Kimora Lee Simmons on Power, Presence, and How to Be Unstoppable in Life, Love, and Legacy

Summary

Summary of "Kimora Lee Simmons on Power, Presence, and How to Be Unstoppable in Life, Love, and Legacy"

Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, hosts Michael Bosstick (B) and Lauryn Bosstick (C) engage in an intimate and revealing conversation with esteemed fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons (A). Released on June 26, 2025, Kimora delves deep into her illustrious modeling career, entrepreneurial ventures, personal challenges, and her unwavering commitment to empowering young women.

Early Modeling Career

Kimora begins by recounting her unexpected entry into the high-fashion world at the tender age of 13. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri—a stark contrast to the bustling fashion capitals—Kimora describes feeling like a "total misfit" in her hometown (05:01). Her mother's encouragement led her to local modeling opportunities, which eventually propelled her to international stardom.

"I was the same as I am now. So I'm six feet tall. I've been six feet tall since, like, 13." (07:13)

Challenges in the Modeling Industry

Despite landing her first casting with Chanel in Paris, Kimora faced significant adversity. As a young model, she navigated a hostile environment where older models often mistreated their younger counterparts. Kimora reflects on the cruelty she endured and how it fueled her determination to foster a kinder and more inclusive industry.

"They were terribly mean. Like, anything you've ever heard of has happened. They would steal your stuff, push you out of the way, talk about you." (10:36)

Transition to Entrepreneurship

Disillusioned by the toxic aspects of modeling, Kimora sought an exit and discovered her entrepreneurial spirit. At around 21, she founded the iconic Baby, Fat & Dangerous brand. Her approach was pioneering—leveraging her network of model friends to organically promote her designs, akin to today's user-generated content strategies.

"I was giving the girls in my network something real, something they wanted to wear, and they were just giving it to them." (28:07)

Founding Baby Fat

The creation of Baby, Fat & Dangerous marked a significant milestone in Kimora's career. She emphasizes the brand's role in providing affordable yet stylish options for women, diverging from the high-end pricing of brands like Chanel. Baby Fat quickly became a beloved name, resonating with a broad audience by offering a lifestyle rather than just clothing.

"I gave them a lot of fashion, but more importantly, I gave women a voice. A sense of independence." (24:03)

Empowering Young Women

A central theme of the conversation is Kimora's dedication to empowering young women. Drawing from her own experiences of bullying and exclusion in the modeling world, she advocates for inclusivity and self-acceptance. Kimora shares her efforts to mentor young models and ensure they are treated with respect and fairness.

"I embrace diversity. I love girls of all shapes and sizes. If you're super thin or you come with all the 'junk in your trunk,' you're welcome here." (18:38)

Parenting Strategies

Kimora intertwines her professional insights with her role as a mother. She discusses the challenges of raising gifted children, highlighting the importance of providing them with environments that nurture their intelligence and emotional well-being. Kimora's children, Ming and Aoki, are showcased as exemplary individuals balancing academics and modeling, reflecting her influence and dedication.

"Our kids are geniuses, but they need balance. They thrive when they're engaged in sports and have supportive teams." (55:09)

Reacquiring Baby Fat

After selling Baby, Fat & Dangerous, Kimora reflects on the emotional complexities of parting with a brand she built from the ground up. Recently reacquiring the company, she shares her vision for revitalizing the brand in the post-COVID era, aiming to infuse fresh energy and maintain its legacy while adapting to contemporary market demands.

"Reacquiring Baby Fat has been a journey. It's about preserving a legacy and ensuring it thrives for future generations." (47:00)

Legacy and Future Plans

Looking ahead, Kimora expresses her aspirations for Baby, Fat & Dangerous, envisioning it as a multi-generational brand. She aspires to continue empowering women and maintaining a legacy that intertwines fashion with meaningful social impact. Kimora also touches upon her investments and other entrepreneurial endeavors, showcasing her multifaceted approach to business.

"Baby Fat is more than a brand; it's a legacy that my children and their children can be proud of." (48:08)

Notable Quotes

• "If you want to enhance your own life, you have to take actionable steps. Don't wait for opportunities to come knocking." – Kimora Lee Simmons (28:27)
• "Empathy and resilience are key. In today's world, adaptability is everything." – Kimora Lee Simmons (66:51)
• "Building something from nothing requires grit, determination, and an unwavering belief in your vision." – Kimora Lee Simmons (76:25)

Conclusion

Kimora Lee Simmons' episode is a testament to her resilience, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to empowering others. From her challenging beginnings in the modeling industry to her triumphant return to entrepreneurship, Kimora shares invaluable insights and inspiration. Her candid discussions on overcoming adversity, nurturing gifted children, and building a lasting legacy offer listeners practical takeaways and a deeper understanding of what it takes to be truly unstoppable in life, love, and legacy.

Where to Find Kimora Lee Simmons

• Instagram: Kimora Lee Simmons
• Baby Fat: babyfat.com

Note: This summary is based on the transcript provided and excludes advertisement segments to maintain focus on the core content of the episode.

Transcript

[A]

The following podcast is a Dear Media Production.

[B]

She's a lifestyle blogger extraordinaire.

[C]

Fantastic.

[A]

And he's a serial entrepreneur, a very smart cookie.

[B]

And now Lauren Everts and Michael Bostic are bringing you along for the ride.

[C]

Get ready for some major realness.

[B]

Welcome to the Skinny Confidential. Him and her.

[C]

Kahmora Lee Simmons, welcome to the show. Kamora is discussing her modeling career, which started at 13 with Chanel in Paris, her entrepreneurial journey, founding and reacquiring the baby fat fashion brand, and her emphasis on empowering young women. She was so honest in this episode and open and just candid. She even talks about insights on bullying in the modeling industry and her parenting strategies and. And she talks about her success. It's not every day that someone comes on and they're super open on a mic and she is on that note. Kahmora Lee Simmons, welcome to the show.

[B]

This is the Skinny Confidential. Him and her.

[C]

I have wanted you on the podcast, I feel like for six years. I'm so happy that you're here.

[B]

You never returned our calls. We were calling.

[A]

No, no, I. That's not true. I never got any because literally when I came in, I said, why wouldn't you just call?

[C]

I think you're busy.

[A]

I am, but I still would have seen it. And then I would have responded and said hi. And then I would have, like, passed you to the. We could have done this, like, much quicker.

[C]

We could have done it while we were getting pelicure scrubs. Beachy shots.

[A]

I need to go, though. You're doing better than me.

[C]

I'm doing good with the pelicure scrubs. And Michael loves getting head at Pelicure.

[B]

It's true. It's true.

[A]

Only on special occasions.

[B]

Only on special occasions.

[A]

We give the best head.

[C]

They do. You guys, if you haven't tried the head spot pellecure, you're missing out.

[A]

It's really nice. It's Japanese technology.

[C]

The best.

[A]

It's the best.

[C]

It's literally the best for the nervous.

[A]

System ever and for your. The health of your hair and the follicle and all that. It's quite technical.

[B]

It's crazy when they look at the. When you do the camera stuff.

[A]

Kind of creepy, right?

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

Especially if some of. I've seen some that are like, people have build up that must be like, I don't know.

[B]

Here they were showing me the buildup of others and so they're going to.

[C]

Do it for me.

[A]

Okay. Don't make her sick as a. I.

[B]

Was like, if I have that I'm gonna be very self conscious. Thank God.

[A]

But can I just say, you guys, like, for those who don't know, talking about just a quick thing, right. It's like kind of like technology. So it's a camera that takes this ultra microscopic images of your hair shaft. And just people out there, you guys, sometimes a little dish soap goes a long way. A little apple cider vinegar in your every, you know, once a month, a little rinse. Guys, like, you have to keep the quality of your cuticle and hair shaft. You have to keep that, like, clean.

[C]

It's a great tip. The cell.

[A]

And we know because we see it on a cellular level. It's like so odd. It's crazy.

[C]

We just mentioned shafts and head in the same sentence and people were getting other ideas.

[A]

Well, you said head spa.

[C]

Head spa.

[A]

And just it's a lot of ideas to get there.

[C]

Everyone who's wondering. So I am friends with Anna of Pellicure. You guys are partners.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And she has been telling me that you have to come on the show and how entrepreneurial you are and how you all have all these endeavors and motherhood and all these things for a long time.

[A]

So finally I think she's like, kind of like my manager.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I don't know if people, like, do this, but I'm going to say, like, shout out to Anna. I don't know if you say that, but weird way I'm going to say that because I honestly feel like. And just I've known her for so many years and this is my partner that I'm talking about, but I've known her for so many years and I love her. And you don't always have partnerships like that. Like, a lot of times you probably don't like the people. I've also had, like, headaches with people. And so I feel like how I met her, she came with, like so much kimora knowledge and isms and, you know, and so I've just kind of gotten to see that over the years. And she works like she's my manager. Go here, do this. Call this one. You have to do this. You have to say this.

[C]

She's bossy.

[A]

Yeah, very much so.

[C]

She's kind of me and Michael's manager, too, in a different way.

[B]

You don't want to cross her.

[C]

No, we love her.

[A]

You definitely don't. Which is also what I love about her. People will call me and sometimes it's like, oh, my God, your partner. And I'll be like, what happened? And right away I can go To. And what did you do? Because I know what kind of person she is. And so she's very like, no bullshit. Wait, can you say. Yeah, can you say anything?

[C]

You can say anything you want.

[A]

So if we really were talking about sex, that's okay. We weren't. We weren't. We were talking about the head spa. But we.

[C]

We can talk about anything. We want you to let it rip.

[A]

I don't have anything to rip. Too much? I mean. No.

[B]

Let's see where we go.

[A]

I'm not sure.

[C]

Let us warm you up. No, I'm just kidding. Okay, so I'll take it. I heard here that you went from St. Louis to Paris at 13 and you were walking for Chanel at 13 years old. Is that true?

[A]

Yes, that's true.

[C]

How does that happen?

[A]

So I was in St. Louis, Missouri, which I always explain to people, is like the middle of the United States. It's like, next to, like, I don't know, Chicago maybe. It's like a big city that, you know. But other than that, it's kind of landlocked. And it's like we have like the Missouri river, the Missouri, maybe the Mississippi river touches. I'm not quite sure about that. But it's like, it's giving cows and rural and, you know, this is where I grew up. So I looked for what was there. Like, very, very different. Very, very unusual. There weren't really mixes of people. It was like very much a stark line. Like, black or white is black or white. That's it. And if maybe you were mixed with black and white, that was something. So, like, Mariah Carey would be, like, exotic. Okay, so me, I was like a total misfit. Just looking weird and looking strange. And I never, never, like, fit in. And my mom signed me up for these classes to give you, like, confidence and stand up straight and you know how to enter a room and have self confidence. And there I met someone that was like, you know, you could really. Her name was Meg. You could really, like, make something of yourself in this type of business or photography or modeling or Runway. Like, you should give it a try. And so I did that locally in St. Louis. So it was like Purina Dog Chow or like Target ads or something. Like, you know, like, it was in the Sunday Mailer or something like that. And then I went to a seminar in Kansas City and there was all. It was like a legit thing. And you never know in fashion if it's legit or not. You're going to these seminars, they're taking your kids Money, you guys, it's the biggest scam in the world, so be careful. But this one was legit, and there were so many agents from all over the world. And I met one. His name was Etienne, and he's from Marilyn Gaultier. Anybody who's in fashion knows Marilyn still to this day. She's a big agency in Paris. And the next thing I know, they whisked me off to Paris. They talked to my mom, and they were like, she could really do this. I went to Paris. My first casting was Chanel, and I.

[B]

Landed in the first casting.

[A]

And that was. And that was it. Wow.

