The Power of Persistence: Why Success Belongs to Those Who Never Quit

0:00Everything that has happened, I take and I fucking run with it to some other place, to doing something else. And I make other things happen. And then you look back and you're like, thank God.

0:32welcome back to the bill pod where authenticity trumps authority and today's guest is i mean first of all you're like a bombshell as soon as you walk in i usually like to be the hottest bitch and then you walk in i'm like oh hell no wow i will take that all right what is going on here we have danielle cabral and she is just i mean you are such a little firecracker super cute entrepreneur tv personality a housewife as well and you are just doing bad bitch moves i love that welcome to the bill pod thank you you too girl listen i don't take on podcasts like you know i have to do my like research your due diligence my due diligence i pass the top i'm here i drove 45 minutes into the city to come got my makeup done all right looking like a true bilf over here yes yes i cannot with you so but you didn't start on the housewives right that's not where you're like reality it started on mtv true life right so let's talk about that how like where did this come did you always know you'd be a star always when i was a kid i have video of like being two and my mom's like what do you want to be movie star and i did the whole thing i went to cali and you realize that so many people want to be in this industry what sets you apart like what you know am i going to be martin scorsese and become a academy award-winning actress maybe but i'll have a better a chance being a reality star.

1:52And True Life happened. They were filming in my town. And I was like, let me just go talk about it. And they wound up casting me for the show. That's incredible. That is so, I mean, so there you start. You're on True Life. How many seasons did you do there? It's one episode. So the series follows different stories. Oh, wait, I know. That's the True Life of what? But what was it? Yes, I have a Jersey Shore house. I have a Tourette's syndrome. Mine was I'm a Staten Island girl. This was before Jersey Shore. This is before the world knew about us. I know True Life, yeah. Mob-wise, yeah. So they were just like, who are these people?

2:26And where did they come from? Because we're just our own entity, I guess, Staten Islanders. That's so crazy. My girlfriend is from Staten Island. I remember going there. They would say, like, it's the garbage dump. Is that what it's like? Yeah, well, we have the dump, yes. Okay, so what did you showcase on the True Life? What were you showing? I want to get rid of my accent. I want to be an actress and get rid of my accent, which in hindsight was the reason why I got my career. So how do you, I have a question for you. How do you say W-A-T-E-R? Water. What? Water. Water. Water. Where are you from?

2:56Florida. Oh, well, yeah. So it's water. Water. Okay, water. There you go. I love, I'm just kidding. I love it. I love it. So there, okay, so there you start there. How many years ago did you do The True Life? Oh my God, I was 20. I had a drink in a red cup because I was underage. So that was 2000, I want to say six. then someone wanted to give me a show so I moved to California did that whole thing met my husband in Vegas and I gave up that life for a minute just to try to have a normal life with my husband because I was like I'm gonna be chasing this dream I could be working in a restaurant till I'm 60 or I have a beautiful man let me go have a real life and then um so you lived in Vegas for a little no I was where I was working the rehab party do you remember that party I was selling tables at the rehab party that is how long were you doing that five minutes five minutes and i sucked at it and that was that i met my husband at the rehab party in vegas so that was done and um then we filmed a home show so i had an eight episode series with me and my husband buying our house and flipping it into what it is now um that was hgtv that was it was 10 years ago Wow.

4:08Yeah and then we did a cooking show. I did a bunch of stuff. Keep going. I did not. Yeah I did a I did a bunch of TV things. Then COVID happened and social media hit. Yeah. And I was like oh I could just talk in the camera and from that I got a call to audition for Housewives. Okay. And when I got the call it was like hey I got the show for you. You'd be great. I'm like I'm not doing a freaking game show I'm not doing another game show and when she said housewives I was like yeah okay no and I don't know so okay you go on how did you know the other women um I knew Teresa we've done some business with my company bougie kids but I didn't know the other women like personally so you go on the show and was it immediate fit like I feel like you have to go on and like it has to like mesh you would think nothing in reality meshes at all I thought I I was going to go on and be like, hey, everybody, I'm Danielle.

