Just B Rant: Mixing Love and Business?

It can be GREAT and it can be... not great. PLUS: JLo is thriving!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
So I want to be sensitive in talking about this.
I have not watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,
but someone yesterday was talking about Rachel Zoe, who's a
new addition to the cast, who I knew in a
former life. I knew her when she was Rachel Rosenswig,
and she came out to this house in the Hamptons

(00:33):
that I was staying at with a friend because she
was dating this guy briefly. It was actually Madison Beer's dad,
so many degrees of separation. And she was like, you know, natural,
and had this like flowy, curly hair. She was from
New Jersey. Her name was Rachel Rosenswig. She was sweet.
I remember her being nice. I think she I thought

(00:54):
she was a little bit younger than I am. I
think she might be, and then I remember her. I
don't know why, visions of like astor place in Greenwich
Village come to mind. When I was we were all
going out to clubs all the time, and we were
sort of friendly, and she was dating this tall, like
musician type guy. I don't remember who he was. Obviously

(01:14):
she'll remember she was dating him, but they were kind
of serious. I just remember being tall and sort of
like earthy lash musician type, right, and in my mind
I fused him into Roger, but he wasn't Roger. And
I also knew her and Roger a little bit peripherally.
I think I might have known him separately. Or Hampton's
It's all you know how like things blend together. But

(01:37):
when her show came out, that was back in the day.
It was probably before Twitter or right when Twitter was starting,
and we used to blog and the blog only lived
on the blog, Like used to go on your computer
to Bravo dot com to like look at the blogs
and read the blogs old school like. It wasn't like
you were on your phone. No one got their content

(01:58):
on your phone, so you would go on and read
it only there it was contained. So like I remember
Jersey coming out and I would snarkily comment on Teresa
and Jersey just like my inside voice outside. Because you
were required to blog back then for your show, but
I think they had asked for us to blog for
other shows. I don't remember what the rules were, but like,

(02:19):
you were required to blog, so what would happen was
you were kind of required to comment and give your
opinion on the shows, yours and others which meant you
were required to get in hot water. But it wasn't
like now where if I say something on TikTok or Instagram,
it's gonna get picked up everywhere. Bethany it says what
she thinks about Carol and Bessett in Love Story. It
was a contained virus. And then it started to get

(02:43):
a little more widespread because the blogs would be brought
up at the reunions. That was not what used to
happen in the beginning. Later on, it used to be
that like the blogs would be well Bethany said in
her blog or Carol said in her blog. So then
it got to be a little more widespread, and then
it did seep into the magazines. And I bring this
up because I opined and blogged on Rachel's show, and

(03:06):
I remember getting picked up in the mainstream and it
was like oops, like wait what, Like I was like
commenting on the drama of like I die over a
clutch or something like the absurdity, but like that was
like my inside voice, but it became outside and like
I had known her in a previous life, and I
think she might have responded or commented or obviously been

(03:28):
annoyed or upset that I had commented. The truth is
I did feel a little more free to do that.
And I want to say this sensitively because it might
have been no oversight, et cetera. But I popped off
and became successful later than Rachel. She popped off because
of Mary Kate and Ashley and Nicole Ritchie. Like she

(03:48):
was a successful stylist and she was dressing Jennifer Garner
and different people. But she really popped off with the
Mary Kate and Ashley and Nicole Ritchie of it all,
and she was like a hot step and she had
her show. And I saw she and Roger at a
party up in the Hollywood Hills and I went up
to say hi. And this has happened with other people

(04:09):
too that like I knew in my old life that
then popped off when I was still a nobody and
they were icy like I think it might have happened
also in the Hamptons too, where they were like a
little icy like they were up here. I was down there,
like just slightly. And I think it's why I felt
free or justified to opine on that blog. And I
would not do that today. And I've said before that

(04:30):
that was a regret, not because I care or it matters,
just because I have some regrets. Like I shared that
I knew about Erica Jane's husband Tom, and I told
Kyle and Andy about it, and that became a big,
gigantic deal where I wasn't doing it to like toss
her under the bus, because in the show there was

(04:52):
a storyline like did Eric Jane know? And my thing
was like, I knew, but that doesn't mean that she knew.
Like in other words, her husband can be cheating on
her and I could know that that doesn't mean she knows.
But anyway, I talked about it because it was something
going on in the zeitgeist, and then that I regretted
because it was just one of many headlines about her.
So there have been things along the way that like

(05:13):
didn't need to be said, you know, it's just what
happens when you speak publicly and opine on things. I
talked about Lisa Rena's husband Harry sauce because it was
sent to me and in real time I reviewed it
and I don't believe that sauce exists anymore. And I said,
there's no way that this sauce is what he cooks
at home because I'm sure he's a wonderful cook, but
they were upset by it, like things like that happen.

