Bethenny Frankel Is Redefining The Intersection Of Influencing, Investing And Entrepreneurship

Forbes

3 hours ago

Entrepreneur, investor, tastemaker and influencer, Bethenny Frankel.
Bethenny Frankel never set out to become a social media star but her opinionated thoughts on everything from chicken salad to drones and Chanel bags amassed her close to 10 million followers. From building Skinnygirl into a multi-million-dollar brand to mastering equity investing, real estate, and affiliate deals that generate six figures a month, Bethenny Frankel is one of this generation's most influential business moguls. Since unexpectedly becoming a TikTok beauty and lifestyle influencer in 2022, Frankel has nearly doubled her annual growth year over year through affiliate and brand deals. Her secret sauce? Being unapologetically herself and 'the people' can't get enough.
Frankel's first rise to fame came from being an original cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City, which led the way for her to become a real estate and business mogul. Her itch to join TikTok was purely out of curiosity. Even though she was told she was 'too old' to be on TikTok, she persisted anyway, and it paid off- literally. 'I was very bad at social media and always wanted to sort of just have some relationship with it where I could post something that I thought would be decent on Instagram. It just always was uninspired, and it was like checking the box. But I knew I wasn't good at it. I even hired people to help me, but I now realize it's 98% on me from a creative, and it's a lot of pressure because no one else can fill in for the job. I had a person working with me who I asked if I wanted to be on social media, and I said, 'I want to be on TikTok, how do I get into TickTock?' And they said it's for 8 to 11-year-olds. It wouldn't be good for you,' shared Frankel. 'I didn't understand what it was. And I didn't even know when it started going viral, what going viral was. So I was very ignorant, and it's a whole different ball game from being on TV and having traditional press and media.'
Frankel's new merch line consisting of sweatshirts, hats, and tote bags with Frankel's infamous ... More phrases (AKA bethenny-isms) like 'davoon', 'you're welcome', and 'Lord's work'.
Frankel compares social media to a parasocial reality TV show, calling it direct-to-consumer content, being able to have control over how and what she says in her own way has led her to have her viewers glued to their screens waiting for her next post. She has now turned her social media channels into a multi-million dollar revenue stream. Fans trust her unfiltered opinions, and brands see direct sales impact. Recognized as one of Forbes' Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, her candid and humorous social media reviews create instant consumer demand and have made her a go-to voice in the industry, leading to partnerships with L'Oreal, Ulta, Uber, Verizon, Laura Geller and more. In 2024, her total revenue from brand partnerships was $7 million and $3.5 million in just Q1 of 2025, up 125% YoY from 2024's Q1. That doesn't include her affiliate earnings. Frankel's transparent and candid reviews on her purchases high and low had her viewers begging for links. Her average order volume on ShopMy is over $400K per month. That puts her very solidly among the top volume drivers on a platform of 150,000+ creators. She has also grown her Amazon Affiliate business into a multi-million dollar revenue stream. Her affiliate platforms combined are growing at a CAGR of 479.89%.
'I think my high conversion rate boils down to authenticity and heart – I don't have to do any of this, but I do it because I genuinely love the community we've built and always speak straight from the heart. My followers know I only stay invested in things that resonate and work for me (I even walked away from reality TV at its peak when it stopped serving me), so they trust that every recommendation is based on genuine enthusiasm and honesty,' she explained. 'Brands and CEOs ask me all the time what my strategy is, but honestly, my strategy is simply being unapologetically myself. I lean into my hyperfixations – whether that's uncovering a genius product dupe or discovering the world's weirdest snack – and share my unfiltered thoughts because I genuinely care about how people spend their hard‑earned money. In a world that can feel overwhelmingly serious, I offer pure info‑tainment. My strategy works because everyone wins. The brand wins because whether it's a good or bad review, they get honest feedback they can act on – sell more or make it better. The customer wins because they dodge buyer's remorse, finding only products, treats, or treatments that actually deliver. And I win because what started as a passion project has morphed into an accidental business that I can't ignore.'
Bethenny Frankel, is co-owner of Mingle Mocktails.
In May, Frankel launched The List, a shopping destination on Bethenny.com where all of her current obsessions live and merch consisting of sweatshirts, hats, and tote bags with Frankel's infamous phrases (AKA bethenny-isms) like 'davoon', 'you're welcome', and 'Lord's work'. This new platform has given her a unique edge sitting at the intersection of being an influencer, content creator, entrepreneur, investor and tastemaker. Brands and CEO's are now giving equity to Frankel to have her expertise guide their growth, 'I have the institutional knowledge from business, marketing, licensing, running brands and now social media. So it's pretty much a lethal combination- it has become a mobile shark tank. It's defined how I invest because no one that I've met has such a specific and broad CPG experience and institutional knowledge that I have. From travel to real estate to home, dining, food and beverage, beauty, tech and home appliances, to closets, organization, and anything we touch, I see it all. It's turned into a big equity VC model that was completely accidental. It started out with Cameo which they initially just wanted me to be on, but I said I wasn't going to be on it unless I owned a piece of it. That turned out to be a very big exit.'
"Supermodel" sweatshirt from Frankel's merch line.
Currently, Frankel is an investor in Point.me, ShopMy, BAFC, Bezel, Cumulus Coffee and HOO.BE. She co-owns Mingle Mocktails, owns Forever Young Wines and under Skinnygirl she is licensing shapewear, salad dressings and popcorn. Her advice to all founders- you need to be on social media. 'You have to find a way to connect and communicate with this audience because people want to be spoken to, people want to be connected to, people want to be entertained by and people want to have a relationship with you. And people will no longer be talked down to. They will no longer look up to celebrities, they no longer look up to perfection. They want to connect and have a human connection,' she added.
Most recently, Frankel graced the Sports Illustrated Swim Week runway re-defining beauty standards for women over 50. Frankel is close to 30 years older than most of the models that walked the show. "Walking the Sports Illustrated Swim Week show changed the way I see women, bodies, and empowerment. In a very brief period, I witnessed women of all ages, races, and sizes genuinely and unapologetically love their bodies -- inside and out. I also had the unprecedented experience of complete strangers going out of their way not just to make me feel comfortable, but set me up to win,' Frankel shared. 'It showed me that if I surround my daughter with the right values and the right community, she can grow up loving herself and feeling confident from the inside out -- just like these incredible women so beautifully demonstrated."
Bethenny Frankel walked her first Sports Illustrated Swim Week runway show at 54 years old.
In between all of the press and social media attention for her participation in the show she went from 2.8 - 3.1 Million followers in five days continuing to prove how her unwavering confidence translates with people of all ages. Millions of people have even attributed the cottage cheese shortage to her 'supermodel diet' that she shared to get ready for the show.
Frankel has no plans for slowing down and is just getting started. 'I'm getting laser-focused on going deeper, not wider, when it comes to my equity and licensing deals. What started as a side hustle has evolved into a serious business, and I'm being incredibly intentional about the partnerships I take on. I want long-term value and alignment, not just noise,' she added. 'A major focus moving forward is my marketplace, The List – a curated destination for all my must-have items. It's not just about shopping; it's a service I created for 'the people', and I genuinely love doing it for them,' she shared. 'This parasocial relationship has turned into something deeply personal. I know names, details, stories. As a homebody and introvert who plays a very social person online, this audience has given me more than I ever expected. I love talking to them, laughing with them, entertaining them, sharing my real opinions, my flaws, advice, reviews – everything. Somehow, my followers got this historical gatekeeper to open the floodgates. Now I tell them everything. They're the reason I show up. They're spectacular. Gimme 14 of 'em right now. (They'll know what that means.)'