On Display with Melissa Gorga - Critics With No Credentials (w/ Lesa Milan)

Episode Date: September 12, 2024

Melissa welcomes the lovely Lesa Milan from The Real Housewives of Dubai onto the podcast to talk about the latest drama in Dubai, if the recent reunion mended any fractured friendships, and why some of her castmates only want to throw shade her way. The two also discuss why fame is handled very differently in the US compared to Dubai, the next business Lesa thinks Melissa should venture into, and how (and why) Lesa bribes her kids to appear on tv.  This week's sponsors: Apartments.com - The Place to Find a Place: Apartments.com Dime Beauty - Love Your Skin Again: DimeBeautyCo.com , promo code: MELISSA20 (20% off!) GDefy Shoes - Ultimate Comfort and Relief: GDefy.com , promo code: Melissa ($20 off orders of $100 or more!) LiquidIV - Now With Energy!: LiquidIV.com , promo code: MELISSA (20% off!) PlutoTV – Hit TV Shows and Movies, Free: Pluto.TV Progressive - "Name-Your-Price" Tool: Progressive.com

We're all trying to figure out what went wrong. What? No, girl, you started to be in secret competition with me. That's what happened. What's up, guys? Welcome to another episode of On Display with Melissa Gorga. I am so excited about my guests today. I am like so psyched about this. She's a mom, she's a fashion designer and an entrepreneur. And

she's one of the coolest ladies on the cast of the Real Housewives of Dubai. I'm very excited to have the one and only Lisa Milan on this show today. Oh, I'm on display on display. Hey, every day every day. I love it. What's up, girl? How are you? So good. I'm so excited to talk to you. So excited. Can I just say like you look gorgeous. You guys all always are so beautiful. But you are you're just a simply like beautiful girl. You're beautiful. Much you too. You too. Thank you. I'm not like beautiful girl. You're beautiful.

Thank you so much. You too. You too. Thank you. I'm not so cute when I do the podcast, but you know, It doesn't even matter. Like you can show up in your sweats. You can show up in whatever and you're still going to be just that girl.

Right? Well, thanks. Yes. Pretty much. I love that you're having a cocktail because it's nighttime in Dubai. Dubai. So I'll have this for you and I. My kids just went to bed. My husband's like, okay, should we go out for date night? You had your makeup done. I'm like, yeah, why not? I'll start early. Oh, see? So whenever I do anything where I get my makeup done and like I

have to either film one of the interviews on Bravo or I have like something to do. I always literally call Joe and I'm like, we're going to dinner tonight because I hate to waste the makeup. We pay so much money for it. I'm like, I hate wasting it. So I'm like, yeah, sure. We'll go out for drinks. Oh my God. I love that. So I'm going to be the start of your date night tonight. I'm going to give all good juju for that. I love it. All right. Well, some listeners out there, this is I'm talking to some, you're in Dubai, so it's nighttime there. It's daytime here. I literally just went to the gym, worked out, and I had my protein shake, and so it's so crazy how it's so opposite.

Sorry, I was going to say, I need you to like, need to come out with like a fitness book or something to get like us moms like motivated. I see your I see your posts and I'm like, Oh my gosh, she's working out today. I need to work out. I used to be really on it. But I find that with like juggling motherhood and everything. It's so hard for me to stay in shape. No, I know. You know what, it is difficult and depending on the age of your kids, but I always say with working out for me, I really enjoy it. It puts me in a mentally good place. It takes away... I also say it helps with stomach pains. I'm that girl. If I work out, I feel like my body feels good. Okay. They say endorphins make you happy. So I mean, it makes sense.

It's true. It's true. I just make it really part of like my life. I've worked out since I was, I want to say very young, like in high school, I would go to the gym like classes that they were. I don't know what happened to me this year. I feel like I literally fell off. And the hardest thing for me is to get back on.

Because once I'm in it, I'm in it. You know, but once you fall off, like the hardest thing for me is like getting back on. Right? No. And that is the hardest thing always. And sometimes Joe and I do the same thing. We fall into like a little rut, where we won't work out for like a month or two. And then we're just like, Oh, my God, we need to get back into it. And it's you got to like, find the motivation to get back in there. It is rough, but that's life, like ups and

downs. And like, sometimes it works out. Sometimes you're too busy. It doesn't work out, you know, so it's kind of just like how it goes with everyone, I feel like. But yeah, whatever motivation I can give, I should come out with some type of like, workout something. I do have a line, I have a line of workout, things that you can work out at home with, like the bands and the small weights and things like that. Next, you just need the book or something inspirational that can get a motivational book. Listen, get up because you want to do your squats. You don't want to lose your husband. Get up. That's exactly what the cover, you don't want to lose your husband. Get up.

