Bethenny: There Is Definitely Smoke and Mirrors
Bethenny explains why she was worried after seeing Sonja's fashion presentation.
Well, my bar is set very low. If I'm not crying or ripping someone a new one, I breathe a sigh of relief. Let's enjoy that while it lasts. This episode was a good one for me.
Aaaah Sonja. The truth is I love her. There are times during this season that that will be difficult to believe, but I simply do. Some people are cunning and have a malicious or shifty or disingenuous side. Sonja has none of that. She is a good person. She is just often misguided and misdirected. Many of us are. Reminder: I have a book called I Suck At Relationships, so we all suck at some things.
I loved lunch at Il Mulino, because I love to laugh and Sonja makes me giggle. I also very much appreciate her honesty. You guys are all very smart and you will be able to tell who is real and who is trying to create a persona. Sonja allows herself to be messy; that is to be respected in its own way.
I didn't want to give unsolicited advice, and, this season, I walk a slippery slope. I’m damned if I do anything in the way of business advice. Whether it’s positive or negative advice, it will appear that I'm better than and an expert, and that's simply not how I view myself. I have a lot of experience: I'm in the trenches, and I keep learning and making mistakes every day. Sonja doesn't have that experience, and, for her to succeed, she needs to get focused and start absorbing more information (that's how I learned-- mouth shut and ears open). Business is hard, and she needs to learn what it really takes to focus on one thing and see it to the finish line. "Accessible luxury" is a start. And--no--she doesn't owe me a car.
As for her fashion meeting, I think she front-loaded that staff for effect. I will bet everything that I hope to be that not one of those people is on salary. I happen to have an international brand and barely have that many people with those fancy titles, so there is definitely smoke and mirrors there.
That said, the boards looked great, and Sonja does have people working with her. I am betting on Sonja! It is a marathon, and I want her to succeed all the way through. There are many steps along the way. She has great taste, I loved what I saw, and I am genuinely here to support her. All she needs to do is focus, focus, focus. If she isn't putting up her own money, which she isn't, then no harm, no foul (time and reputation aside).
The timeline worried me. This meeting was in November--launch would be now (like six months away), and it made me nervous knowing they could not yet disclose retailers. Fashion is its own beast. I do have a Skinnygirl Shapewear and lounge wear line, yet I deferred to Heather as more of an expert in this area. Heather has way more fashion experience. I'm not sure why she decided to fire a random shot at me for going to the meeting. Maybe it was payback for my nap last week during our dinner conversation. In any case, it doesn't matter whether you're selling toothpaste or tractors, business is business, and business I know and understand. Sonja was smart to ask for my advice. There will be more to come on this.
As for the other ladies, Kristen has a fashion blog. Congrats on that!
The night out at World Bar was a little grating, and I was glad to not be there, getting myself in trouble. The yammering on from Ramona about Sonja not saying hi was reminiscent of past seasons--hashing and rehashing something completely inconsequential to fill up the airwaves. Check please.
As far as John goes, walk away. Big deal--he is touchy feely. If he were 6' 2" and chiseled, no one would care. It really isn't that big of a deal. There are a lot of guys who have a cocktail and don't understand personal space. There are women in our group who have this issue, too. His girlfriend was two feet away.
While I wouldn't want my boyfriend behaving like that, and while he may not be ultimately right for Dorinda, she knows who he is, and I don't think it is a massive big deal. A little icky? Yes. World Bar World War 3? No.
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