IFH 793: Comedy, Confidence, and the Art of Reinvention with Rhonda Shear

Alex Ferrari 0:07
Enjoy today's episode with guest host Dave Bullis.

And I don't like to play favorites, but this is actually one of my favorite episodes because I grew up watching USA up all night all the time. I remember when this was on, I found so many movies because USA up all night. And my guest this week was a host of USA up all night from 1991 to 1998 she's acting in TV shows like Happy Days, married with children, duck man, just to name a few. In 2001 she launched, launched her own woman's intimate line, and she has the number one selling bra in the world, and her new book up all night, from Hollywood bombshell to Andre mogul, life lessons from an accident dental feminist is out on October the third, 2017 so that'd be next month. In this episode, we chat a lot about movies, finding the courage to follow your dreams, preventing yourself at any age, it's just tons more again, one of my favorite episodes with guests Rhonda Shear.

Rhonda Shear 2:49
Happy to speak to. Heard nothing but amazing things about you. So thanks for having me on.

Dave Bullis 2:54
Oh, thank you, Ron. I really appreciate that. And you know, I really wanted to have you on to because I grew up watching up all night, or USA is up all night, and I

Rhonda Shear 3:03
Wait, let me do it. Dave day, wait, wait. USA, Up all night. I know I have to do that.

Dave Bullis 3:14
I remember that all the time. I mean, sometimes I wouldn't even remember the movies, but I remember, I remember that because, you know, I remember to finding a lot of movies I never heard of before from, from that intro. And I remember, I just remember that intro, the first time I ever saw it was, you, you doing that. And I remember, like it was so great, because it's so it's so catchy, because, you know what, I mean, it gets so

Rhonda Shear 3:35
Absolutely, and it's so funny that you say that. Because, you know, when I first, you know, there was another gal before me that hosted up all night with Gilbert on I was always on Friday, and Gilbert Gotti was on Saturday. And I'm blanking on her name right now, but anyway, you might be able to think Carolyn Caroline, Caroline Caroline. And so she was there about a year and a half before I got there. And I know people really loved her, and I thought she was actually very good. But, you know, it was USA Network that wanted to replace her for whatever reason. And I think they were going a little bit, they thought it being a little bit sexier. They wanted to kind of go for it. So I did. But I always thought, when I got it, I always thought, you know, you have to come up with kind of a catch phrase. And because, years ago, I'm from New Orleans. And when I was in New Orleans, I used to do this commercial for it was an all female, you know, like class, like pre, you know, all the gyms that were mixed, they used to have, like, men gym, female gyms. I was called a shape spa for all women. And I used to, and the catchphrase was, let's get in shape. So that was kind of like my thing. I'm going to do it all through my teens and then my 20s. In my 20s. And so it always caught. And wherever I would go in New Orleans, everybody shape spot girl. So anyway, that kind of brought me back to that. And so I said, I have to come up with some way of saying, show that kind of catches. And so hence that, that's how that was born. And and, of course. It was the little bit of a ditzier character. But if you really listened to the character, you know, it was fun and smart comedy. But if you would just, I guess, channel surfing, you would just see a lot of blonde hair, a lot of cleavers and up all night. But anyway, it was good. It was a good run almost, almost eight years. So kind of cool to have that long line on the show, on any show, on today.

Dave Bullis 5:25
Yeah. I mean, that's absolutely amazing, because I actually looked it up, because I didn't even know the total number of episodes off the top of my head. I mean, there's like 900 episodes of up all night. And, I mean, right, you did it for like, eight years. I mean, that's an insane number of episodes.

Rhonda Shear 5:39
It really is. Well, you know what it is? It's because we taped every week, as opposed to, like, you know, most episodic shows, or, like, 22 a season. But we were, we were on every week, so we either tape every week and then the show moved to New York for a while. I didn't move to New York, but we would go to New York and take four or five, you know, bank them, and then they would air. So it was really cool to have that much fun. And I had, unfortunately or fortunately, I guess they kept changing producers and directors on me. I don't know what they wanted, but actually, in looking back, I'm so friendly with all these people, and each one brought something else to the table. Well, of course, in the very early years, it was really sexy and sassy and a little lingerie. And for a couple of years, and then it kind of changed, and it became more interview style. And then when we got to New York, it really changed. But I think people remember the earlier years, but for me as a performer, they were all cool, because I really got to, you know, have a lot of saying what I want to do. So first, you watched the late, like, even the last year, we did a lot of, I did a lot of impressions of like, Lucille Ball and Cher and, like some of my I powered you a lot of my favorite ladies on television. So that was really cool. But yeah, that I did 450 episodes myself, and I think I'm the only one that has most. I mean, I have probably at least 400 might be missing a few, but I actually had them. You know, that was part of my contract that they had to give me a video tape of everything. So most of those have been down or uploaded, I should say, and then a lot of them are still on DVD. So eventually we'll get to them and put them all on YouTube. But I'm the only one that they literally USA Network dispose of them back then, because of the tape, just saving tape. Can you imagine how? What a shame. So I think I even the producer. Some of the producers have a few shows, but I have most of them. Of course, I don't have the movies. I used to have all the movies. What they would do. USA Network would send me the movie to watch. And you know, of course, then you know how much you know I do the do the wraparounds later on? I should have saved all those movies, although I wouldn't have had the rights to them myself. But people always say, you have this film, you have that. And back in the day, I did, but for my my own storage, I couldn't, you know, I we actually did two movies, or I hosted three movies every Friday night. So we, we hosted and wrapped around two and then the third one was just voiceover, but they would send me all the movies ahead of time, so I would have had a really great collection of B Films if I would have kept them all. But it's funny, it's a genre that is kind of coming back. Even a few years ago, I was asked to do a film, and everyone really misses that genre and the fact that it was kind of innocent, like everybody thought you would see more, see more skin or hear more language than than you really got. So it was kind of titillating without being nasty or what have you so anyway, interesting time. I'm glad I was part of it. And even being part of early basic cable, which was USA Network, was the first full out basic cable. So very cool time. I'm glad I was part of it, of course, and it led to, obviously, many other opportunities and wonderful things.

