On Display with Melissa Gorga - Boss Betches (w/Betches Founder - Aleen Dreksler)

Episode Date: February 24, 2022

Melissa invites founder of Betches and podcast host, Aleen Dreksler, to talk about the creation of the famous Betches brand (and their great Housewives merch), Melissa's infamous cheese throwing incident, AND what it's like to be a thriving businesswoman while surviving motherhood.  Aleen also shares her most embarrassing moment which may or may not include a ton of bronzer (GTL! GTL!).  This week's sponsors: Betterhelp Online Therapy: betterhelp.com/gorga (10% off first month) Cuts Clothing: cutsclothing.com/melissa (15% off order)

You're listening to Melissa Gorga on display with me Melissa Gorga on podcast one. On display. You're good at that one on display. I love it. All right, guys, I am very excited for my next guest. Okay. She is the CEO and founder of a huge digital media company, Betches. Ladies and gentlemen, I have Aileen Drexler. What's up, honey? Hi. Thank you for having me. I'm so happy.

First off, star struck right now. You are. Yes, you were the Melissa Corga. I love that. Thank you. Jersey fan. Just general Bravo fan, but this is big. Do you watch the show? Oh, yeah. You do. Okay. Well, I have a lot of questions. We're going to get into the show a little in a little bit

then because I wasn't sure if you watched or not. And I want to get you know, some opinions. I got it from the beginning. All right, good. We got to get some like house-wise opinions. You are a New Yorker. Yes. Okay. You're out here living. You're a CEO. Like women founded business over here. Yes. Pretty amazing. I love all the support you do for that and how you're so big on, you know, just women in business. I actually love that and

you've literally made a whole company doing this. Yeah. Yeah, my, so we started Betch's 11 years ago now. Could you believe it? It was not supposed to be a business. It was me, my two co-founders, Sammy and Trinana. We've been friends since elementary school. Like I met Trinana in our in sixth grade home room class. So funny. That's how the best relationship happened. And Sammy lived around the corner for me. We were on the same bus. So we have known each other forever and we went to college together. We didn't branch out really much. And we started fetches without the intention of starting a business. And it was really just this anonymous,

satirical commentary of women ourselves included. We were sort of making fun of ourselves. And we didn't realize we were talking about like the female millennial behavior, female millennial behaviors on the whole and it became pretty viral. It was at the time social media was just like Instagram wasn't even popular then. In fact, it just, they launched it in like 2010, I think. Well, that's what it is. I think you got in there in the beginning.

And so a lot of times when people, it's funny. I started housewives 11 years ago also, which is kind of funny. But it sounds like you got in there in the beginning when all of this just really started happening and social media and the bloggers and just people giving us their opinions through Instagram and blogs and social media. And then you guys got in there, like one of the beginning ones and now it's huge. Yeah, it was, it was at a time when like

things went viral like naturally and it wasn't because of like algorithms. So it was because like people were really sharing on Facebook, it was at the time when Facebook was just a timeline. Do you remember that? You just post your kids birthday. You post like when you got a new purse, you post like the sunset.

Yeah. But then people started getting very opinionated. There was the Perez Hilton's out there that's obviously give us his opinion. Can you remember? I remember that because I used to go to his website all the time to be like, what is he saying about me today? Literally, a lot of time. Oh, right, because you were in house. I was 11 years ago. Wow. Oh, yeah,

cozy. Yeah. I used to like, I used to, to me, you want to hear something funny back in the day when I first started this show, he was a celebrity to me. Like I remember going to a couple, like, okay, mag events or like something. And he was like, Oh, that's that guy that writes all that stuff on the internet. Like I need to speak to him. But like, yes, like, and does that whole thing and it's very dramatic. Like, that was like a whole thing for me. So you guys also do, I mean, obviously it's, you have a whole brand of female content, right?

You have tons of experience with that right now. You are a true entrepreneur because there's many different branches of this as well. I mean, you have a lot of stuff going on. There's like a bunch of different podcasts as well, correct? Yeah. So when we launched it, it was just a blog. And then when Instagram became popular, we launched our, like you said, timing is extremely important with entrepreneurship and success. And so we were like, oh, what's this platform? Let's, let's, I think that people are gonna be on it.

And because we're pretty squarely millennials, we were kind of going by our intuition at the time because we're going by our own observations. And so we joined, we started Instagram and that kind of, that's how we kind of blew up. And from there, we started, we launched our first podcast, we launched our e-commerce shop.

