Yes, many of us know them from their fabulous lives on The Real Housewives shows, but Meredith Marks and Sutton Stracke are making it very clear that they are so much more than just Bravo reality stars.

Over the past couple of years, both Stracke and Marks have created their own successful companies. Stracke, known from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has her SUTTON boutique in West Hollywood. Marks, known from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, has her active Meredith Marks jewelry line. The two women have teamed up this holiday season to support one another’s designs and I sat down with these business owners to discuss their commitments today beyond reality television.

First off, on Marks’s jewelry website, her company is described as “Meredith Marks jewelry designs epitomize the ethos of livable luxury.” So, I began our conversation by asking her to elaborate on what exactly that means to her with her multifunctional jewelry line today.

“The world has changed a lot, and even more so, in these last few years,” continues Marks. “Luxury, in my view, is defined a little bit differently. You don’t want things that are sitting in a safe or in a closet for weeks, months, years on end. You want to wear things. Every day is a special day. Wear it, love it – it’s luxury. You don’t need an occasion.”

Since opening SUTTON in 2019 and currently promoting her cashmere and pajama collection designs, Stracke tells me, “I didn’t know that we’d still be open three years later, so that’s good. We’re in the black, so that’s good. To have my own label has been a triumph for me and the way I’m doing it is important because it’s all sustainable and made here in LA. I’ve talked about my cashmere before, the yarn itself comes from Italy and it’s made in LA. I’m really proud of it.”

Having to balance a world in both entertainment and business, I asked both Stracke and Marks if they would classify themselves as entrepreneurs today – and if so, what makes an effective entrepreneur in our modern times.

Stracke responds, “I’m an entrepreneur, 100%. I think that we have to learn from the past. We need to be progressive in the future. I think remembering the problems of our environment has to be the forefront. Teaching our children to be respectful of our environment and not forgetting that we are only visitors here and making things better.”

Marks follows up with, “I’m a sick entrepreneur. I can’t control myself. I just like to create, I like to build, I like to grow things. At the end of everything, it boils down to network and marketing. Unfortunately, I could tell you there are so many very talented designers out there who will never be seen because they don’t have the right network or they don’t know how to network themselves. A lot of creatives have a very hard time marketing themselves, or on the business side. I have a very business-oriented background. I want to Law School and Business School at Northwestern, so I do understand that side of it. A lot of people don’t function in both worlds. So, I am able to crossover that. Even if I’m not the one running everything on the backside, I understand exactly what’s going on and no one is taking advantage of me.”

Despite all of the exposure and notoriety that comes from being on The Real Housewives shows, I was curious how Marks and Stracke have strived to make sure that they are in fact seen beyond just their reality star personas in today’s business world.

Marks says, “So, that’s something that literally drives me insane because first of all, just the name on the show, Housewives – I’m definitely not a housewife. I mean, I am (laughs) but it’s just not how I would ever define myself. I’m a very career-driven person and that’s been a constant sort of conflict for me. In my world, I’m really trying to stay very focused on my business. It is very, very easy to get caught up in the Housewives world. Disengaging from Twitter was a massive blessing for me. I didn’t do it for Housewives reasons – I just didn’t like the direction it was going in, allowing hatred and perpetuating violence. It was just not for me anymore and I had to make a statement on it.”

Stracke responds on her life beyond Housewives, “Well, that’s not all that I do. I’ve always been a creator – as a choreographer, a ballet dancer. You know, I’m a mother and not getting embedded in being just a housewife on a show. Creating this brand has been really educational for me and I think learning is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. As an entrepreneur, that’s the key – not being afraid to learn and not being afraid to grow.”

As I began to wrap up my conversations with these well-known entrepreneurs, I asked both of them what advice they might have for other entrepreneurs today, who have great ideas but do not know how to take their businesses to the next level.

“Well, I think you believe in your idea, stay strong and start small,” says Stracke. “I have a lot of naysayers in my life and it took a lot of time to get where I am. I had the resources but you still have to believe in yourself and not listen to the people who are saying ‘no’ all the time. Also, there are people out there that will help you – and who knows? I might be that person in the future for those that want to go on and do some great things.”

Marks concludes our conversation with, “Of course, it depends on the industry but honestly the biggest thing is to build a network and reach out to people and not be shy and not be afraid. You have to really put yourself out there. Don’t sit at home all day and night. The networking is just as important as crunching the numbers, as creating the designs, as everything else.”