[C]

Were you really, really tall when you were young?

[A]

I was the same as I am now. So I'm six feet tall. I've been six feet tall since, like, 13. Yeah. My son Kenzo is 15 and he's six foot eight. Whoa. So he can say, like, I've been six foot eight since, like, 13, 14. Like 15. Yeah. I've been this height forever. That's six four in heels.

[C]

He's six, eight.

[A]

Weird, right? It's like a weird. I think it's a weird Asian gene.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

I think I got it. I think I got it from my mom. She has it? I think so.

[C]

So when you go to Paris at 13 years old, are you with your family? Are you staying there for a long time? What happens?

[A]

No, I was alone because my mom worked for Social Security, so she worked for the government. She couldn't leave. You know, it's very nine to five. You're not allowed to leave. You're not allowed this, that, and the third. I was an only child, so I had to. I was by myself. I was homesick. I was running up $5,000 a month phone bills back then. It's like a collect call, or like you actually have to make a call. It's not wi fi. You're paying by the minute. I would run up phone bills, and that's all I ever wanted to do with my money that I would make was, like, talk to my mom.

[C]

I was like, so that's wild. How long did you stay there for?

[A]

So I stayed for some months at a time. Like, off and on. I had all my books. I went to. You know, I. I had a tutor. I had a tutor. Sometimes she would travel with me, sometimes not. But I had all my work and all my books. My luggage, in fact, was mostly textbooks. Heavy, heavy textbooks. And I would travel with these books a lot like Aoki nowadays with her books and her heavy, heavy books in her luggage. And paying the extra Fees for all these books.

[C]

Were you very smart as well as beautiful?

[A]

I was pretty smart. I was pretty smart. I've always.

[C]

Yeah, you've always been really smart.

[A]

Pretty smart, I would say.

[B]

So it's like a homeschool program or. It's part of the school program.

[C]

You were.

[A]

No, no, it's part of the school program. And I had my books and I did my studies and I had a tutor. So like, you can't give yourself a test. You need a proxy or a registered tutor to give you that. So I had someone I worked with that was like authorized by the school.

[B]

And what adult figures were there with you if your parents were they.

[A]

I was by myself. I went to live in a model apartment. Like I said. I did have my tutor sometimes on the road with me, but not like a lot.

[B]

That's kind of crazy for a 13.

[A]

Year old person that. When I did, when I went to Chanel, the first person that Karl Lagerfeld put me with was Naomi Campbell. He was like, here's another girl who's left, you know, her mom early. I think if I was 13, Naomi was probably like maybe 19, 20, something like that.

[C]

Were the other models nice?

[A]

Yeah, rarely were they nice. They were terrible. Not Naomi, but it was terrible. They were terrible.

[C]

How did you deal with that at 13 years old?

[A]

I think I was just kind of young and I think I was a little bit naive and I think I just kind of ignored it. I don't know. They were older than me, so they kind of seemed like old and bitter. And that's a reason, like now to this day, I will never be mean to, like a young girl or a young model or an aspiring hopeful, something or. I would never be that, you know, ex wife that like, you can come home with a 20 year old. I don't have anything to say about that. Not home to my home. But you can go to your home. And I'm not gonna be like dogging her because she's 20. I won't do that. Cause I was that girl.

[B]

So what are the things that they would do?

[A]

Oh, just be terribly, terribly mean. Like, I think anything you've ever heard of in a documentary or in a book has happened. Like crack the back. Like hit your heel like around, around here. So when you walk your heel, like, you know, you can bend the heel.

[C]

Damn.

[A]

So you're like on the, you know, or like just take your clothes, take your stuff, steal your stuff, push you over, shove you out of the way, talk about you.

[B]

And so what would you do? When that stuff would happen, you were just. You just kind of took it.

[A]

Yeah. I don't even think it would always come to me or you don't know, or I'd be like, gosh, my heel broke. Like, who did that? You know, you don't necessarily know.

[C]

What makes you want to continue modeling after doing all these collect calls home and having this cattiness. Was it just in you?

[A]

I think when I went to have a job like Chanel be my first job, so I got the job at Chanel, and then I kind of stayed at Chanel. That's what people don't exactly understand. So back then, it was called, like, a cabin girl, where, like, all of the clothes for the haute couture was made on my body for these clients. And these clients are like, princess of Monaco, queen of this, queen of that. And you're standing there while they're making the clothes on you, and you're holding her cheese plate for her to get her cheese. You're looking like, you keep eating that cheese, you're not gonna fit this. And they're literally making the clothes on you. It was me and, like, three or four other girls.

[C]

So you just wanted to keep doing it? There was, like, hiring you, So I.

[A]

Went to work every day. It's like a contract. So I went to work. That's why I say I go. Would go home every.

[C]

So you couldn't, like, just break it?

[A]

No, no, no, no, no. I had to go there every day. I went to 31 Rue Cambon, which anyone knows is Chanel Coco Chanel's house. And the atelier is on one floor. Her apartment's on another. The offices are in another. It's like her whole, like, a townhouse. And I was homesick. But, like, don't forget what I said about in the beginning, like, St. Louis, Missouri. They weren't very nice to me. And what am I going to do? Tip cows in the evening? I've never tipped a cow. However, my friends have, like, the proximity. I can't do it.

[C]

Is tipping a cow milking it?

[A]

No, no. It's like, literally pushing it over when they're standing. When they're standing there and sleeping. And then, like, they run out in the night and they push cows and they do this weird shit. I never.

[B]

You know what she said to me? She goes the other day, she goes, listen, I think we need to get a barn with some, like, chickens.

[C]

I know.

[B]

And I'm like, who the hell's taking care of this? Lauren?

[A]

We will.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I want my If I could show you, like, any of my manifest manifestation boards or any of my stuff. It's always about a barn and a greenhouse, and I want all these animals. And even now I rescue animals, but I want to be able to rescue all kinds of animals and not have to obviously kill them or get rid of them. I just want them to be able to live with me.

[C]

And right now my house is like that.

[B]

I said, if you.

[A]

I will, too.

[C]

If she takes on a barn.

[A]

Yeah, I want to.

[B]

If she takes on the barn and the organization and the cleaning of the barn and the taking care of the animals, I could be on board. But I.

[A]

But what did you do?

[B]

I'm not doing that.

[A]

Were you the farmer?

[C]

Do you want me to milk you?

[B]

I don't. Anytime.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I. I feel like we're not at that stage of like.

[A]

But then what are you contributing?

[B]

I'm not contributing.

[A]

No.

[C]

He doesn't want to contribute.

[A]

Why would you live there?

[B]

I wouldn't. That's what I'm saying.

[A]

We're on our own.

[B]

Yeah, that's. Well, that's. I'm saying maybe.

[A]

You know what? I would contribute.

[B]

I would contribute if it was like, if I could show up to.

[A]

You're not going to be a farmer. Be such a cute farmer.

[B]

Maybe later in life. Well, thank you.

[C]

You could farm naked because you have kids.

[A]

So do you get farm visitation?

[B]

Yeah, I would give a T shirt.

[C]

How does that.

[A]

You can have some eggs, but you're not interested.

[C]

My mom.

[B]

No, I love horses and all the things. I just know which e. These are all very romantic things, but they're a lot of work. My mom had horses. It's a whole thing.

[A]

So you're kind of a farm and stable person. So you know about it and you don't really love it.

[B]

I'm like, let me show up to the ranch.

[A]

Whereas we're more enamored by this.

[C]

I want the illusion. I want some raw milk and some eggs.

[B]

I'd like to be able to leave it and not worry about it.

[A]

I want to be able to leave it, too, and travel and do things. I want to be able, you know, I could have, like, farm hands if somebody will come and work with me and help me. But I think it takes time to build up to that. You can't just be like, I'm getting a farm and I have farm hands.

[B]

Everybody wants. Everybody watched me and I was like, hey, the one lesson people didn't take from Yellowstone, I'm like, did you notice all those grown men that lived in, like, the side barn and bunks together. Like, those are the guys that are taking care of the ranch. The other guys just sitting up there drinking whiskey.

[A]

I would do it, though, myself. Oh, some of it. A lot of it.

[C]

I believe her. I believe her.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. I would have, like, over the knee, rubber boots.

[B]

I would love to see this with you. Just one day. We'll go to a farm and I'll watch this.

[C]

One thing about me is I like to change my personality.

[B]

Guys are in your one piece.

[C]

This is just today. Tomorrow I'm in two pieces.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Two days.

[C]

Tomorrow I'll be in my pajamas with my gut hanging out with no makeup. So sorry. Like, not a guy.

[A]

It's a baby.

[C]

A baby. Did you have context of how crazy it was to be modeling in a Chanel Runway show and going to 30? You said 31 Rue Campone. Okay. Did you have context when you were young or did you not know how gnarly that is?

[A]

So, okay. We were kind of talking about that before, and I think I got off topic, which I'll probably do a thousand times. That's my add. But I don't. I don't think I knew it. I think I was taking it all in as I was going, and it was very fantastical. And, like, lights, camera, action. The runways are like. You know, the runways are probably like, some of them, like, 5ft tall, a lot of feet wide. So, you know, you're very elevated and it's light, and I think I love it. And just the music was so good, and it was so loud, and it drowns out everything when you're walking. And I don't know, I kind of love it. And don't forget, it was like a rock or a hard place. That's where I was. Do you want to go to St. Louis and be picked on? Or would you rather be in Paris at 31 Rue Cambon with supermodels picking on you? Take your pick because you're going to get picked on. So I just kind of took it and I stayed to myself and I. I'm an only child, don't forget. So I was kind of okay. I'm really independent. I was a latchkey kid. I can let myself in. Not gonna lose my key. It's around my neck. Not today, though.

[C]

To me, it's so surprising that you were picked on, because when I see you now, you seem so confident.

[A]

Like, it's like, because I was picked on.

[C]

So how did that start to happen? Where you gained confidence to not be Picked on.

[A]

It never happened until I was an adult and I started doing my own thing. And then I went. I became a model, but even then, people were picking on me. So then I had to figure out how to get out of modeling. And for me, that was with fashion. So I started a line at a very young. I started baby fat at a very young age. So I think just my young adulthood is. And by then, now I'm married, and I had Mingi. And, you know, I think it was like. I don't think I ever got over it, probably to this day, which is why I advocate so much for young girls and young women right now. Before I came in here, I was literally on a conference call with a lawyer because someone's picking on my kid in the modeling industry, like, it's a problem. So I advocate for young women, and even when I was always doing my shows and baby fat shows in the 90s and 2000, you know, I would never treat a model like that. Some of the things I went through and some of the people that we know that still to this day are very famous editors and such, and they just. Their behavior is a little different. I would never do that. I embrace that. I know that these young women are someone's kids. I have my own kids. I. It was just terrible. I. So I'm the opposite. I, like, I try to take girls that look different. I try to take girls of all shapes and sizes. Like, I love you if you're super thin, and I love you if you come with all the. But all the junk in your trunk. I've had girls come to me crying and saying, like, this is my last casting. My agency said my boobs are too big, and that's what made me hire her. Jessica White was one of those girls. You remember her? I have, like, so many stories. Chrissy Teigen told me I gave her her first job. Like, I have so many stories in the industry of just. I would not be that person. And I think that's why so much maybe goodness has been afforded to me. I think it's like a kind of a blessing, kind of a karma. Yeah, I think so.

[B]

Do you think it's worse now or when you were younger in terms of bullying?

[A]

I thought it was worse when I was younger. I thought it had died down. I know obviously of lots of stories from Ming and Aoki, but only now, seeing, like, for example, what's going on with Mingi, I realize, oh, gosh, it's. You know, I even told you that I realized, oh, wow, I'M shocked someone would be doing that to my daughter, to me, and to this young girl. That. That's crazy. So I'm realizing it's going on still now.