Dave Bullis 8:52
Yeah, I was going to say that there really is nothing like this on TV anymore, because this, you know, as I was saying earlier, introduced me to a lot of films that I wouldn't have seen otherwise, you know, because, again, you know, your character was great. It was, it was engaging. You actually enjoyed, you know, doing what you were doing. You know, again, I imagine watching all these movies, you know, you're probably, you know, you're getting a feel for these movies. You know, this was a comedy right on Elm Street. Obviously, that's, you know, more of a horror. But, you know, yeah, you but you know, it really is nothing like this.

Rhonda Shear 9:24
Believe me, I still get, I still have fans reach out to me and say, I really miss this. I mean, I grew up with this. Of course, I always can say I got a lot of boys, I think I did, but I have a lot of female fans in the show too, as well. But there isn't anything. I mean, of course, Elvira was, you know, she was syndicated, I know, Cassandra Peterson. And then they had Joe, Bob Briggs. And then they had, they had, I guess the later one was a dinner in the movie, which was, you know, a knockoff of us, in a way. But, um. They were all good in their own way. And then, I don't know of any, there might be some local people that do it. I mean, all of this burned from local people that did it back in the day. And you know, even though virus started off a local show on Channel Five in LA, and then that became syndicated. But now it's a shame, it's really, it's a sweet it looks it's really all about, I mean, what it was about then was making people tune in to the commercials and keeping them entertained with these films, so that, you know, USA would make money off the ads. Well, I don't think anybody realizes it, but that little show made a fortune for USA Network offseason, but the ads and that funded a lot of their early original programming, like LA fam Nikita and other shows like that. So we were like this little cable show that cost very little to produce that was making some big dollars, some big bucks for the network. So, good time. Good time to be in TV experiment. A little bit fun. I hosted the show from 91 to 98 everybody thinks it was in the 80s because I kept my hair big. But I didn't start till January of 91 and just had a great time with it, yeah.

Dave Bullis 11:21
And I remember some of those other USA shows too. By the way you met, you mentioned La Femme Nikita. And I remember, like, you remember duck man, that show.

Rhonda Shear 11:29
Duck man, yeah, I actually did a couple of episodes of it as Rhonda. I wasn't a dog coming up. That was Rhonda. And then I did, then we had all science. I was an episode of that. I was on the other show. I was almost at Nikita. Darn. I'm blanking on the other name of the show. I can't believe. I can't think of it. But then they started off, which really made them put before up all night. Was Night Flight, which is a lot of people still remember. I vaguely remember, but because it was before May, but that was their first kind of out there programming of, you know, interstitial, late night television. So it was a really cool network to be part of in the early days. And then they got into, I wish, I mean, from, I mean, I don't watch us as much. I just don't do much, a lot of television. But I always, I'm told that it was better back in the day. I think it was just, it was a little more raw and a little bit more experimental. And, you know, everything is so and everything so much more reality today than scripted, because we were a little bit of both. We had a little we had a little script, and then a lot of, like, flying by the seat of our pants, but it would take about 12 hours to film those. I mean, because I would fill anywhere between 30 minutes of time till to an hour, depending on how much was cut out of the film is, how much, you know, how, how short the films are. So I it just depended on the film. Sometimes I would have to fill a longer period. So people think that people thought that we were live, we were never live. And we taped in the day, usually, unless we were doing a night event or something, and we shot for hours. It was, it was a, I mean, it was definitely a lot more hard work than I think people thought. But I had a blast, and I had going people in my life and and that produced it and directed it. And a lot of people that were young people that started off and went on to do amazing things, like, like, one of the young producers, I think he produces bill now, so, I mean, they went on to do some pretty amazing things after that.

Dave Bullis 13:33
Yeah, and you mentioned one thing too Rhonda, which is about how TV is nowadays. And, you know, I wanted to get your take on this. You know, I think back in the in the 90s and the and even the 80s were, you know, a lot of these, like new TV shows, you know, were breaking ground, and they were something new, and they were fresh. My whole take on this, and something that I've noticed is that they let the hosts, like yourself, be themselves, and they really didn't say, say, hey, Rhonda, here's a 90 page script you have to memorize. They then, you know, would let you be yourselves. And I think as we get along to TV nowadays, it's more of, here's a script. Read it and don't, don't venture off this script. And I think it really makes a lot of shows to cookie cutter, because all the characters are talking the same. You know what I mean,

Rhonda Shear 14:22
Absolutely, and even in reality, which everybody thinks of reality, I can tell you this. I mean, some of my friends, I did a lot of talk shows and hosted and hosted on talk shows back in that era, and a lot of these young producers are now the people who are kicking butt in reality TV. So I was kind of, I did a lot of basically reality TV, but they were just segments that reality TV is not so real. I mean, yes, they don't necessarily have scripts at what that they memorize, but the producers really push you into situations, and they'll say, Oh, I'd like to see you and I. That guy and that girl, and I'd like to see this happen. So you're kind of pushed those, those reality shows aren't necessarily as real. So I mean, they and they kind of stir the pot to make, you know, tension happen. And I just because of that, it's kind of manufacturing its own. That's why a lot of reality shows all feel the same, because the same thing, they're pushing for fighting, or they're pushing for, you know, for stuff to happen. So it's not organic. And yeah, we had a really good time. I mean, even if we were scripted, and we had certain jokes that were scripted, I mean, Gilbert and I were really able to be ourselves, and it was really fun to experiment with that. And by the way, we had so many guests on both of us. McIlroy had all these great comedians in New York, and I had great comics, and I also had cheerleaders, and, you know, I had actors and actresses, stand up, comics, and just all kinds of people, singers and what, you know, from all walks of Williams. And that was fun. That kind of came into Rhonda world back then. So, yeah, I mean, and then we, we would shamelessly promote whatever, you know, if they had a movie out or a book out, we would promote them, and we had fun with it, and we were we would kid about how shameless we are, and we would do spoofs off of Letterman was big at the time and his list of 10. And so we would do our own list of craziness. And I had all kinds of fans. I had foot feathers, fans that love my feet and my shoes and all that we would cater to, you know, whoever would really write us and really pay attention, we would give them a shout out. And, no, you don't see that happening anymore when you really cater to fans, you know, we did. We took, we took the fan mail. Really, we have fan mail night. So I just read fan mail, and that was fun.

