86 Big Mama: Meeting Bethenny

Yesterday was fun, reliving and sharing my 10 second encounter with Bethenny. It was also motivating. As we were standing in line I could hear the conversations going on around me about why people loved her. To my surprise people referred to Real Housewives of NYC the most. I was asked the day before going to the bottle signing by a good friend "What's so great about her? Why the obsession?". My reply was that she was a genius business woman. Boring, I know. I could give a rats about Real Housewives of NYC. To be honest I've never even watched an episode (of NYC, I was all over Bev. Hills) and when I heard she was on it I was a little disappointed - until I learned why. The first time I saw Bethenny was on the Martha Stewart Apprentice show; they were in the boardroom and she was putting up a good fight. Being an entreprenuer myself her courage, her ability to speak elequently in a heated argument and most importantly her passion caught my attention immediately.

{Forget about me in this pic, BF is holding one of MY products}

::image from Skinnygirl Marg FB Page::

I lost interest however when I learned of her participation on RH of NYC; it didn't seem fitting, she was above it as far as I was concerned. She wasn't one of those little bitty's who didn't work, whose husband's were loaded and had 4 Nanny's for 2 kids. Soon I caught onto her geniusness though when she said "there's no reason to be on reality t.v. unless you have something to sell". She methodically used this opportunity to brand, develop and SELL the concept of her skinnygirl Margarita. Because she was/is so bold and easy to relate to unlike most of the women on the show, average housewives, sinlgetons, young adults in college and even some men all over North America went ape shit over her AND her products. Bing. Bang. Boom. Cover of Forbes Magazine at the age of 40.

I can only hope that her next book will be about business. Although some claim it was "easier" for her because she did have access to people most of us wouldn't i.e. The Hiltion's and The Bruckheimer's, as well as the opportunity to be on television; this didn't and hasn't stopped her though from pounding the pavement, working her ass (literally) off, getting in front of businesses, companies and most importantly getting in front of her fans, making herself available to us. I told a girl in line that I came because this is the moment right before she becomes untouchable...she will indeed get far too busy and far too big to come to a little Walgreens in Scottsdale, Arizona to sign bottles.

Above is The Lady who has represented my company for the last 10 years (kind of false advertisement right now but I'm working on it!). I'm not completely out of my mind here. There's a reason why I was immediately drawn to Bethenny and her brand. Branding is everything. I can also get behind any woman who shows up to a party in their honor for landing the cover of Forbes and says "Holy shit balls".

So there you have it. That is the stem and base of my obsession with her. Although I was happy to have had that 10 seconds I would have much rather spent time picking her brain, getting ideas, asking her how she did this or that, telling her about my company and just being a sponge for any and all business related advice. Trust and believe I have no desire to hang out with the gen pop (not you Katina!) at a Walgreens 1.5 hours away from my house, literally be pushed through a line, asked if I am a threat and whisked by a celebrity to have my picture taken with them. HOWEVER, I did get a photo of Ms. Bethenny holding one of MY products. Rather than saying "I'm...86...Big...Mama..." like an obsessed fat girl fan I should have said "I am a designer and own so and so and specifically made this for you to sign, here's my business card". I am a total. dumb. ass.

Note to self:

Keep your eye on the prize. Don't be afraid to sell yourself; just don't do it on a corner.

86 Big Mama's Advice:

Don't wait for opportunity to knock - chase the hell out of it.