[C]

How are you gonna help her to figure it out and solve it? Like, what do you tell. What's the advice that you tell her that she's getting bullied? What do you say?

[A]

It's very tough. I try to stay, like. I try to use things as, like, as learning lessons. So, you know, you have to advocate for yourself and you have to, like, read the fine print when someone tried to sneak you on a contract and put something in there. You know, they're young girls. And so I say, like, how did this happen? Or did you look at this or did you. You know? And she'll say, like, well, it wasn't meant to be that way. It was meant to be this way. Or the person said this, but they didn't write that. And so, you know, you wedge yourself into situations. You have kids, they can wedge themselves into situations. But I try to use it as like a learning, a. Learning a life lesson for them.

[C]

The bullying is so ridiculous, too. It's so much easier to be nice than to bully it also.

[A]

I think so. But I don't think other people think that. I feel like they're, like, mean or they're, like, grumpy or they're cantankerous or they're angry or. I do think a lot of times it's not even, like, about you.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You know, it's not about me. I think it's just that's how you were.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Or you had something going on on your own time, in your own head. I think.

[B]

I think it's like a confidence and an insecurity issue. Typically, people are lashing out like, that are battling a lot of insecurity issues.

[A]

Something, right? Exactly. I think they're battling something. And having grown up with that doesn't really faze me.

[B]

In our world, if you're super confident, happy, it's unbelievable. You would never engage in that behavior. It's the people that do that. There's something that they're an issue that they're already trying to work through.

[A]

I agree. I told. So I told my kids. First of all, I tell my kids to stay out of the comments and stay off of the Internet.

[C]

Agreed.

[A]

If you go looking for shit on the Internet, you're going to find it. Like, if you go looking through your man's phone for something or your woman's phone, you're going to find what you're looking for. If you go looking for shit, you're going to find shit. So I first of all tell them to stay away. Now do kids stay away? Absolutely not. So then when they come crying about the things that didn't stay away from, I say like, show me that what's going on. They show it to me. And I'm looking at the name I was about to say. I'm looking at the name. There's no followers or there's some, you know, look at their page. Like look at this stuff. And quickly I say, do you see what this is? This is probably like a 90 year old man. I don't know what. Who is this person? It's a faceless person. I always say this behind a screen or you know like we call them like keyboard gangsters. Who is this person and who are you? And you hopefully would have raised your kids or you know, you would have put a little something in your friend's back battery pack, right? Like who do you know yourself? Because we really don't know these people. R2D2 at whatever, whatever. Like look at the names. I don't even know what it is.

[B]

R2D2. Do you know who R2D2 is? Lauren?

[A]

Yeah. Do you?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay, good. It's a Star wars person.

[C]

Yeah, I know.

[A]

I don't know which one. One of the metallic.

[B]

He's an astromech droid.

[A]

Is he the gold one or the little one?

[B]

He's a, he's a blue and don't.

[C]

Michael and Star wars comments. He knows it all.

[B]

You have 30 minutes.

[A]

No, my birthday is May 4th. Okay, may the 4th be with you.

[C]

When after working with Chanel, what was your next big endeavor?

[A]

So then I went on after probably a couple of years and I started doing like modeling all over because now you're not in a contract. And I think when you leave after having like years job with Chanel and being the face and being like the muse for Karl Lagerfeld, you can get probably any job. So then I got all of the job, you know, all of the Runway jobs and all of the things. And by now I'm cooking. I'm like a model. But then I was remembering that people were always so mean. So how do I get out of here? Like what's the closest exit? And I thought it was so funny that you would get paid all this money and like all these people come to look at you. It was always so strange to me because I grew up the girl that everyone said was so ugly so that's weird. Now you're here to look at me, and then you're paying money to get in or you're buying these clothes. It was just so odd to me. And it made me realize, so if you broke your leg tomorrow at school, you know, or you got chopped off by a bus, I don't know, God forbid something happened. No one's gonna want you anymore. It's, like, over that quick. So by now, this is like, how old am I? 15. With these messages. 16, 17, 18. And I had to think of something else to do because I couldn't stomach being in an industry that was, like, so built on, like, the fluff of, like, how you look alone. And that's the whole thing about sex cells and beauty cells. Like, now I know. But keep in mind, I was navigating this as a kid. So I'm figuring this out on my own, and I'm figuring out it's not really a place I want to live.

[C]

To be that young and to realize that is crazy. I remember when I was, like, 21 bartending, and I had a guy friend of mine be like, you can't lead with your looks. You need to find something else. And you almost realized that at 15, it's like you have to create value in something other than your looks because it's fleeting.

[A]

Yeah, looks change.

[C]

Looks change.

[A]

And you, like I said, you could be. Who knows if this.

[C]

Pregnant.

[A]

Another thing. That was the thing. I had all my kids on the Runway, walk down the Runway, so I could be big, small. I don't have the pressures of being. I'm not an. A Hollywood actress. I'm not, you know, I'm a business person. I can look how I want to look.

[C]

You're an entrepreneur. It sounds like at, like, literally 16 years old, you figured that out, but you didn't maybe have the word.

[A]

For sure. It could have even been an accountant. It could have been a bookkeeper. It could have been something else, because I was watching my money and, like, down to the FedEx and counting my stuff. So I don't really know what the word was, but I was something. I didn't want it to be model.

[B]

How many of the women that you kind of started with still, like, had longevity in the career and, like, stayed?

[A]

Oh, many, many, many.

[B]

And how many kind of fell off? Is it, like, what's the. I guess I'm asking you, since it's not. I'm not familiar with the modeling world outside of talking to some people that have done it. What is, like, the ratio of people and the longevity, you know, once you start to compare to when you kind of get thrown out. Like, do most people stay for long periods or is it a lot of.

[A]

You mean of girls that I discovered.

[C]

Not girls that I worked, Girls that.

[A]

I came up with?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, how many of them actually have long careers?

[A]

No one in the modeling industry, I don't think has done what I've done.

[B]

I can't name one that is not a surprise.

[A]

But I'm wondering, like, I mean, there are a few. Hold on. There are a few, but, like, let's talk about who they are. I can name. I know them off the top of my head. Like Heidi Klum.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

She didn't do what I do. Meaning she's not making clothes. She's not creating a lifestyle for young people and multi generations of people different. She's more of a producer, a TV person. She does what she does. But not really a brand.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

She does have a brand, but it's a brand that many people have that brand. And she took it, I think, like Top Model for Germany or something like that. Tyra. Tyra created Top Model. But that. And that is her brand. But it's not really selling clothes or something like that. I don't know that there are girls now. Heidi had a bunch of kids, so I count that. But it's not a lot of girls that had. Like, you were a model and then you had a family and you were married and you had lots of kids, and then you had multiple different successful businesses. I really don't know who that was.

[B]

Yeah. So I guess in the reverse of that, I was asking, like, what happens to the majority of people that don't.

[A]

What happens to the ones that I don't know?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Fall off.

[A]

Naomi is still. Is working, but she's. As a model. That's different. Some of them are still there, but the rest of them, I think they maybe went on or maybe they're married or maybe they're, you know, moms, or maybe they do have businesses. I'm sure quite many of them do. I just don't know what they are or I haven't seen them anymore. Or, you know, it's like a class reunion. You guys see me? I don't know.

[B]

All right, all right. Got it, got it.

[A]

Yeah. I want to have a class reunion, by the way, because I'm wondering where all these people are.

[C]

She wants a class reunion. All the families line up.

[A]

Back then, I would never, ever go. You should go. I'm on the COVID of this Magazine, Send that, that's enough. Or oh, I did this. Send that, that's enough. But now I actually want to know where people are. And it's only because I remember the few. The few nice friends I had. Not like to find the bullies. I wouldn't even necessarily remember them like that. I want to find the friends that I had.

[C]

I'm sure the bullies are not feeling great. What is the first entrepreneurial thing that you did? What age?

[A]

I think it was off on my own modeling at 13.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And after that, it was probably starting a brand, starting baby fat. And I was probably 21, about. I'm not exactly sure.

[C]

But how do you have that idea at 21? Like, what sparked that idea? How did you find the name? How did you get the brand?

[A]

Remember, I said, how the hell do I get out of here? Where's the exit door? So I'm looking for an exit. And by then I would have been married or at least like engaged. And my then fiance husband had a clothing line for men and wanted to do one for women and came out with all of these crazy clothes that look like men's clothes on women. And I was like, we don't want that. And every time I would come in and be like, we don't want that.

[C]

Like, ugh, what did he say when you said that?

[A]

And he would be like, yeah, you're right. Like, what do. What do you want? And so I just started taking the stuff and turning it around and giving girls what they wanted. And so it just. I launched a line. I started the woman's counterpart to the men's line at that time.

[C]

Did it take off right away?

[A]

Yes and no.

[C]

It.

[A]

It did in the sense that I had a lot of model friends. And so I would put the girls in like a baby tee like this. This is like a classic piece. And so now you have all the cute girls wearing your stuff and you're just giving it to them. Which is one thing I say right now about to people when they say, how do you, like, make it as an entrepreneur? You know, how do I get my product out there? I'm like, just get it out there. Just give it to your friend. Like, loan it to them. Give it to them. Put yourself in the fashion show at the local high school, right? Make stuff for someone's red carpet appearance. Get yourself out there. If it's on the other side of the microphone, get someplace where you're interviewing your friends, talking to someone. Meet someone at the Starbucks and interview them, whatever it is that you Want to do, get yourself there. It's free.

[C]

It's interesting because you were doing at 21 what people do now in a different way. We call it user generated content where like I'll gift someone an ice roller and then hoping like maybe they'll use it on social media in like a really seamless way. You were doing that before this was even a thing with your model friends and just hoping that they would wear it or talk for sure.

[A]

I realize now that I was doing a lot of things then that were the first.

[C]

Yes. And there was no social media.

[A]

I only know it because there was no social media. All of the marketing was ourself. You know, we had to figure that out and do it ourselves. We created a whole kind of licensing model that you use your name and create a product. And then came a lot of other artists that had brands and, you know, rappers and musicians that would go to do TV and a lot of cross pollination of your name and your likeness. We kind of talked like, built that model and now I see girls are like, oh my God, I have my first, you know, fragrance or I have like a skincare line that's inclusive of all kinds of skin, or I have a makeup line that has all these colors and every, all these shades and everyone's so excited and I love it. And then I think like, oh my God, I did that. Yeah, already 20 years ago.

[C]

That's. It's wild.

[A]

I don't even feel old enough to say that, but I can say that. And these people who are doing it now were my friends then. We've always been friends, kind of in the business. Friendly. I'll call them.

[C]

Everyone always asks me if I had to pick one product from Symbiotica, what it would be. And I have to say, and this is kind of across the board, I would go with their liposomal glutathione. I love this glutathione. It's my favorite. I think it absorbs the fastest. Like it has the fastest nutrient absorption I've ever seen. I can notice it right away. I like the citrus berry flavor. It comes in a little packet. I throw it in my purse. It's so easy. If you're unfamiliar with glutathione, it's all about glowing skin, anti aging and gut health benefits, which helps support bloating and digestion. And I need all the help that I can get with this pregnancy and digestion. If you're going to pick another product from Symbiotica, I would tell you to get their liposomal vitamin C. How I drink this is I just put it in my water in the morning all like mix in my beauty salt, put it in my water and froth it up, maybe add some lemon and I'm good to go. And vitamin C especially theirs is so good for collagen production and glowing skin and antioxidants and it's an immunity booster. I have been a fan of this brand forever. It's one of my favorite brands that we work with. I take their supplements all the time and I gift them. Taking Symbiotica supplements is one of the easiest ways I've found to stay consistent with my health goals even during a busy summer. Go to symbiotica.com TSC today you get 20% off plus free shipping. That's C Y M B I o T I k a.comTSC you get 20% off plus free shipping.