5:05Nice to meet you. We're going to have the best time. No. And did not go down like that. I know. I saw you cut up. I saw you literally get up and curse somebody out. That was the second season. I had to put in the whole first year of craziness. So what was your experience like on your first season? You come in. You're the new girl. Were they nice to you? No. Not really. You probably said, well, I said, this hot bitch. Oh, my God. No. You would think. But no. it was a big lesson learned because I come from I think a world where it's like girl do you soar kind of like what this whole podcast is about like I want to see you shine right and I didn't I didn't realize that going on that show was I'm gonna find everything wrong with you this is real shit like it's not scripted no it is real it is 1000 % well when I say real my reactions to things and what I experienced was authentic and real some of the stuff that was brought up and talked about was fake right but they like dug it up like somebody dug it up to like no made it up made it up just made it up for ratings or like this was like just their own storyline made it up for their own rise of some sort but here's the beauty of that they all fall in the end yes the truth always comes out of course right but going through it is very difficult and in our world today you say something i say something on this podcast about you it's out there yes you can't take it back even if you're like did you help that's not true it's out there it's out there it doesn't really matter yep so how'd you combat the lies I let God handle it to be honest with you did you you didn't say anything back you didn't retaliate oh yeah well hold on here you have to tell me I did I retaliate yes okay don't kill me don't hate me no I don't even know who anybody is I like those conversations yeah I had things twice when you said mark Martin Corsese I was like wait what okay I know all all right i do know but i have that's martin scorsese i know who he is i'm just saying like that's like my level like i just you know i'm working all the time but anyways i do know so god let's go tell me tell me tell me so yes i in the moment when someone is saying something to me there is no filter like like housewives you have to be like oh really you don't like me oh well too bad because you're poor and i don't come from a place like that i'm like Like, what'd you say?

7:25You're about to fucking take them. Yes. That's where I come from. The earrings come off. Everything. I don't give you a chance to even get one licking. But I can't do that. So how'd you hold back? I did that. So they're talking shit about you. Now I can't do that anymore. You did. You got up and you got, you were like. Well, it was self-defense. She came at me first. I got to hear. You have to tell me a story. She, one of the women on that show were saying something about me that wasn't true. And I was just like, what? And we were in each other's faces. and I was like, you're dirty. I see you.

7:56And she pushed me. You know the saying when someone yolks you? Yeah, yeah. It's a New York saying. You yolk. She pushed me so hard. And that really was a gift because when you push me first, that gives me a reason. Oh, yeah, that's the way you're taught. Now I'm not hitting first. I'm getting, you know, in trouble. You don't start the fight. You finish the fight. So it was a reaction. I reacted. I have to see this. I'm going to go look. Honest to God, if you don't watch The Housewives, that's the one scene in all of the years that I would watch. I'm going to go watch it. It's pretty good. It's pretty good.

8:23So now you have this scene. Now, did you, whoever this was with, did you make up with? No. Still not. Oh, God, no. And let me tell you something. Ooh, God handled that broad like you would not believe. Oh, my God. Lights out. Career done. So no way. This is like, and I saw, I did see the finale. I was, my girlfriend made me watch it. That you guys, or not, I wanted to watch it. But you guys go to like the steakhouse. Yes. And you guys are in two separate rooms. Yeah. Oh, that was the reunion. The reunion. We couldn't even have a reunion. We had a reunion. Like, if they were here right now, whoever it is, you just couldn't be in the same room.

8:57I could have. But they didn't want us to be in the same room. I had no problem. I would think they'd want it just for ratings. You would think, but it was so bad. It was so bad. It was that bad for you? It was really bad. Yeah, and I mean, look, the one thing I want you to highlight is, like, people do think it is, like, completely scripted. It's not real. Like, you walk away from there, and you guys are all good friends. but it's not like no I suffered for a really long time until the show aired until the truth came out and the show aired so why'd you want to do a season two that was season two okay so are you gonna do another one I think the ties are changing and I I really hope to God we bring some other dynamic women on the show that we can have fun and not want to come for each other jugular like not ruin my name my brand my kids lives you know like it's a television show at the end of the day.

9:47How do you keep your kids separate? How old are your kids? My son's 10, my daughter's seven, and they know all about her, and they know what kind of piece of shit she is, and I don't How do you keep it separate, though? Like, as far as, do they, like, see each other in town, or? No, we're not in the same town. No, okay. They all live about 45 minutes away from me. So what about the kids at school? Do they ever say anything to your kids? It's cool right now at their age. Yeah, you're right. They're not teenagers. Oh, your mom's about it, bitch. Yes. Oh, yeah. So it's, your mom's on TV. You know, it's cool for them.