Dave Bullis 16:44
And you would, you would also, just because you were being yourself, and you know, it was also you were having fun, and you having fun with it, you know, because you could just go on, you know, be yourself. And like you said, you do have some scripted jokes, but they allowed you, you know, you were a character. And then, you know, well, that's why I think a lot of today. It's just, it's harder and harder. It's almost like they want to homogenize things in terms of, like, you know, I mean, you know how it is. So somebody probably looked at, you know, a sheet or something, and said, Well, hey, people really are responding to this on that show. So what if we, you know, what if we did this and, and that's what I think happens, happens today is you have people who've been looking at, like, so many numbers and stuff like that, that they just think, right? You know, hey, look, we have a formula we've made, and if we plug this right in, we're going to make hit after hit after hit. And I think that's what,

Rhonda Shear 17:30
100 100% right? It's more scientific today than it is organic. And that that was kind of sad, I agree, because I've, like, I've pitched TV shows, and in the beginning, I really, in the beginning. I mean, years ago, I wanted to do a reality show, because there was so much craziness in my life. You know, I manufacture and produce undergarments, which, of course, was a, you know, came out of wearing so many intimate apparel on up all night. But I, you know, I want, I thought it was such, such a funny business to be in. I mean, you know, you're actually talking panties and bars. And I pitched it. And you know, people, you know, they liked it, but they wanted it. They wanted they wanted to see my husband's my business partner, and they wanted to see us fighting and have him, you know, me being jealous of the models. And I said, that isn't happening. I mean, I'm not going to make up something that's not real. And, I mean, these producers, I had a father, successful, but he actually, he kept pushing. You know, what your husband's thinking, you're trying to make something happen that doesn't happen. I mean, we can look at beautiful girls and think they're beautiful, but that doesn't mean he left or wants you know that you're trying to make something happen. It's completely untrue. So that's what happens on those reality shows. I think it's kind of yucky, you know. So we didn't agree to go down that road at all. I mean, you know, that's a bad road to go down.

Dave Bullis 18:54
Oh, yeah. And, I mean, if that would cause you problems off camera as well, because, you know, right?

Rhonda Shear 19:00
Yeah. I mean, that's just bad. It's just bad. And then, besides that, it's not who I am. I'm not negative. That's not who I who I am as a person, and that's not how I talk to my customers. No, you know, I'm more of a positive, flirty, fun, you know, I kid about my husband, but I I don't believe in negative and nastiness. I mean, a lot of these people end up getting divorces and some bad stuff happening on these reality shows, but, and I do think it's the fault of the producers for pushing them down certain bad roads. So yeah, I don't need to do that. Yeah. Don't need any of that in my life. As one of the positives, there's enough negative that happens. You know that you don't want to happen. There's all these things in business or life, but you don't need to push that into your life, and that's what they want. They always want to have that kind of Ying and Yang and the fight and people fighting and arguing and pulling hair. And I'm like, not me,

Dave Bullis 19:52
Yeah, it's kind of like Jersey Shore. I think that that reality show, I think, ruined a lot of producers because, like, we need more of that. And it's like, you know, that was so manufactured. And you know now, it's like, oh, you know. And, or the Kardashians, that was another, I think, that just, you know, it was a, I think, again, like we were talking about formulas. And I think that that was too much of a lot of work. Producers could look at that and say, Hey, see, we could be that. Do that show, right? You know, look at what Kim can do from that show. It's like, well, yeah, it's that's not something most people really,

Rhonda Shear 20:35
All the housewife shows, you know that the fact that they keep me, I've never watched any of them, you know. And people say, the other semester, I've never seen any of they just don't intrigue me or interest me at all. Totally get it. I mean, I'm, hey, good for them. That makes me happy. But, you know, I like the old fashioned piece of people becoming celebrities because they actually had talent, you know. I mean, I was a stand up comic for many years, and the Jerry Seinfeld were around, and those people, and that's, that's, that's where I came from. People had to really be funny and write a good joke. And and my days of stand up and a new one was kind of doing the sexy stand up comedy, female comic comedy at all when I started in 1984 85 and so it was kind of a category. They didn't know what to do with me. But, I ended up getting booked and headlining and all over but, I mean, nowadays, I would have been right in there with the Amy Schumer's, but back then, they didn't want that. Of course, I'm not. I'm a feminist in my own way, but I but not the way these women are, like the Amy Schumer movies. You know, she's attacking the guy. I'm still that old fashioned girl. It's like, I want the guy, you know, coming on to the girl and being flirty, but I don't, I don't like, it's just, I like just a little bit more old fashioned in my life. I think it's sexier, but whatever you want to call it out of old fashioned. But that's just the way I was brought up. And I still think, you know, that's just, I still think guys like that at the end of the day, I don't think they wrestle with love aggressive women, and those are that aggressive. You can still be a feminist that my books about, by the way, I do have a book out, you know, that will be actually hitting it's a pre sale right now on Amazon called, called up all night, and it's the life and journey of an accidental feminist, which I really think my life was, because I did so many pageants, I was in Miss Louisiana that I was a saints cheerleader about the New Orleans. And then I went on to Los Angeles and did Happy Days and was co starred on a lot of television. And then eventually up all night, and then I reunited with my high school sweetheart 16 years ago, and we started the current business. I am on the Rhonda shear brand of intimate apparel. And so it was about, you know, my book covers, you know, my early life. I ran for public office when I was young. It talks about that, how I was accepted to law school. But then I went to Hollywood, and I was very I was typecast immediately as a sexy girl. And I thought it, but it just, it didn't work. So eventually I just went with it. And so it, the book has all these life lessons on how to use what's God given. And I mean, basically, I was a feminist in my own way, and stood up and stood my ground and always did and always got things my way, but I also used the things that were given to me in life. So I didn't know I wasn't this aggressive or outwardly aggressive woman, but yet, I did fight for my own rights, just I did it my way. So the book has a lot of life lessons and tips, along with comedy and a lot of pictures from up all night and my younger life. And I'm really excited. It actually, like I said, it's on pre sale right now on Amazon called Rhonda. It's up. Actually, it's called up all night by Rhonda shear, but it It literally will be out October 3 is when everything you know, hits HSN and all the other places. So we're in bookstore, so we're very excited about it.