[B]

Hello everybody. Let's take a quick break in this show to talk about what's quickly become one of my favorite things of the summer. And that is a straw tequila. Right now in front of me I have estralls anejo, I have their blanco tequila and I have my personal favorite, their reposado. Austral is my go to tequila for margaritas at home. And it doesn't just taste good, it does good too. Every bottle of Austral tequila helps build homes for families in need in Jalisco, Mexico. And after making the tequila, they upcycle leftover agave fibers into adobe bricks used to build homes in their community. How cool is that? So when you're sipping a marg, you're also supporting a great cause. Drink margs do good. What could be better? A straw is an award winning tequila that tastes good. And like I've said many times on this show, if I'm out and I'm choosing to drink, tequila is my drink of choice. I have it in a margarita. One thing that's also become quickly one of my favorite drinks is a tequila. Old fashioned. A lot of people think you can only do that with whiskey, but you can do that with tequila as well. Try it with the anejo. You won't look back, you won't regret it. Little bit of an orange slice. Really good. So if you're thinking about having a night out or maybe a little bit of day fun, try a straw. It is quickly emerging as one of the greatest tequila tequilas out there. One of my favorite tequilas and I highly recommend you try it as well. Housemark Summer is here. Time to stock up. Go to www.as t R A L T E Q u I l a.com to find a straw near you. And don't forget the limes. Please enjoy responsibly. A straw tequila. 40 alcohol per volume. Diageo, New York, New York all right.

[C]

I am craving Spritz Society, specifically the pink lemonade flavor. I had the opportunity of doing a Skinny Confidential flavor with Spritz Society. You may have heard of them. It's an award winning canned cocktail brand founded by my girlies Claudia and Jackie from the Toast podcast. So why I wanted to do a collab with this brand specifically is of course I love Claudia and Jackie. But also it's made with real white wine, real cane sugar and six ingredients or less. So there's no artificial flavors, there's no fake sugars. It's just clean, simple, delicious cocktails. No BS. You should also know that each can only has 120 calories. How I like to drink this is I'll do a wine glass with a bunch of crushed ice in it. I'll pour the pink lemonade on top. It's so refreshing. I can't wait. Like I said, I'm getting there to have one, guys. And then I'll do a sprig of basil on top with a straw. And it's so delicious. It's the perfect summer cocktail. If pink lemonade is not your jam, they have lemon iced tea by Craig Conover from Southern Charm. They also have a pickle flavor and a peach flavor. They've really like nailed the flavors and that shouldn't surprise you because they're the toast. On that note, you guys can head to spritzsociety.com to find a store near you. And don't forget to follow Spritz on Instagram. They're always dropping exciting new flavors and throwing fun events. Spritz Society summer starts here. When your ex husband who's successful on his own and he's so successful, but then he sees his wife becoming so successful with her line. Was that a trip or was he like, I'm gonna give you all the business tips and advice or were you like on your own?

[A]

So yes and no. But what people sometimes forget and sometimes they remember is I was already successful when I met him in my way, in fashion, and he was already successful as a music and hip hop mogul and founder. You know, like kind of a.

[C]

So you guys, it's like two successful people coming together.

[A]

You just got more successful and I was much younger.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So actually, how old were you when you Got married.

[C]

Relativeness.

[A]

I was like, I don't know, 21. Young. I was like 16 when I met.

[C]

Did you like him right away?

[A]

I was young and he's like 20 years older than me. So that's a new.

[C]

Michael's parents are the same.

[A]

Your parents?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

18 years. They're still together?

[A]

Yeah. We're like 18.

[B]

Sounds like a normal thing. Until.

[C]

I mean, husband will be 18 years older.

[A]

Your next one.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

When you're not moving to the farm. The farmer.

[B]

Well, the farm is probably what's gonna break us, to be honest. It's gonna break.

[A]

See? So then now we already know.

[B]

She'll go 18 up, I'll go 18 down. Will we?

[A]

Oh, yeah. That's how it goes.

[B]

We'll call it a 36 year gap. We'll split it. We'll split it that way.

[C]

You know what I care about? The brain.

[B]

Yeah. So I've had enough.

[A]

The mind.

[B]

I got enough brains. Really.

[A]

Guys don't always want that. They want them girls to like. Shut up. I don't really know.

[B]

I don't know. I do like to be around women with big brains and big personalities.

[C]

That's very true. Michael.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You're trying. I feel like you're put. You.

[A]

I thought you were gonna say big brush.

[B]

Maybe my ADD brain too. I will lose a lot of interest if I don't have a little bit of a sparring thing, you know, like Frank's.

[A]

I think so too. I think, well, that's. Cause that's what I have to offer. So that's how I look at life, how I frame it. But I do know I have plenty of friends that don't want someone that's so intelligent in a partner they don't want.

[C]

I don't want someone.

[B]

Their brain's rattling around like an old ping pong ball in there. I need it to be like stuck in their stomach.

[A]

Yeah. I meet ping pong girls.

[C]

Frank Sinatra said it shouldn't be a staring contest.

[B]

It's true.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

That'S a good quote.

[C]

That's what he said.

[A]

I know a lot of guys that want to. Staring contest, huh? They want him just to.

[B]

I think that's like fun for a minute. And then you're like, okay, what do we do? You know, you might know.

[A]

We know what it's fun for.

[B]

Yeah. But then you. But then let's skip the whole preamble of the getting in the car and the going to the dinner and the doing the whole thing. It's just like. Well, because we're just Gonna sit there and look at each other, you know, Might as well just want to jump in. Might as well just get to it. If we're not gonna talk about anything.

[C]

That'S high end escort.

[A]

You know what? You have to be chivalrous. Is that dead? You have to be like, dead.

[B]

But I'm saying it.

[C]

I think we tell us we're beautiful. It would be hard for him to be. It would be hard for you if you want. You need some brain between the ears.

[B]

I would prefer not to split up because I know I'd be an absolute disaster at this point. Any kind of date, I wouldn't know where to begin. Like, in one way, I would just be totally. If I had to go and start all over and do the whole thing.

[C]

All he has to do is write Lauren's ex in his bio.

[B]

That's true. I would create a dating profile, and I would use a bunch of pictures of her, and I'd be like, I'm the ex. And then that would be my travel.

[C]

Cause they want to go to Christmas with.

[A]

That's true.

[C]

You know what I mean?

[A]

So my first baby daddy used to always say when we were friendly, he would say, I get so much P word because of you. And don't do that. Don't laugh like that. You're gonna have Braxton Hicks right now. Gonna start cramping down low.

[C]

I get so much pussy because of you.

[A]

He would say that, and I would say, that's right. And I'm glad you know that because you're my bitch. I would say that that's.

[C]

Well, it is true.

[A]

But he'll tell a different story.

[C]

But this is, I think, guys a lot of pussy from who they date before, for sure. Sorry.

[A]

And I think a lot of girls. A lot of girls over there have come and gone thinking that they can replicate that situation, but not knowing or being aware of what I brought to the situation. What I brought is not what you bring, honey. So therefore it's a little different. It's a staring contest.

[C]

I'm gonna say after meeting you, it's gonna be hard to replicate.

[A]

Good luck. It's been hard for most.

[C]

It's gonna be hard.

[A]

It's gonna be hard.

[B]

That's what I'm saying. Like, just, like, maybe not give me the headache. Just let me just kind of just stay in the lane that I'm going.

[C]

I almost, like, want you to go see what's out there for like, a couple weeks and, like, go see what's out there.

[A]

No, that is how break babies Come about.

[B]

No.

[A]

A lot of extra baggage could come from that. You have to be careful.

[C]

That's what Dr. We just had Dr. Drew on and he told us that he seen a like three way couple or three way situation work out ever in all his years in the long term for.

[A]

I know Drew, Dr. Drew, and I like Drew. But I don't agree with that. But I'm not a doctor. But I don't agree with that because I know plenty of people that have very nice, successful relationships and it works. And I know plenty of people that you all would know and every person in this room would know, like the most famous people in the world and they have. Have decent relationships. And I think it's because maybe with three people in the relationship, at least. And the reason I think it's okay, well, hold on. Are you talking about a throuple, like living in the house with these people or a person that kind of goes in and out, like how you said, go two weeks? I know people that do that or bring other people in and they're fine.

[B]

No, he was talking about like a throuple where there's like the guy tries to be.

[A]

I've seen it. I've seen it.

[C]

And it works.

[A]

Absolutely. Sometimes I think it's because one or other of the other of the person in the relationship, the relationship is so uneven, not weighted the same. And so I think one or the other person maybe feels like they kind of have to do that or kind of have to give in to these wishes. I know a lot of women, young girls, get into that because they kind of feel like they had to to keep this guy or to keep it. They felt like pressure. So then if that's true, where are they going? They're not going anywhere there, really.

[C]

So it ends up working is what you're saying.

[A]

So it can end up working. I know very happy relationships where it works. I wish I could give you guys all the names.

[B]

What do their names rhyme with?

[A]

No, no, no, I can't.

[C]

You can't do that.

[A]

Because I'm not even good at that. I'll say the name. I'll be.

[B]

I'll be the initials.

[A]

No.

[B]

All right, let's move on.

[C]

You know what, though? She does know a lot of really, really famous people. And I could see how maybe for really really famous people, there's certain.

[B]

I think, oh, we're not really famous. Let's move it along.

[A]

Or guess what else? I've even had situations happen where I have friends and my friends, guys or girls, are like dating Whoever. A guy or a girl. And they'll say, like, okay, I'll give you one example. One of my friends said he was da. A guy. He said he was dating this girl, and he was like, oh, my God, I was dating this girl. And in her phone, like, whenever we went out, and she was talking to another guy, so. And so. Who's, like, a very famous guy. We all know these. This person, these people. And so she was talking to them, and I think she was in a relationship with them. So my date or my thing with her didn't really work out. And I realized that because they're my friends. And so I realized that they're living, like, an alternative life. So there's been cases where I didn't even know you were doing that. But I learned it because someone else was saying they lost their girl or their guy to this other situation. So I'm like, oh, I see how people are living okay. And I don't say anything when I see them. If they didn't tell me, I'm not going to.

[C]

Is it called a swinger? Is that a swinger?

[A]

It's kind of a swinger or kind of a throuple or kind of a threesome or kind of a menage a trois. I don't know. It's got some different names.

[C]

An arrangement. No.

[A]

Maybe, like, an agreement, a situationship. Didn't somebody say that?

[C]

I mean, or something like that. To each its own. I feel like.

[B]

Just seems like a lot to manage.

[A]

It could also be called, like, an affair. It could also be called, like, a lot of things. We don't know where it falls on the spectrum. Okay, but there's a spectrum, and I know both sides. I know some end where it. Some on the end where it, like, ruins their life. And I know other ones that it's. They're, like, thriving.

[C]

Good for the ones that are thriving. What. What is the time? And we're going. We're. We're taking a tangent again. What is the time in your company, baby fat, where it, like, hit. What happened? What was something that rocked the company or was it not an opinion?

[A]

Something good?

[C]

Yeah, like. Or was it like a really slow build exponentially, or was it, like, something that someone wore?