10:16I know it will change, but hopefully when it does, they'll be in it a few years to know. Yeah, I could just see my daughter being like, oh, you're such an embarrassment. Yes. What are you doing? Nobody even does that. You're so crazy. I could just hear it. But yeah, you're right. They go to school. They're probably like, yeah. And we get things. Like, we get to go in the front of the lines at amusement parks because the parks invite us. People send makeup for my seven-year-old daughter. She loves that. I love that for her. is perks to being on tv yeah but i'm sure there's a downside is there ever but i feel like just from your aura and your energy like you're super confident but i'm sure there's times where people say something to you and you're like what the fuck yeah like does it hurt or you're just like whatever no you're human it does hurt what hurts the most is not about like what it said about me but it's that people could say these things not even know you yeah so they just kind of form their own opinion they formulate this whole like whatever this whole narrative that they've created right and then they publish then they publish this do they harass you like margot was telling me some lady like like hits her up all the time like messenger and tells her about herself daily do you have people like this yeah you yeah you gotta block and move on but it's the mean things the mean comments body shaming and that stuff that really from other women i'm sure too which is even worse oh they're the worst women god worshipers teachers i just put a teacher on blast because she made fun of my husband's body and one made fun of my children's ears wait what yeah a teacher a teacher oh i hope you i got in touch with her uh whole school district i don't play no that's wrong i do not play you have the balls to do that so do i oh get it girl and i got a lot of you already i love hey yes tell them girl tell them what happens when you have a big platform all you should be out there yeah oh i you're just like me when it comes to my kids like don't fuck with my kids are you that mom yes oh my god a thousand percent oh i'm the mom that'll meet you on the playground.

12:06I know. I always go, what's the mother's name? That is my catchphrase. Who's the mother? I cannot. Oh my God. What's, tell me what your tagline is on the show. I know you guys all have like a tag, like you, what's your one? Yeah. The first one was, um, uh, Oh, what is it? I'd rather be bougie than basic. Ooh. Um, there was another line in front of that too. Um, the second one, Oh my God. I don't remember what the second one. Wow. That's so crazy. Do you get to make your own tagline? I tried to, but mine was physical and they wouldn't take it. But they make it for you. So if you can do it, so what would your tagline be right now?

12:42Oh, God. I don't even know. Don't mess with me because I'll cut your kneecaps off. I think that was my second one. And they're like, no, Danielle, this is not that kind of show. So see, I'm not allowed to do it anymore. So one thing about the housewives, like typically, and I said this to Marge too, and you think this, even just talking, that you think of like just a housewife that just kind of sits around and is like, oh. But you have a business. Yeah, that was the old days. I think that's changed a little bit. Yeah, you have a business. You're like a real bilf. Yes. So let's talk about your business a little bit.

13:12Obviously fashion. You're very fashion forward. You look beautiful. Wow. Gorge, gorge. You know no one says that about me. Why, I think you look great. Thank you. This is definitely something I would wear though. I appreciate that. You have to be in like dripping in thousands of dollars to be in my type of show or else you're like shit. No, hello, look at our, I mean, I like the boots. I don't give a shit that it's April. I don't care. I like the boots. My business. So Bougie Kids, I launched six years ago, seven years ago, way before Housewives. So I dressed my kids over the top and I started a little clothing business.

13:42At first I wasn't making the clothes. I was like a little Bloomingdale's for kids. And then I had opportunities from Housewives where I was able to manufacture the clothes. So I did a runway show in New York Fashion Week. And now I have a really great concept that I'm trying to get into the Targets and like the Marshalls that's my real goal I love that so everybody can shop there everybody yes and who doesn't love a good Marshalls run I don't care how much money I make I still love Marshalls those are my people that's my brand that's that's what I represent you know what I mean I'm not gonna go and be like oh Neiman Marcus$1 ,700 for a t-shirt no I love that's realistic well I mean listen the kids grow out of it I've definitely been that mom that used to buy her kid when she was little and Juicy was super cute I bought it.