And then as just, as we got bigger and we went with people's interest in our audience kept growing up with us. So like we have a lot of our audience are our people who've known us since 2011. So they've just grown up with us and back then we were kind of talking about college and drinking and stuff like that because that's what we were talking about. But now I think millennials also are so interesting. I really do. And I feel like everyone does. And I'm on the border, to be honest. Right. One year, I'm like one or

two years off. You are. So I am so like I listen to it. And I can really relate. Like I can be so old school, but I can also roll with the millennia all day long because I feel like I have both in me. But I feel like, you know, the people who are a little bit

older than the millennials out there, they're so interested in your way of thinking because a millennial, I feel like thinks more for themselves. So it's about, it's more about like self-awareness, it's about putting yourself first, it's about speaking your mind, it's about, you know, we're before we would hold a lot in, we would, even a millennial as far as I would say, like a child would go raising a child. I feel like it's going to raise a child differently. You're going to put your needs first. You're going to go to work. You're going to figure out babysitters. You're going to do what you have to do. We would be like, that's so selfish. Right. So there's a lot of, and I know you have a whole podcast, just with moms,

right? As well. Right. That's what I was going to say is that like now we have, we've grown up so much with our audience, but we still, we just launched a podcast for the younger, younger audience called Bad Vibes. That's actually out today. But we also have our Betches Moms podcast. So like really we have content that ranges for all of our fans, interests, life stages, everything.

So we definitely grown so, so much and have become this big digital media company. Huge. Were there any major bumps in the road when you guys were doing this? Did you guys hit any bumps where you were like, wow, this is just crazy, it's not gonna work or did it just keep growing for you?

I mean, a billion bumps. Like, we've never raised any capital, like we still own our business, 100%. And with that came like, and also the three of us never went to business school. We, I was pre-med, like I was about gonna apply to med school. I'm already pan. I love it.

But at the same time, we didn't ever had any classical business training. So a lot was just figuring it out as we went and going with our intuition. And that allowed us to take some calculated risks. But at the same time, there were lots of bumps. We launched our e-com shop before the one that you see now, and it did not work.

And we didn't do it the right way. We trusted a group or a company to kind of do it for us. And we're like, yeah, we'll promote, you know, but then it didn't work because we didn't believe in it. So I was like, okay, that didn't work. I think it's gonna work when we kind of put our creativity in our, like what we would wear. We would wear our, right.

Exactly. We put our brand behind it, our voice, and whenever we do that, it definitely shows, and in the content or the products that we make, and now we have this great e-com business that came from that, from learning from previous mistakes. So definitely lots of bumps. It grew and it grew and it's huge. that came from that, from learning from previous mistakes. So definitely lots of bumps. And it grew and it's huge. I mean, being that you guys were all really great friends

was there were a lot of disagreements between you guys like during this time, does anyone ever want to go left while the other ones going right and just like not agreeing on things, trying to build this company together? I mean, of course, like I would never pretend like things were always in agreement, but the thing is because we've known each other for so long,

we're able to be really honest with each other and have like a real discussion and nobody takes anything that personally. And if they do, we talk it out. Like we're not gonna not be friends, we're not gonna not keep going. Like at this point, we're definitely a family. Like Like that's that we have a sisterly bond at this point. And you know, that's like, I get it. I get it from another whole aspect. Sometimes we don't bond as well as y'all do.

Yeah, we, we, there's no choice for us. Like this is our business. We, we all have the same goal at the end of the day. So of course, there's disagreements, what we worked through it and it's our bond that kind of keeps us together. I mean, you guys have really great merch. You really do. You have so many cute things, so much cute swag. I mean, is that like a collaboration of a few people or like the team or do you have one person just running all of that? Like, how do you guys handle that? Oh, absolutely. I mean, I talk about me and my two founders, but we have a good team of 40 people our company is we we have one of the best some of the most creative employees ever. And that's I met I met. I don't know. I think he's he's betches by Bravo or brother. Yes, Dylan. Yes, love him. I wanted to ask you, what do you think of Bravo by Betches or Betches?

I follow. I follow. Good. And they just posted something. I want to say yesterday or the day before, first of all, they posted something about like, I think it was, it might have been Dylan or he was reposing someone just like, y'all are embarrassing if you have hate for Melissa or like something. I don't know. I was like, Oh, good one. That was a good one. I agree with it. It's just the way they wrote it. I just think they're smarty and good.

And I love Dylan. I think he's awesome. And a lot of the bravo. It's so crazy. I talk about this all the time. The bravo fans are intense. We obviously have like, you know, they're in it. They are in it more than I would say any other network there is out there. Bravo is in it. You can probably put more merchandise from Bravo on your site than any other network. You know what I'm saying? Like the house website. Yeah, we just come out with all these saying words. I love it. Which your favorite franchise? No, you can't do that to me. No, you don't have to say no, I'm obsessed words. I love it. Which is your favorite, which is your favorite franchise? No, you can't do that to me. No, it's okay. You don't have to say no.

