Brand deals are her playground.
Bethenny Frankel revealed she has raked in over 20 million dollars per year thanks to her lucrative influencer contracts.
“It’s tens of millions of dollars,” the “Real Housewives of New York City” alum, 55, revealed on Tuesday’s episode of Emma Grede’s “Aspire” podcast. “[This is] not including my other businesses, my real estate, my licensing. We’re talking, like, $20-plus million.”
It’s a number Frankel’s never discussed publicly prior to the podcast.
“I’m not that comfortable with it just because it’ll make people mad at me. … I believe that people shouldn’t work for free,” she mused. “Interns, I pay. I don’t believe in anybody working for free, and if you’re moving product and you’re affecting an outcome, honestly, then I believe you should be compensated. So, I don’t feel guilty about it.”
Frankel added that the products she promotes are only ones she truly believes in and uses.
“I’m very trusted, and partners come to me for their marketing budgets. Like, multibillion-dollar companies come to me to figure out how they’re going to spend,” the mom of one claimed.
Frankel explained that she can “talk about” anything she wants — which is something brands look for.
“I’m not going to jeopardize what we’re discussing together and the products that I’ve truthfully loved and endorsed of theirs because I truly love them, which is how we got here.”
Frankel has gained a cult-like following on TikTok for her honest reviews, admitting she speaks from the heart and not pre-written dialogue.
“If there’s an ingredient that I need to mention because it should be mentioned, of course, you’re going to do it,” the Skinnygirl founder told Grede. “You shouldn’t be coming to me to read a boring script. That’s not what I’m here for.”
Frankel’s videos attract a broad age demographic, with the influencer elaborating that she doesn’t “fit into any singular mold.”
“People are not understanding what it is because it’s strange that I walk Sports Illustrated with 25-year-olds,” she stated. “There’s nobody my age there, but it’s not like they’re giving me the ‘token grandma’ role. It’s landing because moms are saying, ‘Thank you for not disqualifying us as a group.’ I could be alienating moms, but I’m not.”
And the podcaster isn’t looking to slow down any time soon.
Frankel is even interested in having a “seal of approval” on certain products she endorses.
“The Bethenny seal is something we’re talking about. Retailers are going to have sections with my stuff,” she said. “And, like I said, the equity deals that I’ve interested in … of things that I’m passionate about.”
Despite being an upfront reviewer, Frankel came under fire earlier this month after fellow Bravo alum Dina Manzo’s daughter, Alexia Iannou, called her a “weirdo” for not crediting her shoe brand Nou in a social media video.
Frankel clapped back, calling the designer a “crybaby.”
Frankel starred on “RHONY” for the first three seasons from 2008 until 2010 before stepping away. She then returned to the franchise for Season 7 before exiting after Season 11 in 2019.
In 2009, while on the Bravo show, Frankel launched Skinnygirl, which originated as a low-calorie skinny Margarita.
According to her website, the businesswoman “is the founder & CEO of skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women.”