That's exactly what the cover would say of my book, by the way. Whatever it is, you know, because we'll tune in, we'll be like, okay, yeah, that makes sense. Okay, great. You know, squat, squat. I love it. See, this is why you're an entrepreneur. You're always thinking about the next step ahead. I love it. So wait, you know, something funny. I was supposed to meet you. I was supposed to come out to LA and do this Bravo event that I think Jen Fessler I wasn't able to make the date. So Jen Fessler. I love her by the way. How are you guys?

We are good. I really loved her. She was kind of like, I don't want to give her an auntie title because she's not like an auntie. And everybody hates that. But she was kind of like, I don't want to give her auntie title because she's not like an auntie and you know, everybody hates that but she was kind of like a good mother goose. I loved her. I love Jen. Yeah, she's sweet. She's funny.

You know what? She's funny and she doesn't give a shit. She just like says it. She's not embarrassed to be herself, which makes her no special. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's like she's like my therapist. I was like venting to her about like the girls on my cast. I'm like, how was it for you?

And she told me and then I'm like, oh my God, my best friend. Oh, by the way, we have a mutual obsessor. Oh, we do. Okay. One of your cast members. Yes. Yes, Chanel Dion. We have that.

Yeah, I don't get that. I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is, but listen, I'm Aries. And for me, I feel like I'm naturally a born leader. So I don't do all that following and all of that. I feel like they're literally a bunch of sheep. And I'm a shepherd. I'm an Aries too. So maybe that's the problem. I am an Aries. Yeah, and I just, the whole thing with Chanel, to be honest, I don't know her, right? So for me, it was always just so weird because I'm like, what's her problem? Like, I don't know the girl. And I could never figure out like, I know, like even in the opener, this year, she said something about

like the new girl, Taylene, and she was like, I don't know if I'm gonna trust her. She reminds me of a Melissa Gorgers. I'm like, what? I don't even know you like, what? I always thought it was so strange. And I can't really figure it out. But I will say this, she recently ran into at the baseball game, she ran into Jen Fessler and some of my cast members, I think Danielle, Rachel Margaret, and she's like, I'm gonna apologize publicly to Melissa, but I haven't gotten my apology yet. Let's see. We're all waiting on public apologies from her. We're all waiting on public apologies.

All right. Well, we're going to get into the juice of Dubai. But before we do, I know my listeners and even me, I have to be honest, I'm very curious about what it's like just living in Dubai. I have never been which it's on my list. Come you have to come I'll host you. Please. Oh my god, I would love that or just show me the best restaurants. Let's go out to eat. I'm really putting like on my list for this year. I think I'm going to get a guide because I get so many DMS and messages all the time, not just from housewives, but just like literally from everyone. They want to know like where

are the best places to go. I feel like the entrepreneur in me is like, okay, I'm going to reach out to like my favorite places and say, listen, if I list you, you need to pay. But no, there are so many amazing places. So I'm, I was born in Jamaica. I grew up in Miami and then I moved to Dubai. So I always say made in Kingston, packaged in Miami, exported to Dubai. But I'm a Miami girl through and through. So for me, when I moved to Dubai, it was like a culture shock. So I met my husband at live, if you've ever been to live on a Sunday. Of course we all have been to live.

Who all have been to live? Yeah. So I met my husband at live and we did like the long distance thing for like a year and a half and then we got married, we had our kids, we have three boys and the rest is history. So for me, when I moved here, it was a little bit of a culture shock, even though I used to go back and forth, it's totally different when you live here. So for me, it was an Islamic culture.

I'm Christian. So that was a little bit of a transition for me, it was an Islamic culture. I'm Christian. So that was a little bit of a transition for me. I wasn't used to seeing women covered up. But as you live here, you get accustomed. And then for me, I like learning about new cultures. So I was intrigued. Why do you cover up? What does that mean?

And especially coming from the US, you kind of feel like, are women oppressed? Is that an oppression? And it's really not. So I feel like here, living here, it's super safe, super, super safe. There's no crime. I can leave my Birkin in a mall restaurant and walk back two weeks later and it will be there. Like, it's that simple. I promise you, because I think the punishment is so extreme in a way that people don't take the risk.

Like they're not going to risk their life over a $10,000 bag. You know what I mean? So things like that. Dubai is very different. It's very extravagant. But I think what we're trying to show on the show is like how the expat life, like we're actually, we live normal lives like everybody else. You know, we still have to take our kids to soccer.