I'm saying I really, it's too hard to choose. Everybody. You want to have a favorite? No, because I really know. I have an emotional connection to each one for different reasons. I love New York because I'm from New York. And I like that the housewives are really like they don't, you don't feel like there's something going on

behind the scenes that they're just like, all protecting each other or not saying. They really let it out there. Same with Jersey, I feel like you guys just don't, I mean, maybe there's some stuff behind the scenes, but you guys are, are willing to call each other out. I think, I would say that's about right. I feel like with us, sometimes it's hard to because there's

a family aspect. So we would say more, but like, and we don't really feel like we're in Christmas. So we're just going to like not say it. So we do run into that problem as well. I do. I know that idea of I'm being completely

honest because there's a lot of things that I just want to say. And I'm like, like my brain goes like, is it worth it? Like do you need to say. And I'm like, like, my brain goes, like, is it worth it? Like, do you need to say that? Like, let's pick and choose our battles here. Where if I was just dealing with people who were not my in-laws or my nieces or whatever, I might be like, listen, honey. Like, do you know what I mean? And I would, I know I would. But you think twice sometimes for me, and I'm sure Teresa could say the same,

like when it comes to family because there's a bigger picture at the end of the day, and it's like a bigger, it's a bigger issue when we protect it. Yeah, you want to protect the family a little bit, of course. I mean, obviously we've all put enough out there, but there needs to be some type of protection to our family as well, right. Especially as all the kids get older. Yes. Oh my God, completely because of that, because they are into it now. Like everything that is going on,

which I'm surprised, my kids were not my boys yet. I'll still say that the boys are not. But Antonia definitely is reading. She is definitely on Instagram. She is definitely catching some clips. And it's funny, because to see her as like a four year old watching these right and to see her which she would just come in and out like look at my dress. It's so pretty that she would walk out of the room and seeing her now as like a small, you know, woman. Yeah.

because I see her look at the TV sideways, and I see that she has an opinion, and I'm like, wow, it's like a different ballgame when your child's actually watching you and understanding what people are saying. And I feel like she has a lot of opinions, but she's very good at knowing her plays, and keeping her mouth shut, and knowing when she should speak up and when she shouldn't.

But yeah, that part is like, the family aspect is super intense for us, obviously. Right. That's what makes you guys unique. Well, that is. That's why we're the Jersey show, we're the family show. Like Beverly Hills has like the over the top glam and like the everything, just everything over the top. I mean, even the lawsuits, like everything is just the recent legal. Well, I mean, ever there's legal drama across the board. Yes, yes. Are you watching Salt Lake City? Yes, of course. Do you love this? Are you what is

what are your thoughts? I have mixed feelings about Salt Lake City. It's just that there's too much going on that it's hard for me to like under figure out who I'm supposed to like and what's actually going on and like, what, like, what, do you watch it? So I hate to admit, but like, I would say that's the one that I watch the least, but I feel like I know a lot about it from Instagram, which is crazy. Like, I know about this Mary lady and the church scandal and like, the whole thing, like, I know what's going on. I know the one got arrested, but like, I have to say, lady and the church scandal and like the whole thing, like, I know what's going on.

I know the one got arrested, but like, I have to say, I'm not the girl who like tunes in every week for Salt Lake City. I feel horrible saying that, but it's, I don't have time for all of that. I have to get to it slowly. There's a lot of hours to be watched, but I just don't really understand how they're friends

in real life. So that's the challenge I have. And then there's these alliances that don't make sense to me. So to me, that show has a lot going on behind the scenes that they're not saying. And I just want somebody to say it. Okay, so my girlfriend watches it. And that is exactly what she said. She feels like there's stuff we don't know here. Like we don't know everything. So I feel like that's probably the opinion across the board. So I feel like that's probably the opinion across the board. Right. So with that, you've been watching Jersey forever as well.

Forever. I love it so much. What were your thoughts when like Joe and I jumped in? And it was like crazy, like family time. Give me some thoughts on Jersey. Tell me the beginning. The beginning. Margaret, when Margaret jumped in, like, what do you feel about all the girls?

Jumped in, like, came on the cat. Yeah, just like came on the show, because you said you've been watching for a long time, right? So like, give me some thoughts on some people. And you can be honest, this is like an honest podcast. I'm honest over here. I mean, it is interesting to see like how dynamics change with new cast members.

I still think back to the days of like, Kathy and all of the fights with that and how, and Carol, like, the all of you Kathy and all of the fights with that and how and Carol like the all all of you guys together like that felt so intense. It was so stressful. I was is that really stressful? Yes. Like yeah, like Teresa calling you out for me.

