Lele Pons: Her Funny Vines, Music Career, and Staying Relevant Over Time | E110 - podcast episode cover

Lele Pons: Her Funny Vines, Music Career, and Staying Relevant Over Time | E110

May 08, 20241 hr 18 min
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Episode description

My guest today is incredible, Lele Pons. Lele is an actress, writer, producer, director, singer, model, brand ambassador, and is one of the most important content creators of all time. She has 54 million followers on Instagram, 39.1 million followers on TikTok, and as 18 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. She stars in "The Secret Life of Lele Pons" – a YouTube Documentary series that provides a look at our personal life, – and is the host of the podcast "Best Kept Secrets with Lele Pons" on Spotify.

00:00 - Introduction

01:47 - Dancing with the Stars Experience

05:12 - Realizing and Handling Fame

10:01 - The Pressures of Fame

12:11 - Staying Humble

23:59 - Risky Adventures and Sharks

34:18 - Meeting and Falling in Love

49:12 - Idols and Meeting Shakira

59:52 - Work Ethic and Preparation


Coaching and Staying Connected:

1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Transcript

Randall Kaplan

Here's part two of my amazing interview with the amazing Lele Pons through meat

Lele Pons

and blood waited until I saw Tiger and blue sharks and jumped in for two hours. Look, it's a bull shark.

Randall Kaplan

Let's, let's talk about the growth of your career. Because at some point, you're switching now you're on different platforms. At some point, you got to say to yourself, hey, this is really working is going to be my career. Yes, I'm sort of a big deal.

Lele Pons

Oh, when that's okay. Um, you know, I and I feel like with you, too, you don't get there's not like a limit. Like, you don't get this far just to get this for you. Because you love what you do. So you keep on going, you know, so I can say right now I made it. And then next year, I'll be like, I made it. And then next year, we like, I mean, you know, so I feel like every year, every single step of my career has been my peak. You know, everything. Everything has

been different. Every day when I my first song, my peak, in that sense,

Randall Kaplan

a million views on your first song, I think on YouTube or something. Yeah, so like

Lele Pons

to use it that for me was a peak. Another peak meeting my best friend's peak in my personal life, meaning quinine, my song peak, when I have kids might be my peak, you know. So I think in my career wise, it was very different. It was music. It was like God, I just miss universe. I don't know what the eff was that but I'm so grateful. I loved judging this universe. Speak with 717 Dancing with the Stars.

Randall Kaplan

Peak 32nd season, that was a peak for me.

Lele Pons

It was just different. I always wanted to dance. And I did it enough. In that way of like learning how to do it. It was beautiful. And dancing with stars with the best experience of my life.

Randall Kaplan

The best experience. Yeah, why was that the best? You've done so many amazing things. Why? Because

Lele Pons

actually, it's really weird. Um, Dancing with the Stars gave me discipline structure in a way that like, in a way that it's different, you know, every single day, you got to wake up at this hour. Like, you, you go here you you work out you dance, you go back home, then you go here you go to the it wasn't the structure was

disciplined. It was you made a lot of good friends and a lot of people that were not in the same category as you not influenced it was, I mean, animatics reality TV artists in Broadway, there's Harry Giles, the reality TV show, there's so cheap, you know, Marvel movie star, incredible. There's Jason morass. Everybody was so different. It was no competition, everybody's actually happy for your success. Everybody was trying to help

you. It's weird. It's like Dancing with the Stars was probably the best experience because it was the most wholesome, it was almost supportive, gave me all the tools that I needed to actually be able to do the executive functioning that I needed. I became so much more mature, I came back from dance with the stars. And I loved myself way

more than before. I was an as Minister especially because it was the first time in my career desert stars that I actually got maybe more love than hate on a project that I had.

Randall Kaplan

That's absolutely insane to think about. But I think people don't know what's involved when you go on that show. So are you there for two weeks, and you have to commit each day and you're dancing every day? Or what what's the program? So

Lele Pons

it's a monthly for someone paid for and he just, Brandon was my partner. I love him. He was teaching me how to actually do like, ballroom is different than

Randall Kaplan

they give you your partner when you choose your partner. Apparently,

Lele Pons

listen, apparently some people chose. I did it. But I would have chosen him. I love him. It was perfect partner. I loved him so much. I'm so grateful that they gave me Brandon wouldn't choose them again and again and again. So when they chose me with him, when I put me with him, I was super happy. We clicked immediately he taught me

ballroom everything. And it's so crazy because I went into dancing with the stars because I really wanted discipline and I really wanted to I wanted to, to, I want to do dancing a lot. Always I was like I love dancing. Okay, cool, win or lose. I want to learn something. So I learned how to do ballroom. A month later, after learning for a month, that's when you start the show. You learned one dance, and then you start dancing. You start learning one

dance a week. It's crazy. We went to dance one month, and then every week one day is because you start getting more used to it. You know, it's like working out your body just remember steps easier, faster. So it's five hours, four hours a day, every single day for almost three months.

Randall Kaplan

You're out of everything else. You have a project who said dancing and posting your posting every day.

Lele Pons

That's beautiful because you're so distracted and yet when you work out also like that you're working on something that you love. It gives you like it just makes you even a better person. I don't know I love working out I don't like working out, by the way, but I love dancing. So it was like the first time that I actually working out. And that helped me mentally workout helps you mentally. So I was in a great state.

Randall Kaplan

When was the first time that you realize I'm really famous? I mean, super famous.

Lele Pons

Um I'm gonna tell you like there's three times in my life where I know that I've known done very famous my first meet and greet in New York. from buying my first vine meet and greet. I saw all the people that notice me and wanted pictures of me. I'm famous Holy shit, or I'm known for sure. I'm like, what number of people showed up? So many? Like 300? Something like that? 300 400 That's a lot for me, like back then the hall? What? More than my class? That's

better. Okay, well, um, so I think that meet and greet was, was great for me. It was in New York a long time ago. 2015 or 14? I think it says 13 or so. I don't know, like that, like back. Then I think, um, another another time that I thought that Oh, my God, I'm, I'm famous is when brand new started seeing like, wanting to pay me to do stuff. I'm like, my god, like, like, you do product. You trust me so much. You think I have so much power? You know, I mean, I couldn't but like, damn. That's

crazy. I think actually, no, I think that was the time that I thought I was like, Wow, I'm actually famous is when my song was in the top global charts. 25th for like, weeks, like, Damn, that's a different level of famous, you know, every single thing, winning the Teen Choice Awards, provide, like things that I'm about. But the time the moment that I was like, I'm actually not only famous, but I've made history somehow, is now so there's on Tik Tok. There's a there's like a trend

with my songs. Hello. So they put it on there. And it's about how I'm everyone's childhood. It's so weird. They put a picture of like, oh, this is my childhood swipe. And it's me Hannah Wamba Antoine as their childhood and they see it live because my childhood Lily ponds raised me Lily ponds lives and I was like, that's when I know. I made a mark. I made a mark on these kids lives. And this, the people that are saying this, they're big, though. Some of

them are really, really big. And they texted me and DM me, they I push them to become these people. And I'm like, how? Thank you. I'm super happy. But it just blows my mind. So I think that's this year. This year this year. 2023.

Randall Kaplan

I mean, we're famous. Well, before that. I mean, at some point. You're the leading Viner ever. And yeah. And then early Instagramming 54 million followers, by the way. You the there's 1.4 billion Instagram accounts today. Do you know what number you are in terms of the top 100? Something 114? That's the same 55 million followers. It's crazy. I mean, there's only what 350 million people who live in United States now I know your fans from around the world.

Lele Pons

My biggest fan base is Indian. Interesting.

Randall Kaplan

It's crazy. I had Danielle that's an ova on my show last week, actress model I gained after the show. A ton of followers. Most from India. Actually. We can't really figure it out.

Lele Pons

But oh my oh my wheels like go through it like India's insane. It's great. I love India. And they have a song about me. That has like 166 million views. It's I don't know what the name of the song is. But it literally says sit there not that Lily ponds in it in I don't know what the song is. It's an Indian. It's an Indian science in indie songs for Hindi song. And it's talks about me. It's cool. Did you

Randall Kaplan

want to be famous? And do you like being famous?