14:27But then you realize the kids grow out of it in three months and then once. So you have like a very affordable but like trendy line for kids. Yes. And that's the goal. But it is not a multi-million dollar business. It is something that I work at every single day. And I am literally on LinkedIn every day looking for the names of the people to email. So it's not an overnight success when you do like a big television show. And regardless that you have a huge platform, you're still putting in the work. 100%. It never stops. Nope. It never stops. I think that's a strong misconception too. They're probably like, oh, you have this, you know, you're so lucky in life.

14:59You have this great platform and you don't have to work. It's just handed to you. But that's not the truth. Some of them do. Trust me. We did BravoCon. It was a big expo for all the Bravo celebrities. Yes, I've heard of BravoCon. And I had a booth. And me and my husband were the only two talent, like setting up our booths and actually going seven hours before the event in sweats. No shame. Nobody else. Actually, Brock and Sheena from Vanderpump Rules, I saw that too. But it makes you humble and you don't forget. Like I feel, tell me if you feel like this. I feel like no matter how much money I've made, I'm still that down south, like shake your booty, eat Taco Bell.

15:34Like that's never going to change. You have to remain humble. Because you worked for it. No one gave it to you. So you remember the hustle. Thank you. That's what it is. It's all about the hustle. It's your inner hustle. And then you're always scared that you can go back to it and you don't want that. Well, I had to take medication because of that, because that's a bad struggle. Once you start making money and then you see it leave the bank account, you freak out. I know this. I know this very well. You know that feeling? Oh, I know it very well. Yeah. Way too well. Like, as soon as you see it going down, then you're like, what?

16:00When is, all right, let's go. Hustle. Who am I calling? Where am I going? What deal am I breaking right now? It's bad. It is bad. You want to fight or flight. So how'd you, like, what'd you do? What are some advice? Because it's funny that you say that, because I know exactly what that feels like. Like you're looking at the numbers and you're like, oh shit, I made money. And then all of a sudden you see it dropping because people think when you're up, you stay up. That's not true. If you could stay up, great. But you have to go down a little bit. So what do you do? When you're in my line of work, I don't have a set paycheck that comes every week.

16:30My husband, he's corporate. Well, not corporate, but he gets his paycheck. You just have to deal with the feelings, give yourself 24 hours, get up and move on and figure out how to make the next dollar. That's the truth. And it really, I think it eats my insides alive, but it also gives me a fire that I don't think a lot of people that don't understand that have. Yes. You know? And I'm always going to make money. One way or another, I'll always find a way. Speak it. Just manifest it, right? Yes. Manifest it. I'm big on manifesting. Me too. I like to manifest what's going to happen next. I get worried.

17:00Like, don't misconstrue it. I get worried. I definitely have doubt, self-doubt, but I bet on myself every single time. Yep. And I know if everything was taken away tomorrow, I'd be okay. Yes. I would land on my two feet. I'd be okay. Yes, and that's the feeling you have to go back on when you're feeling like you're going to jump out of a window. Yeah. Is that we won't fail, you know? Might die getting there, but we won't fail. Oh, yeah. We're going to look good getting there, too. That's important, too. We're going to look good. Yes. Might fail. Maybe, but no, we're not falling. We're not falling completely flat.

17:29No. Might stumble a little bit, but we're not failing. I agree with that. Yeah. I love that. I love your energy. Are you always like this? I try to be. For your kids? Because your kids are watching. Yeah. Oh, yeah, 100%. Do you think it's important to stay like this and stay like upbeat and keep going and very entrepreneurial because your kids are watching? Yes. And do good. We do a lot of good things like charity, give back, events. Can we talk about that for a second, how important that is? It is. It is. I know a quote that says, you know, who much is given, much is expected and required. And I believe in that.

18:00I believe in giving back and any opportunity that I can give back. And it doesn't necessarily have to be with money. If you don't have money, you can give back time. Yes. You know, you can give back an ear, just a lending ear, a shoulder to cry on. But I think it's so important. And a lot of people do not believe in this concept. No. They just want to take and take and take. Yes. And I think when you're on a show like The Housewives, people automatically assume like, oh, just write me a check. I can't just write a check. I'm not. I'm a new housewife. You know, I'm getting there. But like, I sometimes throw full blown events.

