This is the Eds with Eddie, Judge and Edwin Ato Yave.
We got a special guest today, Sean through he right right accent. Yeah. Well, Sean has been married to the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member and Ge since nineteen ninety nine. Okay, good, So you survived the two thousand and end of the world we live five years.
That's incredible, Sean, congratulations on twenty five years. That's something.
Yeah, we've been through it all.
Yeah. Has it officially been twenty five years or is it like December?
No, it was twenty five years in June.
Oh, what did you What did you do for That's a big date. I mean, what did you do?
You know, it's interesting, you know, with everything that's going on, all the travel that we've had to incur with the show along with Electra's equestrian travel, you know, we have the opportunity to be home during that time and we just went to dinner, had a nice dinner. We always bring Electra with the U and uh, you know, that's that's about it, you know. Now, Uh, nowadays, when you can be a home and just kind of relax a little bit and do normal stuff, we kind of really cherished that.
So, yeah, that's so valuable. So let us give us some insight on your family. I know you have one daughter, thirteen year old Electra. You mentioned right, do you have another kid at home?
No daughter, just Electra. She's our one and only. We tried for more for for many many years. We you know, when she was two years old, we started trying for a second one and we went through about four and a half to five years of of everything. You know, it's it's one of the pitfalls to having kids later. You know, there's there's the pros and cons. You know.
On the on the pro side of it, you know, we were established and and you know we've been able to spend every every waking moment with her when needed and uh, and that's been good. But on the pitfall side, it's it's just harder to have kids when you're older. You know. Yeah I was forty, yeah age Andrew was thirty seven. So yeah, yeah, I'll tell you what. She takes all we got though, you know, with all this course,
I mean Edwin knows this. It's like when you're in the horse, you know, uh business and and you know you're it's just it's an expensive sport. So you know, she takes sport.
It's all the time. I mean, my daughter goes twice two weekends out of the month, and it's like Thursday, ye through Sunday. So it's like you have your own little life. It's true.
Yeah, it's true. Yeah.
So but you you've done a good job of going with her all the time, right.
I try to be there every time. You know, something we have in common. I was raised on a ranch, and you know I was raised riding horses, so you know, it's really been fun. You know, we bought her a horse when she was two years old, a little tiny thing, you know, and and she really hasn't been off of a horse since. And you know, I was in four h you know, we were doing like poles, barrels, barrel racing,
you know, all that stuff. But you know, it wasn't until about I would say, five years ago that she said, Dad, I want to get into horse jumping. And obviously this was a new world for us. There's there's a lot more technique, technical aspects to it. And we gave it a shot and she has not turned back and she
she has found her passion. I'm grateful that she's found her passion in the horse world because obviously I can now kind of, you know, see that world through her eyes and we share that passion and and stuff like that. So it's been a great, great experience.
That's amazing. Let's go back a little bit. Where did you grow up?
I grew up here in Salt Lake City.
Oh you did like growing up there.
You know, I had a great childhood, you know. I mean, like I said, I was born on a ranch. You know, we were around animals all the time. Uh, you know, my dadad got us into this. Uh you know, I had cousins doing it, so we we kind of fell into it. And you know, between the four age and just writing in the desert things like that, you know, we I don't know, you know, it's just one of those things where, you know, he kind of continued to
grow in the horse world. He now runs a horse racing business and so so we got into that as well and have been able to experience kind of all things worses growing up.
So yeah, so you Latino, your last name is Toru Here.
I am yeah. Yeah, I have to Spanish. My dad's Spanish, and and you know he was he was born and raised here you know. Unfortunately he never really spoke Spanish in the home. Uh you, I don't, I know enough to be dangerous, okay, but married to a Greek that had kind of like overcome anything else. So I actually speak more Greek now than Spanish.
So yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah tell us so so, so you grew up in Salt Lake. Uh yeah, you obviously grew up riding horses and stuff. And it seems like you've been working out all your life too, right, I mean I heard I was reading up on some stuff and it looks like your wife talked about how when you first met you, you were you were doing hair cutting hair, but she saw this guy that was muscular and handsome.
Right.
Have you always been about working out or you know?