Lele Pons

Do I want did I want to be famous? Well, no, because buying wasn't a thing. You know what I mean? So it's like I didn't, it's not like now like, I didn't, I'm not going to tick tock me because like, you know, tick tock, you know, it's potentially it's like it's trendy or make you famous vine, vine back then in my school. People would make fun of me, like people like what is this app? What is an app? So it's like, No, I never want it to be famous. Am I happy to be famous

now? Yes, because I'm not going to be ungrateful. It has given me the friends that I have has given me the people that I know the opportunities. Why not my dog everything. I mean, like, you can't like yes, it's hard. It's really hard. But I there's like, I would never take back. Anything. Every single thing that happened in my life. It led me here and I'm I have to be grateful for it. So I'm happy

Randall Kaplan

When you're famous, I mean, again, it's it's good and it's bad. I mean, some people, movie stars can't leave their house, they can't go to a restaurant. I mean, Tom Brady can't go to a restaurant and go out to eat. But I think when you're famous as well, it's hard to have normal relationships because people kiss your ass. And there aren't a whole lot of people around you saying, hey, you know, whether you're

Lele Pons

the thing with me is I've had an uncle that's really, really famous in Latin America. He's but he's a singer. He's not a binary. He didn't to show me how to do that. But he has his whole life. I've seen how he has coped with fame. So growing up for 20 years with this man who has literally never had a scandal, he's been perfect. He's handled it very well. It's taught me many things, you know, it, there's a way to, you know, we can't like, Listen, you cannot. It's hard to be famous.

And there's many downs, you know, but who chose this? You know, I mean, you can leave, you can you can leave, you know, I mean, like, it's hard, but you love to sing, you love to dance you like to perform you like to, you know, create and do people love you people like what you're doing. So you're famous because of that, keep it going, you know, if you don't like something, take a break. Take breaks. That's what I do. When I don't like to be famous. And I don't like the fact that I'm

famous. I take breaks all the time. And I come back strong, and I'm like, Okay, how do I I'm known I did this to myself. Let's embrace it. So

Randall Kaplan

many successful people. I know, I know, a few famous people. Some of them are really full of themselves. How have you managed to stay so incredibly humble? After all the amazing thing that's happening? I mean, you are a real authentic person. Oh, think

Lele Pons

I used to saying that because of a subscription. Just get me. We've

Randall Kaplan

gotten way off script. 30 minutes ago, we've got an Oscar.

Lele Pons

Um, how did it become humble? Um, well, first of all, my family. My family is so freakin honest. They're like when I'm gonna be honest. I wasn't humble. I was the most bratty not humble mean person in the world. Seven years ago, when I moved to LA. Yeah, well, when I moved to LA I thought I was the shit. I thought this is this is this of me and the top of the world even people saw it. They're like let it fool of herself. Yeah. 2020 ones like they're right. I come back to

Miami for a birthday. My family's there and they look I mean, they're like a literally, like there's the same like look, we had pizza No, no butter. We were like No, we don't live in the couch. Put your put your feet on the ground. Like you're acting like this. This this we don't recognize you. You're doing this as this as they kind of sat me down and told me Hey, you are not allowed to disrespect the people here because you will you don't be like we are this we are like we

know who you really are. Go back to it. Like they based I don't know exactly what they told me. But I came back from LA to Miami sat down with my family because they saw change in me. Like I was full of myself and everything. They sat me down and they told me this, this, this and this. They like, made me feel like shit. You know, they told me you're ungrateful. You're this, you're that you're this? You're not gonna go anywhere with this damn attitude. I don't care if you're

talented. You have to respect you have to be on time when people want you to be on time. You're not allowed to, you know, to be more like, Oh, I'll be two hours late. No, that'd be so they be grounded me. And then I

Randall Kaplan

mean, like, you're an adult this but you can't leave your room late, like grounded. You don't come out? No,

Lele Pons

they grounded me by like, not giving me the attention that I always want. You know, like, like, they're not like, Oh my God, Allah wasn't there like. So they're like, like, it's different with your family. Like, your family grounds you in a way that like, because they see you the way that you were before. You know, they know You more and they know you. They know you very well. And I stopped taking my pills. And I started going to therapy. When I went to LA and a lot of

shit went down. I was I was a workaholic, that's for sure. But a lot of shit went down. I was not proud of the person that I was those three years, went to back to Miami talk to my family. They do he told me who I was. They told me they reminded me where I came from the people that have supported me that have been there for me to remind him who they are. And they reminded me of things that could happen if I continue my life like this, you know? And then I started seeing people go away from me,

people. My family started distancing themselves until I cleaned up my act. And then I went back to therapy, did my medication I listen to my family and I have become the person that I am today because of that. I didn't lose myself. Yeah.

Randall Kaplan

When we become successful, and our company, my company, very young age, yeah, at a very young age, you know, our company are a tech company that I co founded for founders that went public when I was 33 years old. Within within two months of going public, our company was worth $35 billion. And I it was reported in the press and don't believe anything that you read in the press, because it's, it's not true, especially when they're talking

about people net worth. But people said, they wrote as worth a few 100 million dollars, and everybody kind of knew it's a big story. I'm from Detroit, and there's a profile about this kid who grew up and was bullied, stuttered, and then he moved to Los Angeles, he had a big in the tech world, so everyone's talking about it. And people hold you up on a pedestal, right? And they're just waiting to shoot you down. You know,

you're watching every word. And if your hair is out of place, or you accidentally offend somebody, even if you don't try, I mean, it's it's a lot of pressure on you. And I know, you've experienced the exact same thing. So talk to us about that. Even when you're in a restaurant. You've talked about people commenting on how much you tip the waitstaff.

Lele Pons

No, I always ask that I suck. At that. I'm always I always give like, they're like, I'm always like, what do you want? When they didn't have to tip? I was like, I don't I whatever you want.

Randall Kaplan

Why do people say $1,000?

Lele Pons

Is the manager? You guys, the manager?

Randall Kaplan

Usually something on the machines?

Lele Pons

Like 25? Yeah, 25%. But

Randall Kaplan

what about the pressure? I mean, everyone's looking to take shots at you, right? I mean, there's a lot of people who aren't happy for you, I'm just waiting for you to offend somebody. I mean, you you've experienced that.

Lele Pons

Everyone, everyone, I mean, I don't think that's why you only have like, five good friends in your hand right there. Because you have many, many friends. But there's five that you can see that genuinely want the best for you, you know, um, but that's why i That's why when I came back, and I was with my family, or with even with the friends that I was with, before, I trust them, I trusted them.

Whatever they said, they told me, they're going to someone, they've into it, you continue like that someone else another day upon, another person's going to come and take your spot because that person is nicer. That process has more respect, it is on time and everything. And they're gonna, you're gonna be replaced. If you don't change your act and actually get people a site that is more human. This

is not you. They said to me, and I was just like, whatever, come back to LA, she happened many, many mistakes, I lost friends. And then right there, I was like, my therapist, I'm so sorry, I have not talked to you in like four years, I need to change. I want my family to be proud of me. It's not about like, Oh, you're successful, but my family's proud. My family's proud of a person that I am. As a human I can be in my house not working. And my good though. Am I a good person? You know, my

healthy good. That's the most important and I saw that. And I was like, I came back to Miami. But I changed it before biking back to Miami to as in 1920. I changed completely people saw it, I was like, started working on myself a lot more.

Randall Kaplan

When when you do something that's high profile. In my case, it was making money at a young age. And of course, people are taking potshots at all these new friends, right? Everyone wants to have lunch people that wouldn't even give me the time today. There was some famous movie producer and I won't say his name is produce some of the biggest movies in the world who just came up to me one day, a couple of his friends invested in our tech company that made more than $100 million

each. And the guy comes up to me and says Hey, Randy, what what's up, and I had corps friends and I wanted number one to stay who I was, be myself. Stay humble. But it's it's hard at some point, you know, to stay humble

Lele Pons

when you're alone when you're when you're away from when you're 16 1718 and you're away from home. And another one that you're being coming families you're number one in something in LA Darko,

Randall Kaplan

you got all these new friends. But how do you make friends at this point in your life? People? Yeah, because people want something from you. Right? You're rich, you're famous, you're beautiful, you're glamorous. I'm sure you have amazing things and I'm sure you got lots of people. I mean, how do you know people are real or authentic or want to be your friend for the right reason.