Dave Bullis 24:04
And I'm going to link to that in the show notes everybody, because I actually saw Ron was writing the book, and I thought this would be a great time to approach you. Rhonda, about, you know, coming on this podcast. Because, you know, thank you. Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for, you know, for coming on. And I will link to that in the show notes, because again, I love the title, obviously. And again, you know, some of the things you were just talking about, about using your strengths and, you know, and using, you know, not trying to fight resistance. You know what I mean, like people were saying to you, you know, hey, you know, hey, Rhonda, this or that, the other thing. And you know, you just mentioned about, you know, finding your talents and finding what you do, what you really like to do, and are very good at and you use that, and you were able to, you know, build this whole empire you have now you have a clothing line, which is doing very well, by the way. I actually, you know, to prepare for this interview. I actually looked it up, and I didn't know you have, like, the number one selling bra in the world. I think,

Rhonda Shear 24:57
Yes, it's called the ah bra. Ah bra. Yes, which I always believed in taglines, and it just that it's very comfortable, wireless, no hooks and eyes, bra, and it it took off. I started doing it at 2003 that really took off, like in 2009 10. And then we did an infomercial. Then lo and behold, it became the best selling bra in the world, with over 35 million sold in 34 countries. And we continue to do the bra along with other bras. So we basically came up with a category of bras. So, and we also started, you know, after ah bra, then we have the ah lifestyle clothing. And now I'm starting to get another lounge line called ah dreams by Rhonda shear. So it's really exciting. And this is something that came out of my husband and I getting married and reunited, and we started this business just to work together because we hadn't seen each other really since we were kids, and he was living in Louisiana, and I was living in Hollywood, and we put this together, never thinking that it would have the success that it did. But, you know, we both complimented each other as good as people, me as a spokesperson. He, you know, behind the scenes and the financial end of it. So very cool. So the book talks about love later in life and finding a soulmate. It talks about, you know, becoming an entrepreneur later in life, and that you can reinvent at any age. And so I have a lot of tips, along with being really funny. I mean, there's some really funny stories. Now my Hollywood stories and some fun pictures. So I think it's a book for everyone to read, both men and women. Think we'll really enjoy it. So I mean, then I have to say accomplishing and writing a book is something I always wanted to do, and I actually am getting ready to start my second one, because it kind of gets into your blog. But I have to say it's like, one of the proudest things that I've done is, like, you know, actually writing down, because I thought I really feel I have a lot to share with a lot of people, and you also want to remember some of those amazing moments in your life. And because this, you know, I get up and I do a lot of speeches, and people love to hear my story and my story with my husband. And, you know, it's a very loving tale of two people who were first, first loves. We met when we were 12 and 13, and then getting back together and then starting a business. I mean, gosh, now you never even dream that. That's why you kind of have to go sometimes where life needs you. And again, that's like, not manufactured. So people want you to manufacture this stuff. And I just feel like you have to be really real in life and very authentic and and stick with whatever you're doing. And you know, all dreams can come true.

Dave Bullis 27:30
You mentioned about reinventing yourself. You know, if there's one thing I've learned about this podcast is I've talked interviewed people from all walks of life, and one thing that they've all sort of mentioned, in mentioned is, one way or another, is reinventing themselves. You know, some people, they didn't, they didn't pick up a camera until they, you know, they were 40 50, years old, and they were able to go out films. And, you know, some people, they ended up, you know, winning Sundance, and they ended up just sort of, you know, doing something completely different now. And you know, it's just, it's amazing.