We still have to take our kids to school. We still have to, you know, have sex with our husbands. We still have to do all of those things. So, there's no big difference, but for me, it was mostly the religious side of it that took some getting accustomed to. What made you guys head out to Dubai? Was he wasn't living there already or he was? Yeah, so my husband are when I met him, he was already here for like six years

or so. So he's been here now for 18 years. I've been here for 10. Got it. He was living here. He already had his whole thing set up. So I was kind of coming into his world a bit because I left everything behind. I left my family, I left my friends, I left everything. I was just fresh out of uni. So for me, it was like a whole new world. And I walked into his really. And is he, is your husband from Dubai originally? Where is he originally from? He's from England. So my husband's British. Got it. So he's from England and then he moved here. He was actually headhunted. So he was headhunted

by a company here from the UK and then he came to work here and then set up his own business. And we just love it. All three of our boys were born here. And yeah, when you ask them, like, where are you from? They're like, Dubai. And I'm like, no, you're joking. So it's true that like, are you not allowed to drink or party or like you have to? We drink, party, we do all of it. So here's the thing, people, there's a huge misconception about like the Middle East. Right. And Dubai is kind of like his own world, right? So Dubai is in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. And so Dubai is like one state, right? So Dubai is very liberal.

80% of the people that live here are expats, like they're not from here. And so this is the party town. This is where you drink. This is where you make money. This is where it's a tax haven. And so a lot, you find a lot of expats, especially European expats, like they live here to make

money to dodge tax and everything else. But yeah, but it's totally different. We dress how we want, we live how we want. It's like a little, its own bubble in the Middle East. Wow. I'm like dying. I'm coming. I need to see this.

And it's hot there, right? Is it hot there all the time? It's hot in the summer. So the best times to travel is usually between like October to April. Anything else, the city is dead, everybody travels, we're not here. It's like ghost town during the summers. And that's usually how a lot of tourists get caught up too, because the prices are so cheap to come in the summer because it's hot and no one's here. Right.

But if you want to have a good time, come any time between October and April. Spring break is perfect. You know what? It's kind of like Florida, like South Florida. Everyone leaves all summer long because it's just too hot and they go everywhere else, right? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's exactly like that. But hotter, like 10 times hotter. All right. Well, it's on the bucket list. It's definitely something I'm doing within this year. I want to get not this coming year, but the 2025 I'm coming to Dubai. I feel like this year is almost over. Jesus, before you know it, it's Christmas. I can't believe it. I can't believe it went so fast. One ritual that deserves to be added to your fall priorities,

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Did you know it was going to be the way it is? Like tell me, tell me your thoughts on that. I was super skeptical because I did reality TV before. So I was on this show called College Hill back in the day on BET. It was like the thing it was like the real world. But like the BET version instead of MTV, right. So it was already on that show. I was only like 18 or 19. And I didn't have the best experience. So for me, it was like, you know, I don't want

to do that anymore. I never wanna go back on reality TV. But then when the opportunity came, I had just launched, well, not just launched, but I was kind of going through a transitional period with my business. And for me, I always think in numbers. And so I was like, I think for me, this would be a really great platform. And it would save me on all this Facebook advertising because the target market for

the people that watch the show is who I'm advertising to all the time. So I was like, I think this would be good from a business perspective. So when they came, it was actually Chanel Ayan who they called her first. She put me forward first and the casting director just really loved me and loved my friend, my group of friends. And the next thing we know, we're on TV. And it was that easy. It was that easy. Well, you guys are all so fabulous. I know we were saying this before, but the outfits, can we just talk about the ensembles in Dubai? First of all, I always get confused because they are ensembles. Do you know what I

mean? Like they are fits to the max, where it's not just like you girls don't throw on a pair of jeans and a sweater and say like, come on, we're gonna go to like, lunch. I'm like, this is like, a very thought out. I think collectively, I think it's a very Dubai thing because believe it or not, you know the Arab women, even though sometimes they're wearing the abayas, the clothes they wear underneath.

Yes. I don't know if you've seen Sex and the City, kind of give you a tip. It's like next level. Everybody dresses to the nines. I mean, shopping, going to the mall is like an extracurricular activity here. So when you go to the mall, the women are dressed to the nines, face is done, nip, tuck, suck, all of it. You know, so I think it's when you live here, you kind of adapt to that. And yeah, I mean, I'm a girly girl. So I have three boys and the only thing that I get to do that's girly is dress up. So I love it.

I love it so much. You know what, it feels like it's like Beverly Hills on steroids. Like, right? Like it's like you guys go even above and beyond like whatever they're gonna do or like the money that's in Beverly Hills. I feel like you guys are like Beverly Hills on steroids. That number we do across the board. We all love to dress up some dress better than others. But we we love to dress up. Yeah. And you guys, let me just say you all look amazing all the time, like head to toe. I mean, some of you guys just walk around in ball gowns all day. I'm like, what is going on? They're

