Bobbi Brown has left an indelible mark on the beauty industry, building not one, but two empires! And in the process has also managed to write 10 books, including a memoir, out in the Fall. But when she’s not busy making us all beautiful, she’s home with her beloved family, which includes her fur rescue kids!
EPISODE NOTES: One on One with Makeup Artist Extraordinaire Bobbi Brown, Who Has Created a Cosmetic Empire!
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EPISODE NOTES: One on One with Makeup Artist Extraordinaire Bobbi Brown, Who Has Created a Cosmetic Empire!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rappaport-to-the-rescue-on-pet-life-radio-petliferadio-com--6667849/support.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Wrappaport to the Rescue with award winning animal advocate, best
selling author, journalist and pet products creator Jill Rappaport.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hi, Welcome to Rappaport to the Rescue. I'm Jill rapp Report.
It's an absolutely gorgeous day out here, and I had
such an amazing event this week. I went with one
of our beloved dogs from Southampton Animal Shelter to the
Hampton Bays Middle School. I had such a blast. I
thought it was an amazing event because we were able
(00:42):
to take one of our beautiful shelter dogs, an incredible
four year old boxer named Lily, and introduce her to
all of these adorable children, and just seeing the faces
and the excitement and the enthusiasm for Lily was just overwhelming.
And the principal came up to me and said, can
(01:02):
you come here three days a week because this is
so educational for these young people, and it really is.
If we get the message to our young which are
our future, then we are going to truly make a
difference for animal welfare. And I felt a little bad
because all of the students were saying to me, I'm
going to go home and tell my mommy and daddy
(01:23):
about Lily. Can you imagine what went on in those homes.
The parents are probably not big fans of mine right now,
but hopefully they're going to understand the importance of rescue
and adoption. And I'm praying that one of those students
maybe end up with Lily. They were so in love
with her, and she was so excited to be loved
(01:46):
and just have everybody pet her and tell her how
special she is. And that really is what the message is.
We have so many animals in the shelter right now,
and anyway, if we can't get you in, I'm going
to bring them out to you to show you how
wonderful they are. So I just wanted to share that
little special story with you. And today we have a
(02:08):
really great show. I'm so excited to catch up with
a pal of mine that I used to work with
on the Today Show. Of course, ladies, if you wear makeup,
you know this name. Bobby Brown is a beauty industry legend,
a true force to be reckoned with, a makeup artist
extraordinaire whose brands have always been that absolute faith amongst
(02:29):
so many celebrities, She's also a best selling author and
come this ball, she has a memoir coming out. Hopefully
she'll share a little of that with us. In addition,
she's also a sought after speaker and a true serial entrepreneur.
So when we come back, I'm getting my lipstick and
blush on. So I'm ready for Bobby Brown on Rappaport
(02:51):
to the Rescue. Stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
You know the expression kats have nine lives? Well, can
give them one more, but give them ten. Movement is
on a mission to help give cats and extra life.
How with spee and neoter Spain or nootering your cat
helps them live a longer, healthier life and it helps
control free roaming cat populations too. Learn more about the
(03:19):
benefits of spee and neoter and meet Scooter the neotered
cat at Give them ten dot org. That's give them
ten dot org.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I want to know who the latest trendsetters are in Hollywood?
How about Irish setters? Find out who's been spotted with spots,
cowing with her jaw and shopping for Gucci with their pucci.
Get this scoop on all the latest celebrity pet pattern
right here Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Welcome back to Rapaport to the Rescue. I'm Joe Rappaport.
One of the many things I love about this podcast
because you can't see us as I basically can do
it in the new if I want to write, I
hang out with my guests. We don't have to worry
about hair and makeup. We just chat away.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But today I have to admit I did put a
little blush, a little eyeliner, because I have the grand Dame,
the queen of the makeup industry, and I am so
excited Bobby Brown to have you here.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And I have to tell you when I was telling
my friends Christy Brinkley, Lisa Greenberg, Everybody's like, oh, I
love her new line Jones Road, and they went on
and on about your makeup as if it's a staple
in their life, like drinking water in the morning. Ah,
that's so nice to hear. And first of all, I
just ran from yoga. I have a touch up appointment afterwards.
(04:43):
And then the first thing I did is Courtney remind
me is a video and she said, no, so thank
you for that. Well, you always look great. And I
said in our intro that were pals from the Today Show. Yeah,
I remember We'd Beyond. I'd be at that time in
the beginning was the entry tainment reporter and then I
became the animal advocate and Bobby you would be in
(05:03):
the studio getting the beautiful models ready. And I always
was so impressed with your calmness, your naturalness, and that
is what you are all about your makeup. It's all
about pure and natural. Well, thank you for that, And
I'm glad you think I was calm. I guess, you know,
my insides and my outsides are different, you know. I
guess I'm like that duck that I'm sitting on top
(05:25):
of the water, but my feet are kind of going
up and down. But look, my makeup style has always
been about enhancing the person who's sitting there, not trying
to change who you are, and not trying to make
you look like someone else. So you know, some people
like a really strong makeup with smoky eyes and red lips.
That's fine. The only makeup I don't like. There's two
(05:47):
things in makeup that I really don't like. One of
them is contour. Oh, I don't understand why people think
they have to change their face. And I think most
of the contour looks dirty and it doesn't look great,
and I'd rather enhance and bring out the positive things
about your face and ignore the things that you might
not love. So I don't like that, and I don't
(06:09):
like when people use a foundation that looks like a mask.
When I'm done with the foundation, I just wanted to
look like my skin is better. And you always look
so natural, and the models always look so natural. That's
what I love about the Bobby Brown style is that
it's just bringing out the beauty and you really don't
see the makeup right. Well, it's so funny. The Bobby
(06:30):
Brown style from the brand is different than the Jones
Road style, so I know it gets confusing, but I
am Bobby Brown. I was born. That was the name
that was given to me, so I know it gets
confusing to people. But Jones Road, I think, is just
like the next step into what I think women should
(06:50):
do to make themselves just look you know, better, And
it's not about looking younger, Jill, It's about looking just
fresher and better. Well your career. You are such a titan,
you know they say serial entrepreneur. That's like, I feel
an understatement for you, because you know it was hard
enough just to get a career going. You built an
empire and that had your name right, and you worked
(07:13):
for big corporate America. Tell our audience how you built
this brand and then all of a sudden, your name
was not part of you anymore. Well, I started, as
you know, really a makeup artist. I studied theatrical makeup
in college. They didn't have a program, but I designed
(07:34):
my own. So I graduated college and moved to New York.
After a year after I waitress, so I knew I
could support myself. And I had no clue, Jill, I
never know what I'm doing. And I just started looking
through the yellow pages. Who can I call? Who could
tell me? You know, what it means to break in?
And I just started doing that, and I built a portfolio,
and I started doing makeup for little jobs here and there,
(07:57):
and you know, seven years later, I got my big
break in the fashion industry, which was a cover of Vogue.
So that kind of set me up for a nice
freelance career. But during those seven years, I had this
chance meeting at a book signing because I had a
couple books out, and I met this wonderful woman Fran
(08:18):
and turns out she loved me on the Today Show
and she said, I think you should be on it,
and I said, I'd love to be a regular. She said, honey,
Jeff Zucker is my grandson. Oh and Jeff Zucker everybody
if you don't remember the name, and you should. He's
a titan in media at the time, was executive producer
of The Today Show and it rose it way up
the ranks in his twenties, right right, So I you
(08:40):
know that. Also, by the way, there was no social
media right that put Bobby Brown Cosmetics on the map.