Lele Pons

I'm more private. I really don't go out so much. I keep the ones that I that that. I don't really make new new new friends that much. You know Oh, I love meeting people. But those new people that I know, I don't really put them in my life so much. I'm super social with everybody I am, I really do have the best friends. And I know everybody, like I had a wedding and everybody came. I love socializing. However, letting not all the people that were in my wedding are really led in my

life. You know, there are colleagues, there are people that I love and I share. But the people that I let in my life, barely anybody. Nobody,

Randall Kaplan

almost your social people recognize you. So you have I mean, it's, yeah, they come up to you on the street. Yeah. And your reputation of being nice to everybody. You work does it get annoying?

Lele Pons

No, no, no, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't like when somebody comes up to you in the street, and they're a fan of you. How would you want your idol to react to you? That's how I would react. If Shakira or Taylor Swift was right there and I go up to them. How would I want them to react to me? So that's how I react.

Randall Kaplan

What's the strangest thing that's happened to you? Have someone coming up to you on the street who didn't know you? Didn't know me? Yeah. Who What's the strangest thing that's happening on the street, where someone has come up to you and said something that was either outrageous or did something that's just crazy, outrageous.

Lele Pons

Crazy. The thing is, like, I've done so many crazy things that I think that the crazy things that you're thinking, like I probably no one buys something crazy that someone has done to me. Like I do it before they even do it. Like

Randall Kaplan

I wasn't my son was on Melrose. He was 16 years old. He had his phone, he ran some influencer and said, hey, you know, can we shoot a video and he says, Hey, what's it like to be my girlfriend? And the influencer was fucking pissed. And he, I mean, it's, it's, I understand why she was pissed, but it's sort of hilarious. And he posted it online. He got like, a million views on Tik Tok. And he was a hero with his friends for I don't know, some some short period of time. Um,

Lele Pons

I think no one's ever really done that. I mean, maybe one time because I don't clap back. But I'm so honest. You know, I mean, so somebody was like, Oh, how does it feel that everyone was sort of how does it feel that vine died? I was like, all pretty sad. But that happens. And he didn't expect that. You know, me like, some super real and I'm like, oh, like, so? I don't think I've ever there's a video of like somebody coming up to me and me being like, super pissed. Nope.

Randall Kaplan

You mentioned you've done some crazy things. What are the three craziest things that you've done? Think

Lele Pons

online. Don't try this at home. I was dragged by a car. I think on one. Yeah. You're

Randall Kaplan

what? Drag by car. dragged by a car? Yes.

Lele Pons

Don't you decided?

Randall Kaplan

You are on your back or on your side? Or you were you know, bulletproof Kevlar? Oh, they

Lele Pons

dragged my car. That's probably the craziest thing I would

Randall Kaplan

say but we're standing out. Were you just lying down on the ground? laying on the ground? Yeah. A little back massage on the pavement where? Why are you doing?

Lele Pons

Oh yeah,

Randall Kaplan

you're cut out. That's

Lele Pons

probably one of the one of the most crazy stunts I've done is that one. Well, actually, one of the craziest things I've ever done is, this is this is really this is really this is not good. I mean, I will never do this ever, ever, ever, ever. Think this is the craziest thing I've ever done. I will never do this again. And I will never tell anybody to ever do this again. Ever don't. Um, I had broken up with someone. And I just decided to grab a boat. Where the person get meat and

blood. Go to Jupiter. Very, very far. drive four hours away from Miami, in the sea. And I threw meat and blood is this person's not professional. And it's my two friends waited until I saw Tiger and bull sharks and with no help. Nothing jumped in for two hours and just like started like trying to touch them. Guys. That is that's actually like suicidal. Then there Yeah, yeah, like for two hours trying to teach them like two hours. Drunk. Drunk. Yeah.

Randall Kaplan

What What were you thinking? Um,

Lele Pons

I don't know. That's the thing. That's really scary. This was a long time ago. But that horrible I look back at it in the picture. Honestly, the pictures Yeah.

Randall Kaplan

Gotta see this. This insane, you know, and while you're looking for the photos, it's amazing how Many people, especially young people, Instagramers are sitting on cliffs.

Lele Pons

This wasn't even posted this. Yeah, this was for me. Yeah, that's the worst part. I mean content. Yeah. But for all

Randall Kaplan

of the influences that are there who are sitting on these cliffs 300 feet up. I think there were 84 deaths last year for Instagramers. Who are doing dumb shit sitting on a cliff. To get a photo to get followers. It's just it's it's risky. It's not cool. It's stupid. And it's just so sad people ruining their lives for doing stupid shit.

Lele Pons

That's insane. No, it don't. That's why I'm saying like, don't do that. Like that was that was the dumbest thing. The craziest thing I've ever done was that i It's me. I did. Like I didn't do it to anybody. It's like, it was really bad. I'm

Randall Kaplan

terrified of sharks. So I I'm terrified. Terrified, terrified.

Lele Pons

Well, when we I got I got this like, camera person. It was me my camera person and friend. Like off camera person. Like my friend, my friend. We had an underwater camera.

Randall Kaplan

Did your friend was in the water with you? Yes. Deathwish as well.

Lele Pons

Yeah, she's crazy. I didn't. It wasn't Hannah, but she's crazy. She's June.

Randall Kaplan

I'm afraid of being eaten by a shark when I'm in a lake. That's how bad that's how bad my fair sharks are. Someone's gonna some big fish are gonna eat my legs.

Lele Pons

Like, what am I doing? I do. What am I doing? I God no, no. No, like, I'm alone. I'm not even a Katy.

Randall Kaplan

Okay, let's let's show that photo. Can Can we get a close up of that on the on the on the screen there? And oh, what? Can you see it from there? Or? My

Lele Pons

friend? My friend sector photographer like a really good photographer. Like under like, whatever. Can you show? I never posted it. So I never posted these. Yeah, ever because I was never able to post I just yeah, I didn't. So it's I wasn't for content. So this is me and my friend right here. And then this is me and my friend. Can you see these? And then this is look trying to touch the frickin look. It's a pit bull shark and Tiger Sharks

Randall Kaplan

like eight feet long, huge job. Oh my god. Oh, wait, wait, go back to that one. Can you see that on the camera? Can we I just want to make sure people should see that. Huge.

Lele Pons

me it was me my friend. I want to say her name Sandra. me my friend Sandra. And my friend who took pictures. Yep. We were all wearing cages. Like,

Randall Kaplan

did you have a close call? I mean, did I never.

Lele Pons

I never took a video. I

Randall Kaplan

never did anything? No. But I'm just saying Did you have a close call? In terms of being eaten? Did any of them start to nibble at your feet? They

Lele Pons

would come and then what I learned is that when they come you push them away or something like that. That's what I learned. So my friend Sandra knew that and she did that. Nobody Nobody touched me though. They didn't touch me because there was food. No came near that row like that was nobody and I don't tell this story because I don't want anybody to know or anybody say you do it. You shouldn't. It was just I you know, the story here

Randall Kaplan

though, is and don't do it. This is something that you should tell people, by the way, because there's so many people I know who have a breakup with somebody. And then they do something stupid. They go there they drive drunk. You know, I know someone very close to me that she broke up with her boy, her boyfriend actually broke up with her. She was driving she hurt hit hit a pole. Thankfully, I'm not gonna kill anybody. But don't don't

Lele Pons

do that. Okay, so like I broke up with who they broke up, someone broke up with me. I was drunk for a week. And then one of the drunk nights I was like, let's go out and swim with sharks. Not in cages, bull sharks with no protection. Don't ever do that. That is, as I said, that's because someone breaks up with you. Please don't I was very naive. It was a long time ago. Not now. I'm happy now married. But not under that.

Randall Kaplan

So a lot of people in business who are famous don't like hanging around people in the same business. You've said similar things. I know you have friends that are influencers, Hana, but are most of your friends now not in the business and why? Why do you want to have more friends not in the business and in the business?