just in these gowns everywhere they go. But I just think it makes for awesome TV, even like your, your interviews, right? Like you guys just hit it when you're like your interviews, right? Like you guys just hit it when you're sitting there. I know, the whole body. I think I remember when they came, it was Glenda. Glenda, she was our post EP and she came with the idea to go head to toe with the professionals. And we were like, yeah, because we have to show the shoes. Like, you're only going to get this part. And they were like, that's how it works. We only get, and we were like, no, we want to show the shoes, you have to get the dress. And they were like, Okay, it's different. Let's do it. And yeah, Glenda was like, Okay, yeah, this is what we're doing. And she ran with it. Well, good for her because they've been zooming out, honestly,

on the rest of the shows now to even our show, they started to, they used to only they cut us off at the waist, all of a sudden, it was like like we're going to show a little bit of your dress a little bit of the skirt so maybe you guys rubbed off on them which I love. I do hope more more of them because I feel like we look like the odd ones out of it so it would be really nice if some other franchises would just do it. Right. No, I agree. I feel like Vanderpump rules does it like a couple like the newer shows were having

on it. Okay. All right. So maybe you started a trend, which I like. Yes. How is it for your boys being on TV? Because how old are your boys? So I have a five, nine, no, five, eight, 10, sorry, five, eight, 10 at the moment. They all just had birthdays. So I'm like, how old are my kids right now? Oh my God. So yeah, they're all born in June

and they're now five, eight, 10, but when they did it, so we shot our last season a year ago. So it was so crazy just being on, not pause, but just waiting in the wings for so long for it to happen. So like now when I'm watching it, I'm like, my kids were so little, cause you know when small kids, you see a year when you look at them. So I was like, my kids were so little, you know, because you know, when small kids, you see a year when you look at themselves, like my kids were so little when we shot this.

I see that all the time. When I watched Gino and Joey in the scene, it's always about a year before it actually airs. They look like especially boys. I don't know what it is. Look like completely different humans. I'm like, Oh my God, look at you. Like so different in a year. Yeah, but they've taken it really well for me. I have to pay my kids. So my bribe to them is like any episode that you're in, you guys get paid. Oh, get out of here. Each $1,000 per episode. Wait, that's just you as a mom saying like here you're working. I'm going to get, or that's like mandatory. How does that go? No, that's just me as a mom saying like, here, you're working, or that's like mandatory? How does that go? No, that's just me as a mom because they're working.

And because my kids- That's really nice. I don't want my kids to listen to this podcast. No, I can only bribe them with football cards and money. Right? Support to make sense. And my kids like to embarrass me too. So I'm kind of like, okay, if you guys behave,

you guys are gonna get paid for this, okay? And they'll like to embarrass me too. So I'm kind of like, okay, if you guys behave, you guys are gonna get paid for this. Okay. And they'll, they'll try to behave but they always throw me under the bus. Like any chance that they get boys, you know what boys are like, they'll always act out. But the fact that they did it, I'm like, okay, fine. But yeah, I always tell them though, if you're not comfortable, if you don't want to do it that day, I won't force you. I'll bribe you but I won't force you. Right. Especially with boys, I feel like it's harder for some of the boys to like get in the groove and like want to be on camera and want to do it. I feel like my husband has definitely bribed my boys sometimes when they're just like not in the mood. He's like, all

right, we're going to go to ice cream after we're going to do this, we're going to do that. And they're like, all right, come on, like whatever. Yeah, they're not always like it depends on the day. And then there's times where my little Joey like doesn't know what to do in front of the camera. He's the biggest ham. So it's just, you never know. You never know what you're going to get. Yeah. No, but they're so little now. So for them, it's like, they don't even watch the show. They don't know what's going on. So for them, it's just like, they have to trust me in telling them like how many episodes they were actually in. And they get paid at

the end. They get paid when I get paid. And you know, Bravo don't pay you upfront. So they don't pay me upfront. I don't know what your contract's like. That's so funny. Wait, does your 10-year-old get noticed now or like do people say like, oh, we see that you were on TV? Well that happened in New York. So Dubai is very different. People don't it's illegal to take pictures of people without their permission. It's illegal. We don't have paparazzi. We don't have any of that. And in Dubai, too, I almost feel like

everybody thinks that there's someone. So they almost don't want to be like they recognize you. It's a very it's it's very it's very strange. Like no one's calling you out at a restaurant like, oh, I love you. I love the show. No one's doing that. No, no, they're not doing that. But whenever we traveled to the US, so we were in New York and they were just walking. I wasn't even with them. They're with my husband and they recognized my kids and my husband and my kids. My husband was

like, okay, this is odd. This is weird, but you know, it's illegal to take a picture of me. Like, you know, kind of vibe. And no, it's not illegal in America, they can just do whatever they want. But no, my sons told the people at the Empire State Building, they had like a thing, they're like, Oh, by the way, I should be on the wall of fame, because I'm on TV. I love that. That is so cute. Yeah, because yeah, you guys don't really experience that there are like people on the streets and

like, oh my god, here it's great. Like we can't go anywhere to a restaurant or anything. We have people sitting at our tables all day and talking and all of that. I know that I experienced that. We just started a reunion. So when I was there in New York, I got a lot of I even had husbands like, Oh, my wife loves you. And yeah, I know I loved it. I enjoyed every minute of it because I don't get it in Dubai.