[A]

Oh, so I don't think it was. No, it wasn't what someone wore, because it was a lot of people wearing a lot of things. It was a time, and it was a movement, and it's one of the best movements of our time, which was the late 90s and the early 2000s to this day, people are dressing, wearing, like, I literally have pulled out a bag to wear today. This is. This is like an old Chanel bag. This has got to be at least 20 years old. You guys. Anybody who really knows their brands and their Chanel knows this bag. It's old as Methuselah. My point is we're still chasing that 2000s vibe. The late 90s. So it was a movement. And I think what the movement was is a couple of things. But I think I was speaking to women, young women, single women, married women, women. And I was giving them, first of all, a lot of fashion because I was from all the high fashion runways. I'm giving you a lot of fashion and insight and style and flair for a buck for a dollar, right? My jacket is not like Chanel, one of my favorites. It's not a Chanel jacket, but I'm giving you kind of style and flair and design. So the girls felt like they were getting something. You maybe didn't get that Chanel, but you could get that baby fat Jean. It's like a lifestyle. Maybe you couldn't afford this fancy watch, but you could get that sneaker, right? It's a lifestyle. And so I think that's why it kind of took off like wildfire. And to this day, it's like a time that we love. Like, think of the time that we came from, right? It's like Jay Z and Beyonce. It's like, I don't know, think of. Think of that time. It was, like, super cool.

[C]

Oh, I remember it.

[A]

And to this day, still the good music, still the good clothes. It's still that moschino belt, that mosquito. Mosquito belt that you have on. You could have bought it today, and you very easily could have bought it not 20 years ago because you don't look old enough. But someone could have gotten that belt 20 or 30 years ago. The chunky, the letter, the way the letters are, the block letters. Like, come on, we know it. It's a time. And I came up in that time. So that was one thing. I gave them a lot of fashion, but the other thing I think is I gave women a voice. I gave them an independence. I gave them something that they could, like, aspire to or like, I was kind of like their girlfriend, everyone's homegirl. I gave them something else to look forward to and look up to about themselves that maybe they didn't have before on their own.

[C]

I also think, like, I used to watch your show and how many years ago was your show?

[A]

A lot.

[C]

Okay. I used to watch it. And I remember being like, younger and watching it and being like, that's a strong. I didn't have the word entrepreneur. I didn't have that word yet.

[A]

Yeah, me either.

[C]

But that's what I was a strong blank. You were like one of the, like, sort of. I don't want to say first entrepreneurs, but you were in.

[A]

It's like a mogul. I would say like a mommy model mogul. That was my thing. And I got. It's so funny that you say I didn't know that word or you asked me, like, did you know the word entrepreneur? I think I. I learned it quickly just from being in like, international fashion circles and certainly from being in the music industry. And, you know, I think I've learned a lot. I've learned to emulate a lot. I grabbed like, the bits and pieces that were fabulous.

[C]

What do you run with the company? Do you run the logistics, the operations? Are you picking all the fabrics? What is your today?

[A]

Yes, everything. So we. I built the company many years ago, then we sold the company.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And then recently I bought the company back. So it's kind of like a rebranding that.

[C]

So you bought it back?

[A]

Yeah. So, like, since, like, Covid. Okay. I remember.

[C]

How long struggles did you have the company when you sold it?

[A]

I don't know. I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. 10 years, 15 years.

[C]

Were you happy when you sold it or did you. 12 years.

[A]

Oh, I was so sad. That was another thing I learned about business. You build things up to sell them and get rid of them. The best. The worst thing that you could do. Sorry. Is to be emotionally attached to something great that you built and not be able to let it go and hold on to it long after it, you know, the value has peaked.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I've learned that. And I've also learned when you get rid of a company or a brand or if you sell your. The name of this show, you can still go on to do other things because the value is in you too. Not the two of you, not only the name. So if the two of you did this under that name, the two of you can do this under another name. I learned that. So once you leave or sell it, you don't wanna try to come back and get it again. So. Because it's what happens when you went.

[C]

Back and got it.

[A]

I went back many, many years later.

[C]

Got it.

[A]

And then came this resurgence of Y2K and, you know, now you have like the ice spices of the world. You have Rihanna Bought the whole baby fat past collection. She brought all the archives or vintage archives, whatever. She had someone go and get. So, like, look at all the cool girls now that are still embracing Y2K. It's a thing still. It's in the pink that we wear, the lip gloss that we wear, the way that we style our hair, the Jordans that we wear. It's, you know, look at Paris Hilton. She's. I see her a lot. She's still embracing it. Like, it's a. It's a movement.

[C]

So when you look back on everything, how you sold it and then you bought it back, you like the way that panned out. I'm asking for my own self with my own. And I just. I'm curious, like, you like how you got rid of it. You took fresh energy.

[A]

It was very tough. I think when you get rid of a company. I stayed on then as an executive and creative director. It's very tough because now you work for someone else. Right. You work for yourself, but you work for someone else. And when people come in, I find that the name of the game for them is, like, to make the most money for the least amount of, you know, input. Right. Whereas you were trying to give them all the quality and all the things and all the. The, you know, do the business the right way. So I've noticed that when people sell their things, it. It tends to shift or sometimes decline, or the marketing is a little bit different, so you have to get your footing, is what I'm saying. And then if you want it back and you can get it back, fine. Like, I did do that many years later, but usually you don't want to go back and get that. Get it back. You want to do it again.

[C]

Are you happy now with getting it back? Are you, like, loving it?

[A]

I'm happy now, but I said it's been, like, through some Covid toughness.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so it's just now starting to pick up and turn around and to be profitable, I guess, if you would. It's been a journey because you're putting everything in yourself and you're, you know, it's. Baby fat is a legacy, you know, brand meaning. I did it when I was a kid, and now my kids are here doing it. My kids will have it, and maybe even their kids. You know, it's. When you think of brands like that, it's one of them. Like, if you think, I don't know, Ralph Lauren's been around for a long time. Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen. And I've been Around a long time. So it has many iterations.

[C]

How were you managing?

[A]

Like a cat.

[C]

Like a cat.

[A]

Like baby fat cat.

[C]

And if you guys are watching YouTube, she has a cat on her shirt. So go get excited.

[A]

Go get excited.

[C]

Yeah, it's a pink baby fat cat.

[B]

And hello Kitty. Our daughter loves hello Kitty.

[C]

Yeah, our daughter loves hello Kitty.

[B]

Anything. Hello Kitty.

[C]

When you were building your brand and you were a mother, what did that look like? How did you deal with all the different things you were doing? And you were doing a reality show.

[A]

So I just was telling somebody this the other day. I didn't know at the time that I was doing it, what all I was doing. I didn't know that. I just thought it was normal. So I would bring my girls. I had two little girls because my boys didn't come till later. I had two little girls. I think that was maybe easier for me because they were like, like me under me. I'm doing makeup. They're playing with the makeup. I'm trying on clothes. They're playing in the clothes. I'm wearing heels. They're playing in the heels. I think for me it works.

[B]

Work.

[A]

And they went everywhere with me. Like, go to work with me. They would have a playroom or a playpen in my office. It was like, take your kid to work day every day. Like how right now you are sitting here and pregnant. You have kids at home, you have kids here. It's fine. I didn't know that I was doing something. I only was just trying to do something. I didn't know until later. And also when you start to see your counterparts and what they're doing or not doing that you start to realize it. You're just normally going through the stresses of your normal day. You don't realize you're doing something entrepreneurial or you don't realize then that working women don't usually have time for family and are not afforded and allowed to stop and have a family. You don't realize that. You don't realize a lot of the shit that I've realized after the fact.

[C]

It sounds like your whole career has been just like. You throw yourself in and there's. You're almost naive about it and you just make it work.

[A]

I throw myself in. I'm naive about the goodness of it. Like, I might not know the success or the impact until later, but when I'm throwing myself in, I'm kind of carrying a village with me, which is like a village of, like I said, women, young women, single women, divorcees. When I Was younger. They were young girls like me. They were moms. They were young moms like I was. So it's. I feel like I always have like, like the city on my back. Like, the girls are kind of with me, so I'm also fighting for them. I'm building something, I'm teaching them something, I'm showing them something. I'm giving them something else. Another lifestyle, a way of life, something to aspire to. I think for me it's always about like building.

[C]

How are your kids so smart?

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

This is. I've heard this from multiple people.

[A]

I think it comes from the mom.

[C]

All the mom. What?

[A]

And I think that's scientifically proven. Yeah.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, I think so. You can look it up. Yeah, it's a scientifically proven thing that the intelligence comes from the mom.

[C]

How are, how are they? Have they always been smart like this since they were little? Or is it something that you notice later on?

[A]

Too smart. They're too smart when they're young, like you told me.

[B]

Is this true? That they're like genius level smart? Is this really true or is this.

[C]

Is what I've heard?

[A]

So they're all my kids are geniuses. But she's not being really like when they were younger, Ming and Aoki, that's the first two they went to Mermaids.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Merman is the only gifted school certified in, I think California or la. So you have to actually take an IQ test and rank at a certain number above.

[C]

Like, you can't pay your way in.

[A]

50 or 60. No, no, no. It's an IQ based thing.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So all of my kids have taken this test and scored off the charts. And the two younger ones actually went to Merman, which we love.

[C]

And then one of them went to Harvard. Is this correct? At a young age or something?

[A]

So Aoki, she's 22 now. She graduated Harvard at 20. 20, I think, or 21.

[C]

They're really genuine, I'm telling you.

[A]

And she got in at 15.

[B]

Harvard. I'm not allowed 50ft within Harvard. They're like, don't even come near us.

[C]

Wait, how does she even know to apply to Harvard at 15 years old?

[A]

They went to Merman. So I think it's like a kind of a.

[B]

What do they do in Merman? Like, what do they do?

[A]

It's a gifted school. It's kind of a prep school. So you definitely are allowed to like push to the maximum of your creativity or the maximum of your intelligence. There's no such thing as like, you're this age and you're in this grade. If you can do, you know, a billion more math levels up, go for it.

[B]

They don't like, throttle you back and say, hey, you're good.

[A]

No, no, no. Our system is set up very much like, you're this age, you're in this grade. That's how it has to be. You call a school. How old are you? Okay. We put them in this class. They don't care that some are below that level and some are above that, and you're either in the middle or you're struggling or you're bored. That's how it is in the classroom.

[C]

How did you know, though, to put them in the school? Like, where did you see, like, wait, my kids are gifted?

[A]

So I learned it only when they were in elementary school. And certainly for Aoki, because she started even younger. Ming graduated as well from nyu, but she was on normal time. She didn't go, like three or four years early. But I think it was because my kids sometimes were struggling in school.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And almost like a little bit bullied because, like, you're off reading your textbooks at playtime, you don't really have friends. Your. Your goals and your interests are kind of not what they're doing at the school. What they think is cool, you don't think is cool. You're studying history, they're playing with toys. You know what I mean? So it's. I started to see that because they would get kind of bullied and I would do research. And actually my littlest wolf, he's 10, his dad, also my husband, another husband, when I met him, said, do you see, you know, how the girls are in school and the troubles they have? Do you know that gifted kids are oftentimes treated or kind of ostracized or kind of. So you should test them for being gifted. And I did, and they were off the charts. And so then I switched to trying to find an institution of learning, Merman, that kind of catered to my kids and their, like, differences. Certainly for Aoki, because again, she was the younger one. She started younger on this journey. But I tried to, you know, you as a mom, you want to go where it. If your kids are great at playing, doing Legos, you're going to want to find a Lego school or an engineering something or a, you know, you just try to put them in the atmosphere where they can thrive.

[C]

And did they thrive right when they got in?

[A]

For sure. And all the other kids, when they graduated, Merman, they're like, going on to, like, Grad school even, or college level. Our kids were going to high school level. These kids were skipping that and going to college. And Yoki could have, too, but I didn't want her to do that because I, like. You can't even get a job.

[C]

Was she. Did she go to Harvard, the school at 15, or is she taking.