18:31And that's so much more work than writing a check. Yes. You know, like the little events that raise a couple of thousand dollars for someone to get medical treatment sometimes speaks louder than you would think, like writing a big check. But that's the kind of work that I like to do. I think it's easy to write a check. So easy to write a check. I've done it. I've written checks. But it's more meaningful. And it goes a lot farther. And we have children. And it's important for our children to see that giving back is a very big part of what you should be doing. Yep. And without giving back, then what are you doing?

19:01Right. You know, what are you doing? Right. So you have a daughter. And a son. And a son. But let's talk, because I have a daughter. I have a 17-year-old. Let's talk a little bit about our daughters. Ugh. Is your daughter like you? Oh, she's like me in a 70-year-old body. My daughter, too. No, I love it. I love, she's 17. My daughter's 17. Okay, so you're alive and breathing, so you made it through. I made it. I made it. I'm just starting. Oh, girl. I'm just going to say a prayer for you right now. I know. But it gets better. Are you close with your mom? Yeah. That's what'll happen. Yeah, but my daughter is, whoo, she's going to take, she's going to either change the world or be a leader of a gang chain.

19:37Oh my God. I don't know. I can't. I don't know. She's watching her mom. And I'm telling you, it'll come, it'll, it'll definitely come back around. And you'll see, she's going to thrive. I know that. She's just going to kill me in the process. More kids or no more kids? Hell, what? You see my legs right now, how they're like this? I'm like this every day in my house. I go, get away. I got a chastity belt on with a lock. Oh my God, I cannot. Don't even come near me. Yeah, no more kids for me either. Hell no. I'm too old. I'm not having any more kids. Look, how long does it take you to get your body to look like that?

20:04Stop. A long time. I'm not doing it. I'm too vain. Do you know how much money it took me to get here? I know how to do it. Oh, girl, me too. Yeah, me too. Nuh-uh. Move on. Next question. No, all right. Next question. How do you decide which opportunities align with your long-term vision and which ones do you turn down? Because you said you don't do every podcast. That's a really good question. So what are you doing that, like, you have to when you're building a brand. You can't do everything. Right. Anything that will pigeonhole me into being a housewife forever, I do not do. Interesting. Something that I love to create.

20:34I want to be an executive producer on shows and not necessarily star in them. I want to be the person making them. So I don't always want to do the things that put me in front of the camera. I want to do meaningful things. Great TV. Win Emmys one day. And maybe an Academy Award. Be on Broadway. Like I want to do these really exceptional things that I took a reality job to now when I knock on the door, they're like oh Danielle instead of who are you I love it so you're using it to elevate your platform thousand percent yeah you don't want to be known as that which is interesting so you don't want to be known as Danielle the housewife no no you don't no I don't so what about the women are you close with the women there like are there some that you're really close with yeah actually some of them are like your real actual friends that you hang out with yeah I was just with Margaret like last week.

21:25The second season I was on really opened my eyes to who these women were in real life and not just in front of the camera. And I'm at such a great place with a lot of them now. And we really champion each other. I have one that's on the show that's been on the show for a long time, just launched a business, made half a million dollars in like five months. And I'm like, you know, I'm always the person that's like, yes, now teach me everything you know. Instead of like, ugh, why her? Like, I want to learn from you, girl. Yeah, of course. Why the hell would you ever do that to somebody? If somebody's successful, what do you want to do?

22:00You want to emulate who's doing it. Yes. Why would you want to? Because people are jealous. They don't know how to get there. And they want to, you know the maloica? In Italian, we call them maloica. It's the evil eye. Of course I know what it is. So that's why I wear red everywhere. Oh, I have the evil eye. I have really big, like the tramp stamp. It was cool. Don't judge. I have a butterfly. But I have a huge tramp stamp back here of the evil eye. It looks like a pineapple. You know what? I could probably change my butterfly into an evil eye there you go I got tramp stamp too yeah mine is I just need to redo my got a whole tramp thing going on listen I thought it was cool then but it's not that cool now now it's just oh now it's it's not a good situation it just looks really bizarre so okay you are positive you have a lot of energy okay and I know I just know because I'm a mom too and I'm a hustler that every day is not always a good day so for me like my mantra is like, bitch, you got this.