So for me, it was the more novel. Yeah. Yeah. It's good to get a little feedback sometimes too and like hear from the fans and what they feel and like, oh, when she said this to you, that was wrong. And I like to hear the feedback from the fans, you know? Yeah. Small, easy changes in your skincare routine can have amazing results.

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That's dimebeautyco.com. Use code Melissa20 for 20% off. You are going to love this stuff. Let's talk about the reunion then because I need to know, like, so who are you on the outs with right now? Where do you stand with these girls? I am seeing something about the houses and Caroline, like I'm filming on the house thing. What's going on with that?

Okay. So the house thing. What's going on with that? Okay. So the house situation. So in the last episode before the reunion, my husband and I were looking to buy a farm in the Cotswolds. Caroline Stanbury then suggested her parents' house, right? Okay. Beautiful house. However, it was not the size that we were looking for.

No shade. It was just not a farm. It was just a house. Right. So she sent me all the details and blah, blah, blah. But then she went on Twitter and was like, oh, by the way, for the record, none of these ladies could afford my mother's house. So I was like, first of all, I know she's talking about me and I can more than afford

her parents Think it was like a three thousand three million pound house, right? That was a listed price I don't know what they sold for eventually But I was like don't go on TV or don't go on Twitter and not tell the truth So I said you sent it to me asking me to basically buy it It was not the size that I was looking for and then you want to come, asking me to basically buy it. It was not the size that I was looking for. And then you want to come and shade me. So I just, my house is listed in Miami. I have a house in Miami that we just built from ground up. So we bought the land, we built the house

and it's listed at the moment for $7.5 million. So I said, one of my assets could buy three or two of your parents house. So don't do that, right? So it was, for me, it started out as just like tip for tap, but then she wanted to like escalate and take it further and take it further. But I think low key she's, she has like a bee in her bonnet about me. I don't want to call her Karen,

but she doesn't want anybody else on the cast to have more than her. And I think it kills her that I'm a black girl with money straight up. Oh, wow. I mean, so did you guys I'm sure this all came out at the reunion? How are you guys right now? Did you guys get anywhere or? We got nowhere. We got nowhere as far as like the whole house thing, because she just kept trying to like one up me. She's like, Oh, no, I saw your house and it's 500,000. I'm like, girl, that was the cost of the land. You have to actually buy the land and then build a house on the

land. You know, like it's a process. Right. So she's like, Oh, oh, well, I was saying you couldn't buy a farm in the cost world because it's this and that. And I'm like, girl, shut up. Like just, just say congratulations and move on, you know, but she won't do that. She has like, I don't know, she needs therapy. She needs to go and sort out like all her money insecurities because I'm the one that will tap back. Like my husband's always like, just ignore, who cares? Don't talk about money. But I feel like with her specifically, I always just have to like, no, that's not true. I'm going to check you. I'm not going to let you get away with it. That's the Aries in you baby doll. That's what I do all day long

I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're gonna keep talking because i'm talking i'm spitting facts And so I hate when people try to like, you know cast members on my show They tried and i'm like talking facts and when they know i'm gonna spit too many facts or like I don't next question I'm like, no, no, no not next question. We'll talk about money. It's so oh my god, when she's the one that said it, like, how do you go on Twitter and say, none of us or or she even added and none of their husbands cool like girl, your husband doesn't even work. Shut up. Oh my god, the drama. Who is like your bestie on the show? Do

you have someone you can confide in and really trust? My bestie was Ion. we came into this whole situation together. And then it was okay, so maybe you can explain everything to me then. Okay, go ahead. We're best best friends. We came into the show together. And she chose to show over me. I feel like fame sometimes changes people. And in our situation, she allowed producers and she allowed some of the girls on the cast to get in her head. And I'm like, you've known me for over a decade.

Like how, how can people get, but I think she secretly was in competition with me. And I feel like I don't compete with my friends. And I think that's what played out. You know, we're all trying to figure out what went wrong, what, no girl, you started to be in secret competition with me. That's what happened. Right. You know, so that ended up not going well, but I'm actually in a good place with everybody on my cast, except her and Stanbury.

Got it. But everyone else you're good with. Everybody else I'm okay with, yeah. Talk to me about Taylene. She's new on the show, right? This was your first year. How did she how do you feel like she fit in with everyone? Where are you at with your relationship with her right now? So I think she did well. I think for for newbie first time about I mean, she studied she studied the show. Like she studied the Real House. She studied Jersey.

