Sex, Love, and What Else Matters - ARIANA MADIX + Welcome to Balancing Act!

Episode Date: April 4, 2024

Episode 101. In this episode, Kristen and Luke are joined by Ariana Madix to celebrate the launch/rebrand of their new podcast, Balancing Act! Ariana talks about all the balancing she’s been doing lately with her super busy schedule – from Dancing with the Stars, to the Chicago Musical in New York, and everything in between! She shares the detail of her new house, her current relationship, becoming the new host of Love Island, and life before Vanderpump Rules. How does she balance work and play? How did she and Kristen become friends again? What is next for Ariana? Tune in now to hear all these details and so much more!  Sponsors: Go to Addyi.com and use code DOUTE for a $10 telemedicine appointment Get 15% off with the code DOUTE at Oneskin.co Follow us: @kristendoute @luke__broderick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Listen, we're all out here doing our best. We're balancing life, love, work, play, family, friends, downfalls, dreams. I mean, life is full of ups and downs. Adulting can be hard, but Luke and I are still here to get real from both the male and female perspective and very different walks of life. Still unfiltered and vulnerable. And speaking of unfiltered and vulnerable, I knew I wanted this to be our first guest of our rebrand. And I cannot think of anyone else more fitting to discuss balancing life's curve balls

more than my love and our friend, Ariana Maddox. Hi, Ariana. Hi, Kristin. Hi, Luke. How are you guys? I miss your face, girl. We're Kristen. Hi, Luke. How are you guys? I miss your face, girl. We're great. We are good.

This whole Valley thing has been throwing. It's weird being on TV for the first time. I remember right before you guys started filming when we were at Foxfire that time, and you were like, so what should I expect? I was like, I don't know. Expect the unexpected. But now you know the intangible of what it's like.

Yeah, I sure do. So anyway, we can come back to that later. We can talk about the value, but guys, we're not talking about VPR today. We're talking about fun stuff. Yes. We're talking about things that actually matter. So because this is the balancing act,

just a few things that you've been up to lately are, you're playing Roxy Hart in Chicago on Broadway, you finished Dancing with the Stars. Yes, you're on a reality show as well for a very long time. Congratulations. Brand deals, Living by Coastal this year, writing and releasing your second book, Single as Fuck Cocktails, New York Times bestseller. You also have DFH cocktails. We will also talk about that in a few.

You have a sandwich shop opening up, something about her. You bought a new house. The host of Love Island. You're a dog mom, you're a cat mom, not to mention being a girlfriend, friend, daughter, sister, et cetera. You're not busy at all. I'm sure I missed a few things, like eating food, sleeping, peeing, showering, the basic necessities. Yeah, all of that stuff. Yeah, a lot when you put it all together.

Yeah. Have you mastered brushing your teeth in your sleep yet or sleeping standing up? I will take a nap any time or place I can if I can. And I'm a sleepy girl. You are. You know, so yeah. But I found that like, honestly, sometimes I feel like the busier, for me,

sometimes like the busier I am, the easier it is to like keep going with that. And it's sometimes when you feel like getting started is harder for me. I agree 100%. I'd rather have my day jam-packed than have like two tasks for the day. It's harder to get up and get those two things done than it is if you're like, if I don't start right now, I'm not gonna get through everything I have. Yeah, it's crazy how that works. Okay, well let's talk about Chicago

first because it is fresh in your mind. When I was texting you yesterday asking you to do the podcast, you were like, okay, so I have voice lessons at this time. I can squeeze it in here. So what does that day to day look like right now? Because you're almost done with your run, which they've extended. So what is the day to day like rehearsal, voice, dance, whatever? So it depends on the day. So typically I do voice lessons on Fridays.

So I'll get up. I try to get a coffee before so I'm not like wanting to just freak out on everyone. Try to get moving a little bit because if I go into my voice lesson without having talked to anyone or drank a bunch of water, I feel like I'm starting from like zero and it takes too much time to like warm myself up. And then I'll go do that for like an hour

and then this is like Fridays. Yeah, sometimes I'll go straight to the theater from there and I like to be really early. Like if a seven, if it's a seven o'clock show, I'd like to be at the theater at like 4.30 or five. And that way I can like get into my dressing room, I can like fill up my kettle with water and like sit on the couch and scroll on TikTok for a little bit. And then like, like just kind of like chill

before I start doing like vocal warmups and stuff. Yeah, like decompress with mindless things. Yeah. And then our amazing hair person, Barry, he'll come in and install my wig 45 minutes before the show as I'm finishing my makeup, and then it's time to get dressed, and then the show starts. Do you have any days off? Because I know you have two shows on Saturdays and Sundays.

Saturdays and Sundays are two show days, yeah. Those back-to-back two show days are pretty brutal. It's crazy. I mean, you have to literally be thinking in song from here on out. I can't even imagine thinking about anything else, especially when you have the two show days. That's fucking wild.

Yeah, it's like in my head, people will say something in conversation and I don't know. It's like it's so ingrained in me at this point and I have the music from the show stuck in my head at all times. I've been trying to like make myself like the new Beyonce album is out and it's so good. It is so good. And I was like, thank God I have like something like I was like, I need to start listening to like other music because I feel like just this Chicago

music is like all the only thing in my head. Yeah. Ever. You're like, I can't get it out of my head. I mean, and so I'm assuming, but I know the peeps want to know Dancing with the Stars, killer, killer time. I got to see you so many times. Luke was fortunate enough to get to see you when he was in town as well.