Lele Pons

Depends, I mean, when it comes to for example, like Dancing with the Stars, they weren't in the business, but they were different because they're new friends. So they they just met me now when I'm established. However, like the people that I keep are the ones that knew me before I was here and they are in the business though. Like Hannah, you know, or Wampa or Toine they're all in the business are my best friends but they knew me before I was as

I am now. So right now I like to be friends with I actually, I don't like to be really friends with like, just like you I mean, I love to hang out with them. And obviously I go out and then you'll people will see your posts and everything. One person in particular who I love, and I know she's famous, but she's actually so humble, became actually a really good friend. And I don't. People are very shocked that I'm friends with her because we don't really we don't really post so much

together. But we're really together all the time, is Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton is amazing. And I've shared many moments with her. They're incredible, and I love her. Another person that I've shared many moments and nobody really knows that I hang out with her and she is famous is teeny, teeny. She's brilliant. And I adore her. She's a very famous Argentinian singer. She's been there when I cry when I love when I'm drunk. I call her i Oh my god. We have a lot of stories and we never we

never nobody knows. So nobody knows. And Anita, Anita is amazing. So

Randall Kaplan

Paris Hilton who I am dying to have on my show, a lot of people think she is a ditz. This he's not very smart, airhead blonde. Nobody thinks nobody can think dumb blonde. Well, while they do, I mean, if people don't know her, so she spoke at a conference, doing a keynote called the salt conference is a financial conference will see men there in suits, I'd say 75% men and she she got up there to talk about her career entrepreneur, businesses investment marketing

plan. She's amazing. And I think a lot of people don't don't know tell us something about Paris Hilton that people don't know. So

Lele Pons

there are Paris Hilton and she doesn't know is as she didn't really have she it's not all happiness. She she actually had she's probably talked about this actually. She said our dark childhood like she had to dark moments in her life. And I was I was in one of them. I mean, things that people don't know about Paris Hilton is that she she will do the best she can to make you feel accepted, wanted welcomed. You know? I mean, it doesn't matter who it is, you will do it and she

actually cares. Like to make you feel good.

Randall Kaplan

What was the darkest moment that you shared with her? We were

Lele Pons

both going through a really bad relationship. And just like you know, how, you know, bad, bad, bad relationship. And I think we got close because of that.

Randall Kaplan

She's happily married now.

Lele Pons

When she got engaged, I cried. And I told her you found the Prince Charming the person that you deserved. And same with me.

Randall Kaplan

I want to talk about how much of your life is public versus private. I mean, you share a lot of things that are real but there must be a lot of things that are private behind closed doors that you don't want to share what what are those things and why don't you make everything public?

Lele Pons

Thanks things that I don't make things up. I think I don't make public how intense and how how much I think I don't make public how much comments and hate hate haters make me feel like what happens to me with the breakdowns that I have, you know, I don't really show that I also like a picture of like, me cry or something like but not like there's a difference of you crying and there's a difference of like what actually like how intense it can the toll that it can go on you right that was you say

the toll that the yeah

Randall Kaplan

the toll emotional toll Yeah.

Lele Pons

Yeah, the mental toll. Yeah. I don't I don't think because it cuz you know what I don't. I don't want like, let's say I someone makes a bad video of me or does something. I don't want people to see how I'm reacting while seeing that video. You know, it's a different thing. But

Randall Kaplan

it's so real. It makes you it makes you real. I mean, do you post if you get into a fight with your husband? Are you gonna fight with your family? Because that's real. We all do, right?

Lele Pons

I've never posted when I got into a fight with Gwyneth so I guess there I never post when I get into a fight with why now or if I was hanging out or if I'm with my family. No, I don't post that. So

Randall Kaplan

alright, we'll talk about your husband you met him in a Universal Music Video. Tell us what you saw when you met him and why you're in love with him and

Lele Pons

why Okay, so um, so this is a very controversial story actually controversial a very, very good so they cut the story in half. So I'll show you what happened. So this is what happened. I Meg Weiner, because I was doing a music video with Liana, his one of his best friends was doing this booty so that's the call the song he came to meet me. He knew who I was I made videos of I made a video of a song greywater and I made a video reasonably well then I

posted it whatever. He came To the music video, he met me he was super cool. He was super nice. He was sad. I think I don't know why he was he was out. He was sad. So I was like, let's go out. Let's have fun. Let's go to throw it into this prison in LA. We did. Nothing happened. I mean, we stayed in contact, and we talked a lot, a lot a lot. And what happened was like, he fell in love with me,

like really, really bad. Like he would, like, come to LA and get in going to like, like, places where I was like, he did a lot, you know, like he would like, you know, like, like, he would get like, come to LA. Make it seem like he was coming for work. But he was coming for me stop, you know, he didn't stalk me. No, not really. Okay. followed. You know, he did like two times when he was like, okay, yeah, no, like, he didn't really stalk me. That's the thing like he by

Randall Kaplan

I don't mean that in a creepy way. I mean, in a loving way.

Lele Pons

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, for me stalking is like, you're following me around. I'm walking around. I'm like, he would like go to LA when he had the chance. And like, try to get like, gotten a hotel near where I live, just in case like and be like, Hey, I'm here. Like, let's do something like, You know what I mean? Like he actually like really wanted to hang around and go on dates with me. Because he lives in Puerto

Randall Kaplan

Rico. Right. So Matt exchanged some numbers. I remember.

Lele Pons

Why not? And he he did a lot to to you know, to be with me too, because he loved me. And he was in love with me. However, I told them. I didn't love him. He said, I love you. And I said, thank you. Yeah, that was it made him feel great. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I told them, thank you. And he was like, okay, and he left. never saw him again. And then we had, we had recorded a song before that happened. And it was at the Nada. And then he left. And then

I saw him again. And when I saw him, I was like, I saw him for the first time. And I was like, Hey, how are you? And he was so indifferent. Me. He was so cold. I didn't like that. And I was like, okay, cool, whatever. And my friends started being like, I think you liked him. Maybe you liked attention. You know, I was like, I like the fact that, you know, he doesn't care. He's like, like, okay, okay, maybe he's a little thing that I have, whatever. So we made a music

video. And in the music video, we were just laughing, whatever, and everything. And he was still super indifferent, hated me. And I was like, ah, like, I am seeing him differently. And I don't like that. And I got into fights with my friends, cuz they were like, You like me, you're starting to like him. You're starting to miss him. You started to miss the things I used to do send you flowers. He did this. And you're starting to miss it because he left and you

don't have it anymore. And I was like, No, I don't like why now. I don't like him. Bucky. Like, I don't like right now. And then we started to get to know each other more when and me and everything. And my god, I started to miss him. And I was like, oh my god, I miss him. And I told him I was like, I think I really liked you. And he was like, Well, I don't. You're gonna have to prove to me that you actually do like me? Or

you're she loved me. I don't want I don't want to get something with you lately, and then you're gonna leave. He's doesn't have time for that, you know? So he's like, if you really love me, like, I want to see that you love me. Now because you say because you because I'm ignoring you. And I did everything in my power to prove to him that I loved him. But I want it to win him out. He's gonna win me back. He said, and I did everything possible to

bring him back. Like what I would do parties, hoping that he would come to the parties, you know, like and, and see me there. You know, like, you know, like, in high school like you when there's, there's no high school throughout. Now you have to make the parties. You're in high school. You're like, Oh my God, I hope he's gonna be here, you know, to run into each other. I would do that. I would.

I would be like, Hey, have you ever talked to whiner like, like, like, you know, say something nice about me or something? Say I'm pretty. You know, like, when everyone in high school has done it. Like, if he asked about you, like, say that I am bad. I'm nice or something working it. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So I saw I stopped and what else have I done? I? I didn't many things. I mean, I yeah, like all that stuff. I never like, like, went out to look for him. I don't

know who where he was. But I try to find moments where I can see him. You know, so I can actually talk to him or flirt with him because he blocked me. So there's no way of me even being with him. So I did everything I guess I could have. And then he still didn't like me. And I left to LA and then a month later, he came and he was like, let's try it. And then everything was more calm and good and collective. Everything was more calm and

good. And then we became where we become now we were love we were really good to each other. But there was obviously that so when I when I set the story. Many people cut the part that he wanted me and all that stuff and cut to i i met him that way. Like I did all this stuff to meet him. You got I mean, people thought that the way that I met Gwynedd was by me doing like by stop by doing all this stuff. And that's how he met me. But I didn't meet him like that. I that was like me getting him

back. You know what I mean? He can first left and then I did everything. But

Randall Kaplan

who cares about the other one? What's wrong with you? You like a guy you do things that you're gonna hate?

