Top Ten Things I Learned about Business Success from Binging on Real Housewives

by Traci Tyne Hilton

When I have a hard time getting words on the page, I don’t make the wisest decisions. That said, I’ve watched a lot of the Real Housewives of Everywhere this summer. And you know what? I’ve learned an awful lot about how to succeed in business!

10. Don’t be afraid to look foolish. The Real Housewives don’t seem to mind, and every time you turn around one of them has a new book deal! That might be a bad example. But what if some of the great, ground breaking CBA authors hadn’t been willing to create a new genre of fiction that honored God? Don’t let fear keep you from new opportunities.

9. Take risks. But don’t gamble or cheat. The Real Housewives, in general, are multi-millionaires, but man, some of them are facing fraud charges, and many of them have lawsuits against their businesses. Stick to the straight and narrow, which I know you want to do anyway.

8. Support from your spouse makes all the difference. The women who have husbands that adore and admire them have a sweetness of spirit missing in the women who have a contemptuous spouse. If your business is causing tension in your relationship, work on your relationship first.

7. EVERYTHING is great conflict potential. Really. Those women can make a life or death fight out of a family recipe or a pair of shoes. As a writer, this is great news!

6. Take advice with a grain of salt. When you gather six or seven rich housewives in one place you get about ten thousand opinions, but they aren’t all going to work for you. Face all of your decisions with a lot of prayer.

5. Do what God designed you to do. The Housewives may have their fingers in a lot of pots, but they do focus on the things that are the most fun for them. Do that with your writing, too.

4. Invest in your relationships. Those Housewives network like it is going out of style. We’re blessed here with the ACFW and if you need help with something, there is an expert on the loop who can help you!

3. Work hard! It may seem like the Housewives spend all of their time throwing elaborate parties and going on exotic vacations-but they are getting paid for it! And when they aren’t doing something fabulous on television they are working. Designing shoes, running Basketball teams, opening stores, selling million dollar properties, writing tell-all books, writing cookbooks, writing novels. Producing albums. Running restaurants. You know what you never see them doing? Watching Real Housewives.

2. Keep your cool. Conflict happens, but the person who loses their cool loses the fight. Conflict will happen in your life, and it may come up in your writing life. But keep your cool. Pray hard, and speak soft. You aren’t a Real Housewife so your ratings won’t go up with a big fight.

1. Originality wins. The person with the idea makes the most money. Not the housewives. The Producers. So be your own producer. I don’t mean “indie publish.” (Well…yes I do. But whatever.) I mean be the first one to write the thing you have always wanted to write. Don’t wait for someone else to create the opening for you!

I’m not saying binging on Real Housewives was worth it in the end because of the lessons I learned from it, but all things work to the good, right?

Traci Tyne Hilton writes cozy mysteries. She won the Mystery/Suspense category for the 2012 Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, and has a Drammy from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. Traci serves as the Vice President of the Vancouver Portland ACFW chapter. Traci blogs at http://www.tracihilton.com.