Very cool. You killed it. Did it totally help prepare you for doing Chicago? Yeah, because the rehearsal process, like for Dancing with the Stars, you know, you never stop rehearsing because you're learning something new every week and it's four hours a day and then towards the end, you know, we're talking five hours a day and then plus like if, we're talking five hours a day. And then plus, if you wanna go work on something by yourself, you're adding more and more time. And the rehearsals for Chicago were four hours or sometimes less, just depending on

what we were working on. So I feel like that, I was already set up to be like, all right, we're good for four hours. I can kind of take stuff in. And then what's great about Chicago about this is that, you know, we learned, I learned this track, this Roxy role. And then over time, it's like, I'm not learning something new all the time.

So I'm able to just like really hone that. It's like dancing with the stars is like when Taylor Swift was rehearsing for the arrows tour, she would go train at this gym in New York and have to sing all of her songs while working out in order to, that's what she chose to do. I think it's like six hours a day or something to prepare her for the Arrows Tour so she wasn't running out of breath so she knew everything. It's like Dancing with the Stars was like your dog pound, Jim.

You know what I mean? And playing Roxy is like your Arrows Tour. I love that. I mean, that's what I mean? And like playing Roxy is like your arrows tour. I love that. I mean, that's what I think. I have a question about Chicago Ariana. How many times, how many performances will you have done? Do you know the total number? How many times?

I guess, so 10 weeks, eight shows a week, so 80. But then there were a couple that I had to like, Well, 10 weeks, eight shows a week, so 80. But then there were a couple that I had to like, because I had to fly back and film like the reunion. So I missed, well, I missed three shows. So that makes it 77. And then I got sick and I missed, so 75, I think. Holy shit. That is crazy.

That's a lot. No big deal. 75 shows in 10 weeks. You're a champion. And we do. And how are you loving New York? How is Maya loving New York? So at first, Maya was definitely,

she doesn't, she's used to a yard, right? So being walked on a leash, like she enjoys walks, but in the quiet neighborhood, and she doesn't really go potty on walks because she Doesn't equate the two as like what she's like what we go sightseeing on walks. What do you mean? We go potty, right? It's like peeing at like a Starbucks like I'd rather pee at home than at a Starbucks on a walk It's like this is I have my private bathroom. Yeah spoiled it so Starbucks on a walk. She's like, this is, I have my private bathroom. Yeah, a huge one. She's spoiled at the place.

What was great is that I've been living pretty close to Central Park. At first, the loud noises of walking past, at one point there was people using a generator outside my building. That's so loud for her, but she's gotten way chill about it. She actually is so confident now on these walks and we're so close to Central Park that the second she gets to the grass, she's like, all right, and here's where I pee and poop. So I feel like at first it was definitely a bit of an adjustment, but she's loving it now. And I love how confident she is with, she's so friendly.

Brad was like, I walked her in the park and she made so many friends. She goes up to people now, which is like stone. Like her. She's a little social mariposa. Yes, she's in her mariposa era. I can't wait to see her again. I need to get her some more James May hoodies

for when she does like her New York conquests. I was like, I was wearing your James May hoodie. And it ordered her a coat and it hadn't come yet. And I was like, I need to put something on her like what will fit her. And so we put that on her. And it actually just looks so cute. And she's rockable. We're loving it. She's like the cutest fucking thing ever. Okay, well since the whole point of this new podcast is like the balancing act in which we just, I just named, I mean, probably not even all of like your accolades and all of the things that are going on

in your life right now, how are you finding, especially in New York, because you're working nonstop, like a balance between work and play? I know you got to go to the Madonna concert, that was epic. What else are you getting to do, are you and Dan getting to do, to like fulfill that other part of you?

So you're not just like go to work, go home, sleep, go to work, you know? Yeah, there is a lot of going to work, going home and going to sleep, but I think when you have that one day off a week and it's, I think, important have that one day off a week and it's I think important to have plans ahead of time to know we're gonna go to a restaurant that we've always we've wanted to go to or go see a show that we've been wanting to see and have that plan ahead of

time because if I am left to my own devices I'll just use the day to do absolutely you know nothing which also sometimes is good just use the day to do absolutely nothing, which also sometimes is good. You need a day to do nothing. Oh, hell yeah. But the thing that I have to do is, and I feel guilty sometimes because I could be on my phone 24 hours a day,

either liking things, commenting on things, or texting, or whatever, or being things or texting or whatever, or being on TikTok or whatever. And I have to like truly be like, okay, this is rest time. The phone goes down. Yeah. Because otherwise I'll be on my phone all the time. I won't be present and I won't actually be getting into that rest mode. Yeah. So it's a lot of like, okay, work is done. And Dan is like really good. He's like, okay, work is done and Dan is like really good. He's like, okay, have your phone time, your scroll time, and then it's like put it on like, do not disturb so you can actually eat and chill.

Sounds like Luke. He's like, it's like, Kristen, this is your tablet time. Like I'm a two year old. It's like, you can have 30 minutes of tablet time and then the phone must go away, be present, watch the movie perhaps, or like do this. Yes. Because phones, they are available all the time and every time that phone dings, it also makes me more anxious because I'm like, oh, something needs to be done constantly. Like, oh, I need to do this, I need to do this.