Rhonda Shear 28:03
It's taking chances, Dave, a lot of so, you know, when my husband, I got together, he was living in Louisiana, I was living again in LA. We took a chance, and we moved to Florida after a couple years to start our business, because Home Shopping Network, which is known as HSN, now it's branded as HSN is located in Florida, so we figured if we moved here, that it would really help our business move it along, would be in front of the right people, and it did. But so many people are so complacent where they live and what they do that they won't take that chance. So it's one of the things I always told entrepreneurs and all people, is that sometimes you have what's the worst that'll happen? You can always go back home or back but it's where you began. But if you don't take a chance at something, and people get stuck in ruts and won't do it. So when you talk about these people, I am sure and interview with people, I am sure that they all took answers. And there's some of us that will do that and some that won't. So I always like to encourage people that, hey, it's cool. It's okay. Go for it. Nothing bad will happen. You'll always wonder in your life if you don't just like you doing the podcast. I mean, I'm sure it's amazing and that you keep learning things, and, you know, it's amazing to interview people and hear how they've made it, or how they've changed. And, you know, I use the word reinvent, but it's not even that I started out doing things when I get married, we both had to change, you know, directions Korea for for different reasons. You know, I wasn't, you know, wasn't 21 sexy girl stuff anymore. Not that I couldn't be the sexy older girl, but you know, you have to be real in where you are in your life. And yet, I didn't want to stop working. So it's just like, Okay, well, let me continue doing something that is I love, near and dear to me. I can still be myself, but it's just another extension of myself and my husband as well. He was a businessman. He had never done anything in the obviously, apparel world, but he just applied everything that he knew about business to what we're doing, same thing. So a lot of people are just afraid to do that, and no reason to be so, you know, living in my dream house in Florida, I got the five dogs very happy, and we don't know where life will take us next. The book is exciting because that's kind of taking me on another journey. I'm getting offers to make speeches and appearances and some TV talk shows, and just hired a publicist, and he's got some really exciting plans, and we're to do a book signing in New Orleans the weekend of October the 27th and then, which is a fun weekend, because it goes almost right into Halloween. And then we're going to do a book signing here in Florida, St Petersburg, Tampa area, the weekend of october 14. So you know, just those two things I am so excited about, because I'm sure I'll get a lot of my Up All Night fans. I'm sure I'll have some fans from who watch me on HSN and are big, you know, customers of my brand. So it's neat, you know, just you just living life. I don't, I don't look back and go, gee, I wish I was still this age, or I still wish I would, I just look forward and think, wow, I still got time to do accomplish a lot more. Yeah, it's fun.

Dave Bullis 31:30
Yeah, absolutely. And you probably took a chance writing that book because, you know, I have a friend of mine who's a professional author, and he said, if you actually think about writing a book, and what it really is, he goes, You know, it's only been around for this little sliver in human history, and being able to, you know, write it, write an actual book, put it together. And then he said, if you look at it again, in the world that we live in now, Rhonda, you know, you can put, you make a Kindle version. You can do self publishing. You go through a publisher, you have a lot of options. Yeah, that's even a smaller sliver. And he said, if you think about how it actually what it means to write a book. He goes, you as a human being, are sitting down and writing, you know, five digits, you know, in words. So it's a couple 1000s upon 1000s of words and compiling together all these thoughts. And I mean, it's time consuming. And I mean, you probably thought to yourself, you know, hey, I could write this book, or I could go do another thing, I mean, and so you really have to make a choice.

Rhonda Shear 32:23
I love that your son put it that way. I've never thought about it, but it's true and and I did, I did put it off for years, and then I because I've been wanting to do it, but I just felt like it's the right time with everything that's going on in my life. So finally, I just sat down. I do have a ghost writer that kind of put my thoughts into the right order, and then I completely rewrote what he did, and then he loved what I did. I mean, I literally took it and started not over, but just, you know, it had to have my voice completely and then after that, he then took that and really pulled it together. So it was a really, you know, because I had never structured a book. And if, as a new author, you really have to have that right structure. So, you know, it holds people's attention, and it's my life. Because even when Tim, Tim is my, Tim Van der Hey is my ghost writer's name, he's fabulous. I don't mind admitting it at all. But he, he just, you know, really made me understand, you know, that the process and and again, holding attention, and we went back and forth of how, because a lot of my things start in one, one part of my life. So it kind of like goes back, and it keeps going back to certain stories. So I think that's where I needed help, because I would started saying, If I start from the very beginning, then it's going to get boring if I just go through my life. So we did start, you know, we started it like, you know, a certain birthday, and then we told some stories there. So it's very compelling. I'm very excited about it. And again, we put the life lessons in. We also put this, like, basically, like a bubble over my head, so I express to the reader what is going on in my head, like even what I was thinking when I was in a beauty pageant, you know. So how did I feel when I was on stage and in front of an audience with just a swimsuit on? So even though I was young, I never really you know what was going on in your mind. And I think that really gives an insight to the people who read it of what was really happening in my head and what motivated me to continue to do what I did through life, and I'm just really excited about it. So the second book that I'm already concocting in my brain is perfect because it has to do with self, body image and how we look in the mirror as women. So that covers my brand, but it also covers, you know, who I am, and then how you know for life. You know, you gain weight, you lose weight, you know, you get women become self conscious, but then, you know, so it deals with it, but I'm going to do it with a lot of levity and a lot of comedy. So I'm already putting thoughts down about that, and then I could put a lot of the story. Stories that I couldn't fit into the book. I can add those stories back into because it was hard when we edited it. So I know a lot of the stories I would have loved in were taken out. But you can't put everything this way. I get to put back a few of the stories and add to it until some more tales, because I do kiss and tell a little bit in the book about some of my Hollywood stories from people like David and and that's kind of fun. And it's not done viciously. It's just, you know, it's just just just real. There's nothing in it that isn't 100% authentic and real. So, but that's cool. What your friend says was the author, I could see becoming very addicted to that. Now, when I wrote my book, though, here was the only obstacle I had. So I've got these four little schwa with New York, so I'm sitting there writing, and they wouldn't let me write at my desk, so I had to write downstairs on the couch, on a computer, and basically they were climbing over me. So months and months of dogs climbing now, I think that takes a special talent to be able to have dogs on your computer and write more so than anything. But it's a great feat when you finish it and you find then the only thing this is when you need, sometimes, like, thinking, we definitely need an editor. But because you just, like, don't know when you think it's over, and then you think of, oh, I have just one more thing. And then you need, you need that other eye, even outside of my husband or whoever read it, to look at it and go, Okay, you're done. You don't need. You'll write again and you'll put it in there. So it is an interesting process, especially your first book.

