Talking Watches: With Bethenny Frankel

Talking Watches: With Bethenny Frankel - HODINKEE

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST

If you're not already familiar with Bethenny Frankel, you should be. She just recently retired from Bravo TV's Real Housewives of New York, on which she was a main cast member for seven non-consecutive seasons dating back to the show's 2008 premier. As a fan of both Frankel and the show, I wish I could say I was chill about sitting down in her Soho apartment to talk watches, but I wasn't. The truth is, I have been watching Bethenny on the Real Housewives of New York (or RHONY, as we fans so lovingly call it) since its first season. In fact, she was one of my favorite people on the show for her razor-sharp wit (hysterical), brutal honesty (refreshing), and her fearless entrepreneurship (boss-lady).

Bethenny originally started her career selling pashmina scarves in Los Angeles, but over the last decade and change, she built an empire on "Skinny Girl Margaritas," her brand of low-calorie cocktails and wines. The Skinny Girl brand has expanded into a $100 million lifestyle titan that includes food products, lifestyle accessories, and a full suite of clothing. Her business has been covered by the likes of AdWeek, she graced the cover of Forbes magazine in 2011 as the headliner of the new celebrity money-makers, and she was included in Variety's 2019 Power of Women New York Impact List. She has made an appearance as an investor on Shark Tank and helped a number of businesses grow successfully. Frankel is also tirelessly dedicated to charity work, including her own non-profit, B Strong, which provides "real-time emergency assistance to people in crisis," like those affected by the Paradise Fires in California, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and most recently, the wildfires in Australia. And yes, she is often the one rolling up her sleeves to help people in need. As I said, she's a BOSS.