And so I have to put it on silent and put it away or else I'll literally be tethered to it at all times. Girl, I fucking get it. Trust me. Addy. Ladies, did you know that one of the most common complaints for women about their sexual health is a frustrating low libido? Our sex drives can decline, but it's also treatable.

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at oneskin.co. That's 15% off oneskin.co with code Doty. And after you purchase, they're gonna ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them that we sent you. Let's talk about Dan for a minute, because what I love is the parallel, like you and I had about,

we both got out of toxic relationships, and we both went to a friend's wedding very close after those shitty relationships ended and we both found a boyfriend that is amazing and awesome to us at said weddings. Right. Like what are the chances? Telling you guys find your man at a wedding. It's possible.

But, so you guys were long distance obviously. You're not long distance as of this moment in time because of Chicago. How was it when you guys were long distance? I feel like the two of you really worked that well. He always came to visit. You were going to New York, but you're both so busy anyway that it just works for you guys. So what was it like?

Yeah. It just, it works for you guys. So what was it like? Yeah, I think there's something about it that I think, especially given the time in my life when we met, that being long distance really forced us to just, because we were getting to know each other over the phone. So we were having these like long, in-depth conversations that if we lived in the same city, we maybe wouldn't have been doing that. We probably would have been like going out with friends. Of course, part of me wishes that we could have had that phase of going out with friends and just like drinking and going dancing and like, oh, going home together or whatever.

But like, I think it was best for me, especially having like gone through what I was going through and had just gone through to like this person who is so amazing I'm getting to know them on like a very real level without the physical and it's like because we're long distance it like naturally moves that kind of like a slower progression and you're like forced to have these kind of like deep conversations because otherwise like what are you gonna do? Yeah, because you could skate right past them. Right. And yeah, I mean, I think it was, I mean, given everything, I think it was like kind

of like the perfect scenario. I totally agree with you. When Luke and I started dating, you know, we were long distance all the time. And my favorite thing was like both of us having our AirPods in like doing laundry or whatever it is like around the house, but we're just like chatting away and like actually getting our shit done because we're talking to each other for hours and hours and hours and it was like hell yeah this is awesome and now I can't wait to see you because I miss you you know like that excitement. Yeah like so exciting to to see each other and then right now it's been great because we're in the same city. So

just like how you guys are right now, you're getting to do the day-to-day, you know, what's for dinner, kind of that stuff, which is also really fun. I know I love how much he cooks you dinner. Even when he comes to LA, he's like the chef for like every time we people have people over I still need to try a Dan dinner I heard I missed an awesome like seafood boil. Yeah, he made Yeah, you missed it was crab at my birthday, which is so good Yeah, he's a great chef and he is always feeding me which I love You're just glowing when you talk about him like he makes you so happy I can tell He's so cool.

He's so cool. Like, and you've met him, you've hung out with him a little bit. And San Francisco, Applebee's. Applebee's in San Francisco. Yeah. Yeah. Luke still talks about that, how mad he was that

of all the places in San Francisco, he's like, we could have gone anywhere, any cool seafood restaurant. And we went to Applebee's. I'm like, hell yeah. It was the only place that was open and where we were staying. I loved every second. That could be true.

It just, yeah. I wasn't, you make it sound like I was angry. I was, I was bothered a little bit that we were going to Applebee's in our one night in San Francisco. That was, yeah. I was excited. We don't have chain restaurants here.

Like you have to go to Burbank, like downtown Burbank to go to a chain restaurant. I miss them. Yeah, you have to go to where like the TJ Maxx is and. Ikea. Garden, yeah. Olive Garden, that's my fucking jam. I love Olive Garden, give it to me.

So once you're done with Chicago coming up somewhat soon, what's the plan? Are you guys still just going to keep doing long distance for now and just keep talking about it and seeing how things go? Yeah, I think I would love to be more bi-coastal. Having these few months here, I would love to, obviously there's so much work to be done in LA and so many things I need to get done in LA, but I would love to kind of do this more, you know, do a few months here, a few months there. And obviously this is all just like fantasizing and, you know,

but I think it would be really cool to be able to come back here for longer periods of time. Instead of just like a week or weekend vacation to visit kind of a thing. You are such a city girl. You're such a New York girl. But you're also such an LA girl. Like it's very weird because I'm not a New York person. You are definitely an LA girl. Yeah. Like when I go to New York for press, and one time I had to go to Azara, another time I went to get my nails done, and I'm the chick with my headphones on, my screens really dark because I'm Google Map walking myself somewhere, and I don't want people to know that I don't

know how to get around the city and that I'm terrified. I feel like most people who live here also Google Map where they're going. So I don't need to be embarrassed? Okay, good. No. I'm like, someone's going to be like, fucking transplant, get out of the way. Why are you wearing heeled boots? Oh, Lord.

I'm like, listen, as long as you're not standing right in front of me on the sidewalk, we're totally good. Yeah, just move the fuck out of the way. Oh my gosh. Okay, so we all know the big dream was always to be on Broadway. Check. What about being an entrepreneur? Like when you were younger?

