C/o Krista Schlueter Nicole Rosé
As Bethenny Frankel once said on “The Real Housewives of New York,” “Mention it all!”
In April 2021, Frankel made another return to TV when she premiered a new show, “The Big Shot With Bethenny,” on HBO Max. “The Big Shot With Bethenny” followed a dynamic group of entrepreneurs who were competing to fill the role of Frankel’s Vice President of Operations. Among these contestants was Nicole Rosé Stillings, who, although didn’t end up getting the role at Frankel’s company, still made a big splash on the show. Now, Stillings is dishing exclusively to Heavy about what really went on behind the scenes during filming.
“I was so excited to meet [Frankel],” Stillings revealed to Heavy exclusively on May 20, 2021. “I looked up to her for so long. I didn’t watch every episode of the ‘Real Housewives.’ I worked a lot … I haven’t seen every show, so I think I wasn’t as prepared for maybe some of the other parts of her personality. You know, I thought that we were going to hit it off, but truly, people that are alike either attract or repel, you know? It’s one or the other. I still think that I have a little bit of that love, hate relationship.”
Stillings continued, telling Heavy, “The whole show was traumatic, and you guys saw it all. They didn’t spare any drama from the show, that’s for sure … But I will say this, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Stillings Still Keeps in Touch With Frankel & Her Former Castmates
Although the competition had its fair share of drama, Stillings revealed that despite all of what happened on-screen, she still keeps in touch with some of her castmates, and even Frankel herself. “We’ve chatted briefly, mostly over DM, very friendly,” Stillings said about Frankel.
But, there is one person who Stillings keeps in touch with a bit more than Frankel. “Milokssy and I are legitimately best friends,” Stillings revealed to Heavy. “We say we’re sisters from another mister. I love her, we are so the same.”
Stillings continued, “I had no idea going into it that I would leave with a lifelong friend, a best friend, a sister. She showed me a lot of compassion at that photo shoot, and I could tell it was real. There was a point where she grabbed the camera and I think you could see in one of the previews, and that wasn’t me, that was her … At the end of the day, we have common values. That’s what it is. Hard work, and love, kindness, integrity, honesty, and faith.”
Stillings Said That Frankel Gave Her ‘Hope’
Being on “The Big Shot With Bethenny” was certainly an emotional roller coaster for Stillings, but regardless, the star still has a lot of respect for Frankel.
“I grew up with parents in very traditional careers,” Stillings explained to Heavy. “I went to Emory University undergrad. I worked in marketing for almost five years, in social media, digital marketing, traditional marketing with event components, and then social media marketing. That was my last job. I had never, until [Frankel] came out on ‘The Real Housewives’ and launched Skinnygirl margarita, I just had no idea that you could be an entertainer and build a business on its back.”
Stillings continued, “I thought that I knew from a young age that I was always an entertainer and I didn’t know how to monetize it. And when I saw her, I was like, that’s it. I quit, I’m going to go off on my own now, I can do that. It gave me hope, gave me a path forward, a trajectory, kind of like at least an outline … Bethenny had always given me hope from like my mid-twenties that I could make it.”
And now, Stillings is hoping to be able to do the same and inspire other young people, like herself. “I have a podcast called Big Queen Energy,” Stillings explained. “I love the podcasting stuff. I’ve been doing it for two years already, so this isn’t new for me. I want to keep growing the podcast. We talk about mindset, manifestation, hats, morning, routines, habits for success, attracting your dreams. So it’s a little spiritual, it’s a little, uh, tip driven, but very much things that a young woman can use in her everyday life to take it to the next level. I am so passionate about it.”
Viewers can catch “The Big Shot With Bethenny” streaming now on HBO Max.