That's what I heard. Is that why someone said, I think that's why I was saying Chanel said something about she's Melissa Gorga or all right, now I need to hear this. How did she study Jersey? So I think, okay, so don't quote me, but this is just speculation. I heard that she studied the real housewives of Jersey. So it's like her and her husband. So her husband would be like, yeah, you know, the guys on Jersey, they're like this and that. But my husband is like, wants no parts. He doesn't want to be a part of the show. You know, he'll, he'll show up to support me. But for him, it's like, this is Lisa's thing. I'm just the supporting act.

Right. Meanwhile, I feel like with them, they kind of want to be, I don't know who wants it more to be actually, she told me that he wanted it more. Yeah, wow. And he wanted it more. So I feel like with them, we make fun of them, we poke at them because they're very, you know, very Joey and Melissa. Oh, my god. Really? Oh, my god. That's why. Okay, because I'm like, why did so he's a little bit more forefront, which I will defend my husband a little bit here. Joe is so forefront because the whole entire show included like his wife, his kids, his mother, his father, his sister, his

niece, like the whole entire show is kind of centered around him, his family, right. So it was so hard for Joe not to be forefront. He's a natural too, and Joe loves it. Like Joe loves it. He loves people. That's what he loves. Like he is, he makes me look bad sometimes because if we're out, you know, I'm always very kind, I'm friendly, I'm always very appreciative to the fans, but he's like next level. He's like, let me take your number. Do you want to come over for Sunday sauce? Like, what like, oh my god. Like in our natural state and element, my husband is, I'm in the elevator with my big

sunglasses on, don't talk to me. My husband would know everybody who's, what floor they're going, who they're talking to, like the whole shebang. And I'm like, why are you so friendly? And he's like, what do you mean? By the way, did you know that person on your floor that they can actually help you with all the IT stuff that you have? You wouldn't have known that if I didn't talk to them in the elevator. You know, so we have, we're so different in that way. So I do get that. Yeah, that is 1000% Joe as well. And I'm always like, my god, can you take it down a notch? Like you make me seem unfriendly and I'm not unfriendly. I'm actually very nice, but you're inviting people to dinner. You know, like, I can't compete with that. Okay, I can't. Oh, my god.

Have you watched OC? Like, do you watch any of the other shows? So I do, but I've never seen OC. I've never even seen one episode of OC. So I have no idea. Whatever clips I get online, I feel like that's all I know. I know. I know Tamra's a mean girl. And what are they called? What is it?

Oh, two T's and a pod. Okay. So you do not watch OC because there's so much drama with like Shannon and Tamra. You know what? That's funny. I find Tamra to be a mean girl just across the board. You know, like- Does she talk about you on 2Ts?

Because anyone who says this, she talks shit on 2Ts about them. I renamed them to B's in a pod because they bitch about me so much. And it's so crazy because whenever I see them in person, I don't get that energy. But on their show, they're so one sided. Give me an example. Like tell me one thing they've said negative about you because I'm in shock. I feel like you're such a girl's girl just from talking to you now. Thank you. I feel like they're always siding. Anything that's that's Stanbury related, I feel like they automatically take her side, you know, and I'm like,

but then again, it's not real journalism, right? So you can't expect them to be on biased. Right. So I think they're friendly with her as well. They're like, it's so obvious. But when I see them, it's always like good vibes. They're so nice to my face, even Teddy, I went on their podcast. And then I hear them bitching and my mom listens to everybody's podcast. So she fills me in because I'm not even on the she fills me in their podcast. And then I hear them bitching and my mom listens to everybody's podcast. So she fills me in because I'm not even on that. She fills me in about everything. And she's like, Oh my god, they said this this week. And they said she listens to your pocket. She's

into everything. My mom was like a Bravo holic way to say your mother's like Donna Marco, your mother's like my mom because she listens to everything and she'll call me and she'll be like, Teddy said this or Tamara said that or I listened to this podcast and did you see the clip of this? And I'm like, I don't even have to watch anything she can like fill me in. Same. So my mom is exactly the same. So my mom fills me in and my mom was like, go unfollow her right now. They don't have your back. I love it. Like say less and I go and I like unfollow. That is his circle. Have they shown your mom on the show?

Yes, yes. My mom was all over this past season. I don't know how I missed you know what I didn't see the full entire I have to finish watching your see I got like halfway through and I need to like finish. I'm trying to get her to move to Dubai but it's hard getting her to move from Miami. She has her whole life there. Miami is so fun. Oh, yeah. She's probably like, I'm good here in Miami.

She's kind of like, I'm good here. But her grandkids are getting so much bigger. So I'm like, you need to come, you need to grow up. In five years, they're not going to want their granny, you know, but right now they do. That's so true. So let's see. It's true. Is she single?