Did that, was that something, because I'll say for me, I was never like, hmm, when I grow up, I'm gonna own my own businesses and I'm gonna be an entrepreneur. But I feel like with our platform and flexibility and the means, like it just became something that I'm now obsessed with doing is like constant in which you also have like so many different your book and companies

and things like that. Was that a dream or do you think it's something you like fell into and then started dreaming as an adult? I definitely think the latter is true. Like I think I've, you know this feeling of being like, okay, getting a restaurant job as an actor, a model, you know, and as your survival job, and then, you know, ending up on with this platform on reality and then feeling like, well, if I'm not booking all these acting jobs, like, I need, I, I want to have things going on and just kind of following this path that you didn't expect or didn't plan on or didn't dream of. Oh, yeah.

But yeah, after falling into it, it's almost like you are inspired about the things that you love to do. And so it becomes like a new dream, exactly like what you said, like as an adult. We're so lucky that we get to follow our passions, but it does take the hard work too. Like these things can fall into your lap at once in a while, but if you don't work your ass off for them, they're gone faster than they came to you. And I think a lot of people don't realize that.

It's like very much juggling all of this stuff. You can't just go like, oh, I got a brand deal, big deal. Or like, oh, I got this, big deal. It's like there's a lot of hard work that comes to making it come to fruition. I think a lot of people don't understand also how much work podcasting is. I did the brand deal again with Bic Easy Rinse and we did the tongue in cheek kind of like, oh, we're sitting down for this new podcast. And saw someone in the comments was said something about It was just the way they phrased it. They said the words were Get a podcast. I

Was like in my mind, you know, I was like I understand how that might seem on the outside But you don't get one you make one. Mm-hmm. It is so much work to be this what you guys are doing like what is the name what is the voice what is the angle and then the producing of episodes constantly like it is a lot of work because you are you're creating and you're making it yeah you know it doesn't just happen so I think it's that kind of stuff is like I don't think people realize like what you're saying like how much it is to juggle everything. Yeah, I mean, even when you were offered

Dancing with the Stars, you were offered it because you're such a like person in the public eye right now, but also because I think you have a background in that, they're not just taking like Joe Schmo from whatever reality show and going, hopefully they can, you know what I mean? Even though they do that with athletes, but it's like you could have been voted off

the very first or second time if you didn't work for it. And then same thing with Chicago, because you worked so hard on Dancing with the Stars, then you were offered this role, but you have to work your ass off for it. You don't just get to pop out like you were saying earlier, like what is your day to day like? You're not just showing up at five you know, five to seven and throwing

your wig and a costume on and going, oh, well, here we go. It's a lot of work. It is a lot of work. And I have so much respect for people who juggle more than I'm juggling right now, who are doing, you know, who have kids getting up at six o'clock in the morning and doing everything with the kids and then going and performing every night. Well, I would imagine a lot of those people, I think about that like the Chrissy Teegans and the Beyonce's of the world and all of that and I'm like, oh God, but they also have those of that stature. It's like the nannies, the assistants and the help, which, you know, that's why I'm

curious about everything you're doing because, well, we kind of talked about this earlier, like very briefly, but like it kind of, for you, you're saying it kind of became the new normal, like just being busy all the time. Because for me, like I need a handler sometimes, like I don't have an assistant all the time, but it's like I have Luke, if I don't have Luke, I have my, you know, my best friend Zach who's like, okay, get up, this has to be done today. I need that push sometimes so I don't get overwhelmed or anxious. of Luke, I have my best friend, Zach, who's like, okay, get up. This has to be done today. I need that push sometimes so I don't get overwhelmed or anxious.

So for you, you don't have an assistant out there. You have a friend who's helping and you have your boyfriend who can obviously be helpful. But is it really that it became your new normal or do you think you need a handler asking for selfish reasons? I definitely feel like sometimes I can get very easily over-owned by like a list of things that need to be done. And if it keeps growing, then all of a sudden it's like, oh, you know.

It's too much now looking at it. Like, where do I start? Where do I end? Exactly, exactly. So it is nice sometimes, like if someone is like, why don't you just start with this? You know, that helps a lot. I definitely think that having, see, I think I would be overwhelmed more

by having an assistant because I would be like, oh, I'm supposed to like come up with things to tell them to do. And then that would become like a part of like another task that I would be stressed about. Oh my God, you're speaking my language. I just was going through this the other day. I have someone who I might bring on part time, but the thing that stressed me out the most

was I don't know what to ask her to do. And I'm the control freak that will like say, okay, yeah, just do this. And then I'm like, nevermind, no, I can, I got that. It's like, it's just faster if I do it because I know exactly how to do it. So therefore I have nothing for you to do. And it just took me three hours to create a list that I'm now gonna do myself.

I totally fucking get it. And what about like stress? I mean, do you feel like you're almost too busy to be stressed or what are you doing to handle like stress and anxiety? Oh, I mean, I get stressed out for sure a lot. And when I'm stressed out, sometimes I can get like super irritable. So I try to like, not do that, or like not put that out on people who are like nearby at all. If I can plan out my day and actually stick to it and like do a little bit of like yoga and stretching and like actually do what I set out to do the night before,

I'm a lot stressed. If things start falling by the wayside, I get really like, oh my god, like I didn't do this, I didn't do that. But sometimes, this is gonna sound so stupid. Sometimes when I get really stressed, the best thing for me to do is to be like, like I get to the top, you know, like I take a breath, but I get to like the very top where it really feels like I got it all.