I got into health and wellness and fitness when I was about eighteen years old. You know. A cousin got me into it. He was in the bodybuilding stuff, and I just kind of kind of followed him into that, to that aspect of it, and and really it's just been a part of my life ever since then. I've never taken time off, you know. You know how guys will get into it and they'll take a year off
for several months. I've never done that. It's just something that, uh, that I really took to and and I realize that, you know, you know, as you as you get into health and wellness, it's not just the physical aspect, it's the mental aspect. And as I grow older, I realize how much that does, you know, affect my mental health and and really keeps me sharp. And you know, if I take a day off here or there, you know,
I'm definitely a little more cloudy. So so sorry if I'm not in the gym, you know, I'll do the jailhouse workout, I'll do my births in the house. I'll do my push ups and sit ups and air squats and stuff like that. It's just something that I that I have to do.
You know. It's you know, what's interesting about discipline. And you know, Eddie's got the discipline of his fitness. You obviously do as well, and it carries on to like business and all that stuff. But I always tell people that, you know, discipline is hard at first, but if you can sustain discipline for a long time, it becomes a lifestyle and it's no longer hard. Right right now, the opposite of discipline is pleasure, right, Pleasure very easy, very comfortable.
You're going to want to do it all the time. But if you sustain pleasure for a long time, you're not going to be very happy. And that's why I've always said that the higher the discipline, the happier you'll be, right, And the lesser the discipline, the less happy you'll be.
One hundred percent totally agree.
Is that up there along the lines of you know, buying a Ferrari and you know, six months or eight months later, you get over it, so you want a new Ferrari, kind of like I did last year with my Harley. I got it for a year and I was like ready for a new one.
I think a good example is like ice cream. Like I love ice cream, right, but you continue to have ice cream every day, you're not going to be very happy.
Right.
Yeah. Alcohol maybe you you you like you can drink a couple of days. You keep doing that and you sustain it for a long time, it's not gonna be pleasurable anymore, right, you know. It's just if you really think about it, anything that's pleasure if you sustain it, like if you go on if you just don't do nothing for a year. It might be pleasure for the first three weeks a month. I guarantee you after a month, if you don't have a new purpose, you're going to be miserable.
Absolutely totally.
If you don't stay active, you're going to be miserable.
Yeah, I totally agree. And it is right up there with you know, the car or you know, I love watches, you know, and it's like, Okay, I'm gonna get this one and that's all I need. And I did it, and then I find another one that I want, you
know what I mean. But but you know ed when you you did a post on Instagram a while back, and you know, you talked about, you know, acquiring some of these physical things that that you know, you reward yourself with, and and it's almost like, you know, you've hit a goal, you know, and and it's always there's always something to work towards within that and and it becomes less about you know, the physical thing is it is about the achievement. And and that's that that is
so true. That's exactly where I'm at. And and I really you know, you've got to have a purpose, you know, and and sometimes it's it's the car or the watch, and sometimes it's a new business or whatever it is, but there's always got to be that creative process happening and that that goal to strive.
How did you get into doing hair?
Was it for the women?
Well, you know, I I really didn't. It wasn't in the beginning, but it was. It's an interesting story. So, you know, I grew up in constructing. My dad had the ranch. He was in the construction business. You owned a commercial tile contracting company, so so you know, if I wasn't out back shoveling horse poop, I was, you know, working with my dad setting tile stuff like that. So you know, it was one of those things where I was like, God, I just don't want to do this
for the rest of my life. I saw what what you know, he he had kind of gone through physically and all of that stuff. And I also just saw the grind, you know, and I don't mind the grind, but you know, it's just such hard work. And I have so much respect for those guys, and we need those guys obviously, But you know, I knew that that wasn't for me, and you know, I took a short little stint from the tile business and started working at Kmart, and I started working as a checker, and I worked
my way out through sporting goods. You know, that was a fun job. I knew that that was just something to kind of give me another experience outside of of what I had with family. And but you know it wasn't you know, too long after that, I did get back into the tile business again. And and you know the thing about that stuff is like, you know, even though it's not, you're calling the money's good, you know, especially as a young man, which which kind of traps
you a little bit, I guess. And you know, I had this crazy thing happen. I was working on a tile job, and you know, we were floating out a floor to get a level before we set the tile, and you know, you reach into the cement mixer to check the mud, make sure it packs right, whether it needs more water or whatever. And I had gone to a party with my girlfriend and she had bought me this ring and i'd put it on. We had had a late night, but I had an early morning and
I forgot to take the ring off. So I reached in to check the mud and it caught my ring and basic pulled me into the mixer, and it was like that split second where it's like, Okay, this is either going to be my entire arm or you know, and I just I wedged myself against the machine and my finger came with it, you know, went with the ring. So you know, the reason I tell that story is it gave me a break, right, It gave me a break.