[A]

She got. Yeah. No, no, she went to school four years. She got in at 15. So I think you get accepted, right? And then you go that. That. That fall or whatever. So I think she was. Her birthday's in August, so she probably was 16 when she went, but she got in at 15.

[C]

And then Ming models, too, right?

[A]

Both model.

[C]

Both models.

[A]

Both went to school, both have graduated. And then what now? And now we're trying to figure it out.

[C]

And do they like modeling as much as they like academics?

[A]

Nobody. They. Okay, so Yoki loves her academics.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Mingi, not so much, even though she's super smart as well and got really good grades. But I don't think they. I don't know if they love the process as much. Modeling, Yoki wanted it so bad, and I think it's probably proven because the people can be a little bit different and shallow and whatever.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I think that has proven difficult for her. Whereas Mingi didn't want it as much and kind of found herself stumbling into it, you know, and is doing well. Both are doing well. Yoki was on the COVID of September Vogue. September Teen Vogue.

[C]

Can you show us a picture of this?

[A]

Let me see.

[C]

That's so cool. What? I mean, wow.

[B]

I told you my mom never tested me for merman.

[C]

I. Well, I think I have a theory that Michael's gifted, and I haven't talked about it on the podcast.

[A]

Oh, you have to.

[C]

And there's this.

[A]

Your son or you. No. Wait. Do you have a son?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Your son?

[C]

No.

[A]

Oh, you.

[C]

I think he's gifted. She's like, I don't think so.

[A]

Okay, now, I don't know the picture. I don't. I don't choose that. But this is the.

[C]

That's amazing.

[A]

This is her Vogue cover.

[C]

So cool.

[A]

I don't know why she's, like, looking down and up camera, like.

[C]

But that's amazing.

[A]

And it was supposed to be, I think, like a little ode to Chanel. I think she's wearing Chanel, and I think it's like a Chanel look. So it's like an ode to me and Chanel. So it was kind of, like, very sweet. Like, then the pictures get.

[C]

Is it weird to see your. Your Children modeling for you?

[A]

Very.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Did you want them to do it for me? Not so much, because we've done everything as a family. They've come out on the Runway with me. And so for me, not so much, but to see you go out in the world and subject yourself to a casting where they're gonna look at you and make you strip down and jump in circles and clap your hands five times and then look at you and say, oh, you're too fat and you're the size of a string bean, or you're too ugly. It's a lot. And to have to hear those things about yourself, whatever you thought you were, you're not. And it's. It's tough. So I think as a mom, I didn't really want that for them. But too late now. They. They're in it.

[C]

I know, but maybe they'll. They'll probably do other things with it. There's so many things to. Definitely.

[A]

I don't think that you go into modeling to, like, stay into modeling. I don't think so. And I feel like Yoki is, like, obviously super bright. She's worked in the mayor's office. I feel like she's a politician. Her degree? She has a double major at Harvard. So one is political science and the other is history. So I feel like she's a politician.

[C]

She's gonna have to marry someone who's real smart.

[B]

Not gonna be able to be a staring contest for sure.

[A]

We can't have a staring contest.

[C]

No, we can't have a staring contest. She doesn't want a staring contest.

[A]

And Mingi's like a spoiled princess. And I feel like her thing is more business. I can see her getting an mba. I can see Yoki being a lawyer.

[C]

And what about your sons?

[A]

So they're younger. Wolfie's 10. And I have Kenzo and Gary. They're 15.

[C]

Okay, they're twins.

[A]

Not twins, but people always think they're twins. But Gary was adopted from Jamaica, a personal adoption, so we are all family and friends.

[C]

But they're both 15.

[A]

They're both 15.

[C]

So two 15 and two freshmen?

[A]

Yeah, they're both freshmen in high school, and they're amazing in sports. Gary plays football, and Kenzo plays basketball. And Kenzo, he's a freshman, but he's on varsity.

[C]

And he's 6 8.

[A]

And he's 6 8. And they just won the D1 championship for varsity ball.

[C]

I mean, all he has to do is walk up and go like this.

[A]

And he's the youngest one on the team. And he's the tallest one in the school.

[B]

I had the reverse problem. I got there and I was playing football. I was like 115 pounds.

[C]

Michael was 4:1 and some guy that.

[B]

Was like 6 foot 10, 300 pounds just literally didn't even try to tackle me. He just literally stepped over me and crushed me into the floor. And I was like, I'm out.

[A]

Yeah, football. I find you have to be really strong and really tough. It's a lot of concussion that's going on. Well, what could.

[C]

I mean, you might be gifted though. We'll get you tested at Merman.

[B]

No, Lauren's on this big thing or it's like she.

[C]

No, he is. This is what I.

[A]

Well, it's just a psych. It's just a psych test or an IQ test. It's not at Merman, but it's for Merman. But any doctor, like a psychiatrist or a psychologist. Yeah.

[C]

So I was driving the other day. This is true. I was driving the other day and I had a premonition literally come from nowhere saying Michael's gifted about him. And then it said, michael's gifted again. And then it said, pull over and Google gifted. I'm not lying. I'm very intuitive when I'm pregnant, I think. So I have a clairvoyant.

[B]

Well, I will say clearly.

[C]

So I went home and I started googling all about it. And he hits and I don't know about his iq, but he hits every single thing it says. Like he.

[A]

That's not just like a happenstance. That's not by chance.

[B]

She was telling all her friends that maybe something was off with you.

[C]

No, no, no, I wasn't one of my friends.

[A]

No. Something can seem a little off. That's why when you were saying how smart are your kids? And I was like, they are as smart as. They drive me crazy.

[B]

They were not saying nice things about me being off. They were. It wasn't like these were not complimentary.

[A]

I was like, I'm not saying complimentary things. Yeah, I don't think it's like a double edged sword.

[C]

When you read the list of gifted things though you. It resonated to be, well, like what?

[B]

To be clear though, it's not about an. It was not about an IQ thing as much as it's about a thought process. That and the way that like some. Somebody organizes their thought process compared to, to somebody.

[A]

I can see that. Yeah.

[C]

It's all kind of a part of it. Deep learning, high cognitive capacity, huge, highly developed reasoning. They're huge Readers. He reads probably an hour to two hours a day. Curious. Strong moral compass. But there's negatives, too. There's perfectionism. And he. He has the perfectionism going on.

[B]

Well, I'm quarter Japanese. That's a part of it.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Self criticism. It's.

[B]

That's also. That's also.

[C]

You're part Japanese.

[A]

I'm Japanese Korean.

[B]

My grandma was full Asian.

[A]

My Asian is Japanese.

[B]

I'm quarter Japanese. My mom's half Japanese. I don't. I don't. I didn't get a lot of the traits. My sisters have. The hair. I don't.

[A]

You maybe could see it. Cause I have guys in my family that look like you.

[B]

If I showed you my grandma, she passed. My grandma's name was Michiko.

[A]

Michiko.

[B]

And she was a tiny Japanese woman. And when people would see me, like, who the hell is that? That's my grandmother.

[A]

Like, yeah, yours is just a little watered down. Yeah, it happened. I have Wolfie. Wolfie looks a lot like you.

[B]

Yeah, just a. Huh? A little watered down. That's a good way to put it. Yeah.

[A]

Wait, look at my son.

[C]

Yeah, let's see your son. There's. There's a potential for difficulties in social settings, which he had when he had when we were young. I don't know. There's this book. I'm sure that you've heard about it. It's called the Gifted. I think it's called the Gifted.

[A]

Look at how crazy this is. So the little one is Wolfie, and the big one is Kenzo. Oh, and these are my biological.

[C]

Gosh, you guys.

[A]

It's crazy, right?

[C]

Is this, like, on social media? Have you ever posted them?

[A]

Oh, yeah, I posted them. Not this particular picture. This was at Wolf's party the other day. But. But I post them. Yeah, the world knows them. Kenzo's on my show before he was born on the show.

[C]

Oh, that is so cute. They're like. You're like men.

[A]

And his hair is dyed there, so it'd be a little bit darker.

[C]

Who needs a boyfriend? I have my son. I don't like. I'm good. I'm gonna just have him live with him.

[A]

Someone just told me I was go.

[B]

At some point, you have to let.

[C]

Go of that shit. I mean, that's okay.

[B]

The boy you're gonna raise is gonna be soft as hell. She sings him this song where he's gonna live with us forever.

[C]

I'm like, no, I say he's living with his mom for the rest of his life. No one but his mom he loves his mom.

[B]

You wanna know? You wonder who's gonna get bullied. You wonder who's gonna get bullied or son, if you don't cut that shit.

[A]

So well, you have to have a balance. I think so. Cause Kenzo is balanced. He's into his sports. He's on the team. You know, he has his teammates. He's a very good boy. He's not, like you said, soft. He's not soft.

[C]

What is it?

[A]

But he's very kind and sweet and smart and I love him so much.

[B]

So it's about, you know what, when you're.

[C]

Let's introduce him to.

[B]

When you're 6 foot 15, you don't have to be.

[A]

You don't have to be 7 foot. You don't have something.

[B]

Of course he's not soft when he's 6 foot 8.

[A]

But I had to teach him the opposite then, though, I had to kind of speak to that. Like, I. And I probably shouldn't do this as a parent. It's probably like. Like some kind of discriminatory. But I had to say things to him coming up. Obviously, this was only in the last past few years because you're not that tall as a baby. But the past few years, I would find myself saying, like, you know, you can't just. Don't act like that. You're too big to act like that. You know, like, stop screaming and having this tantrum like that. Like, look at you. People from far away think that you're an adult. So I probably have done some of these things that you shouldn't do. You shouldn't say, look at you. You know, look at how you're acting. Or don't cry. Shouldn't you.

[C]

Gentle parenting says you can't say anything now.

[A]

Oh, girl, I'm from St. Louis. I am not gentle parenting. My kids got their ass beat. They've also handed me my ass. Not physically, but I'm saying they've kicked my ass too. I'm cursing, I'm screaming, I'm throwing things. I'm not. Like, I'm not. You're not gonna have a black eye, but you're gonna be grounded and have gotten an ass whooping. Like, what you need.

[C]

How do you manage to raise children that are confident and not spoiled? Cause you have.

[A]

They're spoiled. Spoiled.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

But it's Ming. They're spoiled to me. I think all of us think maybe that our kids are super spoiled and a little bit entitled to us as the parents. I'm saying, right? Like, they are entitled to just Their access to you, they feel like you can do it, you can handle it, you can solve it. My mom, you just got done saying he's never gonna leave. He's always gonna live with his mom.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So that comes with, my mom can do it. My mom's gonna handle it. My mom and dad. Yeah. And so then as they're older, you're like, hello. You're like the. A broke bestie. The broke bestie. Lauren goes, when are you going to be on your own? And do.

[B]

She goes, the number one trait I'm going to get in my kids is resilience. By the way, you're going to live with me for the rest of your life.

[A]

We do have to teach our kids resilience. I think some of that, a lot of that has gone out the window over the decades.

[C]

Agreed.

[A]

They're not, they, this workforce, this generation, they're very different.

[C]

It is very different.

[A]

Mine included. Like, I'll go ahead and just bundle all the, the kids up now. Yours are younger and mine are, I'm talking about, you know, that 25 year old, 20 something year old. It's, it's tough. That's what I'm hearing generationally, like, if you hire them, they don't act like how I acted when I was younger. They don't want it like how I want it. I find sometimes, like, I can't even hire someone great to help me. They don't want to do it. They don't want to come to work, they don't want to speak like, we're all over the place on our podcast. But sometimes I say these things because I want people to pick up these bites and like, don't do that. That like, you have to want it. You have to want something more than I want it for you people. You have to want something for yourself. You have to study, you have to put into the work, in the work, you have to show up, you have to do these things. Your parents can't do it, your friends can't do it, your friends, parents can't do it. It's not going to be handed to you on a platter, even though you may think it. Some people are kind of silver platter kind of people and some are not. It's the platter's not there really. You have to kind of get in and do the work and get your hands dirty.

