11 Real Housewives Who Do More Than Reality TV

Nowadays, most of the people we watch on reality television are actually reality TV stars as their primary jobs. They get paid to live their lives and stir up drama, and it's pretty rare for these people to have real person jobs outside of filming their shows. A lot of the Real Housewives would be out of luck of they got fired, because this franchise has taken over their lives. Thankfully, they're not all in that position and there are actually women from Real Housewives who have actual jobs aside from staring on the show.

As expected, a lot of the women used their fame to branch out into other aspects of the entertainment industry through writing, music, acting, and producing. But there are actually other Real Housewives with jobs that viewers can probably better relate to, including selling insurance, designing jewelry, marketing makeup lines, selling real estate, running restaurants, and other careers that actually have nothing to do with reality television or entertainment.

Bravo may highlight the social and romantic drama the ladies deal with, but there is a lot more to them. There are plenty of successful business career within in the Real Housewives franchise and between them all they have covered just about every industry.

1. Lisa Vanderpump

Lisa Vanderpump was a successful entrepreneur long before she was cast on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, own 26 bars and restaurants around the world, and she keeps adding more to her empire.

2. Ramona Singer

Ramona Singer was running her True Faith Jewelry business with her ex-husband Mario Singer for years before she was cast on reality television. It is a very successful brand that sells religious jewelry and she still works for the band today. Whenever Real Housewives of New York City ends, she will be just fine without the spotlight.

3. Vicki Gunvalson

We all know that Vicki Gunvalson loves working and making money. It's pretty much her favorite conversation topic on Real Housewives of Orange County. Vicki's company is called Coto Insurance and Financial Services.

4. Kandi Burruss

Kandi Burruss did not need Real Housewives of Atlanta to promote her music career. The girl was just fine without the reality TV spotlight. I mean come on, she has a Grammy award. She is an extremely successful singer, song writer, and producer.

5. Carole Radziwill

Carole Radziwill isn't one of those women who "writes" books to capitalize on her reality TV exposure. She was actually a successful author and reporter before becoming a Housewife. She was even on the New York Times Best Sellers List for her book What Remains, and won three Emmys and a Peabody Award for her work with Peter Jennings.

6. Phaedra Parks

Phaedra Parks was a successful entertainment lawyer before she became a part of the craziness on RHOA. Phaedra famously represented Bobby Brown, among her celebrity clients. No wonder Phaedra knows how to handle herself among the ladies: She is a trained arguer.

7. Meghan King Edmonds

Vicki Gunvalson may have criticized Meghan King Edmonds for "not working" on RHOC last season, but the girl had no idea what she was talking about. Meghan is actually involved in a lot of business ventures, and most of them she started before her reality TV career. For instance, she is the Director of Sales and Brand Ambassador for Sweat Cosmetics.

8. Bethenny Frankel

I couldn't make this list without including Bethenny Frankel, but at the same time, I feel silly listing her accomplishments. We all know what Bethenny does for a living. She has been working on her Skinnygirl empire for years selling alcohol, fitness products, salad dressings, and pretty much everything you can think of.

9. Lisa Rinna

We all knew Lisa Rinna before she became a Housewife as a successful soap opera, television show, and movie actress in addition to her many endorsements. Lisa has always been and will always be a hustler.

10. Eileen Davidson

Eileen Davidson is an Emmy-winning actress, who has stared on many soap operas including The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. And she continues to do so even with all the RHOBH drama in her life.

11. Tamra Judge

Tamra Judge was a real estate agent when we first met her on RHOC. Since then she has opened her own gym called Cut Fitness while she continues to work in real estate to support her family. Clearly, she is a woman who understands that reality TV cannot last forever and has plenty of fallback options.

Don't let the drama distort your view. The women on Real Housewives are a lot more than their feuding and one-liners. The cast is full of smart, competent, business women, who rely on more than reality TV for their income.

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