And for whatever reason, I wanted to be taken serious.
Everyone had titles, right, you know, editor, the news editor,
the fashion everything. I wanted to be the beauty editor.
And Jeff looked at me like huh, and then he said, okay,
(09:00):
so I've said, you know what, I'm not going to
stand up here and sell I don't want to be
a you know, a schlocky makeup artist saying oh, darling,
you must have this. But I wanted to teach people
how to use blush. I never mentioned my brand. I
never mentioned you know what the products were. People ran
to the counters and they bought them. Anyways, so it
worked out. That's amazing. I mean I was on the
(09:21):
Today Show and it certainly didn't launch me the way
it did. So wait a second. Talk about Bobby Brown
STI Lauder. I mean it became a name that everybody
had to have in their makeup case. Well, I think
when you know, Bobby Brown Cosmetics was born. I was
a freelance makeup artist doing the fashion thing in New York.
(09:42):
I met Stephen, love of my life. We got married,
moved to the suburbs of New Jersey, and I didn't
want to be the makeup artist that was getting on
planes to go to the different shoots. I wanted to
have a normal life, but I wanted to still do makeups. So,
you know, we had a baby, we renovated a house,
and I just started doing jobs that didn't take me away.
(10:06):
And then I just had an idea for a lipstick.
I met a chemist, I made one, and then I
made ten colors. And then I met at a party
a woman and I said, what do you do? She
was a cosmetics buyer at Bergdorf. We launched in Bergdorf Goodman,
you know, selling out of our house first and then Burgdorf.
So then we had to really catch up and figure
out what the hell we're going to do. Yeah, because
(10:28):
it literally began to explode. It did, it did. It
took off very similar to kind of what has happened
with Jones Road. I thought it was going to be
a little teeny thing, and it has also blown up.
So St Lauder came calling. After Bobby Brown Essentials it
was called at the time, was four years old, you know,
(10:49):
and at four and a half years old, they bought
Bobby Brown Cosmetics, and I became a corporate employee and
I stayed twenty two years. So let me talk about
that transition. You went from you know, owner, creator, then employee,
corporate employee, then major shift in your life, right, Bobby. Yes,
(11:10):
I mean, for whatever reason, all the things that were happening,
being on the Today Show, being in magazine, building this
you know, I think when I left, it was a
billion dollars building this big brand, and honestly, I'm not
a corporate citizen. I'm not, so I needed to do
things to kind of fuel my curiosity and my creativity.
(11:30):
So I became the editor in chief of Yahoo Beauty.
When they asked, I'm like, sure that sounds like fun.
I did a line of glasses. I'm like, sure, and
you know everything I had to fight for. Well, looking
at you, you're known for your glasses. You have a
great black pair on now, and that's a symbol part
of Bobby Brown. You always have the cool glasses. But
going from corporate America to that ultimate life change that
(11:54):
led to Jones Road, what happened then? Well, look I
was twenty two years and and I would say, you know,
fifteen years was glorious. You know, Leonard was in charge.
I just had to ask him and he'd say, yes, no,
what Leonard latter and then we had another CEO was incredible.
And then things started changing and it became much more
(12:17):
corporate and much more not exactly where I was able
to use my creativity and my curiosity. And it was
a struggle for a lot of years. And then it
just didn't work anymore and it was time to do
something different, and you know, I didn't know what I
was going to do. But the last year was awful
(12:39):
and it took me a long time to really get
my head wrapped around of who I was. I was
sixty years old, my kids were out of the house,
and I didn't have a job, and yet you know,
for people listening to this, the money was never a problem.
You know, obviously you had the most incredible career and
it just kept building, building building, But you truly felt
(13:01):
lost at that point. You had had an umpire and
you were like, what do I do now, you know,
And I would look, I was always complaining how busy
I was and how exhausted. But I'm not an all
or nothing person. So I literally went from having a
full calendar, like for months at a time, and so
many like issues and problems on my head that I
was carrying around, and all of a sudden it was gone.
(13:23):
We parted ways, it was gone. There was noise, all
of a sudden, right there was you know, I was
so busy, I didn't think about anything, and I had
a deal with it, and I started doing little projects
because that's who I am. And I realized I missed beauty.
I didn't know what I was going to do. And
you know, I had an opportunity to go turn Avon around.
(13:46):
Could you imagine like me going into that another big corporation.
Luckily it didn't work out, so it never happened. But
there was a lot of meetings and then I just
came upon this formula called miracle ballm and I'm like,
oh my god, this is a game changer. Tell us
what miracle bomb is and why you knew the lightning
(14:07):
bulb moment went off for you. Why I knew this
was a miracle product is because at sixty years old,
you know, you look in the mirror and you know,
you're like, oh, shot, I looked tired. What happened? Well,
I was probably tired, but I and I made this product.
That was I didn't even make this product. It was
(14:27):
a happy accident. I tried to make something else and
then this came and I'm like, that's not what I wanted.
But anyways, I stuck my fingers in and I put
it on my face, and I turned to the girls
that were working for me, by the way, who were like,
you know, twenty five and thirty years old. I'm like,
oh my god, this is a miracle. Look at my face.
And they're like, oh my god. And then the twenty
(14:47):
five and thirty year olds put them on and they're like,
oh my god, look at my face. So we started
doing it, and the whole time, by the way, I
wanted to really try and see if I could make
formulas with cleaning radiance because I really got into the movement.
I'm a health fanatic. I went back to school got
my degree as a health coach, so I wanted to
(15:09):
see what was possible. And I love a challenge obviously,
And you know, Jones Road, for those of you who
don't know, is a straight out here in the Hamptons.
I want to talk about that, like all of a sudden,
this lightning bulb moment comes up in your head. You've
created something you truly believe is revolutionary. At that point, Bobby,
did you say to yourself, I'm starting a new business.
(15:30):
I'm back. You know what. I was excited about the
possibility of what this could be, because you know, when
I was starting to like idate what I could make,
I'm like, you know what, maybe I'll make a brown
pencil because I knew how to make the best brown pencil,
both in formula and color and wear ability, and you know,
(15:52):
maybe I'll sell it on Etsy. So I never did,
and I had a noncompete, so I had to wait
to launch this new band and even talk about it
until my very long non compete was up. So we
had four or five products when Jones Road launched, and
the only reason it's called Jones Road is Stephen and
(16:12):
I were driving to the Hampton's and we were discussing
how if we, you know, Steven always the voice or reason,
if I didn't get a name of this brand by Monday,
then I would not be able to launch it the
day my non compete was up and there was no
one going to stop me. So I saw on ways,
my head was down on Ways Jones Road and it
(16:35):
was actually not East Hampton. I think there's a Jones
Road around West Hampton or before that, but I pay
homage to the Jones Road in East Hampton too. That
is incredible. I mean, you know when I thought that,
what's the significance? Did she meet her husband there? Did
she find out she was pregnant that you know when
she was driving out to the Hamptons one time? So
basically it was that simple. Yeah. And it reminded me,
(16:58):
first of all, my name's Brown. I couldn't Brown, all right,
Jones sounds good and it reminded me, like I visualized,
it sounded like a bespoke brand from the UK and
I'm a giant anglophile, and I said, okay, it just
makes sense. And you know a lot of people are
like Jones Road, huh, But now it's it's caught on. Well,
what's so amazing to me is your name still lives
(17:20):
on because Bobby Brown is still here. How do you
feel about that? Yes, you have this new line that
is really the rage, but also your legacy is still
there too, which is really a double bonus, isn't it, Bobby?