Dave Bullis 36:38
Yeah, you know, it's funny, because the friend of mine who's an author who actually said that to me. He said, the first I, you know, he and I would talk back and forth, and I've actually had him on this podcast before, and he said to me that the hardest part about anything is actually starting it. And I said, Well, what's the second hardest part? And he goes finishing it. And I said, Yeah, because, because you just, like, you said, you get stuck in that endless loop of rewrites, like, Oh, should I keep this No, should I not, right? And then you just have to get out your own head.

Rhonda Shear 37:08
I mean, that's what I did. I completely rewrote, you know, I completely rewrote it from scratch, and and, and then it took a different turn. But, you know, at the end of the day, it's exactly where I want it to be, because I think what it was desperately it was more autobiographical in the beginning. And I do have a book agent, and even though we've self published it, we we may still bring it to, you know, major publishing house, which you can do now. And my I do have a book agent in Los Angeles, and when he first started was it's great. It's autobiographical. I can't believe all the things you've done in your life. It's amazing. But the big publishing houses don't necessarily buy complete autobiographical books now. So, and he's, he's, he's a really big book agent who deals with just the big houses, you know? So he said, I think it needs to have more insight. And I didn't know how to do that at first. I didn't I couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure out how to take what I had already, and then, you know, make it insightful. So that's when we my started thinking of the bubble, you know, like people always know, what is that person really thinking? You know? And so it became like the bubble over my head. And then also, each chapter will have life lessons that I learned at that part of my life. So it really goes back to my, I mean, it has my up all night, years. It has my, you know, years as a miss Louisiana and my New Orleans upbringing, I mean, and that in itself is interesting to grow up in New Orleans and then finding love. So each, each, each chapter really has something for everybody. Entrepreneur, I think, will give a lot of people insight to how to start a business and how to keep going with it and not give up. So, you know, I think, you know, it tells the story of my life, but it also has lessons. I think it's important to to, you know, even if someone has no idea who I am, and they will pick it up and just read, okay, this is a woman who, and, you know, when I started, if, like, I can call it kind of the Bill Cosby years, because when I was in Hollywood, you know, we don't know what, who knows what happened and what didn't happen then, but I can tell you I was, I In Hollywood in the 80s and in that era, and guys would push themselves on you, and they would say, if you don't sleep with me, you are, I will get you blackballed from the business. Now, I never went down that route. Maybe if I would have, I would have been a bigger star, but it wasn't who I am. I always kid about that. If I was swept around, maybe, you know, it would have worked, but it wasn't me. I was. I came from this nice, Southern, strict family, and it wasn't who I was. I mean, it just wasn't, you know, I had, yeah, I had boyfriends, but they weren't, you know, I never chose the big producer types that came after me, but we need some big, big ones. Think of my life. But no one was going to push that down my throat, and I. Pardon the pun, But you know, it was, I was not going down that road of I had to live with myself. So, you know, everything I got, I got on my own. I didn't have family in the business. I knew no one when I first got to Hollywood, and literally, I just did it the old fashioned way of auditioning. When you look at Hollywood today, this connection, it is who your father and mother is, but I moved here, I didn't know us all. So I'm proud of that. I'm proud that I got where I got on my own, and, you know, did get a name for myself and did end up headlining as a stand up comic when I was told you're too pretty or you're too sexy to be a comedian, and I was like, to hell with that. I will do it. I stood in line at the Comedy Store until I got on stage and the improv, until finally I got all the way up to headlining and Vegas. So, I mean, I feel like I really accomplished things that I wanted to and pretty much the book talks about, you know, whenever anybody would tell me I couldn't do something, it would make me try harder. I mean, I've been told that my whole life I was, I was either too pretty or too sexy to do this, or I was, you know, ahead of my time doing stand up, short dresses, whispers, no one was doing it hasn't like being a frumpy mother or or, you know, even in, even in my lingerie business, you can't do that. There's too many other brands out there. You can't start who's going to buy your brand. So, pretty much, my whole life has been you can't and and I have so that just shows you that anybody can do it. If you, if you just can't listen to negativity. I'm, I am a glass half full person, not a half empty person. And I think that makes a difference just who you are, you know. And so when I started the book, I'm like, well, Will anybody read it? I really feel like, you know, after having a few people have that have read it, they have and that people that are like, major people like, you know, a friend who's who's one of the presidents at MGM, and he loves this book, and that really made me feel good, because these people had a lot of lot of manuscripts go past their death. So who knows, maybe one day it'll be a book. I mean, not a book, a movie, yeah, not about, hopefully not a B movie, but I'll take a B movie too. I'm fine with that.

Dave Bullis 42:20
It would be really a meta if you actually introduced it on, like a special edition of USA up all night and introduced your movie.

Rhonda Shear 42:28
You know what's really funny, Dave, was the very first thing I did on the whole night was the very first movie I ever introduced was, or rather, on USA, Up All Night was basic training, which is a movie I started, which had, like, three seconds of toplessness, which I was mortified to do at the time. It was in my contract that it didn't have to be more than three seconds. Of course, I went on to do Cleveland wait in 91 called girls of the of comedy, which I actually brought that idea to them. And then that next year, up all night, had like, taken off, and so they came back and offered me a celebrity pictorial. And so that was really cool. So, you know, I have, you know, so the book also talks about my Playboy years and going to the mansion. So a lot of people like that in itself, you know, because I did go to the mansion for many, many years. Actually, I had a line with crystal Hefner a couple of years back, you know, the, I should say the last Mrs. Hefner. I believe the last Mrs. Hefner. Who is this, Joe, Mrs. Hess. But, you know, so, you know, just, they just want through all those kind of interesting things, and along with, you know, do a lot of charity work, and it talks about that giving back once you've kind of hit a certain spot in life. You we enjoy my husband, I, you know, getting back to the community and kind of hits all that.