Lele Pons

Yeah, I think it's great. The thing is fucking, that's the that's the problem. I was too honest with what I did. And when you're too honest, and you're not private people will get into you and be like, she stalked him. She, she manipulated him. She did all this stuff. She harassed him that told me I was like, but I never I never like, I never did this. He's a grown man. Like, he knows. He knows. i He knows I did parties for him. He knows I told his friends that too.

Please, like talk good about me. He knows I I did everything. My God, I don't know what else. Oh, my God, what else did I do? That I don't remember what I said in the interview? Yeah, I did a lot. So

Randall Kaplan

here's a guy who's straightforward with you, who likes you, who tells you he likes you. And then he tells you, He loves you. I was single seven and a half years before I met my amazing wife, Madison, we've been together now 10 years most amazing wife in the world. But when I was single for seven and a half years, if I liked a woman, I would send her a note that night. I'd say I really enjoyed meeting you. i I'm looking forward to a second date. If you'll go out with me,

I'd send them flowers. And you know what the advice I got from people is Dude, what are you doing? This is stupid. You

Lele Pons

know? Yeah, people were like, oh my god, like, it wasn't authentic. Authentic. Yeah. Let me tell you something.

Randall Kaplan

Bill saying hey, you know, lay off you know, like, women don't like it when you are. In this case. A nice guy. I was getting advice. Don't be a nice guy. Women, like bad boys. And obviously, a lot of them don't, but some of them do. But what's your there's a lot of people there who are your followers? Who like what would be known as bad bad guys, right? They I mean, not bad human beings. But you know, Hey, man, don't don't come after me.

Right? I need to need you to not to tell me right away how much you liked me.

Lele Pons

So the thing here is yes, we love that voice. I love that voice and why it was so nice to meet when is it was amazing why that was not a bad boy. And that's why I was like, Yeah, you know. So, a couple months later, after, you know, moments, I was like, oh my god, I deserve a nice guy. What the hell am I doing? I had a nice guy right here. And I let him go because I told him thank you. And he loved me, you know? And then I met him and I realized what I had, and I did not, you

know, cherish it. And then that's why I was like, I have to do everything that I can and not in in not illegal way, you know, like in a legal in a legal way to win him back because I had him. And I did I did. And honestly people are like, wow, she's crazy. She did all this. And I was like, Yes, I did a lot. But look at me now I am happy. He's worth fighting for I will 100% do the same thing because I have the best man I could have ever asked for. And all of my friends sorry. are

breaking up. I mean, why not? are super love, like, you know, so then we have very, very stable, we're good. We're really good to each other. And it's hard to find. I'm sorry. It's really hard to find in this stage. Like a really stable like everything, you know, like, best friend almost relationship. Like it's hard.

Randall Kaplan

Why do women and why did you like bad guys?

Lele Pons

Oh, me. Okay. I like what I can't have. You know,

Randall Kaplan

like, so many people. Yeah,

Lele Pons

if you're a bad guy, like, makes me feel like, I need to win more. You know, like, he's bad to me. We'd like the thrill we like the the going after someone you know, I mean, we liked it. We don't like it easy. Many girls don't like it easy. You know, we don't like that we don't like too much attention and we'd like to fight for it. So he was amazing. And he actually didn't become a bad guy. But he did become he was a nice guy who became hard to get there. So that was perfect. But

he Yeah, but I like the worst. I like the worst guys. I really had a horrible horrible relationships horrible horrible relationships really bad.

Randall Kaplan

And then at some point you said okay it's time and by the way all the all the women who didn't want to go out with me who didn't like me and there were tons of them, you know, your your too straightforward. Your clean cut whatever and I I dated the wrong women while I was looking for the right woman. And then when I found mass and I met her I flew to New York to take her to dinner. I lied. I'm coming out there for the frieze art fair. I wasn't coming out there for the

free route fair. And we we went out two nights to stay the weekend and then we got engaged three months later. So I think I think you had to go after what you want. And I remember the night before always asked me keep on going. The night before I'm at a dinner at Giorgio baldy amazing restaurant in Santa Monica and I'm with a very

interesting group of people. A famous director next to me, we're talking about dating in Los Angeles said, hey, you know what it is we I said, Well, I'm actually going to New York to take a woman to dinner. And he looked at me said, Dude, you're fucking loser. You have to go to New York to go on a date. And I said, Well, I, you know, I met her a few years ago, we became

texting friends. I mean, I texted her three times, and she made a post and, and on Facebook, going to Hawaii with my boyfriend, and you know, I can't wait two weeks. And I said, Oh, is this the engagement trip? And she wrote back? Hardly. And then I sent a text, oh, God, you know, you're too great. You know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I and then I checked in with her four days later. And she said, I said, How how's it going? Oh, we broke up. Like, all right,

great. I said, I like to come to New York and you take you to dinner. And so do it now. Because if you miss it by a second, if some guy gets in there first, I had insider information. Right? In a corporate world, you go to jail for this, but in a loving world. It's like first in time, and I got really, really lucky. I saw that guy. Four years later, the director, I'm like, hey. So you know, the dinner we had four years ago, Giorgio baldy said? He said, Yeah, well, I gotta

tell you like, I fucking know. I heard. Congratulations.

Lele Pons

That. You see. I think that one of the things that Weiner liked about me, I never lied about any of this stuff to him. He knew everything I did. And he liked me because I worked so hard to get him to to to win him back. I did a lot. Crazy shit. Crazy. I've even said, but he knows them all. And he loves them. And you know, like, it's good to know that somebody fought for you. It's good to know. Yeah. And I feel like your wife is so lucky. Like,

Randall Kaplan

oh, thank you. I'm luckier than she is, by the way, you know, it's, yeah,

Lele Pons

it's, you know, it's something that people say. And I'm like, No, I'm very against it. Like people are like, Oh, you got married. You're good. That's when it starts. That's when you have to work the hardest. When you get married. It's a lie. It's not like oh, you I'm married. I got married. I made it. No, no. When you get married, you have dates. You try you you give details. You do stuff that you continue. It's not because you up, Chuck. I got married. Good. All good. Now,

we're all good. You're not good. This is where it starts. And me and why not have something that we we have like we every single day we try to NASA dude, how do you say we try to conquer? How do you say how to make each other fall in love with each other again, and again and every single time, new ways.

Randall Kaplan

And my wedding. An amazing Rabbi named Steve leader gave great advice. He said the two most important words in any marriage are I'm sorry. And it's very, very profound. When you think about it, because you have to put your partner's needs above your own. That's one of the most important ingredients of a successful marriage. And the ability to say I'm sorry, not only in a marriage, but in a life is so important. It's a

Lele Pons

team. You got to stop pretending like you're not involved in though the prison the prison is involved. You're a team. Like you have to think for him to have for her, you know.

Randall Kaplan

So, in all of our lives, we have role models, idols that we want to be one day you had a few. So if he ever gara Shakira, and at some point after one of her concerts you met, Shakira, you posted this the best night of my life. So if I waited 2020 years to meet her, wait, it's the best night of your life more, more. More than your wedding night. Probably. Yeah, more than your wedding night

Lele Pons

was drunk. I don't remember. You were drunk. I love it anyway. But why? 10?

Randall Kaplan

Top 10 Okay, top 10 I mean, no

Lele Pons

top top three? No Top 10 Top 10 Top 10 For sure. I can tell you that for sure. For sure.

Randall Kaplan

Okay, well so great about meeting her.

Lele Pons

I mean, it's like meeting someone that like it's like a manifesting thing like I've always wanted to meet her years years years you have to be patient in the moment arrived and everything that you ever wanted, you know, it's a very rare usually people meet their idol and that is not what they think. And I it was everything. I thought everything was perfect. She's amazing. I said she has helped me many, many

times with my mental health. So meaning the person that has helped me is like, that's when you know, I made I'm famous. I made it I made it that to that room. I'm famous. I'm good. I'm done. Like I was she's she's a great she's such a great role model and I need to take adventures that she's she's alive.

Randall Kaplan

You kept in touch with her. You become good friends with her. Oh, no, no. Okay.

Lele Pons

Well, I met her was one and done two times every single time I blacked out. I don't know what I said. Do you blog out like, oh, every single time? I don't know. I'm actually very passionate about things when I love them. So I'm very passionate about being like a Securitas fan. So I'm a very passionate fan. Have you met Sofia Vergara? Yeah, she's great, too. But it was more it's more. I love Sofia regard but I would like actually do something with her. Like, I was like a

friend. But like, no, no, I'm not saying like, Shakira is more like, like, I put her on a pedestal. Right, you know, and, and Taylor Swift, like, I'm obsessed with.