You know, honestly, I try not to think about it
because if I ever go into the stores and see
what Bobby Brown is now, it just isn't what Bobby
(17:43):
Brown was when I was there. Things are different. Other
people are making decisions and that's okay. They bought the company,
so you know, when you sell the company and you
sell your rights, you know, you can't complain about it.
It's like, so I try not to see it because
it's not what I would do. That's so interesting because
I still have the original stuff that you gave me
(18:05):
when we work together on the Today Show. I cherish
that too, because everything that you've done, I mean it's incredible.
But the Jones Road products, Oh that the shimmer and
machine on your skin, the lip bomb, I'm really revolutionary. Oh,
thank you, you know. And yes, I'm a woman of
a certain age, and when I put it on, it
doesn't settle into my lines. And I still have lines.
(18:29):
I'm an unusual person. I don't shoot anything in my face,
so I still always been all natural. Yes, I tried
botox once or twice and it was a disaster, and
I was like, all right, it's not for me. And
I'm so grateful that I, you know, didn't, because I
actually like an aging face, especially when they're healthy. Oh
and that's such a beautiful message considering what we look
(18:51):
at today. Looking at today, you see people and you
think that isn't even the same face I remember that
they were born with. It's crazy, right, and the lip
the lists killed the list that to me kill me. Bobby,
you and I are so on target with that. I
think it's the single worst thing a woman could do
to her face. No, I agree. And by the way,
(19:12):
I have a lot of friends that do very like botox,
and they don't look like they've done anything, and it
looks great and every you know. Of course, I look
in the mirror and I see my foreheadlines and I'm like, oh,
maybe I should get light botox. I cut bangs. I
just okay, smart, I don't I don't look good. I
don't look good in bangs. But but as soon as
I like have that thought, I just get rid of it.
I'm like, no, Bobby, that's not who you are. And
(19:33):
my husband would and my kids would kill me. That's
what I mean. You're always the most natural. You just
embrace what life gives you, and everyone thinks of you.
And just with makeup, but you've done so many other things.
I mean, let's talk about your projects in New Jersey.
But you know, before Jones Road and after Bobby Brown,
you embarked on quite an interesting project with your husband,
(19:55):
right well, you know, it was amazing when I left
Bobby Brown and I called Steven and said, okay, I'm free.
He said, I've been waiting a long time for you,
which was so sweet, and he said, I just bought
this property and I'm either going to turn into condos,
but if you're up for it. I thought it'd be
really cool to make a very hip hotel and I
was like, huh, Like he never mentioned this desire to
(20:18):
be a hotelier, but I said sure, and so we
worked on this project. It took us about a year
and it launched and it's been I guess five years now,
and it's just the coolest, cutest, nicest hotel, very bespoke
and boutique. Katie Kirk came and did a thing with
dogs because it's a dog it's a pet friendly hotel. Well,
(20:40):
of course there would have to be knowing your lot
of animals, and we're going to transition into that in
a moment, which is the whole reason for this show.
But I want to talk about how it seems to me.
You know, as everybody climbs the ladder of success, if
we're fortunate enough to do so, we get knocked off.
We get fallen off those wrungs and you know, brush off,
heal the bruises and move on. Have you been knocked off? Ever,
(21:04):
it always seems you keep rising to the top. You
know what resilience is like, I don't know how you
get it. And it's so much as attitude, right, It's
like what you do with what's handed to you. I
have had many disappointments and many like mess ups, and
many you know, things that didn't work out. I don't
(21:25):
choose to call them failures. I choose to say, Okay,
that didn't work. Could I have done something different or
better or maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Let
me do something else. And I have a lot of
like friends that are that come to me and they're
you know, founders of big brands and they sold the
brands and it's not working out and they're leaving the
(21:45):
big corporations and they're like, I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do. I don't know And
I'm like, okay, stop, just don't do anything yet, Like
just go through the emotions and then just think about
what makes you happy and what you want to do. Wow,
that's such great advice because it can be so discouraging
and you're not just trying to get a job. You're
building an empire every time. Your next chapter is bigger
(22:08):
and better. But I don't think about, oh, I want
to build an empire. It's like, what do I want
to do? So, you know, I was on the Today
Show for fourteen years, and I'm sure you know as
well as I do. When you get that call that says, oh,
it's been great, we love you, but we're not using
you anymore, right fourteen years? You know, like I was bummed.
I wasn't happy. They turned over new producers whatever, you know,
(22:29):
and I wasn't happy. So I felt bad for a
day and then I picked up the phone and called
my friend Elvis Durant. I said, can I be the
beauty editor of you know, the Elvis Durant Show? And
he said okay. And you know he's got more listeners
than the Today Show has viewers. So I'm like, okay, transition,
And ironically, you've been back on the Today Show since
(22:52):
I have I have not a regular gig, but of
course when they call, I jump because I still love it,
you know, but everything has changed, right, Like for a
while you could only be on as a guest if
you paid. I'm like, I'm not paying. I'm not doing that.
So yeah, someone calls I go on. I mean, Gail
King did a great piece on me for CBS. You know,
if I was a regular on the Today Show, that
(23:14):
wouldn't happened. So good things come out of change. Well,
knowing you and your family and in fact, your husband
really is incredible. We had dinner one night a group
of us, and he spent the whole dinner telling me
what I should be doing differently, and I so appreciated
it because he said, you're not marketing yourself. I mean
the word branding right barren to me. And he was
(23:36):
telling me what I needed to be doing. And I
did create my own pet line of products, and he
had an influence over me because he really said, you
must look at the bigger picture. He's right, and he
has no experience in branding or building brands except the
brands we built together. But he's just really smart, visionary.
And you know, you built this hotel, which of course
(23:57):
is dog friendly. And what I loved about you and
I saw you this summer at a wonderful screening in
sag Harvard, I know how much you love your additional children.
You're a pet parent two I say four because you
have your own dog, pip up, but three grand dogs,
right exactly. I am a proud grandma. I have two
grandchildren now and I have grand dogs, so it's pretty awesome.
(24:20):
And all rescues, they're all rescues. And you know, my
dog and my son, our two dogs are a little challenging.
There's a little anxiety protectionism. And you know, they're the sweetest,
warmest dogs, but if they don't like you and someone
comes up to them, or the wrong moves the wrong way,
(24:41):
they will. I had one like that, and it's stressful.
It's really stressful. Yes, yes, In fact, mine who I
just lost, my Oscar Mayer, who's in heaven. He was
my appendage. When people would come in the house. I
had to keep the gates up and keep him upstairs
because he was unpredict Yeah, that's an unpredictable is really
(25:03):
good way because you know, you think, oh, she's so
much better now she's four, and then you kind of
relax how you treat her, and then something happens and
I'm like, okay, no more, I don't care. She's definitely
getting locked away when workmen come, or you know, the
cleaning lady locked away. Well, and I've seen you and
heard you talk about these animals and how they've added
(25:24):
to your life, your creativity and what joy they give us.