Dave Bullis 43:50
But you mentioned, I'm sorry, Ron, you mentioned the Comedy Store. I just want to ask this before I forget. You mentioned the Comedy Store. Did you meet a comedian there named Don Barris?

Rhonda Shear 44:01
Name? From what, how old, or what era, what

Dave Bullis 44:08
He started in the 90s, like the early 90s, he was there, and now he's, like the he does the the he's the headliner on the ding dong show on the Monday nights.

Rhonda Shear 44:18
Oh, maybe that's why I may know a thing that kind of in a probable, I mean, that would have, I still would have been out there, of course, in 91 because, I mean, I was still on the, still on the road, gosh. I mean, I was on the road until, I mean, I still, actually occasionally do stuff, but definitely up into, like 2006 or seven. I was still, you know, out there. I guess I may I know his name from that, but I, I can't say I remember, like, medium, I'm thinking, like, maybe I dated him. I don't remember.

Dave Bullis 44:56
He's been out there for years, and he actually does, like, a lot of work with the comedy. Store every night he's there and,

Rhonda Shear 45:03
Yeah, his name was really familiar to me absolutely,

Dave Bullis 45:07
Because he was like him and Mark marron are really good friends.

Rhonda Shear 45:11
Okay, well, I am sure that we came across each other, but that would have been during my Up All Night years. It was really funny, you know. And I've met so many people to my life, like through New Orleans and then my comedy years of mine now apparel years. And I'll go, I know that name. There's a there's a comedy comic out that's doing really well out there now, named Sebastian. Do you know who he is?

Dave Bullis 45:37
No,

Rhonda Shear 45:39
Okay, if you, if you just Google Sebastian will come up comment, I can never pronounce his last name, right? But anyway, he's major. He has like major, like major shows, major Showtime, all that stuff. And Sebastian used to wait on me as a waiter at the Four Seasons bar or go there was around the corner from my house in Beverly Hills, and we'd go there, and he was funny. And he would say to me, I was on Up All Night at the time. And he would say, I want to be you. You know, LA has a lot of ways of little actors, you know, I mean, it's like the only one thing I didn't do. But, you know, people that legitimately that's, that's their job, that's their day job, or their night job. And he would say, I really admired sweet because he was, I admired, he was a female comic, and he, when he took off, he took off. I mean, he really took off. And I didn't even realize it, because I've been so out of the loop myself, just doing my own thing in the last few years. And then I came across him, like, on social media, and I was like, Man, I'm proud of you. I mean, you know, because he said he was doing, gonna do it, and he did it, and he's got a whole different take. So, yeah, I, you know, stand up comedy is a really rough road. Most of my friends that even started like I started maybe four, but most of my friends have started maybe four are still doing stand up. People usually don't leave that world. And the cool thing is, you can get older and still do comedy, but you just have to find kind of different venues, because, you know, there's a younger world at the Comedy Club. So then people move to ships. They do boats. They do, you know, comedy cruises. They do theater, you know. So you can keep at it. But I have to say, I'm not, I'm happy Dave, and I'm not out there on the road doing that for a living, although every now and then, there's a piece of me that, you know, my friend will come to town, Carol Montgomery. She's hysterical out of New York, and she gets up at a club, and I'll have a cup of glass of wine, and I be like, I want to do what you do. She's like, No, you don't want to give up your life. Your life is good. It's still my it's still in my blood, you know, to make people laugh. And it's still, like game once it's in your blood, it's for your blood. But we every now and then I do Rhonda pajama party, and I'll host it, and I'll do some stand up, and then I have like, four other females, and sometimes I put a male comic in there. So maybe with the book coming out, we'll do that again, which would be really cool.

Dave Bullis 47:55
Yeah, I was just gonna say, when the book comes when the book comes out, if you do like a tour, like, you know there are tour you get, like, another taste of it. So then at the end running, probably like, well, you know what? I got it out of my system again, but now I'm gonna, I'm glad, I'm glad I'm not, I'm not doing this again for until the next book, right?

Rhonda Shear 48:12
Exactly, exactly, but I do. But you know what I love doing is the speaking tours. So I'm excited about that, because I did a lot of it during we won Ernst and Young and all these major entrepreneurial awards for this bra. And I mean, I didn't think about myself as an entrepreneur, you know, but all of a sudden we're winning all these awards, and it was amazing. So I found myself being asked to speak locally and regionally, and all of a sudden I'm getting up making speeches about being an entrepreneur, but I'm funny, and then they're asking questions, apparently, Hollywood background. So I really enjoyed it. I mean, I had never done just speaking without doing stand up, obviously. So I'm really excited that now I'm being submitted and being asked to speak because, you know, there's, there's, there's a few comedic speakers, but not many that can, you know, just tell talk about their life and how they did it. So I'm looking forward to doing that. It's a little bit of stand up and it's a little bit of, you know, information giving. So I look forward to that too. That may be, who knows, that may be the next, the next sort of stand up comedy. It'll just be, you know, entrepreneur speeches.

Dave Bullis 49:23
Yeah, you have to do, like, different podcasts too. Like John Lee podcast, Entrepreneur on Fire. I'm sure you've heard of his podcast, yes, yeah. So it's, like, the one podcast in the world, right, right up there, like Mark Marin's and, like, this is your American life, and, but, but, you know,

