Kristin Cavallari talks jewelry, family and returning to reality TV
Reality star turned lifestyle entrepreneur
Kristin Cavallari is a former (and returning) reality TV star, author, mother, and design force behind the jewelry brand, Uncommon James.
The 31-year-old has been in the public eye since she was still in high school and appeared on the MTV reality show, Laguna Beach. She later starred in the Laguna spin-off series The Hills and will return to the screen once more this summer with her new show, Very Cavallari.
Aside from being a fixture in reality TV for the past 14 years, the mother-of-three also found time to author two books, design a shoe line for Nordstrom and launch her jewelry company, Uncommon James.
The Hills alum talked to Stylight about how she manages her roles as entrepreneur, reality TV star, and mother.
What do you think is one of the biggest differences when it comes to Uncommon James and your other creative projects?
Uncommon James is 100% mine, so every little thing falls back on me and ultimately, every decision is mine.
I have complete freedom to do whatever I want, which is incredibly rewarding (and challenging!).
Uncommon James is the only place I have no one to answer to but myself.
If you had to pick a favorite piece, which would it be?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite because I truly love each piece. I wear Devon pretty much every single day and the Girl Boss hoops are a go-to of mine.
The Devon ring
How big of a role do you think social media plays in the success of a new label in 2018?
It’s huge. Uncommon James wouldn’t be what it is without social media. I haven’t paid $1 in ads – 90% of our sales come from Instagram. It’s insane and also amazing that social media is such an influential sales tool.
You're a mom, wife, author, designer and entrepreneur. You must be busy! What are your secrets to being a girl boss?
Being super organized. I would lose my mind if I didn’t write every single thing down and almost be a little obsessive about keeping everything organized.
We have one massive calendar in the house with my schedule, Jay’s schedule, and everything going on with the kids so that everyone knows what’s happening.
My family is my number one priority no matter what, they come first and I try to build my schedule around being with them. We have dinner together every night and from dinner to their bedtime, I’m focused on my kids and not on my phone responding to emails.
Your new reality show, Very Cavallari, is premiering in July. Was any part of you skeptical of getting back into that world? What's different this time around?
Yes, of course! I was actually really nervous right before we started shooting because I felt like I made the wrong choice letting cameras back in. That went away as soon as the cameras started rolling through.
This time around, I’m an executive producer, so having that security blanket was such a great feeling. Just knowing that I had some control and say in what was happening gave me so much peace.
My kids aren’t on the show – that was a very conscious decision Jay and I made together. This reality world is new to Jay, so we talked beforehand about what we would and wouldn’t allow and the experience ended up running smoothly and was a lot of fun.
How do you think the roles of women in media have changed since Laguna Beach premiered in 2004?
I think women have a stronger voice now. We’re standing up for what we believe and aren’t afraid to go out there and fight for what we want.
What dream projects would you still really like to tackle?
I want to launch my own kids and baby clothing line. That’s next on my list.
Right now, the goal is for me to make Uncommon James a name everyone knows and loves. In the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to achieve a lot of my goals, so now I need to set the bar higher and make bigger ones!
You can shop Uncommon James on their website and in-store in Nashville, Tennessee.