I know during COVID, I am not married and I
don't have children, but my for children as a pet parent,
I was never lonely, right for sure, And honestly, even now,
Pippa sleeps in our bed most nights she's on top
of my husband, but the nights where her head is
on the pillow next to me and I wake up.
(25:46):
I used to love my children when they were young.
They were always in my bed, and you know, and
now I have my dog, so I feel very lucky.
And also the importance of adoption, you know, right, Oh,
I'll never find what I want and the shelter, I say,
what are you looking for? You know, German Shepherd Rescue,
Labrador rescue. You can find any your bread, mixed breed,
whatever you want. They're waiting for you in a shelter. Yeah,
(26:10):
one hundred percent. I'm so glad that you know someone
of your caliber that you know and understood the importance
of rescue. And your children they love animals so much
and they get it just like you do. Yeah, we've
always had a dog. We had our first dog before
we had kids, and so they've never not been dog people.
But my kids have never once walked the dogs when
(26:32):
they lived in my house. They all walk their dogs now,
but never once, never picked up poop in the backyard.
I even tried to give them, you know, a dollar
of poop, and they wouldn't do it. And you have
three incredible sons, Yeah, I do. I understand that they
are responsible for your social media craze, didn't they push
you and say, mom, you gotta get on TikTok. One
(26:54):
of our sons, I mean, I have different relationships with
all three. One of our sons is now the CEO
of Jones Road, and you know, he joined the company
first from freelance helping as like a not social media
but just like phenomenal marketing, like you know, digital marketing.
So yes, he's the one that put me on TikTok
(27:16):
and that went viral. And then I mean he just
he pushes me and he's involved in every little thing.
I mean, he's you know, mom, we've got to do
product more products like this mom. And I'm like, oh
my god, Now my son is you know, I'm going
from having the corporate guys tell me what to do
to now my son. I'm like, okay, oh well, he
sounds obviously brilliant because you're reaching what eight million people?
(27:38):
We have a lot. I'm not good at math, so
I have no idea. Oh and that's another thing I
love about you. You're like, oh really, wow, is it
that many? But thank goodness for your son. Are your
other two boys entrepreneurial as well? Because you and your
husband are incredible. I mean they all are. I mean
my oldest, our oldest son now works for a bank
because a startup he works for sold to through this bank.
(28:00):
So now he's like experiencing, you know, life in a corporation,
which you know is good for him to kind of
combine both. He's a brilliant kid, and our youngest son,
who went to art school I thought he'd be a
creative director, is managing the family office. He's into investments
like who knew? Who knew? But what is it like
being surrounded? Bobby, You're the only chicken in the house
(28:21):
and the chicken the family. What is that like? You
have these well, you know, four wonderful men supporting you
twenty four to seven. Right. Well, growing up, I also
had two nephews that were part of our family that
always traveled with us. So I was definitely I was
not the queen. I called myself the butler, right, I
was the mom butler. But now there's you know, out
(28:42):
of all those boys, only ones not married, they're married,
one of them has a daughter, and my nephews one's married,
ones engaged. So I have a whole bunch of girls
now to deal with and it's different. Girls are, you know,
different than boys. Let me tell you, well, how excited
are they to have you in their lives with this
great makeup all around? I don't know, you'd have to
(29:04):
ask them. You know, there's definitely eye rolls. You know,
your life is so unbelievable, the roller coasters and also
the heroic and the interesting rise that you've had, and
dealing with corporate America and now your own business. It
only makes sense that you would do a memoir, which
is coming out in September. But Bobby, if I remember,
(29:29):
I think it was Barbara Streisen was on some show
and she said, it's the greatest thing. But man, it
took like two or three years of my life. What
is that like? The commitment to doing a memoir. Well,
you know what, it was really cathartic. I recommended even
if you don't want to publish it. I've been telling
my friends, I think they should do memoirs just for
their kids and their grandkids, because everyone's got a story.
(29:51):
Every single person like you didn't start here, Everyone's got
a story. I worked with a writer for like four
months and it wasn't the right person, and I quit
and I said I'm not doing this, And then my
agent found another writer who I ended up talking to,
you know, twice a week for an hour. I did
it while I walked, and just it was really I
(30:11):
don't see shrinks or life coaches at the moment, so
it was really interesting for me to see what I
saw and observed as a kid to what I was
like as a teenager, and how it's all kind of
weaves itself together. So fingers crossed that people will read
it and say, wow, if she could do that, I
should just be a little easier and work. It's going
(30:34):
to be, I would imagine, just filled with wonderful life lessons.
A lot of these memoirs, you know, they always had
the shock titles like oh you know, I had a
sexual experience that would change my life. You know, there
was always I find with the memoirs when you hear
people promoting them, there's always some tabloidy thing that seems
to get the attention of people. Do you have any
(30:55):
of those in your book that are going to be
your title moments that we're going to hear about. No,
I'm actually take a pen and cross them out when
they get suggested, because I am not that person. And
you know, I didn't want to call it a memoir.
At first, I'm like, no, this is just life lessons
and entrepreneurial and blah blah blah. But then you realize
(31:16):
it's my story, right, so it is a memoir. And
you know, the first I've literally taken a pen by
the way I print out things and I fix them
with a pen, and then I take a screenshot and
send it to someone to retype because I don't type,
and it works for me. This is my temph book.
But you know, Stephen had literally read every word and
(31:37):
rewritten a lot of them and soften things and just said,
it's not necessary to say this like this, because you know,
I don't want to hurt people's feelings. And there has
been a lot of angst being part of whatever you're
part of, and there's people that upset you, and I
don't want to be that person that I think you'll
(31:57):
understand what I'm saying without being like salacious. Yeah, it
sounds like it's going to be a classy book that
has dignity and really exemplifies who you are in a
nice way, and it doesn't have to give those what
I call tmi moments, right, Yes, yes, I'm with you. Yeah. Now,
I'd rather sell less books, right, But I also like
(32:20):
there's a couple more chances for me to you know,
print out the whole thing, read it, make some changes,
and then when I'm happy with it, I want all
three of my boys to read it, just to make
sure they're comfortable with everything. I mean, they're the ones
I care about most. Oh, Bobby, you are really an inspiration.
I mean always professionally, but personally. Hearing how you live
(32:42):
your life and the values that you have have never
gotten in the way of corporate America or money or
what you can buy or what you can do. It's
all about who you are and being happy from within.
And that's why the book is called Still Bobby, because
I am Still Bobby. Well, that is a wonderful note
to end this inspirational interview with. I mean, you really
(33:04):
are incredible, and you have to promise me you'll come
back in September so we can really promote the book.
Well absolutely that. I got to tell you you're the
first interview because we announced it yesterday. You're the first interview.
And I'm sure if the publisher hears this would probably
say don't do the interviews now, but you are the first.