I'm looking to say it, but like your past jobs or a stripper. A stripper. No, I was not a stripper. I know you were it. That's what I'm saying. Are you one of the ones who don't know the truth? I'm saying, if I don't want to find to all my stripper ladies out there,

that is just saying that that's what something she wanted to like create like this fake stuff. She said it worked and that worked. It was like Kim D and like also seeing how that pans out and then like watching now and Teresa trying to make sense of it all, like and sort of being a little bit hypocritical, a little bit, a little bit hypocritical. There's like a hypocrisy on our show as a little,

it's crazy sometimes. Because fans don't forget, like I, and you don't remember like the iconic scenes and how Mad Teresa was when Kim D was calling her out, and then she does the rumor. And then when Delores recently, in this last episode, was like, you know, it might not make sense to everybody, but in Teresa's head, there's logical. And I was like, that is the definition of what goes on on Jersey. That is so funny. No, you're you're actually exactly, exactly right. But it's funny. I love to try to get like sometimes like outside, you know, I'm curious about outside like viewers

and what they think and the whole thing. Either way, you have some awesome real housewives of New Jersey. I know you have like a wine glass on your site, right? Yeah, we have a husband in the pool and I love that. That was iconic. Marge, you know, Joe Gorgah. I know I shouldn't brag about this at all, but Joe is the one who was like, you need to do that Margaret. And she did it. Okay. I don't know where he was like, I told you to do that. And now everyone just coach you all day. Does that's amazing. So we just have to give props. I don't know if I've ever said that before.

There's that. So it was Joe's idea. It was totally Joe's idea. He was talking her into it for like 20 minutes with his mic down. He's like, drum in the pool. Do you guys do that? Like, I want now I want something in Sutter Scoop.

Do you guys like tell each other like what they should do for drama? No, no, because we'll get called out on it. Did you see when Teresa got called out for telling Danielle Stubbed to pull Margaret's hair? And then that came back and like, bitter in the ass. So you can't do that. They catch everything.

She just wasn't subtle about it. Yes. Like, you, we can't tell anybody anything. We have no editing rights. We have nothing. Like, we literally go in with who we are, what we need to say, speak our truth, and that's what's gonna, if you say something dumb,

it's going. Like whatever you say, Ken and Will be held against you. That's just how I love, I loved when you like through the cheese. That was that last thing. When you like just lot, you were, you lost it. You were like, I'm lost.

I didn't know what to do. He's an after season. And now I'm just going to throw this plate of cheese. But then you picked it up. Now I was like, that's so sweet. I was like, I tried so hard to be an asshole. I tried, you know, I threw, but then I look at I'm like, I'm at somebody's house. Like this is so rude. The cheese is everybody just wasted a good amount of cheese. Yeah, good short. Cootery. Yeah.

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Speaking of podcasts, I know that you're doing one called the diet starts tomorrow. First of all, best like my husband, I tease show every day because he's every Sunday, he's like Monday tomorrow tomorrow, like tomorrow, 100% tomorrow. And he says it every single time it comes. Yes. So talk to me about this. What is this all about? Yes. So I host a podcast that we've, it's been like four years now. The podcast called Dice or Smirow. And in the beginning, it really started, it started out to sort of explore wellness and how it kind of feels a little bit like bullshit on Instagram and all the diets and all of that. But now it's really turned into a wellness podcast talking about mental health, talking

about how there's like real serious extremes in the wellness world and really finding the balance within that and what does that mean? Like, people are always promoting all of these different things. And as a regular person on Instagram, not, I feel like there's very little, it's hard to know what you should do. There's people promoting. I agree.

There's so many opinions. There's so many celebrity endorsers for everything where, you know, you just, I agree. You don't know. It's hard to know what to do. What's what's considered healthy? What does healthy even mean? Like there's the vegans. There's, it's, there's so much. Right. So it's sort of, it's, it's exploring that and a lot like when I started the podcast, like I was very much every person that we had on, I was like, I'm gonna try this diet, I'm gonna try this diet. And since then, I feel like I very much figured out

my happy medium. Yeah, happy medium, but I've also since had a daughter, like I have a five month daughter. Oh, so good. Thank you guys, what's her name? Milla. Love it. And thank you. And so postpartum, what's her name? Milla. Love it. And thank you.

And so postpartum, your life is just thrown upside down. And now I'm sort of exploring that. And I also have another podcast that we launched that I mentioned before, Betcha's moms, that I also co-host. So full time job. Listen, I always say that means you're going to start and you're just started the baby years. I call it.

So I had my babies at 26, 27, 20, 29, 30. Like that's why I had little joey at 30. So I, I remember the baby years and that is a time in your life. I feel like you, you, you have a lot of extra time to like just because you're home, but you overthink. You're questioning yourself. You're figuring yourself out. You're talking baby talk all day. Like I feel like it's like a time in life, the baby years. And I feel like they last for probably like 10 years when you're in that zone and your body is making babies

and you're home and you're eating too much and you're eating their leftovers that are sitting there once, I mean, not five months yet, but wait till they're three and they ask you for home and you're eating too much. And you're eating your leftovers that are sitting there once, I mean, not five months yet, but wait till they're free and they ask you for mac and cheese and they don't finish it and it's sitting there. And then you want to like, I don't want to waste the mac and cheese. And you want to try to eat the rest of it.