Randall Kaplan

Like, that's your that's your, like, baby photo people

Lele Pons

don't really know that that much. Because to have Joseph has the best fan base, such a big fan base. And I just like I feel like, like, I don't want to just like in truth. So I'm like, I'm like a huge Taylor Swift Fan, but I'm not like, I'm not gonna like, like, because, you know, like, it's it's very like, it's like a club, you know? And I'm like, I really want to join the Club. I've been a fan for a long time, but I really don't want to get rejected by the club.

Randall Kaplan

Did you meet her at one of our concerts? Didn't go backstage. Did you buy tickets on Ticketmaster? Like, knew somebody right? You say, Hey, give me some good tickets.

Lele Pons

No, I bought them. My husband bought them be okay. Okay.

Randall Kaplan

I met Sofia Vergara once. Yeah, yeah. I haven't told this story before. I've told parts of it. But I'll you know, we shared a lot of things with each other. And I've shared some things that I've never shared before. So here we go. So I have a nice home in LA. I was very fortunate young age to build my dream home. I'm I'm very lucky. Very lucky. And by the way, there isn't a day that I don't drive in my long driveway with a gate and just like, gosh, you know, I'm so lucky to live here. And I'm so

grateful. So modern family wants to do a photo shoot at my house. Yeah. Do you have a girls coming? Oh, my God, I'm pumped. Yeah. And I'm seeing Oh, and I can't wait to just, you know, take my shot. Yeah, of course. Right. I mean, why not? Right. Yeah, there's another celebrity. And I'll tell this story as well. But so she comes and you know, they have a makeup. We have a guest house. She's in there doing the makeup and then she doesn't shoot and then she's taking a break. I said, Oh, I'm

Randy. I'm the homeowner here. And I said we'd like to have dinner sometime. And she looked at me and she said, I can't believe I'm gonna say this. But that's exactly what she said. Yeah. She said, Sure. I'd love to. It's not like you're gonna rape me or anything?

Lele Pons

I couldn't do I see her saying that?

Randall Kaplan

I want how I love so she gave me her phone number. And you know, how many great dinners we had? How many 00 ghost?

Lele Pons

Oh my god. Hey, you

Randall Kaplan

know, you gotta you got to take a shot. So, so many celebrities, influence I know, you know, they, they meet people who they date they slide into their DMS, right? Yeah. It's tough. because how else? How else are you going to be someone you know, you can't call CAA or endeavor and say, oh, gosh, you know, I'm uh, I'm, I'm Randy Kaplan. I'm, I'm, I'm a nobody. Yeah. Hey, I'd like to date this movie star. That

sounds gonna happen. So I'm sure a lot of your friends and maybe when you were single people were sliding into your DMS.

Lele Pons

I never checked any. Never.

Randall Kaplan

I swear to God, you don't check any or dance.

Lele Pons

I don't check my request stuff. Like I don't I don't I've never I can't tell you. I've had a DM from a guy a famous person. I know. And if I have I haven't seen it.

Randall Kaplan

Not a famous for Well, okay. Even people I don't

Lele Pons

really know. I don't know. I don't I don't. I guess I forgot that part of the app. Right?

Randall Kaplan

Yeah, it's, it's interesting. I mean, I, when I was single, I wanted to meet people who I was attracted to. And, you know, because I think you can't have a good relationship unless, unless you are. And, you know, sometimes you meet people, I take very nice vacations, I'm very grateful can afford them. And sometimes there's interesting people, I go to four seasons. And, you know, by way, Kristen Bell was at the Four Seasons, by the way, one time and I had gone to the resort, the one in Kona,

I've been there. Yeah, 20 times, right, two times a year because vacation. Kids love it. We love it. And I'm the guy that takes 1000 photographs of my kids, right? We have we have pictures of us jumping in into the pool, you know, with our feet up in the air, whatever. So I'm taking photos. Security guard comes up to me and says hey, you know, you know, no photos. And he's, he works there. I mean, and I said, Well, what do you mean so well, you know, there's someone

here who's very well known. And I said, Yeah, I know. And he said and he doesn't want you taking photos. I said I don't give a flying fuck. If he doesn't want to take us. I've been here a bunch of times. And I'm gonna take photos all day long. And if he doesn't like and get the fuck out of here, because my money is just as good as his money. On that same trip, there was an actress who I'd seen the movie, she had won a whole bunch of things. She was

married. And, you know, sometimes you look at someone for little extra seconds. All right, well, that was that like extra second, right? I'm married. She's married. Nothing weird going on. And then I see her a few years later at Soho House in LA. You've been so hot. Yeah. Right. Sure. You're hanging out there. I mean, it's like a it's a very cool spot. So I see her there. And I And again, like, she didn't recognize me, I don't think but again, it was. She was with a

guy. Yeah, I wasn't. I was saying, oh, and I gave her an extra long walk. Yeah. And she didn't look away. So I said, Okay, whatever. And I didn't know, I went up to her. And I said, Oh, by the way, you know, we met at the Four Seasons, you know, a long time ago and said, okay, and the guys there. Maybe it was four feet away. So he didn't hear what I'm saying and said, So good to see you again. So I said all right, well, how am I gonna get a hold of her? I know people CA I know senior

people there. My first wife, Laura, I used to work for Ron Meyer, who ran a ca for a long time. So I said, Gosh, I How am I gonna do this? So I found out her production company. Right? They've got a number. So I sent over, I don't know if it was I was like, two dozen roses. And I said, it's so nice to see you last night. And I love you know, take you to dinner. Nothing. Right. I'm sorry. Well, you know, that didn't work. So two, two months later, I get a call. Yeah. I just said, Hey, I know I

sent these. I don't check my messages. No one told me that you sent these roses. And I just said, Hey, I'm flattered. She said, I'd love to go out with you. But the guy who was with is my boyfriend. I said, Well, okay, great. I said, How did you meet him? I just curious that I'm walking down the street in France. And he came up to me. And he asked me for a cup of coffee. Oh, that was crazy. I thought that was crazy. That's an Oscar winner, award winning actress some dude in France, by

the way, who has no job? He doesn't work. And he goes I found that very interesting. So I think it's it's interesting to be an influencer actor, actress musician, because it's hard to meet high quality people. I think that's probably

Lele Pons

don't know any of my husband. My boyfriend's. Because you they're not famous. Yeah.

Randall Kaplan

You said that life is like a fight. And it's like a great boxer. What does that mean?

Lele Pons

Um, I think I said that. Yeah. I said that one? Oh, yeah, I did. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Life is like a fire. It's like a gray box. Oh, I feel like boxers get a lot of obstacles, not just one. You know, it's a lot of obstacles and how in some knock you down in some you win. So I think you know, I get it, but your your state, you're in one place, and then keep on going in and out. And then and then there's people that help you and give you advice and whether you

take them or not. So it's like life, it feels like life is like that. You know, it's all about obstacles. It's all about the fight. It's all about you win, or you lose. And when you win. It's amazing. And it'd be when you lose, everyone knows that everybody's around. Everybody remembers and everything. It's like a it's like a boxing match. And it's tough. And but at the same time at the end, it also kind of like sorts out. You know how the boxers are like, you

know, it all sorts out. It's all in it's only for like one night. guy

Randall Kaplan

get gotta get up, get up, get up again. Let's talk about success. And work ethic, which I believe is the most important ingredient for success. Hands down. Yeah. Talk about your workout. Like you're going to just seven days a week. Do you ever take a day off? What what? What's your workday like?

Lele Pons

I have. It's annoying because like, the ideas that I give, I don't really, I don't really like to like, I like to do ideas no one else has done, like my videos. I really, really try. So it's like if it comes it comes if it doesn't, it doesn't might be a week, I don't post because I don't I didn't get an idea. It might be a day that I get five ideas and I shoot them all, you know. So it's very the wave to big wave. So I think it

depends on what's going on. I am actually right now better than before because before it was every single day, every single day and now I'm more calm. I've done that I've lived that. And I'm more I now have a one star family. I want to do a gliding I want to be calmer, like Yeah, that's what I want.