And it is available for pre sale everyone, and they
(33:25):
want you to sell a certain amount before the book
goes for sale because that's how you get on the
New York Times list. So it's on Amazon now, it is. Yeah,
it's on Amazon and a few other places, Barnes and
Noble and somewhere else. All right, I'm ordering today and
I can't wait to so you can autographic format. Well,
thank you, thank you, Jill. I really appreciate it, and
(33:47):
thank you all for listening to this edition of Wrap
Aport to the Rescue. Put my Jones through with fom
on Now Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only
on pet live radio dot com
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Wrappaport to the Rescue with award winning animal advocate, best
selling author, journalist and pet products creator Jill Rappaport.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hi, Welcome to Rappaport to the Rescue. I'm Jill rapp Report.
It's an absolutely gorgeous day out here, and I had
such an amazing event this week. I went with one
of our beloved dogs from Southampton Animal Shelter to the
Hampton Bays Middle School. I had such a blast. I
thought it was an amazing event because we were able
(00:42):
to take one of our beautiful shelter dogs, an incredible
four year old boxer named Lily, and introduce her to
all of these adorable children, and just seeing the faces
and the excitement and the enthusiasm for Lily was just overwhelming.
And the principal came up to me and said, can
(01:02):
you come here three days a week because this is
so educational for these young people, and it really is.
If we get the message to our young which are
our future, then we are going to truly make a
difference for animal welfare. And I felt a little bad
because all of the students were saying to me, I'm
going to go home and tell my mommy and daddy
(01:23):
about Lily. Can you imagine what went on in those homes.
The parents are probably not big fans of mine right now,
but hopefully they're going to understand the importance of rescue
and adoption. And I'm praying that one of those students
maybe end up with Lily. They were so in love
with her, and she was so excited to be loved
(01:46):
and just have everybody pet her and tell her how
special she is. And that really is what the message is.
We have so many animals in the shelter right now,
and anyway, if we can't get you in, I'm going
to bring them out to you to show you how
wonderful they are. So I just wanted to share that
little special story with you. And today we have a
(02:08):
really great show. I'm so excited to catch up with
a pal of mine that I used to work with
on the Today Show. Of course, ladies, if you wear makeup,
you know this name. Bobby Brown is a beauty industry legend,
a true force to be reckoned with, a makeup artist
extraordinaire whose brands have always been that absolute faith amongst
(02:29):
so many celebrities, She's also a best selling author and
come this ball, she has a memoir coming out. Hopefully
she'll share a little of that with us. In addition,
she's also a sought after speaker and a true serial entrepreneur.
So when we come back, I'm getting my lipstick and
blush on. So I'm ready for Bobby Brown on Rappaport
(02:51):
to the Rescue. Stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
You know the expression kats have nine lives? Well, can
give them one more, but give them ten. Movement is
on a mission to help give cats and extra life.
How with spee and neoter Spain or nootering your cat
helps them live a longer, healthier life and it helps
control free roaming cat populations too. Learn more about the
(03:19):
benefits of spee and neoter and meet Scooter the neotered
cat at Give them ten dot org. That's give them
ten dot org.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I want to know who the latest trendsetters are in Hollywood?
How about Irish setters? Find out who's been spotted with spots,
cowing with her jaw and shopping for Gucci with their pucci.
Get this scoop on all the latest celebrity pet pattern
right here Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Welcome back to Rapaport to the Rescue. I'm Joe Rappaport.
One of the many things I love about this podcast
because you can't see us as I basically can do
it in the new if I want to write, I
hang out with my guests. We don't have to worry
about hair and makeup. We just chat away.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But today I have to admit I did put a
little blush, a little eyeliner, because I have the grand Dame,
the queen of the makeup industry, and I am so
excited Bobby Brown to have you here.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And I have to tell you when I was telling
my friends Christy Brinkley, Lisa Greenberg, Everybody's like, oh, I
love her new line Jones Road, and they went on
and on about your makeup as if it's a staple
in their life, like drinking water in the morning. Ah,
that's so nice to hear. And first of all, I
just ran from yoga. I have a touch up appointment afterwards.
(04:43):
And then the first thing I did is Courtney remind
me is a video and she said, no, so thank
you for that. Well, you always look great. And I
said in our intro that were pals from the Today Show. Yeah,
I remember We'd Beyond. I'd be at that time in
the beginning was the entry tainment reporter and then I
became the animal advocate and Bobby you would be in
(05:03):
the studio getting the beautiful models ready. And I always
was so impressed with your calmness, your naturalness, and that
is what you are all about your makeup. It's all
about pure and natural. Well, thank you for that, And
I'm glad you think I was calm. I guess, you know,
my insides and my outsides are different, you know. I
guess I'm like that duck that I'm sitting on top
(05:25):
of the water, but my feet are kind of going
up and down. But look, my makeup style has always
been about enhancing the person who's sitting there, not trying
to change who you are, and not trying to make
you look like someone else. So you know, some people
like a really strong makeup with smoky eyes and red lips.
That's fine. The only makeup I don't like. There's two
(05:47):
things in makeup that I really don't like. One of
them is contour. Oh, I don't understand why people think
they have to change their face. And I think most
of the contour looks dirty and it doesn't look great,
and I'd rather enhance and bring out the positive things
about your face and ignore the things that you might
not love. So I don't like that, and I don't
(06:09):
like when people use a foundation that looks like a mask.
When I'm done with the foundation, I just wanted to
look like my skin is better. And you always look
so natural, and the models always look so natural. That's
what I love about the Bobby Brown style is that
it's just bringing out the beauty and you really don't
see the makeup right. Well, it's so funny. The Bobby
(06:30):
Brown style from the brand is different than the Jones
Road style, so I know it gets confusing, but I
am Bobby Brown. I was born. That was the name
that was given to me, so I know it gets
confusing to people. But Jones Road, I think, is just
like the next step into what I think women should
(06:50):
do to make themselves just look you know, better, And
it's not about looking younger, Jill, It's about looking just
fresher and better. Well your career. You are such a titan,
you know they say serial entrepreneur. That's like, I feel
an understatement for you, because you know it was hard
enough just to get a career going. You built an
empire and that had your name right, and you worked
(07:13):
for big corporate America. Tell our audience how you built
this brand and then all of a sudden, your name
was not part of you anymore. Well, I started, as
you know, really a makeup artist. I studied theatrical makeup
in college. They didn't have a program, but I designed
(07:34):
my own. So I graduated college and moved to New York.
After a year after I waitress, so I knew I
could support myself. And I had no clue, Jill, I
never know what I'm doing. And I just started looking
through the yellow pages. Who can I call? Who could
tell me? You know, what it means to break in?
And I just started doing that, and I built a portfolio,
and I started doing makeup for little jobs here and there,
(07:57):
and you know, seven years later, I got my big
break in the fashion industry, which was a cover of Vogue.
So that kind of set me up for a nice
freelance career. But during those seven years, I had this
chance meeting at a book signing because I had a
couple books out, and I met this wonderful woman Fran
(08:18):
and turns out she loved me on the Today Show
and she said, I think you should be on it,
and I said, I'd love to be a regular. She said, honey,
Jeff Zucker is my grandson. Oh and Jeff Zucker everybody
if you don't remember the name, and you should. He's
a titan in media at the time, was executive producer
of The Today Show and it rose it way up
the ranks in his twenties, right right, So I you
(08:40):
know that. Also, by the way, there was no social
media right that put Bobby Brown Cosmetics on the map.