Is she with your dad? She's divorced. No, let's see. It's true. Is she single? Is she with your dad? She's divorced. No, she's divorced. But my mom works at a top hospital. She has her career. She's really happy. She has her friends. She has her house. So it is a lot asking her to pick up and leave. But I mean, she can afford to retire, I can, you know what I mean? So it's like, you can't get back this time. So I really I'm hoping that she considers it she's a lot closer to saying yes than before, but still up in the air. Oh, you're like, come on, mama, I got you come over here. Let me take care of you for this and spend time with the kid. I love it is hard to have like, when there's distance between family, especially when you have the

little ones, I always think that's rough and it's hard because they're missing a lot of things. We don't have like, we rely on nannies and outside help. It would be just so nice to just have family to help us. You know, when you're an expat living so far away, that's the part of the puzzle that's like completely missing, the family aspect of it. Yeah, that's the part of the puzzle that's like completely missing the family aspect of it. Yeah, that's rough. Imagine an app designed to make you use it less seems counterproductive, no?

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to join the over 29 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12 months savings of $698 by new customers surveyed who have saved with Progressive between June 2021 and May 2022. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Well, let's talk a little bit about your business. I love that you have a luxury maternity where you have a whole line, right? And didn't you just come out also with a product that will like shine your body because I saw some sick photo of you on

Instagram. I was like, what is this and give me some to shine my body with this done. That's a row. Your luxury line is a mineral. Yes. Well, we started out as a luxury maternity wear. I couldn't find maternity wear that was like cute and sexy. That made me feel good when I was pregnant. So I started the line. I have a background in fashion and journalism. So I was like, okay, where am I gonna go with my career?

And so I chose to go fashion because I felt like there was like a hole in the market. I don't know how it was for you when you were pregnant, but I could not find anything that didn't look like my granny's couch, or that felt frumpy. So I created a line that was really chic, really sexy, that competed with the very best of non maternity fashion. And yeah, we've dressed everybody who's anybody while they were pregnant, from Beyonce to the

Kardashians to everyone. And it's just been really, really good. So as I grow as a mom, the brand grows with me. So I then came out with postpartum wear. And the latest to all of it is our skincare line. So it's belly and body oils that help to prevent stretch marks. Wow, that's pretty amazing. And has the show, I know they recently, they kind of highlight it on the show, right?

On the Housewives of Dubai, you've gotten to like, show a little bit of that this season. Yeah, we did. We got to show, well, there was a whole drama around all the branding that I did for my events and stuff. So yeah, there's a lot of minero on the show, rightfully so. But yeah, the girls had a problem with me branding the event, but you know, I'm dealing with a bunch of critics with no credentials. So it's- Wait, I love that you say that. I've heard you say that before and you have to talk to

me about this. Critics without credentials. That is like genius, by the way. Talk to me, tell me what you mean by this. I think I know, but I think it's an amazing line. Yeah. I mean, everyone says that they have a business, right? But an idea is very different to having a business. Putting something on Instagram with the hopes that one day it turns into a business is completely different to actually starting a business, running a business, paying people, people's livelihoods depending on you. It's a whole different ballgame. So when I say it is with no credentials, I mean, I'm dealing with women who don't really

have businesses that don't know what it takes, the sleepless nights, the investments, the everything that it takes that I put into my business. So naturally they think it's okay to attack someone's business. I think when you've grown a business or you just have an actual business, you'll never attack another entrepreneur because you're going to be like, Oh my God, I know what it's like. I know what it takes. I'm not going to go there. But yeah, but they have no, they don't have that kind of, you know, background. So for them it's like, Oh, I don't care. I'll background. So for them, it's like, oh,

I don't care. I'll just attack her business because it looks attackable. But I'm always there to check them. I don't think your business looks attackable at all. I think it's pretty genius what you've done. And it's a pretty amazing, it's an amazing line. The such gorgeous pieces. And look at some of the people that you've dressed. I mean, that says it. And you know what I love? I always respect because this is where I come from.

Like I wasn't handed anything. I worked hard for everything I have. Joe and I work really, really hard to live where we live and drive what we drive and open these businesses. And I do feed, I feed multiple mouths and families and so does Joe. And so, you know, I'm very big on watching someone build something from the ground up. And I truly believe in supporting entrepreneur, especially women. Yeah, especially women. And I'm sure there in Dubai, this is even a bigger, you know, issue and situation to

support a woman coming out with with a strong business must be pretty incredible. Thank you. I know, honestly, I were I started my I started my brand in my living room. I was pregnant with my first son. And I've grown it to where it is today. So for me, I take it so personal when people attack my business, because I'm like, you see the success, but you don't know the struggle that it took for me to get to where I am. So sure. Like, I'm like, you see the success, but you don't know the struggle that it took for me to get to where I am. So sure. Like I'm always just like on 10. I literally go from like zero to 100. When it comes to like my kids, my husband and and my

business. So yeah, they they tried they tried to come from my business. They they couldn't find anything wrong. So they were like, Oh, I see her logo everywhere. Why is it branded like this is her place? Because that's what a brand does when they rent out a space. Right? So yeah. Yeah. You put your signs everywhere and you show them what you got. I actually felt like our party planner didn't put enough signs. I was so shocked when they said that it was too much. Tia