Randall Kaplan

One of the things that's made me very successful, something I call extreme preparation. Okay, so that means preparing more than anybody else. I'd be the most prepared person stepped foot in any room, how has extreme preparation led to your success?

Lele Pons

I think it's because well, Vine was going to die. I was prepared to go somewhere that already had that platform, Instagram to go to evolving and transitioning before anybody else. That's preparation. You know, same with, you know, like, tic tock, right? Let's say that if tic tock gets banned or whatever, you have six months, what are you going to do? Prepare yourself, when that happens? You have six months,

what are you going to do? For example, you know, you can't Don't wait on the last minute to do stuff. If I have a video idea, if I have, if I want to do something. Start now thinking about it for next year. If you know next year you want to be in a movie or you want to, I don't know, make an album. Go to singing classes, years, but you know what I mean? Like, preparation, you gotta you every single. That's what and I also don't do things that I'm not

prepared in. I don't like it. I will not go to anything that I'm not prepared. I don't do that. I'd rather not go than if I'm not prepared. So

Randall Kaplan

your team has told you drink tea in the morning hot tea in the morning. Don't scream at concerts. Hi. Yeah, actually. Yeah. My team. yourself. So those are those are those are extremely important. Yeah, that's But that's an example. Most people don't think about that. You got to save your voice your singer. Or content creator.

Lele Pons

Don't smoke. Don't do drugs. Like Don't?

Randall Kaplan

Don't do drugs. Yeah. What are the let's let's shift gears for a second to talk about money. Yeah. Have you ever been motivated by money? Never.

Lele Pons

I really bad money. I'm bad with money.

Randall Kaplan

But But did you ever say shit? You know? That's my first million dollars.

Lele Pons

Yeah, no, I'm super great. Not money is one of the most important things. But I want enough to be stable and good. I'm not here trying to like, get like if I had a lot of money, right? I would use it. For example, to travel. No, but the world is I just went to Iceland. When I go to Africa. I probably wouldn't use it for a car. I'm good with my Toyota. But you know, I just want to, you know, transportation. You know,

Randall Kaplan

you have a Toyota right now. Yeah.

Lele Pons

I don't even know. I have a picture though. You don't know what No, I don't know. I don't really like I'm not so materialistic.

Randall Kaplan

How old is your car?

Lele Pons

I don't know. Can you tell by looking at it?

Randall Kaplan

I'm not a car guy. But I'm gonna have a look. Okay.

Lele Pons

This little I found

Randall Kaplan

Yeah, so little kind of Mini Hatchback. mini SUV or something like that. Yeah. Not fancy. No, no,

Lele Pons

I mean, I have I have I have a house because it's a good investment. And I love that for sure. But I'm not like I don't have anything on like, even my wedding ring is in a box because I don't want to like lose it and it's not I don't really like you know, like sappy Jama. But I put like the dog in pajamas. Beautiful fucking pajama. And I can wear I wear all the time with it with a human looks like it's

Randall Kaplan

not you sleeping up pajamas. Got some things that could fall off.

Lele Pons

I don't see but it but it's like very comfortable. It's like something that you will sleep with. I'm very comfortable. And I will I do like to use money for like, like, travel, my family, the future of my kids, stuff like that. But I don't Pro and I've used them in a really horrible moments to like, for parties. I should have not used it. But I'm trying right now. I'm more mature to use to to use it for the future. If I want to make a movie, for example, saving it. You know, I

Randall Kaplan

think people will be shocked that that was your car. I think most people would think you have a very nice car. Do you fly first class? You fly coach? Yeah,

Lele Pons

I there should be people out there who have seen me in coaching while taking pictures of me. But sometimes I fly in first class, but no, not really.

Randall Kaplan

But you make a lot of money. Yeah, yeah.

Lele Pons

But I want to save for like other things.

Randall Kaplan

What's your financial goal in the next three 510 years? Um,

Lele Pons

I want to my financial goal. It doesn't have to be a number. My

Randall Kaplan

goal was I want to be a millionaire by the time I was 30 years old. You know, at some point I said, God, I want my net worth to be $10 million. And at some point in LA, a minimum nice house and a nice that worth $5 million. Right. So it keeps as you keep getting a different lifestyle than it gets. I

Lele Pons

would I mean, I would love like I would love 10 million. But why though? Not for me. I would love it for the future of my grandchildren. My kids. Yeah.

Randall Kaplan

So you're saving for the future? Yes. And you have people who are advising you Yeah, save your money. Financial Advisors. Yes. Explain how the money works on when your influencer you get paid CPM, certain.

Lele Pons

I mean, everybody gets like a percentage, you know, get a brand deal. Everybody gets a percentage, right. So

Randall Kaplan

it's views on the platform's they saw with ads, yeah. sponsors. Yeah. Brand partnerships.

Lele Pons

Yes. Brand partnerships with parents. Yes. Yeah. appearances. Yes. So

Randall Kaplan

if you if you have a million views views on YouTube. Yeah. What does an influencer make? I

Lele Pons

don't know. I went with a million views right now Snapchat is going crazy. Snapchat is like, amazing. They're paying

Randall Kaplan

more because they want to track the the content creators

Lele Pons

really good but it all honestly it all depends like I, I have never been really good with money like I'm really like when I say good I've never been really I should have been more on top of it. I usually have someone on top of it. Because I just create, create, create, create, create and then like, I'm someone that like, I probably got fucked over many times. But now I know better.

Randall Kaplan

How old were you when you made your first million dollar?

Lele Pons

1990 Yeah, I think so.

Randall Kaplan

Did you say Holy shit. I'm a millionaire at 19

Lele Pons

I literally was just like my mom. Like, what do we do with it? Like, I really want to do. I think I was like, Okay, I don't know what to do with it. Um I don't know. I don't know, because I want to be stupid. I've been stupid with it. You know, I've been stupid. Like now every single time I get money and everything. I'm like, Okay, how much? Well, you have to know what goes in what goes out. Like, that's very important before it was like my mom took care of everything because I I

had no experience. Nothing. But I was actually I wanted more money because I liked the look on my mom's face. She was so happy. She was like, very proud. And I was like, I like that. I like the feeling of making my parents proud.

Randall Kaplan

My parents were proud when I made money, too. Yeah,

Lele Pons

as I'm saying. I was like, it was a great it was like, okay, that's keeping me it

Randall Kaplan

feels it feels nice was Did you buy yourself? One or two extravagant things? Any watch? Or? Obviously you can get yourself a new car. No,

Lele Pons

I didn't know you should smell the car. I need to change that. That'd be good. I got another car. Not that not a big one. But let's see. I think that what did I buy about? I house? A house? That's nice.

Randall Kaplan

In Miami, Miami Shores. And you bought it before you were married? Yes. Okay. And then how did they move in your house? Yes. Yeah. Is it big enough for kids? Yes. Yeah. Excited to have kids. I would love to have kids. How many kids you want? Three. And boys girls,

Lele Pons

boys. Boys are for the mom and the girls for the dad. I love it. girl that you know like daddy's little girl mom. a mama's boy. You know like those little things like because like, boys like what? Protect them all a lot. Like, I don't know if you with your mom, you have a good relationship. But like, yeah, it's so different. And then girls with dads, it's just like, it's different. It's like, I don't know.

Randall Kaplan

Five kids for girls. Oh, wow. Girl, you're amazed. You're

Lele Pons

happy to why not was a girl?

Randall Kaplan

Yeah. I mean, I it's the best thing. You know, someone told me they gave me great advice. My friend Rick Rivera who had four kids under five when I met him 20 something years ago, 30 years ago. And he said, you'll find out the meaning of life when you have kids. And boy, that was an understatement. It's the most incredible you take away all my money. My love and feelings. Yeah. I mean, it's great. Your take my car, you're you're gonna

be for something amazing. As we get near the end of the show, I want to talk about the importance of giving back. You have a huge platform. You can influence a lot of people talk about the charity concert you did and Richard Branson setting. Yeah.

Lele Pons

Yeah. I mean, honestly, in that moment, like, that was a very intense moment because I kind of felt well tell

Randall Kaplan

people what it is who Richard Branson is, if you don't know and then you just call you up. Yeah, yeah.