It gave me this reassessment like I do not want to you know, it reaffirmed like this was not the direction that I wanted to go. And the girl I was dating at the time was a hairdresser, and she'd be like, you know, I always loved to paint, I always loved drawing. I did like fashion and things like that, so you know, I thought, you know, this is probably a good opportunity to give it a shot. I really went into it, not really not really knowing what was
going to happen. And then I saw this remember House of Style back in the day, Cindy Crawford hosted it. It was on MTV. It was like this docuseries and this series they talked about fashion, and you know, I turned it on and they did this mini documentary on this hairdresser. His name was John soa Hogg. It was an editorial stylist in New York and he was working on Amber Voletta and I thought, God, you know that problem that could be cool.
You know.
So, so I enrolled in school. The rest was history, you know. So, so I loved the craft, you know, to your point, I loved working with women. And you know, the funny thing is is like, you know, women gossip with each other and stuff like that, but when there's a guy involved, there's a lot less of that happening. So I didn't experience that. But what I did realize was the guys that I was working with on the
construction site were way worse than the girls. You know what I mean, They were way worse than the girls. So you know, I love the craft, I love the culture. I loved working with women. And you know, I was a very technical person. I wouldn't like to say type A, but whatever I do, I like to do well. And
so you know, the rest is history. I started started hairdressing, and I worked my way from the very bottom all the way up, and it was it was one of those deals where you know, I'd get up, I would open a gym that I worked at at five o'clock in the morning. I would get off at nine thirty ten o'clock, go to the salon and be support staff or an assistant, you know, sweeping hair, washing hair whatever
till seven, eight o'clock at night. And then I would work at a night club from nine o'clock at night until two in the morning. And I did that for two years straight. Ah. Yeah, And discipline, that's the discipline, you know I was. I was getting by on naps in the breakroom, you know older.
I was twenty two two, okay.
Twenty one something like that. So, and to be honest with you, I can't remember a day that I didn't do work, you know. Being raised on a ranch, you know, I always liked things, and I always wanted a new bike or a new part from my bike or whatever. And if I wasn't making what I needed to make on the ranch, I'd go pull weeds at my neighbor's house. I just I don't remember not working, you know. And I also don't remember not having a goal to acquire something along the way.
Sounds very similar or very familiar, right Edwin?
Oh?
Yeah, you know, you know what's interesting about I was just talking to my friend about this the other day about you know, instead of like hitting the clubs like we used to back in the day when we were single, Like being a hairdresser great, right, because there's lot of women there, and then also being in the horse world because both are very similar, Like most of the men
are gay that are doing it. So if you're like the one dude there, that's you don't even have to be decent looking, right, like you go to town on everyone because there's no other dudes.
It's the law of exposure.
Right, yeah, yea. Well, it's great about the horse world is they're all rich. I'm like that. I would have known that when I was twenty got me a sugar mama back then. You know.
Well, I got to tell you when in my mid twenties, I had some really good friends that we used to party together, and both of them were hairstylists. One of them owned the salon and the other one was I think he was a silent partner or something. But they were wildly successful, driving expensive cars, making a bunch of money and surrounded by all these hot women, you know,
and it was quite an environment. I did admire them, but I never saw myself, you know, doing something like cutting hair, Like I just didn't see myself having the ability to do something like that.
Sure, well, you know, I'll tell you it's a great profession, you know. I mean, it's it's just one of those things where, you know, the day that I started doing that, I never worked a day in my life. You know. I woke up every day just I could not wait to get out of bed, get to work and just
do what I love doing. And you know, I'm so fortunate to have been able to choose something that resonated with me like that, because you know, I've had a full life in my work environment, and god, I can't imagine it being any better, you know.
Yeah, by the way, tell us how you started. I mean, obviously you started cutting hair, but now you've made this big old business out of it.
Yeah, yeah, you know that.
How did that happen?
