The Real Housewives of Dallas series is officially upon us, which means fans of the most popular reality Bravo franchise are most likely already scrutinizing each new Housewife and trying to figure out who they'll root for throughout Season 1. Well, to assist you, let's talk a little bit about RHOD star Stephanie Hollman. Not only was she a former social worker, she is now a stay-at-home mom of two boys and is also in charge of the charitable contribution efforts at Hollman, Inc., a manufacturing company of wood and laminate lockers run by her husband, Travis Hollman. As someone who has made it her life's mission to spread love to others, Stephanie hopes to bring kindness to RHOD.
"I was raised in a very religious family," she tells Bustle over the phone. "My parents were always giving and loving people who have always kind of instilled with my sister and I that giving back and, honestly, the way you treat people says a lot in life." As fans of Housewives know, kindness isn't something that's always shown between the cast, but thanks to Stephanie that just might all change.
The new reality star recognizes the effect words can have on others, which she tried to keep in mind while filming. She says,
The way you make people feel will resonate with them much more than the way you look. I do try to be kind. I feel that that's very important. Also, I'm a mom. So, I feel like I have to be an example to my boys of giving back and helping others.
Stephanie continues,
I hope you see that I'm a kind person, I'm a goofy person, but at the same time I hope others can see me as somebody who's kind and loving and as somebody who really cares for the way other people feel. I do know that words have power and people forget that in life. You know, you can't take back the things that you say and it can really change how somebody feels about themselves.
When it came to joining RHOD, Stephanie definitely had some hesitation, mainly because of her children. Her family is extremely important to her, so she wanted to make sure she wasn't ignoring her two boys or her duties as a mother. "[My sons] were very young, they were three and five at the time [of filming], and as a stay-at-home mom and a mama bear, I wanted to make sure I protected them," she says about her hesitation. "I did not want them to grow up thinking, 'You chose a reality show over me.' So, it was very important for me to be able to spend the nights with them and to tuck them into bed at night and to try to do as much filming as I could during the morning."
She took it all so seriously that she and her husband decided to do therapy during the process. Stephanie confesses, "Whenever I started the show I was so worried about my family, I was like, 'If we're doing this we have to get therapy,' just so we can stay in touch and any problems we were having or any emotional issues I was having we could figure it out before it got bad."
That said, a huge part of why Stephanie joined Housewives was to find herself again, because she admits she's lost her way by focusing so much on her children and her husband. The 35-year-old explains,
I did the show, because my life is kind of Groundhog Day. I wake up, take the kids to school, clean the house, buy groceries, take care of everything my husband needs me to do. I felt like I kind of gave up my life and it became about everybody but myself. I wanted to do something fun, and, you know, when your best friend [fellow RHOD star Brandi Redmond] is involved, I thought it would be a really neat experience to share with my best girlfriend.
The experience is something Stephanie doesn't really regret and she has learned a lot about herself along the way, including the fact that she's grown a much thicker skin. She also hopes as RHOD airs, viewers keep in mind that while, yes, she is a nice person and gives back, she is also not perfect.
I hope people watch it and see somebody who is kind, who is a good mom, who cares about the community, and somebody who is charitable. I struggle in life. I'm not like Mary Poppins. I have kids who throw fits sometimes. I get flustered. I hope people see that side of me, because I feel like women are so hard on themselves, especially as mothers and they feel like, "I'm the only one who struggles," and that's not the case.
I think it's safe to say that Stephanie is already bringing a lot to the Housewives table and showing how kindness can be just as entertaining as drama.
Image: Bill Matlock/Bravo