22:49Like there are times when I'm literally looking in the mirror, I'm like, oh, bitch, what's your mantra? My mantra, so I have very dark days, a lot. But like I said, I give myself one day or two days tops to go through it. Grace. Yeah, and then get right back up and hustle. There's no other way. There's no other option for me. There's no other option of failure. And everything in my life has happened for a reason. So I have to trust that process. That's a hard trust. if you're controlling that's very hard it's something that I've learned that you have it's it look I'm trying to take my own advice on it I tell people the same thing everything in life happens for a reason yeah everything the and it sounds so hokey but the uniform the universe works in a very mysterious way and it's all about timing and the people that you meet and this is something when I close out my sales meetings I say this it's you are in this very room at this very moment at this very time with these very people and I say it all the time because I believe it.

23:44Nothing in life is a coincidence. It happens because it's supposed to happen that way. It's just what are you going to take from it? Exactly. And everything that has happened, I take and I fucking run with it to some other place, to doing something else. And I make other things happen. And then you look back and you're like, thank God that happened. Right? At first you're like, oh shit. And then you look back and you're like now, or now it makes sense why that happened. Yes. What's the biggest lesson you've learned from being on The Housewives? Not everybody deserves all of you. I've learned that the hard way.

24:22Because I'm always like giving you all of me in the beginning. And then people have hurt me really badly. And I'm like, oh, why did I give them that chance to know me like that? Or why did I do right by them? and it's sometimes you have to separate your business deals yeah from being like buddy buddy with everybody because not everybody wants you to win no they don't they don't so when is it time like where do you do where do you just kind of draw the line i i feel i feel it out now i know the feeling now like when is enough enough i should ask like when is it like you're finally like fuck it like i'm done well i also i um i say no to a lot of things now that don't serve me If it doesn't serve me and I'm not going to grow from it or not benefit and I'm doing something just to like grow somewhat.

25:13Like I'm like, no, you know, my time taking my daughter to soccer is a little bit more important for me now. You know, and I can say things like that. Yeah. But I also feel people's energy. I can feel them now. And I'm not so naive. Oh, yeah. I don't need people. I will help you. But like I don't need you anymore. Yeah. I agree with that. I don't think that you need people in life. You want them there. That's a big difference. When you don't feel codependent on people, like my success is not dependent on anyone else but me. And a lot of times with women, we are dependent on a man or whatever. But the way that I was brought up, I was brought up by a single mom, is that the one thing she instilled in me is you don't rely on anybody but yourself to get you where you need to go.

25:53Because nothing in life is promised to you. 100%. And that's what I, I mean, I live my life like that. If you're in my life, it's because I want you there. Now, I wasn't always like this. Right. Same. This is very new. This is, somebody once asked me, they said to me, the amount of times that you've been fucked over, and oh, girl, I've been fucked over, like, really bad. How do you keep going? Like, how do you keep, you know, so, like, getting involved with people, and I'm in a people-oriented business. And my answer to that is that the amount of times that the good has outweighed the bad just makes it worth it.

26:21Yeah. It's just knowing when to, like, cut it when it's not good. Yeah. You know? And that's exactly how I look at being on a show like this, where you go online and people say these things about you. And then in real life, they're like, you're awesome. You helped me with blah, blah, blah. And in those moments, you're like, okay, this is why I'm doing it. This is the good. You know, the good definitely outweighs the bad. Do you think the, I'm not going to say, it's not a character because it's you, but the person that is portrayed on The Housewife, is that how you really are day to day? Thousand percent.

26:54Thousand, all the time. I have, there is no bad edit. I will say that right now. Anybody that says a bad edit, no, you're just a bad person. And that's who I am through and through. No matter what. And that's a hard look. That's hard to remain humble and authentic. So the separation, so you're just the same person. And you don't need to kind of turn it on and turn it off because you're just authentic. I'm very good at reality TV being reality and just being myself. So what's next for you? Now you have this reality TV genre under your belt. You see how I smile when you say what's next? I'm like, what's next?

27:28Let's talk about it. Can you give me like a little clue? Like, give me just a little bit. Yeah, there's a lot. There's like, like, it's like this right now. Getting all together. All the stuff. Yeah, peaking with the businesses, bougie kids. I do really amazing events. Just a lot of great stuff. My daughter's really great in acting. Like, she's the meal ticket. Like, just there's a lot of great things going on in my family that I'm proud of. Yeah.