And then I like literally will like woo it out or something. And then it kind of like feels, I don't know. It feels fucking good. Yeah, kind of like that scene you've seen, I love you man, right? When they're screaming under the bridge, kind of like that, you just gotta let it out. Sometimes we just gotta let it out.

No, that's really fucking great. I mean, like, I'm not the big like, hey, I'm gonna take a moment to breathe and meditate. I wish I were better at it once in a while, but like taking a huge breath, holding it and letting it out so slow is like, holy fuck, slightly orgasmic and just wait, what was I stressed about one second ago? I kind of forgot because I had to think about screaming like that or letting that out. No, I totally fucking agree, dude.

When you do that, you like realize that you were breathing super shallow, but you don't realize it. I don't realize it until you take that deep breath. I'm like, oh shit, I just was barely breathing. Yeah. It's like, oh fuck, remind myself to breathe. Okay, check off my list today. So you said you do some yoga.

Yoga, a big part of yoga is the breathing. I think that's how you- it established in your mind when you take the time to do yoga and stretch breathing as part of it. Yeah, no totes, totes, m'goats. Okay. I want to, as Andy Cohen says, switch gears just for a second because I was listening to your BFF, our friend Meredith's podcast, the backup plan that you just did with her. And I'm not going to get all up in your bidness about your egg freezing journey. Everyone, go listen to The Backup Plan.

Fertile Myrtle is Ariana's episode that just came out. But for selfish reasons, I want to ask you about acupuncture because I have an appointment next week for fertility acupuncture and I've never done any kind of acupuncture. Oh, okay. So like the needles, like I'm not afraid of needles. I have tattoos, but the thought of laying there with like needles sticking out of me, like what is just, what the fuck does it feel like? Like give me the basic bitch like layman's terms of like what it was like for you.

Yeah. So, you know, you get in like your undies and you'll lay down and For fertility there are a lot like focusing on your abdomen your uterus, but there's a lot of other points as well They are the teeny tiniest little needles. Do you feel them? It's yes. Okay. I think the key is stillness How great and after like after like a one or two appointments? Okay. I think the key is stillness. Oh, great. And after like after like a one or two appointments, I would fall asleep. So it was like that relaxing.

The first time it was a little, you know, you don't know what to expect. Yeah. And you do feel it at first, but then some of them you feel and then it kind of goes away and you don't feel it anymore. That's so wild. Depending on the area. Yeah. But it's interesting. I was telling Meredith this, whenever I would have a needle in my third eye area, I would

have visions while I was napping, basically. That's so fucking wild. I'm going to ask her if I can have a third eye one. If she wasn't planning on it, I'm going to be like, listen, my friend went and she have a third eye one. Like if she wasn't planning on it, I'm gonna be like, listen, my friend went and she got a third eye one. So could I just have a third eye one? Cause I would like to have visions possibly. You have to be in the right head space going into that.

You might have some bad visions. Thanks Luke. Luke's like stillness? What do you mean? What's that? I think you'll end up loving it. Sorry, how many times have you done it-ish? I did it during that time.

I did it probably six times maybe. Oh damn, okay. I did it recently during Dancing with the Stars when I was having issues with my foot. I did some acupuncture on my foot to try to get rid of some inflammation. That was different, but yeah. Yeah, your foot was so fucked during that time. I could not believe you kept dancing. That was wild. I just reminds me to stop being such a big baby.

There's a video of it was, you know, right after Sochi and Val one and everyone's that and I'm there's you can see me coming from where we were all up on the stage, just limping, trying to get over to them to be like, clapping me like, woo. I can barely walk. You're like, oh my God, where's my wheelchair? I don't have to do this for a little bit. Thank God. I didn't even think about that with Chicago, so your foot's healed.

Like you had enough time to let it heal. Yeah, rest was key. Good thing your boyfriend's a personal trainer. You're like, Dan, will you massage my calf? Dan, will you roll my foot out? That's what I would do anyway. I mean, you're totally an athlete. I think that's something you had probably had athletic tape around your ankle before going into dances, right? Oh, yeah, a lot of it. Okay. She's like, Oh yeah.

Amazing PT on that show. And so I was like seeing her twice a week and she was doing like electric stim on me and all like all these crazy, amazing things just to keep the things they do to just keep us going. She's a profesh bro. Okay, a couple more things and then we have some fun questions. But because I was even asked, Luke didn't even know about DFH cocktails, which I think is so fucking awesome, especially even though we're not in a pandemic anymore.

I think a lot of us have gotten really used to and prefer being at home and ordering online. So something I actually don't know is, did you think of that before you did your last book, the single is Fuck Cocktails? Congrats on New York Times bestseller, by the way. Thank you. Huge, huge, huge deal. But was that something you thought this should go hand in hand or was it something you came up with after?

Because it's fucking brilliant. It's brilliant business. Thanks. Remember back, we would always get like FabFitFun boxes. Yeah. Subscription boxes. Curated boxes, yeah. Yeah.

They were such a thing that was really cool a long, long, long time ago. And I thought, wow, I kind of want to, that would be such a cool thing to do, like with cocktail recipes and you have everything you want, like right there to make whatever it is. And I always loved the ideas of like, the idea of having it be like a thing at home with like drinking games and stuff like that in the box.

