drama. I know. You know, I was like petty drama or bath time. Like I'm choosing bath time.
Starting point is 00:37:46 Any day of the week. Yeah. I know that's the thing. It's like, you know, when I did reality TV, I was, well, high school and then early twenties. I can't imagine, imagine being thrown back into that situation as an adult. So you'd never do it again. Hell no.
Starting point is 00:38:00 The Real Housewives of Nashville is not coming soon. No, and people are always like, you should do it. I'm like, you couldn't pay me enough money. There's no dollar amount that would make me go back. No, cause peace is way more important. Right, and being here and not distracted, that is what is valuable. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:38:14 What about the brand? What are the goals for the next five, 10 years for the brand? Where do you see yourselves going with it? So we launched an exciting collaboration with Erin Andrews. Oh, I saw that. For the Superbowl. Yeah, for the Superbowl. So that's exciting. We have Andrews. Oh, I saw that. For the Super Bowl. Yeah, for the Super Bowl. So that's exciting.
Starting point is 00:38:27 We have more in the works to come for September. Amazing. And we're just going to have like a really fun year with lots of activation sort of celebrating all throughout the year just that we're old, that we're 20 years old. That we're old. My God, don't say that. That's a great partnership, by the way. That makes so much sense to me for the girls
Starting point is 00:38:45 with the football tie-in and everything and Erin, I think that's so, so good. Yeah, and I also think that fashion and sports is having this moment and it's like, you wanna look cute and support your team, but you don't wanna look like you were like vomited on by like the fan store. Yeah, exactly.
Starting point is 00:39:00 So you wanna look like chic and I think you're seeing that with all the wags, where wives and girlfriends. Yeah. So yesterday was like, what is a wag? I'm sure your audience knows a wag. I think they do, but I don't know. It's good you cleared it up just in case.
Starting point is 00:39:12 I love that. Well, good. That's exciting. I'm excited for you. Thank you. Okay. I want to last thing, play a game with you. I love games.
Starting point is 00:39:20 Okay. It's hot or not fashion version. So I'm just going to give you something happening in the fashion world and I want you to tell me if you think it's hot or not. Okay. Okay. Okay. Overalls. fashion version. So I'm just going to give you something happening in the fashion world. And I want you to tell me if you think it's hot or not. Okay. Okay. Okay. Overalls. If you're wearing them with like a bikini top, it's hot. Okay. That's cute. Uggs.
Starting point is 00:39:34 The platform ankle ones. Hot. That's what I have. Thank God. Sweats in public. Hot. Okay. But they have to be like a sweat suit. It has to be chic. Not like... Not like stains all over it from cooking. And yeah. Okay. But they have to be like a sweatsuit has to be chic. Not like, not like stains all over it from cooking and yeah. Okay. White year round. I'm going to go with not because I cannot wear white. The minute I put it on something has attracted itself to. I feel like white would be good on you though. I wish. It's a dream.
Starting point is 00:39:58 I know you just can't do it. Yeah. It's a dream. Monochromatic. As I'm literally monochromatic. I think it's hot. Okay, good. Mixing brown and black. I hate brown, I'm sorry. Do you? I mean, it doesn't look good on me. I become a Kardashian, which I love them, but you know, I'm not part of the family.
Starting point is 00:40:16 So I'm just not a brownie girl. Okay, interesting. That was a big color for the fall, I think, wasn't it? It was huge. We had a lot of brown in the line, and I was like, I love it guys, but I'm not gonna wear any of it. Just can't do it.
Starting point is 00:40:26 I feel like it would be good on you. It's just too monochromatic. It's like brown eyebrows, brown hair, brown, I don't know. Yeah, I get it, I get it. Adding a pop of color. I like that, if it's the right pop of color. Okay, what's your go-to pop of color? What colors do you like?
Starting point is 00:40:40 I think when Brynn was making fun of my wardrobe the most, I was like, but Brynn, I pepper in hot pink all the time. I do wear color Brynn, I swear. I love a pop of pink. OK, amazing. That's all. You're the best. Oh, my God. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much for being here and for doing this.
Starting point is 00:40:58 And then tell everyone, remind everyone where they can find you. Oh, my gosh. You can find me at Rebecca Minkoff, at Becky Minkoff for a look into my personal life. You can listen to my podcast Minkoff at Becky Minkoff for a look into my personal life. You can listen to my podcast, Super Women with Rebecca Minkoff. Maybe you'll come on. Yes, I would love to. I'll let you know when I come to New York.
Starting point is 00:41:11 Okay, good. And then you can buy this book wherever books are sold, but support a women-owned bookstore if you can. I love that. You're the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you guys.
Starting point is 00:41:20 We'll see you soon.

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