(05:34):
So anyway, that's a big segue into me saying that
I was out yesterday, biggest segue in history. And someone
was saying that Rachel and Roger got a divorcer, getting
a divorce, and that it's public knowledge that he wants
half her business. And it made me think of the

(05:54):
topic of the man behind the woman. And believe me,
I was in a relationship with someone who wanted half
my business with them in a marriage for two years
and I literally hit the lottery sort of somewhere during
that time. But I was able to prove that this
entire business was mine, my idea, and I built the
business and worked the business, and this person did not

(06:16):
help me create this business. This person lived in my
home and we would talk about things that were going
on and when I was selling my company. But it's
certainly not something we built together. But there are situations
where it's the woman behind the man and the man
behind the woman. And I've talked about this also with
business partnerships. So in Calvin Klein had a partner called
Barry Schwartz and I used to go up to that

(06:38):
showroom and the reason was because of Barry Schwartz. That
was his business partner. Like you need your business partner,
especially if you're a creative. Elton John had Bernie Tappin.
Donna Karen had her husband. He died and they were
together and they were strong business partners, like they built
the business together. I believe that the love Shack woman,

(06:58):
I've met her husband, Rebecca, he's instrumental in her business.
In many cases, one person's business is popping off, so
the other person leaves theirs because this one is so big,
you know, And so that is a love shak fancy thing.
I don't remember, but I think like the Veronica Beard
business model has to do with the husbands. They're either cousins.

(07:19):
I think they're both named Veronica, but like their husbands
are business or finance guys, and I think they both
work on the business. Don't quote me on that, but
I will say that there are situations where the man
or the woman has helped the other party build a business,
Like Tory Birch would not be Tory Birch without Chris Birch.
Toy is toy and she's a blonde, creative artist and

(07:41):
she's a successful businesswoman in her own right now. But
he had all those contacts in China to get these
items made, which is why he was able to do
that business later that didn't succeed. That was a great business.
It was called like CB something, I don't remember what
it was. It was basically he had all the contacts
and he was basically making all these dishes and like

(08:02):
all these products that look like air Mez and Tory Birch,
because Tory Birch has many things that look like Airmez
and even the orange and the logo and the letter
and the symbol the tea not the age. That's why
he has all these different brands and businesses because he's
very connected in China, which is where a lot of
these things are made. And if it's not the whole

(08:22):
item is made, the peace goods are made there. But anyway,
so I think she would admit that Tory Birch wouldn't
be Tory Birch without Chris Birch, which is why they're
both billionaires. Maybe on paper, maybe she's not a full
fledged billionaire. I believe she is, but he certainly is
He's had many businesses and either way, they're very successful,

(08:43):
very wealthy. Donna Karen, I think she would say too
that her husband was completely instrumental in her business, Peter
Thomas Roth, the skin guy. They got a divorce, but

(09:06):
there's I believe still partners. Again, Like I haven't done
a deep dive and recently looked at the business of
all this, but I know I'm dangerously close. Bill Clinton
would not have been president without Hillary behind him. I
don't know about JFK and Jackie, but she was a
strong force. So I believe that Roger was the business

(09:27):
and the fuel behind Rachel. I think he had like
a real like either finance or business job, and like
he kind of helped her build her business. And I
know this because he was the one that the agents
were dealing with and she sold her brand, but he
orchestrated that because it was like the brand Rachel Zoe,
And they did all these like licensing deals, which is
why you see her products. And he was very involved

(09:49):
in all that, and you saw that on the show.
I mean, they were very much partners. So that stuff
becomes complicated in a divorce because one person is the
forward facing being. But We've seen chefs and artists lose
their business. I'm thinking of a designer right now who
is extraordinarily talented and he doesn't own his own name anymore.