And then it was an idea that I didn't really know how to bring to life. So, you know, it kind of fell by the wayside a little bit. And then during the pandemic, it became like a real, I was like, let's, I wanna make this happen for real because now everyone, you know, it makes so much sense now. It's not just like a lofty idea. So then we had like our first cocktail

kit. So it was something that was born basically pre pandemic, but then out of the pandemic. And then we wanted to branch out into things aside from, you know, like the full for me, in my mind, the kit is like the prestige product. Right. But then all the little, the things that go into that are also their own thing. So, you know, the cloudberry syrup, and then we have all these like other powders that we're working on and like all these ways of like combining things to make different cocktails.

And I don't know, I like the idea of, you know, people having their friends over and then being like mad scientists in the kitchen. Totally. Like just fucking chemists. Like, let's do this and let's add that. And, oh, you like tequila.

Well, I want vodka. And like, that's okay because we can add this, whatever. You go to a cocktail bar and you have a cocktail that is delicious. And a lot of times it seems like, oh, I could, if I made it at home, it wouldn't taste as good or it wouldn't be as good. But to be kind of like really simplify and make it so that, no, you actually can make it just as good. Yeah, you don't have to have a vodka cran.

You can have a drink from home, fucking cocktail. Hello. No, I think it's brilliant business. I think it's an amazing entrepreneur like strategy, but also I do think it is the simplified version for a lot of people because they, like you were saying, like they go and they go to this bar where it's like a mixologist and they're like, oh God, and then they go to like Bevmo. I mean, even my friends have done this, obviously, luckily I was a bartender so I don't necessarily fall into that category of freaking out.

But it is difficult. You go to Ralph's, or you go to Von's, or you go to Gelson's, whatever, right? Publix, for you Florida peeps. And you're like, oh, they don't have this. They only have this crappy sour mix. And then it's just like, no, you can do this, order the box, and it's going to last you for more than like, one serving.

Yeah, well, cause a lot of times too, you're like, oh, I wanna make this drink, but I don't wanna buy a full giant size bottle. Of like St. Germain, of whatever. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, totally. I think it's just genius. So everyone go to DFH cocktails, order your, those are also great gifts, I think. These I think it's just genius. So everyone go to DFH cocktails. Order your...

Those are also great gifts, I think. These are fantastic gifts for people too. If you're like, shit, what do I get for someone? Get them a book and get them a curated cocktail box. Hello. Order their house and make them make a drink for you. Yes, actually even better. Even better. Before we get, we have some rapid fire and then some fan questions. but before that, I am so excited for you to come back to LA and I'm excited to give your brand new house

the proper warming and welcoming that it deserves. And yes, of course I loved your other house. You did an amazing job decorating it, but I've texted you this, but there's just something so special about doing it all on your own and being like, this is just for me in any way, shape or form I want it and I did this. It's like there's, yes, it's like something to be proud of, but there's like joy and like fulfillment that comes along with it that is kind of, you can't really describe it.

Like, Luke, you know, I mean, you own property. And like I've owned my own house on my own. There's just something really joyful about it where you're like this is all for me and I can do anything I want with this So I'm just really proud of you and I'm really excited for you And can we go to a nursery together again and like pick out some plants? Absolutely, that is where Ariana and I thrive I love plants as well. So maybe I can tag along. I'll third wheel with you guys. Luke, you can carry all the plants and we'll just pick them out.

There we go. Maybe Dan will be out here and he can help. We'll choose them. Your muscles will carry them. I'd love that. So with this being, obviously this is all your house and everything, but you and Dan have been going strong for a bit here. Is he going to have any sort of influence or space in your house?

Like do things for him? He'll definitely have, you know, a drawer. Yeah, Luke started with a drawer and then I gave him a dresser and part of a closet just so he didn't have to like pack things all the time. Also, this house is a lot smaller than my previous house. So I don't have a lot of, I'm gonna be downsizing a lot, which I love.

I love purging. It's gonna feel nice. But he's definitely gonna be helping me just making sure, helping me get things set up. And he's really good with, like he's renovated things and knows how to, of course he does. He knows how to like build things and install things.

Oh, I've seen him on Instagram where he was like redoing all of his bathroom lighting and like, the wires are out and he's like before and after. And I was like, did you just do the freaking electricity work in your apartment? What the hell? Yeah, like plumbing stuff. So I'm like, hell yeah.

So I'm excited. I'm excited to like see what he thinks also about the whole space. It's going to be really, I don't know, it's going to be really fun to just be like, this is mine and like you were saying, get to do whatever I want with it. It's literally the best thing ever. Okay. Yeah. So a few just super rapid fire, random asked questions and then some fan questions.

Rapid fire favorite pizza topping. Just one pepper. One bucket list item that you want to have checked off in the next two years. Oh, I'm giving you two years because the end of the year is just way too hard. Or go to Europe. Go to Europe. Okay, love it. Currently, what are you currently streaming? Just started Shogun on Hulu. Okay, New York or LA?

I know. Today, New York or LA? Which one are you feeling more? Would you rather be in LA right now or would you rather be in New York? It's nice out right now, so New York. Okay, New York today. Dancing or singing? Oh, oof. I didn't say these were gonna be easy. Okay, singing. Yeah, not easy. Favorite Disney princess? Mulan.

Ooh, good answer. She likes people's asses, I like it. That was probably my favorite. I don't know why I didn't think of her as a princess, but she is, and that was my favorite female protagonist type of Disney movie growing up for sure. Mulan is my favorite. One word to describe yourself today.