Like it's just a thing, the baby ears. And you're figuring out like, you know, some people don't have help or sitters or how do I get my nails done? How am I going to go to lunch with my girlfriend? It's like a time, right? Where it's like, you just need to figure it out. It's a lot.

I feel like they were, you know, you could fall. You have to really focus during the baby years because I feel like, you know, people can get very depressed over that too because your life just changes dramatically quickly and your body starts to change sometimes as well, you know, exactly. I mean agree with this. You're 100% 100% I mean, I have really good concealer on, but like my dark circles are higher. Go down to my nose. Like I'm so tired and just, but I'm sort of accepting that this is like you're saying is this, but this is a new phase of life. Right. And it's, it's also going to go away this phase. And so I'm trying to see it as yes, this is a challenging, but it's not that bad. Like I have a beautiful baby and it's hard. But yeah,

it's, it's crazy to think about that's like a phase of your life that when your kids are young and then there's like this next phase when they're older and then they started like set So have opinions about you and you're not this like amazing Like you're not the you're not the star like in 20s. I'm looking with like stars in her eyes Like now she looks at me like I'm like, are you good? Is your face? Okay? Like she looks at me like I'm crazy Every time I speak I, I could say nothing. I could just be like, oh, my phone rang. She's like, how does that feel?

It feels horrible. I'm not going to lie. It's so frustrating. But I have to keep reminding myself that like I have a teenager and this is what they do. And I remember cringing if my mother would like sip the coffee next to me. Like I would hear like that. And I'd be like oh why are you

sipping coffee that way like I remember every little thing annoying me so I'm like all right Melissa just remember and then I'm sure you could even remember this then when you turn like after college and you're like 21 20 you start to like want them again and you're like wait a second and so I'm doing this boy and like he's such an ass or like whatever it is. And then you start to want your mother again. So I'll just have to wait like another five years and then she'll want me.

Yeah, because I think the kids, when they're like teens to within college, like you, you remember what it's like to think that you know everything. And like your opinion is the best opinion. So if you think that your mom is annoying or your mom doesn't get it, when really she gets more than you know. Oh, yeah. So you just sort of like, oh, you're so not

cool. I remember telling my mom like, she should really try to to shop at Evercrumbian Fitch. Like thinking that that was like an approach like that's the thing that my mom would do, you know, like I was giving her a fashion device thinking, but I was such an asshole. Like, it's like 14. Okay. So this is okay. So we've got from stages. You're going to see right now you're the baby stage. Then there's going to be a little toddler thing happening where they make you laugh all

day because they say the funniest like so many funny things. And you can, you know, she's a little girl. You can put the biggest bug. You're a long island girl. Long Island and Jersey. I feel like even the mom, we got it. We got it. Same. We were the same breed.

You know what I would I found out recently? So I was in Manhattan and I was there for just like a weekend with my sisters. And I was like getting my hair done at one of the salons over there. And they were like, Oh, like you don't want to go somewhere that's like bridge and tunnel. And I'm like, bridge and bridge and what? And there she's like, bridge and tunnel. So she's like, everyone from Jersey and like, Long Island, we call that Bridget tunnel. And I was like, oh, so my Bridget tunnel, she's

like, kind of, yeah, because it's like the real Manhattan people are like, they may not. They only go to certain spots. They don't go to like the trendy, like, where the Bridget tunnel people go. If that makes any sense. Yes, yes, it's near the bridge and tunnel people go. That makes sense. Yes. Yes. It's near the bridges and the tunnels. Got it. Because it's easy to just get go home, go right back home. And that goes. I was like, wait, I didn't know.

I was a bridge and tunnel. She's like, oh, yeah, you guys long islands, Staten Island. I'm like, okay, I got it. Like I learned something new. That's it. Yeah. But I don't, but if you've been going to the city forever, you're not necessarily like bridge and tunnel because you know, I'm like what I? I work there every day. No, no, no, I'm not

Bridget tunnel. I don't want to be Bridget tunnel. I am like, tell me where like the real New Yorkers go. That's where I belong. Yeah. I like I learned something new. It's all, it's pretentious. What about, so are you struggling? What do you feel about like moms in business then? So like now you're a new mom. Is it, is there, is the struggle real? Is it a lot different for you? The struggle is very real. It is, I mean, it's nice.