And for whatever reason, I wanted to be taken serious.
Everyone had titles, right, you know, editor, the news editor,
the fashion everything. I wanted to be the beauty editor.
And Jeff looked at me like huh, and then he said, okay,
(09:00):
so I've said, you know what, I'm not going to
stand up here and sell I don't want to be
a you know, a schlocky makeup artist saying oh, darling,
you must have this. But I wanted to teach people
how to use blush. I never mentioned my brand. I
never mentioned you know what the products were. People ran
to the counters and they bought them. Anyways, so it
worked out. That's amazing. I mean I was on the
(09:21):
Today Show and it certainly didn't launch me the way
it did. So wait a second. Talk about Bobby Brown
STI Lauder. I mean it became a name that everybody
had to have in their makeup case. Well, I think
when you know, Bobby Brown Cosmetics was born. I was
a freelance makeup artist doing the fashion thing in New York.
(09:42):
I met Stephen, love of my life. We got married,
moved to the suburbs of New Jersey, and I didn't
want to be the makeup artist that was getting on
planes to go to the different shoots. I wanted to
have a normal life, but I wanted to still do makeups. So,
you know, we had a baby, we renovated a house,
and I just started doing jobs that didn't take me away.
(10:06):
And then I just had an idea for a lipstick.
I met a chemist, I made one, and then I
made ten colors. And then I met at a party
a woman and I said, what do you do? She
was a cosmetics buyer at Bergdorf. We launched in Bergdorf Goodman,
you know, selling out of our house first and then Burgdorf.
So then we had to really catch up and figure
out what the hell we're going to do. Yeah, because
(10:28):
it literally began to explode. It did, it did. It
took off very similar to kind of what has happened
with Jones Road. I thought it was going to be
a little teeny thing, and it has also blown up.
So St Lauder came calling. After Bobby Brown Essentials it
was called at the time, was four years old, you know,
(10:49):
and at four and a half years old, they bought
Bobby Brown Cosmetics, and I became a corporate employee and
I stayed twenty two years. So let me talk about
that transition. You went from you know, owner, creator, then employee,
corporate employee, then major shift in your life, right, Bobby. Yes,
(11:10):
I mean, for whatever reason, all the things that were happening,
being on the Today Show, being in magazine, building this
you know, I think when I left, it was a
billion dollars building this big brand, and honestly, I'm not
a corporate citizen. I'm not, so I needed to do
things to kind of fuel my curiosity and my creativity.
(11:30):
So I became the editor in chief of Yahoo Beauty.
When they asked, I'm like, sure that sounds like fun.
I did a line of glasses. I'm like, sure, and
you know everything I had to fight for. Well, looking
at you, you're known for your glasses. You have a
great black pair on now, and that's a symbol part
of Bobby Brown. You always have the cool glasses. But
going from corporate America to that ultimate life change that
(11:54):
led to Jones Road, what happened then? Well, look I
was twenty two years and and I would say, you know,
fifteen years was glorious. You know, Leonard was in charge.
I just had to ask him and he'd say, yes, no,
what Leonard latter and then we had another CEO was incredible.
And then things started changing and it became much more
(12:17):
corporate and much more not exactly where I was able
to use my creativity and my curiosity. And it was
a struggle for a lot of years. And then it
just didn't work anymore and it was time to do
something different, and you know, I didn't know what I
was going to do. But the last year was awful
(12:39):
and it took me a long time to really get
my head wrapped around of who I was. I was
sixty years old, my kids were out of the house,
and I didn't have a job, and yet you know,
for people listening to this, the money was never a problem.
You know, obviously you had the most incredible career and
it just kept building, building building, But you truly felt
(13:01):
lost at that point. You had had an umpire and
you were like, what do I do now, you know,
And I would look, I was always complaining how busy
I was and how exhausted. But I'm not an all
or nothing person. So I literally went from having a
full calendar, like for months at a time, and so
many like issues and problems on my head that I
was carrying around, and all of a sudden it was gone.
(13:23):
We parted ways, it was gone. There was noise, all
of a sudden, right there was you know, I was
so busy, I didn't think about anything, and I had
a deal with it, and I started doing little projects
because that's who I am. And I realized I missed beauty.
I didn't know what I was going to do. And
you know, I had an opportunity to go turn Avon around.
(13:46):
Could you imagine like me going into that another big corporation.
Luckily it didn't work out, so it never happened. But
there was a lot of meetings and then I just
came upon this formula called miracle ballm and I'm like,
oh my god, this is a game changer. Tell us
what miracle bomb is and why you knew the lightning
(14:07):
bulb moment went off for you. Why I knew this
was a miracle product is because at sixty years old,
you know, you look in the mirror and you know,
you're like, oh, shot, I looked tired. What happened? Well,
I was probably tired, but I and I made this product.
That was I didn't even make this product. It was
(14:27):
a happy accident. I tried to make something else and
then this came and I'm like, that's not what I wanted.
But anyways, I stuck my fingers in and I put
it on my face, and I turned to the girls
that were working for me, by the way, who were like,
you know, twenty five and thirty years old. I'm like,
oh my god, this is a miracle. Look at my face.
And they're like, oh my god. And then the twenty
(14:47):
five and thirty year olds put them on and they're like,
oh my god, look at my face. So we started
doing it, and the whole time, by the way, I
wanted to really try and see if I could make
formulas with cleaning radiance because I really got into the movement.
I'm a health fanatic. I went back to school got
my degree as a health coach, so I wanted to
(15:09):
see what was possible. And I love a challenge obviously,
And you know, Jones Road, for those of you who
don't know, is a straight out here in the Hamptons.
I want to talk about that, like all of a sudden,
this lightning bulb moment comes up in your head. You've
created something you truly believe is revolutionary. At that point, Bobby,
did you say to yourself, I'm starting a new business.
(15:30):
I'm back. You know what. I was excited about the
possibility of what this could be, because you know, when
I was starting to like idate what I could make,
I'm like, you know what, maybe I'll make a brown
pencil because I knew how to make the best brown pencil,
both in formula and color and wear ability, and you know,
(15:52):
maybe I'll sell it on Etsy. So I never did,
and I had a noncompete, so I had to wait
to launch this new band and even talk about it
until my very long non compete was up. So we
had four or five products when Jones Road launched, and
the only reason it's called Jones Road is Stephen and
(16:12):
I were driving to the Hampton's and we were discussing
how if we, you know, Steven always the voice or reason,
if I didn't get a name of this brand by Monday,
then I would not be able to launch it the
day my non compete was up and there was no
one going to stop me. So I saw on ways,
my head was down on Ways Jones Road and it
(16:35):
was actually not East Hampton. I think there's a Jones
Road around West Hampton or before that, but I pay
homage to the Jones Road in East Hampton too. That
is incredible. I mean, you know when I thought that,
what's the significance? Did she meet her husband there? Did
she find out she was pregnant that you know when
she was driving out to the Hamptons one time? So
basically it was that simple. Yeah. And it reminded me,
(16:58):
first of all, my name's Brown. I couldn't Brown, all right,
Jones sounds good and it reminded me, like I visualized,
it sounded like a bespoke brand from the UK and
I'm a giant anglophile, and I said, okay, it just
makes sense. And you know a lot of people are
like Jones Road, huh, But now it's it's caught on. Well,
what's so amazing to me is your name still lives
(17:20):
on because Bobby Brown is still here. How do you
feel about that? Yes, you have this new line that
is really the rage, but also your legacy is still
there too, which is really a double bonus, isn't it, Bobby?