Smiley. Okay, I like it. I thought you were gonna say busy. Or tired. Tired, yeah. She's like, she saves tired for Sunday night. Would you rather have, I think I know the answer to this, but would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon?

A pet dragon. I knew it. So we could flop. Yep. Your go-to karaoke song right now. Oh, you know, I haven't done karaoke in a long time, but you know, you ought to know is my go-to. Alanis Morissette is typically my favorite.

She's the best. And last one, what language would you pick if you could learn it immediately? Like if it were just embedded into your brain? Immediately, I'm trying to pick one. Oh, I always wanted to learn Portuguese. That is a good one, because that language is hard as fuck. It's like Russian and Spanish and like something else. In Italian. Yeah, in Italian.

I always wanted to learn it because I watched the long, long time ago, the movie City of God, which is a great movie, but these are speaking Portuguese and they're in Brazil. And I just was like, wow, this is such a beautiful language. And so I was like, I want to learn Portuguese. And of course I have not learned any of it. But maybe if someone snaps their fingers, you will.

But I got my fingers and now I know it all. Yes, exactly. Okay, some fan questions. This is from S-L-E-S-S-E-L-L-E underscore. What are your plans once you finish up with Chicago, just in general? We back to LA, opening our sandwich shop, something about her in West Hollywood.

I have a new house that I've purchased. There's a lot to be done there. Hopefully going on some sort of restful vacation. And at some point, I'll be going to Fiji for Love Island. Awesome. And we're going to talk about that soon. Yeah. So Luke, I don't know if you know to Fiji for Love Island. Awesome. And we're gonna talk about that soon. Yeah, so Luke, I don't know if you know she did get to guest host on Love Island.

And now she got the job. So as far as, tell me Ariana, if this sounds like something you and Dan would enjoy, but if Dan's out here, Kristen and I, we're gonna do a trip up to Sequoia. I've never seen it, like the national park. And I think that'd be super relaxing, grounding type getaway.

I would love that. I have also never been up to see any of that. Oh my God. The Sequoia. Okay, we'll plan it in the future. We don't need to make more plans to make plans this exact second, but in the future. And this is from a bilingual playdate.

That's a fun name. Speaking of Love Island, how excited are you about Love Island? Are you going to host for one season or more? I don't know the answer to that question, but I am very, very excited to be hosting. I mean, I have very, very epic shoes to fill. You know, Sarah Hyland is so awesome and she is so good. And I'm grateful that she has something else that she wants to do right now so that I can get a chance because it's my favorite show ever, ever, ever.

But Maya Jemma and Sophie Monk, they are so amazing and I just hope that I can do as good of a job as everyone else has done previously. You're gonna kill it and I can't wait to see your outfits. Mostly. Oh my God. I'm so excited for the styling. Okay, this is from Jackie Helly. How has our friendship, Ariana, me and you, evolved over the past few years?

We got a lot of these questions, like why didn't we ever see a scene? Why did we only see that one tiny scene? How did that even happen? Well, it's been many years now. Yeah. Well, obviously, people saw what they saw on the show, but we never got our journey shown really, unfortunately. I would have loved that. I feel like it was once I stopped being like psycho crazy and trying to ruin your life. And then I started dating Carter and then I like calmed down a lot more

and I went to therapy and all of that. And then it was like, oh, you guys all really liked, this was like my version of like the beginning of it is like you guys really liked Carter and we were coming around gently and then just like time healed things and I stopped acting like a psychopath.

Well, I mean, I feel like, you know, my way of knowing you was obviously not, it wasn't positive. I'm not saying that's not because of you. That's just how the nature of how things were. And so I got to know you, I was like, okay, I fucking love her. So. Same. Yeah. I was like, wait, she's really fun and cool and awesome and really smart and really fun to talk to. And she likes to cuddle and watch movies and she has great taste in music when

falling in love. What is happening? So that was the evolution of our friendship. This is from Elizabeth Baker, 311. What is your vision for designing your new house? Do you have a Pinterest board or a mood board in your brain? Yeah, I have a mood board in my brain. I've been saving TikToks and saving things off Instagram for inspo. The house was built, it's a mid-century home that was recently renovated. So what I think is great about it is everything's kind of very clean slate right now.

So everything's been renovated to the point where everything's functioning, everything is good to go, everything, there's no issues. There's, everything's very healthy, right? In terms of like this older home. So she's doing well in that regard. And then I love that she's it's a she. I love that. Yeah. Hell's bells.

Yeah, dude. And lots of plants. Okay, this is from my shadow is Blenheim. Tell us a little bit more about your acting and training, your acting training and background. I would love to hear more of your pre-Vanderpump Rules story. So for those people that don't know about you being in New York before and college and all of that. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Well, so I majored in... I have a theater degree and I always wanted to do theater. I wanted to be on stage. And so I moved to New York, literally from, I did NYU summers. And so for people who don't know, you can basically take a class, right, like for six or 12 weeks at NYU with NYU teachers and everything and stay in an NYU dorm. I mean, this is obviously like 20 years ago, so I don't know what the deal is with it now, but it was a thing that they were doing back then and it was like a really awesome way. I just, cause I just wanted to be in the city and I really wanted to be acting and be on

stage and so I took, you know, like one summer I took audition technique and vocal training and so I was going back and forth between my school Flagler and my theater degree and then over the summer come to New York and doing these classes. And so I moved straight from like an NYU dorm to an apartment that I found and kicked around here for a few years, just like trying to make things happen. And as you know- What was your apartment like? Oh, well, my first apartment was a basement. I was like, was your toilet in your kitchen?