I'm going to say like the whole transition to remote work or we have a hybrid model. I think that that is a saving grace for me because I don't know if I emotionally could just like go to work to an office every day. And I know that people have been doing it forever. Right. But I remember like when I was done with my maternity leave, I was like, I can't, I can't just leave. So it's nice that I can sort of still work from home, not not every day, but I have that transition. But the struggle is very real because now it's like the stakes are different.

You know, I'm, I have this business, but it affects my daughter's future. So that's, that's just a whole other level of, of risk and stakes in every dollar that I make. Oh, now I have to put into her college fund. And yeah, it's definitely a lot of deeper thoughts. And like everything, shit gets real. Aileen shit gets real. That's what happens when you have a baby, right? Like everything just gets like insane.

And I experienced that just when I opened envy like when I had my store because I truly started, you know, when I when I started with this platform because I'm very big on like platforms and networking and using your platforms to create other platforms, which I feel like is what you've really done. You know, you guys really have used one platform to expand, and make another platform and then learn where your audience is there and go a little bit further, which I think is what the world is about right now. And I think that's pretty genius, by the way. So congrats to you guys for all of that. But yeah, that's basically what happened to me with envy. I was home with the little babies, you know, I was home with them. And I was like, I want more. I want to do more. Like I'm I'm proud of Joe for everything he has has, but you know, how am I going to do this with little kids?

And like I need to be at the store. I need to, you know, be in the showrooms. I need to be traveling. I need to do this stuff. And it's a struggle. It's definitely a struggle. But I feel like there is hope. I feel like women are like definitely more understood now

than ever before. And it's just a huge, it's a huge transition for like new moms. And I can, I know that you're definitely like hitting that little spot right now going through that. Yeah. Definitely. Do you feel like when you started and be it was, you had like in Tonya in the back of your head, like she's watching me start a business.

Like I want her to emulate that one day for herself. Well, I feel like I truly was the one who was going to break the mold. So, no one in my family had gone the route that I had yet. It's like even with my sisters, my cousins, even Joe's family. Like it was very odd for someone to be like, listen, I'm going to work, you know, and I want to do this. And it's not going to just be my problem. It's going to be your problem also as to how I'm going to be out of the house all the time because there this trial belongs to both of us, not just me.

So the way you get to lead for work, I need to also, so let's together figure this out. And that was a bold step for me coming from my heritage and like where I come from and just like the old school Italian and what my husband married and what I have become are two totally different human beings and he says it all the time like this is not who he married you know he married a girl who was graduating college to become a teacher and you know somehow he changed not much. I'm gonna say not too much. He's still, he hasn't. I'm gonna really give that to him. I'm gonna be kind and say that like, and I don't know if that's for the good or the bad. But I feel like he's definitely stayed the same as far as like his work was his

work. He was always the one that was working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and and I was dealing with everything else in life. So I think that no, I've changed and it's all for the good and you have to kind of, you know, it's different for you though, because you're kind of you're doing this early on, right? For sure. It was just a big change for me. So I mean, just if I can give you any little piece of advice, I guess it's just like do not stop for a new mom, do not stop. Keep you're doing if you need to do it with the bouncy chair next to you and the pacifier keep keep doing it because when you stop and you throw in the towel and you look at this little beautiful baby that you die for and you're like, it's just too much with you to and like this whole thing and like just keep pushing because looking at Antonia, the same way that you're probably looking at Mila. You want to make them proud. Eventually she's going to understand what you're doing and see like mommy's like a work. Like she is like, you know, she is a boss bitch. And so you want

that. The reason why I was I was I was always so ambitious in school and just like I really cared about being successful is because my mom my parents were immigrants. They came from Soviet Union at the time. And my mom became an OBGYN. She's a doctor and that's amazing. She wasn't around for a lot of it. And they had overcome so much. They had to learn English. She did a lot. So remembering that even though she wasn't there for a lot of it, she's the reason why I feel I am where I am today because I had like this example

of someone who works really really hard even though I wish she was around more but I still I get it and you respect her you respect you respect again totally totally see and that's and to be honest this is probably why you are what you are that's why you created what you have To be honest, this is probably why you are what you are. That's why you've created what you have. Science shows that mental health is just as important as physical health. Whether you're struggling with grief, relationships, or stress, or you're just having troubles sleeping or meeting goals, online therapy just might be for you. Better help is secure online therapy that offers video, phone, and even live chat sessions

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Melissa Gorga on display is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at betterhelp.com slash Gorga. That's better H-E-L-P dot com slash Gorga. Hey everyone, this is Heather DeBro and do I have some exciting news for you? We are launching a variety of new episodes that are gonna have amazing special guests, some of my close friends and so much more. It's gonna be really fun.