[C]

You've got to have grit.

[B]

Quick break to talk about Element. One of the things that drove me nuts prior to learning about Element and proper electrolyte ratios and getting hydrated properly was the amount of water I would drink. That would not solve the issue that I was trying to solve, which is dehydration. I used to suffer from all these migraines. I would get this midday slump. I would get tired and it's because I was drinking a ton of water but I was not getting the proper electrolyte mix. This is why Element is such a game changer. Element is a zero sugar electrolyte drink mix and sparkling electrolyte drink born from the growing body of research revealing that optimal health outcomes occur at sodium levels two to three times. Government Recommendations each serving delivers a meaningful dose of electrolytes and Element is formulated for anyone on a mission to restore health through hydration and is perfectly suited for athletes, folks who are fasting or those following keto, low carb, whole food or paleo diets. I love that they come in these individualized servings serving packets that you can take to the office. You can take them when you're traveling. You take it to the gym. Typically the way that I try to enjoy Element is every time I go to work out and I know I'm going to be sweating, I add Element to my drink prior and then drink it throughout the workout. This is going to help me not deplete my hydration levels, stay energized, stay focused and avoid that midday slump. They have so many great flavors and this summer they introduced their Lemonade Salt so you can squeeze the most out of summer with Elements New limited Time Lemonade Salt. It's salty, tart and refreshing. It brings you the best of summer wherever you are and it's formulated with Element Science backed electrolyte ratio and it's obviously formulated with Element Science backed electrolyte ratio so check them out. Right now Element is offering a free 8 count sample pack of their most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase. This is a great way to find your favorite Element flavor or share with a friend. Get [e-mail] Skinny this deal is only available through our link. You must go to-I n k l m n-t.com skinny do you want to.

[C]

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That's shop skinny confidential.com we've had three people, maybe four on the podcast this week that have all said what you're saying, which is you're not gonna be able to do it. Like, you're not gonna have an exceptional life working two days a week. Don't expect an exceptional life working two days a week for A couple hours a day.

[B]

Rick Caruso was on right before you.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And he was just going off on this about, you know, just.

[A]

I bet he would. I'm sure he would.

[C]

Well, he's like, he. You gotta get in the office. You gotta.

[A]

You've got to do something. And that's why I always encourage kids to get an education, even if it's not a formal education. Get out there and learn something, study something, be an understudy, help someone. When we came up. When I came up, I'm older than you guys, but when we came up and I'm that person that's like, back in my day, you know, you would work for free. You would prove yourself and hope to get a job. You would come in as an intern and hope one day to run the company. And you can. That's what dreams were made of. That's the American dream. Nowadays, it might be a different American dream, but when I came up, it was a different American dream. You could work for yourself. You could pull yourself up. You could make something of yourself. You could create these opportunities from nothing.

[B]

Yeah, it's funny, like, running. We're doing the show, but running this business. People come into, like, the first things they ask, okay, I'm gonna just do a little this. How do I make money? How do I make money? And it's. It's. It's weird for me because Lauren and I started this show, and we didn't make a dime for years, and we were working other jobs and doing other things while we were doing this thing for nothing.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It was just like, you have to put the groundwork in.

[C]

You have to put your work in.

[A]

I put my own money in it. I own my own time. I'm building. It's funny, getting back up.

[B]

It's this attitude where people. I mean, listen, don't even just take this. But any creative endeavor, they want to know how much money first before they take the chance. I'm like, so let me get this straight. You want to be able to work on your own terms, on your own schedule, live the life you want to live?

[A]

Yes. They don't even want to come to work.

[B]

Paid for it first before you decided. That's just not. It's not realistic.

[A]

I agree. And you know what? I think also did it. I think in a lot of ways, this was just, like, not a good time, Covid. So that means I'm talking about recent years, not just 10 years ago or, you know, I think that was a time because then you started working at home and Then I saw things change. I saw things. Cause I was one of those them because I had reacquired my brand. I saw people fall off because they could not translate or transfer their business to online. They could not talk to people like, how you guys can communicate with people over this thing. They didn't know how to translate their brand to these social media platforms. And being on the phone and taking your conference calls or maybe doing a podcast from your house. They didn't. They didn't get it. So I saw people just, like, die off. And I saw other people that were adaptable, and then we saw other people that just.

[C]

That's a good quality.

[B]

Empathetic. Now, over the. As the years have passed, people that started their first job or got out of college and started their career in those circumstances and thought that those were.

[C]

The real circumstances, but guess what?

[A]

Oh, yeah, they are kids that, like, meaning, like, they didn't go in the classroom. Yeah, it's horrible.

[B]

Or like, they start a job and it's like, hey, you just work from your house and do what you want.

[A]

And do what you want. Show up in your pajamas.

[B]

But that was their reality. Like, but this is what work is supposed to be like. When many of us who had never worked that way, there was a huge adjustment. I'm like, that is nothing like what it's really been like.

[A]

And you know what? Like, I never showed up to work in my pajamas.

[C]

Oh, don't even get.

[A]

When we came up.

[C]

Is this a Japanese thing you guys go off?

[A]

We used to have something like, what is it called? Free dress Friday or Casual Friday. Yeah, that tells you that you're supposed to.

[B]

Casual Friday is like, like, you know, you're maybe like in like a shirt now.

[A]

It's like a fashion show. Casual Friday now is for these kids, dressy.

[B]

Yeah, Casual Friday.

[C]

I don't think I've known him for 600 years. I've.

[A]

So how long have you guys known each other?

[C]

Since we were 12. Oh, I know. We've been together.

[A]

You're working the farm, buddy. Where the hell do you think you're going? You're working the farm. We're gonna put up, like, an electrical fence around it. You're not getting out of here at.

[B]

At the end of the day, I really do have no say. You're 100% right.

[A]

You know, you have to watch what you say on podcast because, like, how I said, I'm gonna put the fence around you. You're never gonna get out. They'll play this back some long time from now and, like, say, see, she said then that she was gonna do that, and now she's kidnapped someone else currently. And look, she was. That's how life is.

[C]

I. I've never seen you, ever since you were 12 years old, show up in. I don't even want looking sloppy. He's always, like. He's very anal about being put together. I love that. Me, on the other hand.

[A]

But you're very put together. Now, I'm not saying that I don't. I'm not put together. I mean, I'm not saying that I don't. Like, I'm not slouchy sometimes, but I'm saying at work, I am never slouchy when I need to show up and. And. And make a difference or show up and put my back. Putting your best foot forward is not in a fuzzy slipper, you guys.

[B]

That is one thing with my grandma.

[A]

Like, and it doesn't have to be some fancy, expensive thing we're talking about here. Just make it clean, put it together, be presentable, feel something about yourself. Kids, what do you feel for yourself in your fuzzy slippers and your plaid pajama pants?

[B]

Yeah, if I.

[A]

There's so many of those in my house.

[B]

My grandmother, like, if you weren't on point, like, not.

[A]

Japanese grandmas will not play that.

[B]

No, no, no. Like, if my sister tried to do that, she would not just, like, say, like, hey, what's going. It wasn't a nice delivery. It was like.

[A]

But also culturally, they're meticulous. I mean, they're very regimented and even rigid. They might say, culturally.

[B]

I think, you know what she did when she. When she passed away, literally that same day, she went and got her hair done, dialed in, just went to sleep. How's it?

[A]

I love it. I think that might be me, like.

[B]

Fully just got her hair done now, though.

[A]

I'm not ready now, but one day, and I will write. I'm gonna write out my own stuff. My own, like, will and everything. I'm gonna do that.

[C]

I love that.

[A]

Because I'm gonna tell the kids, I don't want to. I don't want to be on a T shirt. She was more funny. Make a T shirt of me.

[C]

You don't want a T shirt.

[A]

You know how people make T shirts. They look like there's halos around. It looks like a concert T shirt.

[C]

I know what she's talking about.

[A]

I know black people do that.

[C]

Okay, It's T shirt.

[A]

We do that. Not so much the Asian side, but, you know, don't make A T shirt of me. I want full hair and makeup. If I'm sick and even a little bit starting to decline, I need a contract that my kids know I need to, like, maintain a little bit.

[B]

Oh, you're saying a T shirt with.

[A]

Your face on when you pass away. Sometimes people want to make these things.

[C]

Do you want Anna to give celebration scrub before?

[A]

Maybe I don't need a scrub.

[C]

A head spa maybe.

[A]

I want hair and makeup and nails.

[C]

So do I.

[A]

If you're deceased, you don't need the scrub because then the skin, that's.

[B]

Who's in charge of that. We gotta.

[A]

I'm writing down. That's what I'm saying. You have to write it in your will. Now, I know that sounds a little bit morbid to people, but again, I'm saying this for a reason. I'm saying it because I want people to know that you have to think about planning or what happens if you're gone or if you have children. You have to think about it. You can't be. Be the type that's like, oh, I don't want to think about it. Nothing's ever going to happen. It will. One thing for sure is that we're not going to be here forever. So you want to look good. You want your affairs to be looked after. More importantly, you want your affairs, your business to be. You want your kids to be okay. You want them to have some, God forbid, your lessons, maybe a little coins that you left behind, Maybe, I don't know.

[C]

At this point, God forbid, your last.

[B]

Days in the sweatsuit, and that's what you go out in.

[C]

I won't do that at this point. What does it take to date you?

[A]

Oh, my God, like who?

[C]

Like, how do you even find a contender?

[A]

So I. I did say this thing. Like I would say I want to date someone that has more than me. And I realize that's tough.

[C]

Like money wise or everything wise?

[A]

Everything wise, financially, business, like you. But then I started to learn that was a lot. So then I changed to.

[C]

That eliminates not.

[A]

It does eliminate some.

[B]

There is no.

[A]

So I change to have what I have, okay, equal to me.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

But I don't really like equal. And I'm not like a 50, 50 person. I want to be kind of totally looked after and taken care of. And having said that, I am the highest maintenance person for myself. I maintain myself and all of my children and my family. So what I am asking of someone else, I do for myself. And I am happy to continue doing it for the rest of My day. Days. I'm not asking for something that I don't have.

[C]

That's really self. Aware. By the way, a lot of people, they want a 10, but they're not a 10.

[A]

Yeah, no, you.

[C]

If you're gonna. If.

[A]

And I don't even mean by looks.

[C]

No, I'm not talking about.

[A]

Okay, okay. Because I don't need you to be a 10.

[C]

Like if you're. If. If you're self aware and you're like, I'm an 8, then go for an 8. But if you're a 10 and you're. You sound like you're a 10 in every area.

[A]

Some people are gonna be off in their numbers, their math. This is all wrong. Because what if you think you're eight and my friend, you are a four.

[C]

Okay, let's take you with two teeth and they're crooked.

[A]

What are you gonna do?

[C]

You're a 10 and you're looking. What you're saying is for a 10 because you're a 10 and that's what you're giving off.

[A]

So you're in my mind. In my mind I am. I think so. You can't always. I think I am. You should think you are. I don't know what other people might think. Right. Some people might be like, I'm a 10. We think we are. Do you think she's a 10?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How else am I going to answer that?

[A]

Why did she kick you under the table?

[C]

Michael's a 10. Yeah, I. I feel like.

[A]

So you guys are equally evenly yoked.

[C]

He might be a 9. 5.

[B]

I think she's a 10.

[A]

I think you're.

[B]

I'm good for 9.