(10:11):
He does not own his own name because his name
and his brand has been sold so many times that
it doesn't even exist anymore. And it was a major,
major brand. I know Hoed Hippie, the woman hold Hippie.
She was married to someone who was working on her
business with her. That business ended up failing, but she
was major. She was working years before at Theory under

(10:32):
Andrew Rosen, very successful woman in fashion business is not easy.
And then she went off on her own, like it's
not for the faint of heart. Alison Olivia is Stacy Benditt,
but she has Andrew Rosen as her business partner, and
he has built Theory. And I don't know if he
bought Tahari, but someone once told me that he controls

(10:53):
like the most retail floor space in department stores. He's
got like the most space Bloomingdale's. I think it's blooming Deals,
and it maybe other places. But like he's a he
might be a billionaire or close. He's a powerful, powerful
man in fashion brands. So there's always like the business
behind the creative. Creatives are creative. Even Paris Hilton, who's

(11:16):
done very well on her own and a creative and
a businesswoman, her husband's working and instrumental in helping her
take her business to another level. I mean, it all
remains to be seen where it ends up going. But
like her husband is in the background, but he's certainly
helping her build her business. It happens a lot. So

(11:37):
there's the woman behind the man, and there's the man
behind the woman, and it cannot be discounted. It doesn't
mean that every time two people are married. I know
of a publicist, a big publicist, and her husband was
in the mix for all these years and a business person,
and I'm sure helped her because he lived in the
same house and was advising her. But she's the machine,
you know. So it's something that should be really ironed

(11:57):
out beforehand because it can get sticky later. I had
Stacy's on from Stacy's Peter Chips. I think her husband
was involved in the business. When a business gets really big,
it's taking over the household, and the relationship partner gets involved.
It's too big for both people to not have their
hands on that. You know, you go with the fishar

(12:18):
if the boat is in that direction, and that's with
a big fish are that's where you go. And now
that's why you go back on the Housewives. You go
on the Housewives or Dancing with the Stars because you
want some version of like a revival of irrelevance, to
bring your brand into the forefront, to have a renaissance.
Like it seems like it was a good decision for
her to, you know, put herself back in the light

(12:40):
and this time he's not part of it, and this
time it's not all on her back with her assistance
and her staff and her house and this time she's
showing a different side of herself. She's in an ensemble cast.
So anyway, it just made me think of the woman
behind the man. And I also think about, you know
why someone goes back to the Housewives or goes on
the Housewives. You know, it's either because you need the income,

(13:06):
you need the promotion, you need the relevance, or desire
the relevance, or you're like at a board stage in
your life where you need like sort of the purpose
and the sizzle and the shine, which is kind of
connected to the relevance. You know, because Lisa Werena brought
up that you will have damage in pre existing relationships

(13:28):
and friendships in this environment. She proved it with Denise.
You've seen it on Jersey with family members, like you've
seen divorces. It takes a toll on marriage. I'm not
blaming a show for a divorce, but you've had such
a high concentration of divorce, of alcohol, of incarceration, of substance,
of foreclosures of you know, it's not for the faint

(13:49):
of heart, and you really don't expose yourself to that
and do that unless you have a very clear and
specific reason. And when people are like, oh, Bethany would
like to go back, like I could go back, I
have an open or to go back. These are facts.
I have an open door to go back to the
show on e that is the original. And the reason
that I don't do that on its face and as

(14:12):
is is because I want to protect my piece. I
am talking to powers that be on television about a concept,
a show, something that's very very modern in the future.
It's not going backwards. It's not the past, and it
might touch that space, but it would never be I
would never subject myself to that again, there is no upside.

(14:36):
There has to be a very strong reason, and I
get it. I saw a video of Jlo yesterday. I
think it's in her show in Vegas or she's traveling somewhere.
She seems happy, and I like it. She seems like
she's in a renaissance. Like she seems like she's happy,
she's comfortable alone, she's always got something cooking in the
male persuasion, which is her body, her choice, But like
she seems confident. She seems different, and I'm happy for

(14:59):
he her. She seems like she's standing and planted in
her own two feet for frankly, from my purview, like
which obviously is not on the inside. Inside. I know
a lot of people in her world and directly connected
to her, but like, I don't know for a fact.
She just seems like she's doing what she wants to do.
She is literally a performer. She's an entertainer. That's where

(15:21):
she thrives. She's always done that, but she's not doesn't
seem like she's needing a man to do that. And
I think it's extraordinary and wonderful. We all get there.
Something happens at a certain age, and it's just it's
just something that is attached to a number. It is.
Age is not just a number. Age is a fact.
And different things happen at different ages, to your body,

(15:42):
to your mind, to your heart, to your health, to
your security. Everything changes. And so I'm seeing it from
a distance and I like it. Walk to dock, to
the back to the answer, want to do to the answer,