And we're gonna get to hear from fans, new friends and get an inside look of my world. We're really excited for you to listen and join in for Heather Dubrow's World on podcast fun episodes drop on Thursdays and Fridays. Tune in on Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I mean, so tell me, uh, speaking of working hard, what's next for batches? What's next for you guys? Oh boy. Um, so like I said, we just launched a new podcast, bad vibes. Everybody go listen, it's so good. It's done by the creators. Um,

uh, Tali Lixine and Alexis Barber, they talk about all about like being Gen Z and TikTok and all of that. So it's really fun. Um, but we have something big coming this year. I can't talk about what it is. Not yet. Okay. Okay. Okay. Um, but it's really, I'm so excited to think everybody's going to love it. So we're focusing really hard on that, but we, I mean, we have so many sort of things going on. We have all of our brands. We have batches, brides, like we saw a Bravo. We have the bachelor. So we talk about bachelor. By the way, we were talking about the bachelor before anybody was commenting on the bachelor. It was like back in 2013. And now the bachelor, whoever it is is on the cover of every us lately or people mag all the time. We were making,

we were like, we watched the show where like, this is an absurd show. Can we make fun of it? And we started making fun of it. And now it's like humongous. But I think that bravo is now sort of like gone way above how the phenomenon of the bachelor. I think people are obsessed with bravo in that way that they used to be obsessed with the bachelor. Do you agree? I agree. I agree.

Yes. And just being in it, I see the plateaus and the different times of bravo. I've seen it just being in it, I see the plate toes and the different times of Bravo. I've seen it fall a little bit as well where everybody was kind of getting like a little sour with it, but we're it's back up again at like, you know, we're 100% up there. Bravo has taken over the whole Instagram atmosphere. Everything. There's so many fans. You can't turn on anything. Page say, like nothing without saying something from Bravo. Bravo. Yeah, it's become its own world. There's so many fans. You can't turn on anything. Page say like nothing without saying something from Bravo. Bravo. Yeah, it's become its own world is amazing. But yeah, we have so many things going on. Everybody go follow our Instagram at that. No, I'm going to start listening. I am. I

sound I love it. I love the diet one. I love the new one. I feel like my daughter would love to listen to that podcast as well. Definitely. It's fun. It's called Bad Bipes out already. It's super excited. Everyone makes you guys listen to that. OK, so before I let you go, I do a segment with everyone. It is called grilled with gorgah. OK. OK.

Super quick, rapid answers, rapid questions. You can just answer me. Are you ready? Yes. OK, your first celebrity crush. Oh my god. Andy Sandberg you ready? Yes. Okay, your first celebrity crush. Um, my God, Andy Sandberg. Really? Okay. Okay. Your favorite 90s song. Well, I normally ask for 80s or 90s. I feel like you're more of a 90s girl. 90s song. Um, hit me, baby, one more time. Oh, hit me, baby. Somebody else just said that. By the way, I love it. Okay. Yes. Biggest regret.

Biggest regret. Um, oh my god. There's got to be something you regret in life. Um, oh my god. Oh my god. I don't know. That's too hard. No, no regrets. You learn from all of your mistakes. You do. You do. You do. So, okay, fine. I know. I have one. You do, you do, you do. So okay, fine. I know I have one. Wearing wearing so much bronzer in college and straightening my hair to the point where I burned it off. You burned it like all your little pieces were sticking out of your head. Your and it was like just completely just discussed. Because you grew up in the era of like, you're too short. The flat iron. Like everybody just flat iron poker straight and ruin their hair

I know I am and I am a Jewish girl from Long Island with extremely curly hair I love it same Italian girl from Jersey with extremely curly hair. Somehow it's always straight though Give me the best decision you've ever made Starting with company Perfect answer. What is your pet peeve? When people chew like lip smack. Oh my god. Do you know how many people say this?

Everyone, it's a food thing. It's a food thing or like when people are on Zoom and like not not I remove that one. Delete delete that. No, I want now. No, no, no, no I want now no no no no no no no what I need to hear this just like not paint like just oh not paying attention down or you can tell people are typing I once had a meeting with like an external company and you could tell they were like like you're talking away and they're just like and they're talking to each other. And I'm like, I hate that pettiness. I just hate it. Maybe sometimes I'll do it, but I'm always being nice

when I was saying or I'm doing work. You're doing it in a nice way. No, I hate that. Okay, that's fair. What is your worst date? I have two. One, my grandma really wanted me to be with somebody Russian. So she found her friend that had like,

she was like, I have this guy, we're gonna go on a date and I'm like, I don't want to do this. She's like, you're gonna go on this blind date and I'm like, okay, and the date wasn't so bad but I never will do that again. It took me, I don't even remember, somewhere Bridget Tunnel. And some Bridget Tunnel spot.

Another date was bad, it was right before I met my husband. I show up, I never told him what I did, but I showed up to the restaurant they were meeting at, and there was like a little card that said like, betch on it, and I was like, this is too much. I was like, you're like, oh, he's like a fan. He was a fan. I don't know, you looked me up.