I mean, I, you know, I'm not a big New York person, but I see this shit on Instagram all the time. And they're like, for $2,500, you too can have a 200 square foot apartment. Yeah, it was, maybe if anyone lives in New York and they walk by it, it was 324 East 13th Street, apartment B1, B1 meaning the basement. And you could walk up to the building, but like not, you wouldn't go inside the building.

There was a gate on the outside and you would open the gate and walk down some stairs. And then my apartment door was right there, basically opened to the street sort of. And then it was just like one long room and the bathroom and the kitchen were in the back. So you'd walk in and that was like the living area room. And then in the middle is where I put my bed. And then beyond that was like my kitchen and the bathroom and like size wise, to the best of my memory, it wasn't that bad, but there was zero natural

light because I was in, I was underground. And so that was pretty, wasn't my favorite. When you're young and you're like, I'm just like this artist. Totally. Like, I'm just like a starving artist, like doing arts and things. Yeah, exactly. I thought I was like, I thought I was like in the musical rent, basically. Fucking love that musical so much. A lot of people am in the flesh. So yeah, while I was doing that, I was also like trying to make

something happen, but I had like no connections to any sort of of agencies or I didn't know anybody. I had my friend Paige who I met off MySpace and then my friends that I made, I started working in restaurants and then I started doing promotions for Camel Cigarettes and then I was go-go dancing and sketch comedy videos. I was doing everything under the sun to make ends meet and try to stay creative in some regard and tell myself I was doing like everything under the sun to like make ends meet and try to stay creative in some regard and tell myself I was still performing. Yeah, totally. You know?

I mean, you were. Go-go dancers performing. Listen, don't take that away from yourself. Yeah, exactly. I mean, sure. And then I did this project and I met a friend on the project. His name is Kevin Christie. He's an awesome like actor and fine artist.

And he was like, you gotta move to LA. Like if this is really what you wanna do, like LA is where you're gonna find opportunity, you're gonna actually be able to make this happen if you're for real about this. And I was like, man, I've been really trying to avoid moving to LA. Thought I could really make this off.

Like stop doing that. It was in the cards for you. I moved to LA and started out, well, and then I think people mostly know the rest. But yeah, a lot of my degree and then a lot of classes at Leslie Con in LA, a lot of audition technique classes, a lot of vocal lessons, a lot of like random dance classes and stuff like that. Just trying to save up money to be able to afford to go to class is tough too. Oh yeah. Yeah, it's education but it's a lot of hustle and bustle really to afford the education. It's a hustle. That's the thing. Totally. All this stuff like I think for for anybody it's a hustle. Yeah. Okay, I know you have to go, so we'll just do two more real quick.

This is from Irma Danielle. It wants to know, when did you know that you were by, fellow by, and that you helped her come out? Which melts my heart. Oh, congratulations on coming out. I think it was something that I didn't know. I had feelings very early on in teenage years or whatever, but I didn't think I, I don't think I knew what that meant. It's just like when I was an adult learning that like these feelings I was feeling since I was know categories for things that other people were also feeling the same way like

thank God for the internet now because I feel like you know we're able to find like-minded people. I think that is the only like the major blessing of social media is like the connections that you can make. There's so much negativity but there is a lot of positivity in that realm. Yeah, that connection. Yeah, absolutely. So I think I felt it early on and I don't think I realized it until like, I don't have like a moment specifically, but I would say probably sometime during college, maybe a little bit later, I was like, okay, I think that's what this means.

I love that for you. And I love that you have connected with so many people, including Irma Danielle. We love you very much, sending you all our love. And last question from Sour Grapes, which is an odd name for this lovely question. What are you looking forward to the most in 2024? I think I'm looking forward to, I think there's like a sense of freedom or like a sense of like open-endedness to this year that I have never felt before. And I'm looking to forward to feeling and experiencing that with all of my, my friends and my family and everything. All the possibilities.

The possibilities are endless. Like going to success in the international forest. Yes. Exactly. How else spells yes. Okay. Well, I love you. And you know, I just found out, I think like two years ago that why people say

break a leg because it means you're a part of the cast Did you know that I don't know if that's true, but that's what I read and it was like I like it Okay, so break a leg tonight everyone you can still see Ariana in Chicago through April 7th and then she's back in LA and I'm stealing her follow her on all platforms duh Dfh cocktails get her book if you don't have it. There's just so many other things. Just go on her Instagram and buy all her shit. Something about her merch, just all the stuff. I love you so much. Thank you for being our first guest on our new podcast, My Little Busy Bee.

Oh, yes. I'm so honored. I'm so honored. Congratulations on the rebrand. I'm so excited for you guys. I love you so much. I love you so much. We'll talk to you soon.

Thank you, Arianna. Thank you. Bye. Mwah. Bye. Mwah. Make sure to follow us on social media. You can follow me on all platforms at Kristen Doty

and follow Luke on Instagram at Luke double underscore Broderick. Be sure to click the Subscribe button so you can stay up to date with new episodes every single Wednesday. Thanks for listening. See you next week. ["The Truth Never Gets Old"]

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