I think it did. I think the first season, especially the fashion, I think the fashion did extremely well. But then it got attacked at the reunion. And we did actually see a huge decline in sales off the back of like her saying that I steal designs and blah, blah, blah from season one. And we had to then pump a lot of money back into marketing and doing a whole bunch of damage control because it was a lie. But that's the thing I should tell the ladies on my show. It doesn't matter if it's

like the truth or lie. People run with it. People run with it. And then you have to do damage control. So why do it? So I was really taken aback that okay, really, my business is under attack again. You know, they couldn't find anything wrong. So they had to come up with something. Listen, that's usually how it goes. My marriage comes under attack constantly for the most ridiculous, the most like the

girls on the show, not in real life, like the girls on the show, try to come up with anything. And it always is just like, like throw shit against the wall. Let's see if it sticks. Like it just, and so that tells me, you know, without knowing fully what's going on over there, but when there's something super successful that people look at and they envy, for lack of a better word, you know, they come for you and they go for it. And you should like embrace that.

Actually, I've learned I used to get very insulted. The first couple seasons, I'm like, why are they coming for me? I'm clearly showing, you know, the success of this and the marriages that and like, it would it doesn't matter. That's what proves that it's successful. The fact that they are coming for it. That's what I learned on my show, you know, yeah, a good way to look at it. I feel like, as time go on,

hopefully my skin will get thicker. But for now, I promise you it will I promise like the first two seasons I was on Jersey I used to it would air and I literally I mean and we had such a create we have such crazy drama here in Jersey but I would literally want to hide under the bed and I'm like I would tell my husband like I can't go to the pickup line I don't I can't even be seen this is so embarrassing this is so crazy yeah that was literally me after season one. I was like, Oh my god, what if they what if they watch the show and they think it's true? Oh my god, I can't drop my kids to school.

You know, but I promise you will break free of that little by little and you will just be like, you know what, this is me like it or leave it, you'll start to people start and it's also gets easier when people start to learn you and who you are. And it's not all just about what the girls mouths are saying, right? So when people get enough episodes and they're like, wait a second, this is nothing that she's proving everything opposite of what's being said about her. I think that's what I had to wait for more episodes more seasons. And then people were like, Oh my god, she

is nothing that anyone tried to tell us that she was, you know, so that makes total sense. That makes that I'm waiting to get there. Yes, you'll get there. All right, well guys, listen, she was made in Jamaica packaged in Miami and exported exported to Dubai. I love it. I knew it was going to be such a blast to catch up with you today. And I want all my listeners to check out Mina row. It's m n a r o e.com. Yes, correct. Correct. Thank you so much. No, I knew this was going to be fun. As soon as it came in, I said to my team, I was like, yes to that one. 100% I cannot wait to catch and now that I know that you're Aries like me,

you're like literally my soul sister. I love it. That's it. We're soul sisters for life. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on display today. Have the best date night tell your hubby I said hi. Will do will do and say hi to Joe Joe for us you have to have beef tea come to Dubai. I'm coming. When you come into New York, let me know. So maybe we'll do dinner or something when you're here. Perfect. Perfect. We'll do.

OK. All right. Thank you. Have the best night. Thank you. Bye. Bye. Ciao. What if I told you that I just walked away from a wonderful and very high profile fitness

brand to pursue bigger dreams? And I broke away from my own golden handcuffs to pursue a more artistic life. What's up? I'm Kendall Tool. And I'm Gaylee Alex. And we are so excited to share our new podcast, Wholeheartedly with Kendall and Gaylee. The two of us have taken the uncharted path and felt we were at a great place or at least at a pivot point in our lives to share our biggest tragedies and triumphs.

So that everyone here with us can learn from our battles, victories, and our total F-Ups. And that's from two people who have really been through it. Good Lord, yes. We're both still navigating life and we want you to come along on the journey so we can stay in the fight to overcome whatever BS is thrown our way. It's not easy out here, but we'll be walking and talking with you through building careers, self-worth, relationships. Oh, and get some good laughs please.

Or tears. There's tears. That's true. There's always tears. That's true. All with our hearts on the line. So if this sounds additive to your journey, we are here for you. Join us every week on Wholeheartedly with Kendall and Gaylee.

Wholeheartedly will be available July 17. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Pluto TV is a place for movie fans like me and TV fans like me. They've got something for everyone and it's free. I love free and I love Jersey Shore. For me, it's the Godfather. SpongeBob SquarePants, I am Patrick. Patrick is me.

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