You know, honestly, I try not to think about it
because if I ever go into the stores and see
what Bobby Brown is now, it just isn't what Bobby
(17:43):
Brown was when I was there. Things are different. Other
people are making decisions and that's okay. They bought the company,
so you know, when you sell the company and you
sell your rights, you know, you can't complain about it.
It's like, so I try not to see it because
it's not what I would do. That's so interesting because
I still have the original stuff that you gave me
(18:05):
when we work together on the Today Show. I cherish
that too, because everything that you've done, I mean it's incredible.
But the Jones Road products, Oh that the shimmer and
machine on your skin, the lip bomb, I'm really revolutionary. Oh,
thank you, you know. And yes, I'm a woman of
a certain age, and when I put it on, it
doesn't settle into my lines. And I still have lines.
(18:29):
I'm an unusual person. I don't shoot anything in my face,
so I still always been all natural. Yes, I tried
botox once or twice and it was a disaster, and
I was like, all right, it's not for me. And
I'm so grateful that I, you know, didn't, because I
actually like an aging face, especially when they're healthy. Oh
and that's such a beautiful message considering what we look
(18:51):
at today. Looking at today, you see people and you
think that isn't even the same face I remember that
they were born with. It's crazy, right, and the lip
the lists killed the list that to me kill me. Bobby,
you and I are so on target with that. I
think it's the single worst thing a woman could do
to her face. No, I agree. And by the way,
(19:12):
I have a lot of friends that do very like botox,
and they don't look like they've done anything, and it
looks great and every you know. Of course, I look
in the mirror and I see my foreheadlines and I'm like, oh,
maybe I should get light botox. I cut bangs. I
just okay, smart, I don't I don't look good. I
don't look good in bangs. But but as soon as
I like have that thought, I just get rid of it.
I'm like, no, Bobby, that's not who you are. And
(19:33):
my husband would and my kids would kill me. That's
what I mean. You're always the most natural. You just
embrace what life gives you, and everyone thinks of you.
And just with makeup, but you've done so many other things.
I mean, let's talk about your projects in New Jersey.
But you know, before Jones Road and after Bobby Brown,
you embarked on quite an interesting project with your husband,
(19:55):
right well, you know, it was amazing when I left
Bobby Brown and I called Steven and said, okay, I'm free.
He said, I've been waiting a long time for you,
which was so sweet, and he said, I just bought
this property and I'm either going to turn into condos,
but if you're up for it. I thought it'd be
really cool to make a very hip hotel and I
was like, huh, Like he never mentioned this desire to
(20:18):
be a hotelier, but I said sure, and so we
worked on this project. It took us about a year
and it launched and it's been I guess five years now,
and it's just the coolest, cutest, nicest hotel, very bespoke
and boutique. Katie Kirk came and did a thing with
dogs because it's a dog it's a pet friendly hotel. Well,
(20:40):
of course there would have to be knowing your lot
of animals, and we're going to transition into that in
a moment, which is the whole reason for this show.
But I want to talk about how it seems to me.
You know, as everybody climbs the ladder of success, if
we're fortunate enough to do so, we get knocked off.
We get fallen off those wrungs and you know, brush off,
heal the bruises and move on. Have you been knocked off? Ever,
(21:04):
it always seems you keep rising to the top. You
know what resilience is like, I don't know how you
get it. And it's so much as attitude, right, It's
like what you do with what's handed to you. I
have had many disappointments and many like mess ups, and
many you know, things that didn't work out. I don't
(21:25):
choose to call them failures. I choose to say, Okay,
that didn't work. Could I have done something different or
better or maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Let
me do something else. And I have a lot of
like friends that are that come to me and they're
you know, founders of big brands and they sold the
brands and it's not working out and they're leaving the
(21:45):
big corporations and they're like, I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do. I don't know And
I'm like, okay, stop, just don't do anything yet, Like
just go through the emotions and then just think about
what makes you happy and what you want to do. Wow,
that's such great advice because it can be so discouraging
and you're not just trying to get a job. You're
building an empire every time. Your next chapter is bigger
(22:08):
and better. But I don't think about, oh, I want
to build an empire. It's like, what do I want
to do? So, you know, I was on the Today
Show for fourteen years, and I'm sure you know as
well as I do. When you get that call that says, oh,
it's been great, we love you, but we're not using
you anymore, right fourteen years? You know, like I was bummed.
I wasn't happy. They turned over new producers whatever, you know,
(22:29):
and I wasn't happy. So I felt bad for a
day and then I picked up the phone and called
my friend Elvis Durant. I said, can I be the
beauty editor of you know, the Elvis Durant Show? And
he said okay. And you know he's got more listeners
than the Today Show has viewers. So I'm like, okay, transition,
And ironically, you've been back on the Today Show since
(22:52):
I have I have not a regular gig, but of
course when they call, I jump because I still love it,
you know, but everything has changed, right, Like for a
while you could only be on as a guest if
you paid. I'm like, I'm not paying. I'm not doing that.
So yeah, someone calls I go on. I mean, Gail
King did a great piece on me for CBS. You know,
if I was a regular on the Today Show, that
(23:14):
wouldn't happened. So good things come out of change. Well,
knowing you and your family and in fact, your husband
really is incredible. We had dinner one night a group
of us, and he spent the whole dinner telling me
what I should be doing differently, and I so appreciated
it because he said, you're not marketing yourself. I mean
the word branding right barren to me. And he was
(23:36):
telling me what I needed to be doing. And I
did create my own pet line of products, and he
had an influence over me because he really said, you
must look at the bigger picture. He's right, and he
has no experience in branding or building brands except the
brands we built together. But he's just really smart, visionary.
And you know, you built this hotel, which of course
(23:57):
is dog friendly. And what I loved about you and
I saw you this summer at a wonderful screening in
sag Harvard, I know how much you love your additional children.
You're a pet parent two I say four because you
have your own dog, pip up, but three grand dogs,
right exactly. I am a proud grandma. I have two
grandchildren now and I have grand dogs, so it's pretty awesome.
(24:20):
And all rescues, they're all rescues. And you know, my
dog and my son, our two dogs are a little challenging.
There's a little anxiety protectionism. And you know, they're the sweetest,
warmest dogs, but if they don't like you and someone
comes up to them, or the wrong moves the wrong way,
(24:41):
they will. I had one like that, and it's stressful.
It's really stressful. Yes, yes, In fact, mine who I
just lost, my Oscar Mayer, who's in heaven. He was
my appendage. When people would come in the house. I
had to keep the gates up and keep him upstairs
because he was unpredict Yeah, that's an unpredictable is really
(25:03):
good way because you know, you think, oh, she's so
much better now she's four, and then you kind of
relax how you treat her, and then something happens and
I'm like, okay, no more, I don't care. She's definitely
getting locked away when workmen come, or you know, the
cleaning lady locked away. Well, and I've seen you and
heard you talk about these animals and how they've added
(25:24):
to your life, your creativity and what joy they give us.