You probably thought you were doing something nice, but it was our first two extra. That was extra. It was too much. It was a little state, but I mean, nice. It was a nice gesture, but it was a nice gesture. It would be a little weird. Yeah, we didn't talk about it yet, you know?

Yeah, weird. Okay. Your first concert you ever went to. I, we just talked about this on another podcast I just did. I went to a simple plan, our role of eating concert. Avril, let me. With simple plan. Do you remember the example plan? Yes. Yes. You're like, I'm addicted. I'm addicted to you. Yeah. Oh my god, that's so funny. OK, tell us something about you that would surprise us that we don't know. Oh my god. I said a lot of things. Probably you've probably said it all

at this point in your life. But this is the bleamest thing I've ever can divulge, but I'll share it anyway. I played the saxophone. I told 12th grade of high school. My parents made, would not let me quit. So you'll I played the saxophone. I told 12th grade of high school. My parents made, wouldn't not let me quit. So you'll just say the saxophone? Yes, and I was pretty good. Like I, I was good.

Like I first chair everything. Oh my god, that is hysterical. Okay, I love that. Okay. Let's see. Your favorite late night snack. I love a taste cookie. Chocolate chips. Aren't they from Long Island? Yeah. I love a Tates cookie. Chocolate chips. Aren't they from Long Island? Yeah, I heard the commercial once.

It's from the latest support the home team. What was your first job? That's just, I had intern, I was read out of college. I had like science research internships while I was in college. Like I was, you know know playing with the tubes, but My first real paying job is Betches nice and look at you That that's very that you know that's right most people their first job is not like what they're still doing So that's like actually crazy. What is your favorite show that you're watching right now binge binge watching anything? I'm binge watching Yellowstone. Have you heard people talk about that?

Yes, like everybody and I'm super annoyed about it because even my girlfriend who's one of my best friends texted me and she's like Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellowstone so me and Joe go and put yellowstone on right? I put it on into. First episode I'm just waiting because I'm like, yeah, everybody loves it and I'm like first episode. I'm just waiting because I'm like, mm hmm. Yeah, it's so slow. Everybody loves it. And I'm like, nope. I'm like, let me try one more next episode. I'm like, nope.

So like, what am I missing? What am I missing? Because I know what, I know shit. What am I missing? Really nothing. But why you love it? Like, what am I missing? Keep watching it.

You start to love the characters. And then you're like, then you're in, you feel like you're in. Like I love Kevin Costner. I do, but like I don't feel that much. I know I do love it. I want to try again, because there is no way, like me and my girlfriend have like the same taste.

So how could I not like it? It's not really like that good. Like it's not my favorite show of all time. Succession. Have you watched that on HBO? Yes. So I just started that as well. That's amazing. I've rewatched every season several times. So good. I just had dinner the other night with the with the short blonde. We were both at a American bar the other night together and we were talking. She's such a

brable fan as well. From succession? Yeah. From the one that she has like white like a princess. She goes by princess on Instagram. She's the girlfriend short blonde hair. She's the girlfriend, I think tall, really tall. Yes, skinny tall. Oh, yes, yes. Yes, yes. I love her. She's so much. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Anyway, that was my succession running. Okay. I always end with like, how do you treat yourself? So if the day was all about you, it's your best day ever. What do you do to treat yourself? So nothing to do with like giving my like kid a side, right? Like I'm just giving her a hug and a kiss.

That's treating me right now. But treating myself, I would leave my house. Definitely leave my house. Definitely leave my house, I would get a manicure, pedicure, maybe I would get like a true new life. I would maybe get like a fun workout in that is out of the house, you know, that's the key here. Speak to an adult, speak to an adult,

and my food of choice would be sushi. Nice. That sounds like a great day. And that sounds exactly like what a new mom would say. They want her day to be like hair nails, like just get out of the house and have a workout without any worries. Yes. Yes. Just not have to like worry about getting home or something like that. I hear that. All right, Aline. It has been so much fun talking to you. I'm actually so proud of you. I really am. What a great platform that you've created.

And I'm so looking forward to everything that Betges has planned and that's coming up in the future. And I'm definitely going to keep an eye out, you know, for all of your things. And I love Bravo by Betges and all the comments. Do you want to come on our podcast? I should. Yeah. Margaret was just on. Why she? Yes. She was so fun. Oh my god. I love that. Okay. I didn't even know that. But yes, I love it. So keep it going. Everything you're doing, you're like an inspiration to a lot of people out there who wanted to create platforms like this. So you're doing it right. Thank you

so much. Melissa. This has been so fun. And I'm going to keep rooting for you on the show. Yes, keep rooting for me. Thank you. All right. It was good to talk to you. See you soon. You too. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

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