Rhonda Shear 49:39
That's good. So you have to help me get this is kind of all new to me too. You know, when you have your head to, you know, I have been a very focused person in my world. So, you know, my life has been Women's Wear Daily and fashion, and so I'm pretty excited about opening this new chapter of, like you said, doing podcasts. I mean, I did Gilbert Godfrey. If you talk about dirty, you're telling that can be uncensored. If you ever go Google, I'm sure, hopefully I'll do it again talk about my book. But if you, if you google and find the Ron to share podcast with Gilbert Gottfried. You might It is beyond dirty. It is like, I mean, he and I, when we get together, I don't know what it is, but he brings out the naughty. And, man, he's naughty, but he think it's naughtier. It's pretty funny. I mean, you know, I've had people say they were walking down the street and listening to it and laughing out loud. People like staring at them. So, yeah, it was pretty funny, because he could do impressions. So I would name different guys, you know, from my past in Hollywood, and then he would go off and just do an impression of them, and you're just laughing. So he's, he's one of the quotes on the back of my book that that, you know, says to buy the book. And then I have Mindy Grossman on the back, who's the CEO of Weight Watchers, and was the CEO of HSN, major business person. And then I have Joy Mangano, who the movie Joy was, was written about. So pretty, pretty exciting, plus a lot of other friends on the inside and celebrities. But it kind of hits show business and entrepreneurs and CEOs. So I'm really excited. I know I'm talking more about the book, but I guess it's just that I'm really excited about it, along with my mind. Listen, you know, please go to Rhonda. Share.com go to hsn.com check out. I have this full amazing line of everything from the most amazing undergarments to loungewear. And I was really enjoy. We literally designed everything in house here in Florida, and then we manufacture all over the world. And a lot of that, lot of my, most of my apparel, like my clothing, is made in the USA, and then a lot of my other pieces are made in Turkey, and we make it China, but we use beautiful factories with real, high quality everything. So that's very exciting, too. And we get into that world. And that was, listen, my husband and I taught ourselves. We we didn't come from that world at all. I came from a background in show business. Next thing you know, you know, we're reaching out to factories. And you know, that was quite an interesting time in our lives, too. But again, you're never too old to read, to recreate, to reinvent and find another career and find love, find all those wonderful things.

Dave Bullis 52:33
Yeah, and that is such a wonderful assignment, Rhonda and but yeah, I mean, I would definitely send you the links to to the podcast I just mentioned. Thank you. Check them out, because

Rhonda Shear 52:42
Please, I want, I want to put it up for sure. There goes my dog. See, they knew the end of the podcast. Yeah, we haven't talked. You're like, Mommy, I'm hungry. Yeah, I must, I must acknowledge their names. We have Chicky, Tiki, Sweetie, Lexie and Brandy, like two and a half for rescues, when I got it at a kind of a rescue.

Dave Bullis 53:11
And now you mentioned your names are probably like, now even more eager, because they're probably like, what? Yeah, is it? Do we do something that you know what's going on, but I will link to everything Rhonda that you mentioned, you know, your thank you and everyone listening. I will link to everything that Rhonda mentioned, show notes at davebullis.com Rhonda, just yeah, just quickly, before we, before we sign off on this episode of the podcast, I just have one final question, and I just want to ask, is there anything that you might want to just, you know, talk about or discuss, or is there anything you wanted just to say to sort of sum up this whole podcast interview?

Rhonda Shear 53:45
Well, you know, just to sum it up is like, I am a positive person. Everybody out there is to think positive and try to run some negativity. I mean, just don't surround yourself with negativity and don't listen. I mean, always, I always like to say, put a stake in it and go for it. In your life. Enjoy your life. Savor your life. I love food. I love everything, you know, I in moderation, obviously, you know, listen, I love fine wine. But I say, enjoy life. Enjoy the journey of your life and and of your business, and then it's fun, and just don't be negative. So that kind of sums up my life. And I've had a had a wonderful life so far, and hopefully it will continue to be amazing. Who knows where I'll end up next, maybe doing a podcast. Who knows, but, but I thank you, Dave, it's been wonderful. And I just, I know you're going to link, but I do have a website too, or a web page of Rhonda shear speaks.com so that's for anybody who is interested in having me as a speaker along with Rhonda shear.com and, of course, Amazon with the book, and I know that you'll promote the rest. And I thank you so much.

Dave Bullis 54:50
My pleasure. Rhonda. Rhonda, it has been so great talking to you. Thank you, Dave. It really has again. I used to watch USA up all night all the time. I. You know, I know I've already mentioned that, but I thought I mentioned it again. I mean, because of you, I found the Toxic Avenger, and I've had

Rhonda Shear 55:05
Lloyd on the last big film I did. He was in it. We had a scene together. Oh, and I was like, I was like, a, like, a bad prisoner, of course, because that's what it was. It was, I can't remember, but anyway, but we actually won best film of the best b film of the year. But anyway, I love Lloyd. Lloyd used to come on up all night, all the time, and taxi came on. I mean, literally, he was one of my regular guests. So he's, he's a great guy, isn't he brilliant, brilliant man. Great guy.

Dave Bullis 55:38
It was funny, really, really quick, because I know you have to run really quickly. When he came on the podcast, he he said that he started trauma in prison with him and Michael hertz because and he was like, Well, I was Michael's prison bitch, and he's we got married. Well, people who listen to that podcast actually wrote into me, and they're like, Dave, is that true? Did he really form this in prison? And I said, No. I said it would have been funny if he did, but I was like, you know, disclaimer before Lloyd's interview, being like, don't, don't pay attention.

Rhonda Shear 56:08
I know, and he is so funny and so brilliant, such a family man. I'm a great guy and and really helped us. Hung up all night because he supplied this great films. And, you know, he we had taxi What can I say? I'm not going to tell you what a good lover he was. People believe that too. Rhonda, it's been an absolute pleasure talking. Thank you. I'm sure we'll do it again anytime, please. Thank you.

Dave Bullis 56:36
Yeah, I was gonna say, when the second book comes out, you have to come back on.

Rhonda Shear 56:39
You've got it, you've got it. Or the next time I'm hosting, or whatever, why? Another reason I'll weasel back on your show somehow,

Dave Bullis 56:48
The door is always open. I thank you so much.

Rhonda Shear 56:50
Thank you, Dave, and please send me the link and I'll talk to you soon.