[A]

5, but I'm going to have to say 9.5. I'm going to have to go with, you know what?

[B]

Honestly, I think I'm an eight and I'm going to be an eight.

[C]

An eight.

[A]

No. Now this is just self deprecation.

[C]

I don't love this.

[A]

You're getting ready to go too low. You know good and damn well you're not an age.

[B]

I think like, like a, like a Brad Pitt's like a nine, nine and a half.

[A]

A pit is a ten.

[B]

No, no, no, no. But I'm saying, like. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[C]

Can I think I'm a 10.

[A]

10 is a platonic idea.

[B]

Yeah. 10 is not.

[C]

You don't think I'm a 10. Okay, but that doesn't mean.

[A]

No, no, no. But here.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

You have to gauge it, though. If he doesn't have tens in his life. That might mean the maximum for you is a nine. Everybody is a ten. No, no, Correct. So that he might think you're a nine. Cause a nine is the maximum for him. Right.

[C]

That feels like scarcity mindset.

[B]

The only 10 in my book is Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise is a 10.

[A]

You look like Tom Cruise.

[C]

Oh, gosh, no.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

No.

[A]

Did you set that up?

[B]

No, no.

[A]

But Tom Cruise is vertically, not in looks.

[B]

I make this argument all the time. Tom Cruise is a 10 because there is no higher than you can go in the celebrity world. Think about it. Who's higher?

[C]

I'm saying in terms of what?

[B]

In terms of everything.

[A]

Kevin Costner.

[C]

No, I think Kevin Costner's. Sorry, no way.

[B]

Think about it. Okay. If you're out and you're running about Sean Connery. No, hold on. Sean Connery was. He's dead. But he would have.

[A]

Okay, you have to. You want only people that are.

[B]

Let's settle the debate. Okay, I've thought about this a lot. If you are out and about and you're out and you're just running around.

[A]

Town, I'm gonna go get short time.

[B]

Cruise is the white whale. You don't see him out and about running around anything. Plus, he's still relevant. Plus his movies are all good. And you can name Michael.

[C]

I feel like you are.

[A]

You're just saying this because we said you look like Tom. Exactly.

[B]

If you see Kevin Costner, that's a good sighting. But that's not a Tom Cruise sighting. Think about it. Think about it.

[A]

If I saw Elton John, now I'm in a whole nother category, but I'm going to say the same thing. I'm going to be excited. That's a lavender marriage.

[B]

You're going to be excited, but you're not going to be shocked.

[C]

Yeah, we would be shocked. I'd be shocked if I saw Elton John.

[A]

That's scarcity mindset. He's just saying because Tom never really leaves the house and doesn't walk around to get Starbucks.

[C]

Because then.

[A]

What about Eddie Murphy? I don't know.

[C]

I think he thinks he's like Tom Cruise or something. So he's like projecting him.

[B]

Nobody's been able to really. You know, people say, oh, what about.

[A]

Like, I feel a little Tom Cruise thing coming from you. A little Ryan Gosling. Could it be Ryan Gosling?

[C]

No, not on Christian Bale.

[B]

No, not on a looks deal.

[A]

That's a good one. Yeah.

[B]

Not on a looks deal.

[A]

I'm just talking so we know who your Celebrity crush is.

[C]

It's not Christian Bale.

[A]

Okay. No, not that tight.

[C]

Yeah, I like.

[A]

I like the illusion of Tony Soprano. I definitely would have married him. See, I definitely could have been like a Sopranita or whatever that's called. The head of the family. I don't know.

[C]

Don't you like.

[A]

I could have been a Mama Soprano.

[C]

I need to understand at this point in your life what your list is.

[A]

It's tough. I don't know.

[C]

You don't know.

[B]

What does someone have to do to get your attention?

[C]

I don't know. I thought we could put it out into the ether.

[A]

I should. This is bad. This is bad. I should.

[C]

I know.

[A]

I'm real. I feel bad. My friends are gonna be like, what were you thinking? Okay.

[B]

What catches your eye out?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You guys have to give me some choices and I can say yes or no.

[B]

Do they need to be. Do you want them public? Not public people.

[C]

That's a good one.

[A]

I don't really want public, but I don't mind. And that's only because I've had all my marriages, which is most of my relationships have been quite public, I think.

[C]

I, I. If I were picking for you, I would say a little bit more private.

[B]

Younger or older.

[A]

I am definitely at that age where I will. I could. It can go either way. You could have the daddy and the son. Don't get it twisted.

[C]

I feel that. I feel it could go either way, but.

[A]

And that's not even being funny. That's just being normal age group. Normal age group.

[C]

I feel like if it's the son, though, the son's gotta be really smart.

[A]

And evolved and they're not.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's why you said Tony Soprano.

[C]

Uh huh.

[A]

Yeah, I get it, I get it.

[C]

I like the power of, of that same.

[A]

But I tried to marry that and look what happened. It backfired on me.

[C]

Yeah, well, maybe. I don't know. I don't know.

[A]

Or maybe it was like a little too cocky, you know? I don't know. Maybe there's an ego that comes along with that. This power that we're talking about that we're looking for.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't know. And I feel like guys are equally looking for beauty as much as women, let's say, would look for power. I don't know if guys are looking for like a powerful bad bitch. I don't know.

[C]

I think that's certain. I think ones that are quietly confident are looking for a powerful bad bitch.

[A]

Because you are that and I'm that And we're. That. So we're gonna have to think that. But I don't know if it's always true. You have. Your husband thinks that about you. But in life, I don't know that.

[C]

I think you might be right. It's hard to find a guy that's comfortable with a woman who's extremely strong and has her own.

[A]

And look where we are right now in our time. I'm not sure it's giving barefoot and pregnant vibe vibes again.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

They don't want you to be independent bad. They don't. I don't know. Or maybe they do, but they don't. Maybe they're kind of attracted to it, but they seriously hate it. I have issues. I have traumas. Honey, I could lay all this out for you. I've seen a lot of things, and not even just personally for myself, but my. My friends, I've seen things.

[C]

Yeah, it's. It is not easy to be in the position that. That you're in. Like, you're so strong and. And you're so powerful and you.

[A]

But I can be very. I have a soft side.

[C]

I believe it.

[A]

And I don't think I'm, like, strong like this, like, in bed. No, I think I'm like. What is it? Submissive.

[C]

Yeah, I get that. I actually get that. I. I was telling someone the other.

[A]

Day, I'm, like, not submissive like a starfish.

[C]

No, no, no, no. No one thinks you're a starfish.

[A]

Okay, thank you.

[C]

Let me just clarify.

[A]

Do you guys know what that is? Do you know what starfish is? You just lay there. I'm not just laying there.

[C]

No one's Mr. Green Starfish. Don't worry.

[B]

Oh, like in the back.

[A]

Is she a starfish?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. Oh, my God. I was asking him.

[C]

Jay Z. Okay, let me up.

[A]

Go ahead.

[C]

Am I a starfish?

[B]

No. No.

[A]

You're answering for him.

[C]

No, I'm not.

[B]

She's like Cirque du Soleil.

[C]

Not right now.

[A]

This is Cirque du Soleil. Okay, I approve. We like that.

[B]

We're getting to know each other pretty well.

[A]

I'm proud of you, But I don't.

[C]

I agree.

[A]

Go you.

[C]

I. I have masculine energy when I'm at work, but when I'm home with my husband, I want to be submissive, too. I get what you're saying.

[A]

Same. Because honestly, though, again, if you study this, the spectrum, right? Give yourself a little line there. We all mankind, humankind, we're all on this spectrum of, you know, feminine, masculine, super soft. Super strong. We're all on the scale, everybody. I don't care what you like or don't like or what you think someone else is. Trust me, we're all on that scale. It just kind of like politics which end and there's somewhere in the middle your sexuality and your strength and your powerful vibes. That is all on a. On a scale as well. So having said that, I am very manly. I'm very manly.

[B]

I think you gotta be able to tap into both. Both sides. Both sides.

[A]

Not manly in the sense of like. Like I said in bed, I would be more submissive. Not man. I'm not doing any weird tricks. I'm not doing any other.

[B]

As long as you guys stop and carrying us around, you know, then. Then we're good. That be. That'd be terrible.

[A]

I'm not carrying anybody around here. And I'm very tall.

[C]

I could talk, but I don't mind.

[A]

A short person for hours.

[C]

I'm so confused that you don't have a podcast. You need a podcast today.

[A]

Like I'll come when. If you're sick, I'll come with you.

[C]

Yeah, she should come.

[A]

That's how we came. Or no, you're the one that's going to have a baby.

[C]

Yeah. Great. You guys could podcast.

[A]

Would you allow me to come and like talk with your husband? You know what?

[B]

That might be pretty funny when you're on the different people and we could act like it's like the him and her show still, right?

[C]

I would honestly.

[A]

It's him and her friends.

[C]

Why don't you guys do four episodes together and you could interview like people you think are interesting.

[A]

I would do it. I think that's why our manager, Anna sent us here. I think this is really what's. What's that be funny, right?

[B]

If I had a new co host for a while.

[C]

You should.

[A]

You're getting a little excited about this. Your co. Co host is this co.

[C]

Host for the rest.

[B]

You know what she told me? She goes, I'm in a stop for a while and you just like do a few shows.

[C]

Why don't you guys put.

[A]

No, you need a sidekick or someone or like you need I think that energy. A girl.

[C]

You should have her on for four episodes. I bet she has amazing ideas for guests.

[B]

We're going to talk after this anyway. Because you're a natural on the mic. You told. You told me you were going to talk. But we should. We should we talk about.

[A]

Okay, so we have a plan.

[C]

Everyone who lives in LA go to Pelure Get a scrub, Get a head spa. I'm telling you, it's my outfit. Absolute favorite place to go. Where can everyone find what you're working on, what you're doing, all the things baby fat. Tell us where.

[A]

So I'm working on baby fat, I guess online. Yeah. Babyfat.com, right? Some stores, but mostly, like, down online. I have an energy drink called Celsius that's like, a really popular energy drink.

[C]

Wait, what?

[B]

I have an energy drink is surviving.

[C]

Wait, what do you mean you have an energy drink?

[A]

I own this energy drink.

[C]

We know.

[A]

Or I'm an investor. I'm part of this company that owns, you know, Celsius.

[C]

That was a good investment.

[B]

Well, that old small one, she's all.

[C]

I haven't. But now I have a restaurant called McDonald's.

[A]

No, but now it's so crazy, because that was one of the best investments I had ever made. That's another thing we didn't talk about, but invest your money, you guys. Even if it's a dollar, invest it safe. But the only way I think you can really grow your money is to invest. And it's been one of the banes of my existence because it's been kind of a point of contention with others around me lately. If you Google it, you'll know what I mean. But it's been, like, one of the best things of my life. And also one of the. Not Celsius, but just having it has caused some problems for me.

[C]

But, yeah, Celsius is a big deal. Yeah, everyone drinks that.

[A]

It's a big deal. I rang the bell on the Nasdaq. Did I ring the bell with Celsius? I think so. Right.

[B]

Good for you.

[C]

So where can everyone find your Instagram? They probably already follow you. You.

[A]

My Instagram is Kimora Lee Simmons.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And Ming's Instagram is Mingly Simmons. And Aoki's Instagram is Aoki Lee Simmons. And then I have Kenzo and Gary.

[C]

That's really cute that you pimp your kids out. Thank you for telling us your kids.

[A]

Because they would be like, why did you say yours and not mine?

[C]

That's cute.

[A]

Kenzo's. I don't know. Kenzo K LH or something. And Gary's is a very weird word. Weird name.

[B]

We have covered a lot of ground. Thank you, Kimora.

[A]

Thank you.