I know during COVID, I am not married and I
don't have children, but my for children as a pet parent,
I was never lonely, right for sure, And honestly, even now,
Pippa sleeps in our bed most nights she's on top
of my husband, but the nights where her head is
on the pillow next to me and I wake up.
(25:46):
I used to love my children when they were young.
They were always in my bed, and you know, and
now I have my dog, so I feel very lucky.
And also the importance of adoption, you know, right, Oh,
I'll never find what I want and the shelter, I say,
what are you looking for? You know, German Shepherd Rescue,
Labrador rescue. You can find any your bread, mixed breed,
whatever you want. They're waiting for you in a shelter. Yeah,
(26:10):
one hundred percent. I'm so glad that you know someone
of your caliber that you know and understood the importance
of rescue. And your children they love animals so much
and they get it just like you do. Yeah, we've
always had a dog. We had our first dog before
we had kids, and so they've never not been dog people.
But my kids have never once walked the dogs when
(26:32):
they lived in my house. They all walk their dogs now,
but never once, never picked up poop in the backyard.
I even tried to give them, you know, a dollar
of poop, and they wouldn't do it. And you have
three incredible sons, Yeah, I do. I understand that they
are responsible for your social media craze, didn't they push
you and say, mom, you gotta get on TikTok. One
(26:54):
of our sons, I mean, I have different relationships with
all three. One of our sons is now the CEO
of Jones Road, and you know, he joined the company
first from freelance helping as like a not social media
but just like phenomenal marketing, like you know, digital marketing.
So yes, he's the one that put me on TikTok
(27:16):
and that went viral. And then I mean he just
he pushes me and he's involved in every little thing.
I mean, he's you know, mom, we've got to do
product more products like this mom. And I'm like, oh
my god, Now my son is you know, I'm going
from having the corporate guys tell me what to do
to now my son. I'm like, okay, oh well, he
sounds obviously brilliant because you're reaching what eight million people?
(27:38):
We have a lot. I'm not good at math, so
I have no idea. Oh and that's another thing I
love about you. You're like, oh really, wow, is it
that many? But thank goodness for your son. Are your
other two boys entrepreneurial as well? Because you and your
husband are incredible. I mean they all are. I mean
my oldest, our oldest son now works for a bank
because a startup he works for sold to through this bank.
(28:00):
So now he's like experiencing, you know, life in a corporation,
which you know is good for him to kind of
combine both. He's a brilliant kid, and our youngest son,
who went to art school I thought he'd be a
creative director, is managing the family office. He's into investments
like who knew? Who knew? But what is it like
being surrounded? Bobby, You're the only chicken in the house
(28:21):
and the chicken the family. What is that like? You
have these well, you know, four wonderful men supporting you
twenty four to seven. Right. Well, growing up, I also
had two nephews that were part of our family that
always traveled with us. So I was definitely I was
not the queen. I called myself the butler, right, I
was the mom butler. But now there's you know, out
(28:42):
of all those boys, only ones not married, they're married,
one of them has a daughter, and my nephews one's married,
ones engaged. So I have a whole bunch of girls
now to deal with and it's different. Girls are, you know,
different than boys. Let me tell you, well, how excited
are they to have you in their lives with this
great makeup all around? I don't know, you'd have to
(29:04):
ask them. You know, there's definitely eye rolls. You know,
your life is so unbelievable, the roller coasters and also
the heroic and the interesting rise that you've had, and
dealing with corporate America and now your own business. It
only makes sense that you would do a memoir, which
is coming out in September. But Bobby, if I remember,
(29:29):
I think it was Barbara Streisen was on some show
and she said, it's the greatest thing. But man, it
took like two or three years of my life. What
is that like? The commitment to doing a memoir. Well,
you know what, it was really cathartic. I recommended even
if you don't want to publish it. I've been telling
my friends, I think they should do memoirs just for
their kids and their grandkids, because everyone's got a story.
(29:51):
Every single person like you didn't start here, Everyone's got
a story. I worked with a writer for like four
months and it wasn't the right person, and I quit
and I said I'm not doing this, And then my
agent found another writer who I ended up talking to,
you know, twice a week for an hour. I did
it while I walked, and just it was really I
(30:11):
don't see shrinks or life coaches at the moment, so
it was really interesting for me to see what I
saw and observed as a kid to what I was
like as a teenager, and how it's all kind of
weaves itself together. So fingers crossed that people will read
it and say, wow, if she could do that, I
should just be a little easier and work. It's going
(30:34):
to be, I would imagine, just filled with wonderful life lessons.
A lot of these memoirs, you know, they always had
the shock titles like oh you know, I had a
sexual experience that would change my life. You know, there
was always I find with the memoirs when you hear
people promoting them, there's always some tabloidy thing that seems
to get the attention of people. Do you have any
(30:55):
of those in your book that are going to be
your title moments that we're going to hear about. No,
I'm actually take a pen and cross them out when
they get suggested, because I am not that person. And
you know, I didn't want to call it a memoir.
At first, I'm like, no, this is just life lessons
and entrepreneurial and blah blah blah. But then you realize
(31:16):
it's my story, right, so it is a memoir. And
you know, the first I've literally taken a pen by
the way I print out things and I fix them
with a pen, and then I take a screenshot and
send it to someone to retype because I don't type,
and it works for me. This is my temph book.
But you know, Stephen had literally read every word and
(31:37):
rewritten a lot of them and soften things and just said,
it's not necessary to say this like this, because you know,
I don't want to hurt people's feelings. And there has
been a lot of angst being part of whatever you're
part of, and there's people that upset you, and I
don't want to be that person that I think you'll
(31:57):
understand what I'm saying without being like salacious. Yeah, it
sounds like it's going to be a classy book that
has dignity and really exemplifies who you are in a
nice way, and it doesn't have to give those what
I call tmi moments, right, Yes, yes, I'm with you. Yeah. Now,
I'd rather sell less books, right, But I also like
(32:20):
there's a couple more chances for me to you know,
print out the whole thing, read it, make some changes,
and then when I'm happy with it, I want all
three of my boys to read it, just to make
sure they're comfortable with everything. I mean, they're the ones
I care about most. Oh, Bobby, you are really an inspiration.
I mean always professionally, but personally. Hearing how you live
(32:42):
your life and the values that you have have never
gotten in the way of corporate America or money or
what you can buy or what you can do. It's
all about who you are and being happy from within.
And that's why the book is called Still Bobby, because
I am Still Bobby. Well, that is a wonderful note
to end this inspirational interview with. I mean, you really
(33:04):
are incredible, and you have to promise me you'll come
back in September so we can really promote the book.
Well absolutely that. I got to tell you you're the
first interview because we announced it yesterday. You're the first interview.
And I'm sure if the publisher hears this would probably
say don't do the interviews now, but you are the first.
And it is available for pre sale everyone, and they
(33:25):
want you to sell a certain amount before the book
goes for sale because that's how you get on the
New York Times list. So it's on Amazon now, it is. Yeah,
it's on Amazon and a few other places, Barnes and
Noble and somewhere else. All right, I'm ordering today and
I can't wait to so you can autographic format. Well,
thank you, thank you, Jill. I really appreciate it, and
(33:47):
thank you all for listening to this edition of Wrap
Aport to the Rescue. Put my Jones through with fom
on Now Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only
on pet live radio dot com
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