You know? It's just like ignorance is bliss, you know what I mean. It's like I think in you know, ninety seven ninety eight, Angie's you know, Angie's a hairdresser as well, and she's like, you know, we should do our own thing, or you know, we should start to think about this, And I was I was really happy where I was at because I was making great money. I could show up and leave, you know. I mean, I really wasn't thinking like that, but I just thought, God,
I'm really doing great. And then you know, ninety nine rolls around and I'm like, okay, let's do this. And one of the reasons is because you know, there are a lot of companies that offer you education, you know, just support like that, and really what they said that they offered really wasn't It didn't end up being what they said it was. You know, it was maybe a product, knowledge class or something. You know, we were really really passionate about the craft itself, and so we crave that.
And you know, any bit of money that her and I made, we'd go. We'd fly to LA we'd fly to New York, we'd fly to Dallas and do these courses and classes and things like that. And it's like, you know, we really need to do something that really encompasses you know, and you know, we didn't know it
so much then, but we know it now. That was a core of value of education m and so it's like, okay, we're going to start this with this premise, you know what I mean, And and you know, it's just we started, and you know, we started in seven hundred square feet. There were wow, wow, there were five stations. And you know, we we both left the spaces that we were working in. We did it very respectfully. You know, we gave them heads up and we're like, we're not going to recruit.
That's not what we're trying to do here. So her and I started. We knew that that we could keep this thing run and pay the rent, you know, with our income, and you know, we it was crazy, like a month later we were full and and and then we had a weight list. I never in a million years thought I would have a weight list to work with us.
It was a better haircutter, your wife. You know, I got to tell you who was the weight list for you or for your wife?
Well, you know, the weight list was for people that wanted to work with us.
Okay.
So we had this weight list and it kept growing and growing and growing, and then a year later, you know, we worked to deal out with the landlord to take the other half of this space out. So we went from seven hundred to fourteen hundred. Wow, and we're like, okay, this is this is awesome. We grew and were full immediately, and then a year later we had that same weight list. So it's like, holy shit, what what do we do?
Do We go to you know, location number two. So the answer to your question is, like, you know, we started growing very organically based on demand, and and we we continued that along the way.
And I assume because you did it that way, you invested your own money. You didn't have to go to raise money or any of that. I assume, right, we did.
And you know, I like that you brought that up because you know, Ange and I, you know, we didn't have college backgrounds or anything like that. But what we did have was common sense. And you know, we my brother did lend me twenty thousand dollars to open Location number one. You know, I told them, you know, I'll pay it back within a year, and I got him paid back within five months. And after that, we didn't
we didn't leverage ourselves to grow. You know, we always just kind of paid cash for things, and and so you know, we we had common sense.
I was going to ask you what gave you the confidence to go into business for yourself?
Like, I mean, well, again, you know, all I can say at that time, you know, was ignorance was bliss. You know, it was just like, if we're going to do this, we we knew in the initial location that we could fund and finance the operations. Oh you know, we start to grow and we had to split up the leadership. I had to go to the new locations. She stuck to the to the flagship location. That that is where things got a little bit tricky because all of a sudden, you have about forty employees that you're
now responsible for. And that's when I started hiring executive coaches, business coaches, stuff like that.
Oh wow, okay, so it's about.
About yeah, I think it was year three I started. Maybe, no, it was earlier that. I think it was like year two. I started hiring coaches once we started to see the responsibility that we were taking on because you know, obviously like from a from a confident from a confidence standpoint in terms of taking care of people, like you're like, you know, really it gives you pause to think, like, Okay, I really got to get solid in my business.
And I understand you had a I might have missed it in the beginning, but you had the educational component like a like a training class. We get John John Paul Mitchell training class.
Right, well, we have a school with John Paul. Oh, okay, with with Paul Mitchell. We have a cosmetology school as well. And you know that those were some of the advanced courses that Ange and I were partaking in as we were growing in the career. And they would see us everywhere, you know, every every time they had a class, we would show up, and you know, we got to know
John Paul. We got to know when who's you know, they they partnered in the school business, and when it was time to open one in Salt Lake City, they came to us and said, look, let's do a school together.
That's awesome. I got to meet John Paul last Sunday. I was at the any Chari drag Races. Yeah. Yeah, what a what a weird world we live in where full circle I meet this guy. My wife was super excited. You know, this is the guy that was on TV when I was younger, and now he owns a drag racing team and any tequila company, right right, Yeah, you.
