The Season 10 premiere of the Real Housewives of Orange County is rapidly approaching, and that means more drama and even more of that OC style we all crave. I had the chance to sit down with the “Original Housewife”, Vicki Gunvalson, to chat about the upcoming season and her new fashion collaboration that combines her love for looking good and making money. Here’s what Vicki had to dish on the new season, her recent heartache and how you can get involved in the Housewives fashion scene with her latest business venture.

Interview: Vicki Gunvalson dishes on RHOC Season 10 and her new fashion venture

BigBlondeHair.com: Big Blonde Hair readers are huge fans of your style. How did
you decide to dive into your eBoutique business with MK Collab, even though you have an insurance background?

Vicki Gunvalson: Well business is business, no matter what you do. So I look at a business plan and say is this going to be worth my time? If it is I’m going to do it, and (designer and long-time friend) Marissa Kenson’s (eBoutique business) was. I love fashion, I’m all about it, so to me it was just a very easy decision. If I’m wearing clothes on TV why not get some revenue for it by directing people back to my own eBoutique? It just was a very easy transition. I don’t care if I sell cars or insurance or shoes, it’s the same, it is sales and I’m a sales person.

From a time commitment standpoint, obviously you are insanely busy and you are able to fit this in. How much time do people need to set aside that want their own MK Collab eBoutique?

You get out of it as much as you put in to it.  It’s geared towards women who are out wearing the clothes they are selling. When the people around them say “Where did you get it?” they can direct them back to their eBoutique (and make a commission on the items they sell).

Or it can be a blog like Big Blonde Hair and you just post what you’re doing and how you’re making money. If you can wear your business, you are going to make money, it’s a pretty easy concept. Everyone out there has clothes on, you have your clothes on I hope (laughs). I think when you dress for success you’re more successful and I’m a big believer in “fake it til’ you make it”. When you look successful you will be successful.

I totally agree. What makes this stand apart from other multi-level marketing opportunities?

My opinion is that it’s not like a supplement, vitamin, or a protein drink— everyone has to wear clothes, it’s not optional, unless you’re a stripper (laughs). It’s optional to take a vitamin every day. This is a great business model because you look great, feel great, are making money and you’ll be able to help to get other women into business (if you chose to build a team).

We’ve even been able to help women who are homeless and in shelters. We have a charity we are working with and for $500 we got them started and it gets them going and back on their feet again.  It’s a great opportunity.

If anyone reading this article is interested in getting involved, how can they hook up with you and be a part of your team?

Everything is really internet driven.  Go to www.mkcollab.com/shop/vicki and in the upper left corner there is a Becoming An Associate link. Pick out $500 worth of clothes you want to buy (that earns you an eBoutique), they’ll ship it to you and then from there you just start building your business!

But it’s not going to come easily, if you want to make a lot of money you have to work for it. You cannot sit back and be passive about it. If this would easy everyone would be doing this type of venture. Whatever you put in you’ll get back out.

What are your favorite pieces in your eBoutique right now?

I have so many! The dress that I wore the other night at the white party and posted on my Facebook is one of my favorite dresses. It’s a white on cream, ¾ sleeve lace dress and that also comes in black on cream. No matter what size you are it’s going to look great on you. I’m 5”8, wear a size six and it fits me like a glove.

All of the MK Collab skirts are amazing, they have a gold zipper up the back. I have the leopard, royal blue and black. They’re just great pieces.

I have almost every dress on the site and they are amazing. When you put them on you just feel good, and that’s what our whole thought process is. It’s about being able to put on clothes and not have to worry about it. They’re great for traveling. You can roll them up, put them in your bag and you get them out and there are no wrinkles. It’s just really good, usable clothing.

You know we love your style, but we also love that you are the original Housewife and Season 10 of the Real Housewives of Orange County is starting in June!

I know, I started 11 years ago, I was 42 years old! I lost 10 years of my life doing Reality TV, oh my God (laughs). I have got to have a screw loose right there.

You have managed to survive, which is probably the hard part.

Well, this year I’m like a big cracker just crumbling in front of everybody.

What can we expect from this season?

We just wrapped filming on Saturday. For people who don’t know, my mom died this year, and they were filming me when I got the news. I talked to my mom that morning, went to work, then I called her on the way to Shannon’s (Beador) and when I was there I got the called that she died. I’m still shaking about it because I can’t even comprehend that she’s gone, I’ll never be the same.

I go out to visit Briana in Oklahoma and we had a little bit of a tornado scare. She just bought a brand new home and we had enough room for five people in the storm shelter but with the camera crew there were 16 of us. We had to head into Oklahoma City and try to dodge the tornadoes. It was just crazy.

Friendships kind of get weird this year.  Per usual, you put 5 people in a room together—all girls—and weirdness happens. I think I was born with a male mind, so I don’t get the women cattiness. But that makes good TV, and we have got a couple trips that were fun this year.
If you’ve been watching most of you know my boyfriend has cancer, Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, so we’ve been struggling with that.

For me, the last 3 months have been a nightmare and I’m trying to get through it. When you put your life on Reality TV, you have to be prepared as to what can happen when you are filming. You just never know when something can be taken from you that you value and cherish so much, that is the biggest life lesson I learned—Don’t take anything for granted.

Editors note: I am extremely sorry for Vicki and her loss, my thoughts are with her an her family.

So many women have come and gone from Housewives shows. How have you managed to stay relevant and interesting?

You know, I really don’t have any idea. Whenever I start to film a season I’m like “I’m just going to be quiet this year, nothing is going to happen, I’m just going to lay low.” And the next thing you know I have chaos hitting me from every end.

I think one thing that helps me is that I’ve always, always told the truth on camera. I haven’t tried to manipulate my truth, (because) I think that shows through. When you are trying to manufacture your own drama, or trying to do a commercial on what you do—I don’t talk about my insurance business a lot, but it’s what I do every single day—people know. So when you’ve got other Housewives coming and going and they’re pitching all of their products it gets old.  That’s not what it’s supposed to be about, it’s supposed to be about our lives, inspiring others, sharing what it’s like behind the doors of a family in Orange County and the struggles that we go through.

Some of the Housewives (supposedly) don’t have any troubles and everything is made to look perfect in their lives, but they aren’t really perfect. I don’t think they show the truth a lot of times. I do not mean to sound condescending, but it’s really about showing your faults too. In doing a reality show it can’t just be good, good, good. The truth is I do struggle, I do have faults, I do scream a lot and I’m passionate about what I believe in!

And that is why we love Vicki Gunvalson. A big thank you to her for taking the time to chat with Big Blonde Hair.

Shop Vicki’s eBoutique and find out more about opportunities with Vicki and MK Collab here

Editor’s note: I took advantage of this great opportunity and am a member of Vicki’s team too, so feel free to comment below in regards to questions involving MK Collab! 

Real Housewives of Orange County debuts Monday, June 8 on Bravo

 Photos Courtesy of Vicki Gunvalson on Facebook

Have you seen something on the Real Housewives or any other celebrity fashion you can’t live without? Post a comment below, tweet @BigBlondeHair or leave a comment on  Big Blonde Hair’s Facebook page