Smart Real Housewives Who Didn’t Bank on Reality TV Being a Career

Vicki Gunvalson’s recent comments regarding a Real Housewives career have this writer thinking. The OG of the OC unleashed her wrath on Alexis Bellino, who noted that her Bravo “career” wasn’t showing her in the best light. Vicki took offense to claiming that a reality TV show could be considered a job role, noting the ‘friend of’ has a rude awakening coming her way. But in retrospect, I’d argue that most Real Housewives stars have thought about the bigger picture and made a name for themselves away from Bravo just in case they were ever axed. 

Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Kandi Burruss is flying high on her success

 This peach is a jack of all trades. Kandi Burruss is an actress, businesswoman, dancer, producer, singer, songwriter, and television personality. She often burned the candle at both ends, but she never was at a loss for what to do next. As Bravo viewers saw, Kandi was a successful entrepreneur. She owned an adult toy line named Bedroom Kandi. She also opened several restaurants, which were filmed for a successful spinoff.

Needless to say, many Real Housewives have thought way past their stints on their respective franchises. These women are movers and shakers who don’t want to be left behind when their 15 minutes of fame come to an end. Viewers everywhere can take advice from these women who know they are happily basking in the rays of their success.  

Bethenny Frankel built an empire

Even though Bethenny Frankel burned every bridge she ever had with the network, this woman hustled. When she joined the Real Housewives of New York, Bethenny wasn’t known for her business savvy, but she always trusted her gut when it came to signing a contract. Even though she was only paid $7,250 for her first season, Bethenny shared in an Instagram post that she didn’t let the network take a percentage of anything she made on her own, noting it was a move that “changed my entire life.” 

Bethenny founded Skinnygirl in 2009 with her Skinnygirl Margarita. The constant advertising of her company on the series worked out well for Bethenny, who was seen peddling her products in supermarkets. Now, a self-made woman, Bethenny is laughing all the way to the bank. Meanwhile, Bravo had to come up with a clause for future reality stars to give a portion of their non-TV earnings to the network. Essentially, Bethenny paved the way for Real Housewives to make a living off of something other than a family feud. 

Melissa Gorga gave fans Envy

After years of being loved for her fashion choices, Melissa Gorga of the Real Housewives of New Jersey launched a clothing boutique called Envy by Melissa Gorga in Montclair, New Jersey. The fashion of 2015 was memorable as she sold trucker hats and furry boots. But Melissa’s store has come a long way. Believe me, I know, as I am a loyal customer of her Ridgewood location. Envy is doing well, and Melissa just opened another location in Huntington, NY.

The clothing store is no longer a passion project for which Joe Gorga once mocked her. Melissa runs a successful business and has employees that work for her. Melissa has even launched an online portal where fans can shop to drop. The store features dresses, bottoms, tops, rompers, and loungewear. In 2020, Melissa even added menswear.