Know what you're doing well when you when you own a drag racing team.
Yeah, absolutely absolutely. The only thing more expensive than horses, right, yea.
Racing. Yah, that's awesome.
You dated how long before you got married?
And and I dated for about four years before we got married. You know, I met her It was a funny, funny story. The first salon that I started to work in. She was a client of the guy that worked next to me, and we just became friends. I always thought, God, she's so hot, you know what I mean. And I had somebody at the time, She had somebody at the time, And then she started talking to us about, you know, I'm really interested in doing this. What are your thoughts,
you know, would you recommend all of that stuff? And of course we said, we love what we do. You know, if you're passionate about something like this, you should get into it. So she went to school and when she graduated, she started working at the salon that I was at. And it wasn't until then that we started to date, so, you know, and it happened just because like there was a Valentine's Day and you know, we worked really late.
We were support staff at the time, and we ended up being the last two out of the salon and and we're like, hey, I'm like, hey, do you want to grab a bite to eat. So we did and the rest is history.
That's amazing.
Yeah, so organic, right, I mean, you have something so in common, you're both very passionate about it, and then it just grows into this awesome empire you have now, right, it's incredible.
Yeah, it's been fun. It's been fun.
Howevery do you have? Now? How many is it franchises? Now? How many are these offices or salons do you have?
Now? So there's nine locations. We have franchised a couple of them. And the reason we did that is because you know, you meet people in the industrree and they're like, hey, I love what you have going. You know, could we partner and and that sort of thing, and we have That happened time and time again, and you know, we ended up building the franchise company just to simply grow control the brand, have have controls over it. We didn't
set out to, you know, open one hundred locations. You know, if that happens organically, you know, through the process, then great, But we just wanted to maintain control of the brand.
Smart. Yeah. Can we go back a little bit and talk a little bit more about your relationship with Angie, Like tell us, What why you've been together so long? What's working well? You know, it's interesting. You know you talked about the passion in terms of what we did for a living. You know, I think, you know, the great thing about our relationship was, you know, it was the passion.
In what we do. But along with that, you know, you just you cultivate this this synergy of of I think personal core values, things that you believe in health and wellness was a part of that. You know, she is so funny and so witty. I mean, nobody makes me laugh like she does, you know, and I think, you know, I'm a little bit more like your dad. I'm a little more subdued, and I don't really open up until I really know somebody. Yeah, she's she's everybody.
I mean, dude, we could go to an insurance seminar and she could go to the bathroom and walk out with five best friends, you know, and that's just Angie and I really that was really attractive, and it's attractive to this day how she can make people feel. You know, everything that we've done, we've we've done together there and there's just a crazy bond there that that I can't really explain. You know, she's you know, in business. You know, if if she's fallen off the ledge, I talk her
back on. And then if I'm falling off the ledge, She's there to bring me back. And you know, she she just has this intense belief in herself and who she is as a person. As where I'm you know, I I you know, you could call this some childhood ship, but you know I was a little less sure of myself and a little more shy and way more subdued. So you know, I was attracted to that person that
really that really owned that, you know. And and and I think she, on the flip side, was attracted to the drive, the hard work, the nose to the grind stone. You know. I think women are you know, there's you know, like top five trades, and one of them is is like, you know, this person signaling to them that they have an ability to provide. And I think that was one of the things. But you know, I my list for Angie could go on and on and on.
Do you guys spend a lot of time It's a probably dumb question, but do you guys spend a lot of time together?
We do spend a lot of time together. It's usually as a family unit. We could get better at, you know, probably spending time just the two of us, more alone time, but you know, it's just like electric is just she loves being with us, and I know that's not going to last very long now, you know what I mean. She's thirteen years old, and it's like, you know, as long as she wants to be with us, we're gonna
bring her with us. You know. So we do spend a lot of time together as a family, and you know, we do have our meals together, you know, very That's something that I grew up with, that's something that she grew up with, and it's something that we've carried on and we believe is very important for the family.
Do you have a big family between the two of you, guys.
Well, Angie has a really big family. Uh yeah, she's great. She's got she's got six siblings, you know, and then her extended family. Her dad has six siblings and you know, between the cousins, you know, all of that stuff. It's it's huge. I come from a much smaller family. I have two brothers and we're very very close, you know, very close, and.