Lele Pons

The Venezuelan like it was Yeah, Richard Gere is like, Branson. Yeah. Yeah. Richard Branson is like a billionaire who helped do a charity event in Venezuela. Would you ever turn 18 2018 17 or something? And it was in the border between Venezuela and Colombia. And it was a concert that we did many people mean other to raise awareness of what was going on with with Venezuela and the time it was alive, it was like, what was it like to give

Randall Kaplan

it to us to Yeah, to raise I mean, Venezuelans to unite event. Yeah, people and that's a things are not good. And

Lele Pons

it was to raise awareness and raise money for Venezuelan people. And it was apparently I later it was like, it didn't go as planned.

Randall Kaplan

With what happened. You

Lele Pons

know, as someone that lives very early in Venezuela, it's I understand it's like you it's easy to go back, do a concert and leave and go back to your life you know, so I wish when I did that I really wish I did more. Oh my God, I wish I

wish it did more. I wish it just it wasn't an appearance it there's a difference between make an appearance and actually making something a consistent have been Doing something, you know, I probably got, you know, like, it's like people were like once you got paid to just stand there and do it. Like, there's actual problems, like you want to do something donate you want to do something promote constantly on your page. Go to Venezuela. I can't go apparently. Like I can't explain

why I can't go. I would love to go to Minnesota. I cannot explain why I can't go.

Randall Kaplan

You're not allowed on the show are not allowed Venezuela. Venezuela won't let you go.

Lele Pons

I can't explain why. But I would love I will. I promise I will.

Randall Kaplan

Sir. Just to be clear, there's a reason why you can't go but you can't talk about Yeah,

Lele Pons

okay. Yeah. Yeah. I would love to. Okay. You're

Randall Kaplan

a Venezuelan citizen. You became a US citizen when you were 23 years old. Yes. How much importance did that have in your life and I'm

Lele Pons

very grateful to I'm very grateful to be Venezuelan. I'm very grateful to be a citizen of America. I'm grateful to I'm grateful for everything. I swear to God like I am who I am today because of Minnesota. I'm today because of where I am. The people that I surround myself with in America when 100 100% and I'm very lucky. My god, I'm very lucky to have been as well. I mean, it's been it

was beautiful. And I'm very lucky to be a better son because the people there it's just really for me, I'm very in Miami, very united. Like I Margo, like I want to shout out, Michael Carina Smith, Elena rose, Danny Ocean, all the people that are here in Miami, like, I liked the community that has come from that have come from Minnesota and come to Miami. I want to switch back

Randall Kaplan

to content creation. Yeah. Where did the ideas come from? And can you give three amazing ideas that are coming out of this show today?

Lele Pons

Okay, contemplation, contemplation? Where did the ideas come from? Oh, my God. Okay, let me explain the ideas. Yeah, the ideas come from literally, whatever happens, whatever experience is going on in my, in my in my brain, whatever is happening, I see something funny. I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna make that into something. That's what, how the ideas come? All the ideas that I have, are just some of them are really weird because my brain was going through something

weird at the moment. But yeah, it's just, it's like, inspire inspiration. You have to be inspired. It's not like somebody, you're gonna go right now and Google and be like, what are funny ideas? They post?

Randall Kaplan

Are there any funny ideas coming on the show today?

Lele Pons

I mean, for sure. You know what I mean, like, come up with some good ones. I feel like, for example, in this show, it's not about funny, because there's moments here that people are going to actually because I'm talking, people are going to have to relate to moments that have been actually short, because it has been like 30 seconds. productive, straight to the point, but has a really powerful meaning that what I would post for example,

Randall Kaplan

you know what I mean? We've had a lot of those moments. Yes, a lot. A lot. Yes.

Lele Pons

And that's what when I was saying I was like that would be a good moment to post. Before

Randall Kaplan

we finish today, I want to ask some more open ended questions. As part of my podcast, fill in the blank to excellence. Are you ready to play? Yeah. The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is

Lele Pons

love yourself. Love yourself more.

Randall Kaplan

My number one professional goal is no more

Lele Pons

professional goal is learn to take criticism.

Randall Kaplan

My number one personal goal is

Lele Pons

I wonder my professional goal. I want to be a movie director.

Randall Kaplan

What are you doing towards advancing that goal?

Lele Pons

I want to do animated films first.

Randall Kaplan

I try to do that so fun and get funding from somebody else. I

Lele Pons

want to yeah, like I want to I know some people that do animated films, like just like my friends and I want to create something very smart. Five minutes, you know, but you start small. You start

Randall Kaplan

playing so you got to start somewhere. Yeah. My biggest fear

Lele Pons

is my biggest fear is forgetting. The craziest

Randall Kaplan

thing that's happened in my career is anything that

Lele Pons

has happened in my career is marrying Whina. Because that came from a song. So that's pretty much crazy as crazy.

Randall Kaplan

The one thing I've jumped about doing for a long time, which

Lele Pons

I know that's what the stars, I thought, yeah, cool. I'm gonna shout them out. Okay, craziest thing in my career, basically, the stars. The

Randall Kaplan

one thing I've dreamed about the one thing I've dreamed about doing for a long time, but haven't is

Lele Pons

the one thing that I've dreamed about doing but haven't yet is having kids.

Randall Kaplan

If you were president of the United States today, what was the first thing you would do?

Lele Pons

Make Taylor Swift president, because why would I ever I'm not a good president. For like, I like I would vote for her. If

Randall Kaplan

she ran, she would win by a landslide. I think I mean, you know her her age demographic is young, but crazier things have happened before. If you meet one person in the world, who would it be like me her?

Lele Pons

I tell us, if you go back

Randall Kaplan

in time and give your 21 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Lele Pons

Take breaks, take many breaks.

Randall Kaplan

The one question you wish I'd asked but didn't is

Lele Pons

who? Wow, you think you got everything right? What are your next goals in life like this year?

Randall Kaplan

What are your next goals in life this year? Okay, cool. I can't believe I thought of it.

Lele Pons

I want to go to India. And I want to learn the culture and I want to do content there. I actually want to go there and just do content, learn about the culture collab with people make music there.

Randall Kaplan

Because you want to lean into your fans. There are just because you

Lele Pons

might because my dad is going or your dad is going to India. Yeah. My dad, like wants to live in

Randall Kaplan

India wants to live there. Yeah, what makes him want to live there.

Lele Pons

He's spiritual person. Okay, they have a very spiritual person. And he was there for like, 30 days, he wants to go. And then I'm like, Okay, I want to go to and then when I said that I wanted to go, a lot of people were like, I want to clap. And I was like, okay, great collaborations. I'm gonna move my dad. I want to live the culture is amazing. Bollywood movies, everything. Yeah. Oh, no,

Randall Kaplan

I love it. It's been an amazing show. By the way, you're incredibly amazing role model. Congratulate thank you so credible. You too.

Lele Pons

Thank you for crying with.

Randall Kaplan

It's a real moment. It's a real show. So I mean, I'm grateful. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. To

Lele Pons

be honest, out of all the interviews that I've done, and I've done a lot, I feel like two things with this interview, you were actually very prepared, very prepared with all the questions, but you actually listened. Every single one. And you made me say things I didn't feel comfortable because I didn't feel like that person had good intentions. And I feel like you do. You know, I feel like you actually give a shit. And so you're very, thank you. Thank you for being prepared. Thank

you for knowing my stuff. My life. Not a lot of people knew many things that you did. So.

Randall Kaplan

And I guess one last thing we didn't talk about, and what will President show? What are you working on that we can help promote?

Lele Pons

I'm a curious person, because honestly, tomorrow I might change everything. I'm not yet. Not yet, because I go into India as me, you know, but not yet. Maybe music when it comes out.

Randall Kaplan

My friend Eric Corsetti, who was the mayor of Los Angeles is now a US Ambassador to India. So when you go there, and if you want to meet him, I will set that up. Yeah, there. Yeah. Yeah. He's an amazing guy. Okay, amazing. So I'll make that happen. That'd be great. If it's something that you want to do. Yeah. It's very cool. I think you'd enjoy it. I want to I'm not gonna

Lele Pons

do anything that can help me when I went to India.

Randall Kaplan

Okay. Awesome. Thank you.

Lele Pons

Thank you so much.

Randall Kaplan

Amazing. You're amazing. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for listening to part two of my amazing podcast with Lele Pons, one of the most influential content creators of all time. 55 million followers on Instagram 18 point 7 million followers on YouTube, the first Viner to hit a billion loops. If you haven't yet listened to part one. Be sure to check that one out first.

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