A younger two younger brothers.
I got one that it's two years younger than me and the other is seven years younger than me. Okay, so yeah, I was the oldest, but a great relationship with those guys, and you know, I stay in touch with them daily.
Well that leads us to the topic that you know, brought us all together here, and that's the Housewife's show.
Tell us a.
Little bit about your experience leading up to it. Where you familiar with the housewife franchise and the TV. Did you watch it before you signed up? And when when you got asked to go on the show, what were your thoughts?
Well, you know, the funny thing is is in two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, I just got to finished remodeling a house that Angeine I moved into, and you know, I just I sat down that you know, everything was done. Finally we put the last piece of furniture and I clicked on the TV and here comes this thing called Real house Wives of Orange County, and so I got into I'm like, what is this? You
know what I mean? I mean, there was the old MTV reality experience you know that I grew up with, but this was something different and I was like this is interesting, and it just kind of kept my attention. And then I started thinking to myself, God, I'm glad that those guys can do that, but I could never picture myself doing that, you know. So it's a very
it's very ironic, you know. I I I watched it for the first couple of seasons, and then you get busy in business and doing whatever, and then you kind of lose track of it, and then you kind of come back, you know, here and there. But yeah, I
did watch a bit of it, you know. And she never did, you know, And she's never been she's never been a TV watcher, you know, and for that matter, neither was I. That was that was one of the one things that I could go down stairs in the theater room and sit and just like you know, kind of just like let the world go away for for an hour.
Or watch the show of the train.
Exactly. But uh, you know, Angie was never I mean, she knew of it, you know, like, honey, you got to check this out, you know, And and uh, you know, she was never she's never been a TV watcher. She's she likes to be on the phone with her family or sisters, you know. Or brothers and friends and stuff like that. So she's own person than a TV person.
So how did you guys get asked to be on the show or how did that happen?
Yeah, so season one when they started casting for season one, I mean we were referred by Heather Gay who was on the show. And when they called us, they didn't tell us what it was for. They presented it more like a successful women women in business stuff like that, and so you know, we did an interview and we were like on our best behavior talking about our culture and leadership and stuff like that. So you know, I think we missed the mark, you know, in terms of
what we were interviewing for. And it wasn't until season two they wanted to interview us again and we realized that, okay, this is what this was. So Angie went ahead and interviewed season two, and I think it was it was season two that she made a few appearances. You know that some of the friends, like Lisa and Heather, I don't know, there were there were some things that they had invited her to or and and us too.
And then season came on as a friend as a fact.
You know, it wasn't official friend but you know, we were invited to these events right that they were for the show during filming, and then season three, she was invited to do a friend of.
So tell us about your conversation before you started filming, like did you guys contemplated and did you guys agree or or is it just like this is cool, let's do it.
Well, you know, I told Angie, you know, it's just like, hey, look, this is up to you. I'm going to support whatever you want to do. And we did have that conversation in terms of like, Okay, we've got a solid marriage, we've got great businesses, we've got a great family, you know, and and I do remember having this conversation. It's like, yeah, but you know that doesn't mean people can't lie, you know. And so but but I said, look, I'm too old to care about what people think, you know. I mean,
I'm just going to be authentically myself. And I know that's Angie. She she doesn't put on a show for anybody. She just she just does her So, you know, with that agreement of authenticity, and it's like, if we're going to go into this, we've got to know, you know, you know what you're getting into right, So so you know we were I was on board. You know, she wanted to do it, so let's do it.
And how did you deal so that first year you I was reading up that you had to deal with obviously, you know, people are always going to talk crap, right, yeah, And it's funny. I don't know why good looking people are always called gay, right, you were they were telling you that. I guess there was that rumor that you were gay in Fidality during that first season, which I've heard the same thing about Eddie. Obviously, it's in common good looking people, right, people.
Are people like hey, I appreciate that.
People like to hate on that stuff. But how did you deal with it?
You know I was I was not, you know, offended like like Eddie. I'm not sure how how you handled it, but I know for me, I didn't take it as what I took offense to was the cheating aspect of it, you know, you know, knowing that I've got a twelve year old daughter at the time, you know, all these things start going through your head. So I cared less about, you know, the gay rumor, because you know, being a hairdresser, you know we would have clients or whatever, ask oh,
who's that guy? Is he gay? And it's like, no, he's married to Angie. She's you know, his his wife and or girlfriend and she's working over there. And then that was it, you know. So so you know, I really didn't take offense to the gay thing. Our best friends in the world are gay, you know, and and I just see them as as as I see anybody else, you know, And so that part didn't bother me, you know. But when this thing came up, you know, and to
my point, people can always lie. I don't think, you know, this was anything that any of these these people had heard. This was something that was just thrown out there, made up for a storyline. You know. It's like, show me who it is, you know what I mean, And it's like,
who is it? You know, I'll pay him ten thousand dollars if they can prove that I had cheated on my wife with you yeah, you know, and so you know, it was just something that was just thrown out there was I mean, it was low hanging fruit to get it Angie and start this controversy and that sort of thing.
So my experience was very similar in that, you know, I was in the fitness world all my life, teaching classes when I always say this, one foot in, one foot out, you know, building companies and then teaching classes, spin classes more specifically. So here's a guy on the stage on a bicycle with tights and you know, his package hanging out and you know, the tank top and all these women are gawking and all these men are gkying.
So many times are like, that guy's gay. I know he's gay.
And of course I take care of myself. I you know, brush my teeth. I watched my ears, and you know, I just at the time it was the term was metrosexual, right, I.
Think it's a compliment.
I think so too. I definitely took it as a compliment.
And again I had a lot of gay friends.
In fact, I have had one really good friend. His name was Eddie.
He was a hairdresser and a spin instructor, and he would always have the girls after him. I'm like, dude, too bad your gay man, because you would have.
So much ask.
Right, But it never bothered me.
And the funny thing is when one of the women who try to be you know, maintain her relevancy on the show this to go after Tamra and she couldn't you know, offend Tamra or or or come after her because Tamra is just real.
She decided to lie and create this fake story.
And at the end of the day, I learned, you know, that's part of this, that's part of being on a reality TV show, and it's open season for for anything that you know can be said about you.
Yeah, you know, it's interesting. You know when when Angie you know, mentioned this to me, you know, I just I immediately started thinking about my daughter. You know, it's like, you know, she's she's twelve years old. She's going to be hearing this shit at school now, you know. And here's the look there's heis and lows to this world.
You know. I think the low part for me is once somebody says something like that, like it's there, like it's you know what I mean is they don't put it out there and it just doesn't seem to go away, you know. And so but the cool part is, like, you know, my daughter is so grounded, she is hey, you know, and I really took the opportunity to say, hey, look this is this is what so and so said about me. She just started laughing, you know, what I mean, it's like, you know, I'm not a guy that rolls
with anybody. I don't go hang out with the boys, you know on Friday nights. I mean, I'm with those guys twenty four to seven. So you know that. And I love that because there was she thought about it. It's like, Dad, that is funny. Don't worry about it. You know, it's like, Okay, got that off my chest. That is out in the open with my daughter, and we can move forward. And we're still able to move forward even though it continues to be mentioned and things like that.
When they get to that age, right, like their friends start talking to them about it because it's headline right right right, they're twelve, thirteen, sixteen years old, all of a sudden, it's hey, is this really happening? You know, her friends start, you know, it's a it's a tough situation. And I think that's the tough part about being in that public eye is when shit hits the fan, your kids are in the middle of it, especially nowadays with
social media, especially if they're in that age. Yeah, you know, twelve to sixteen years old.
Yeah, it's it's hard to.
You know, try to protect them. From that because they do they go on on the internet and it's just hard.
Well, they become collateral damage, right yeah. Right. The good part is is, you know, Electra goes to a great school. It's a private school, very diverse, and you know, I for the first couple of weeks, does anyone say anything to you? They're like, no, Dad, they don't. They don't say a word, you know, So I was like, okay, good.
You know, has she filmed?
Oh yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
How does she feel about it?
You know, when it started out, she didn't really want anything to do with it, you know, but but now that she's kind of getting older, she low key thinks it's cool. So she's open to it and she does it, and you know, she does a great job.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
I mean, I think overall it's a pretty cool experience to be on TV a reality show, because you've got to have some thick skin and be very confident about yourself to get through it, because it's such a toxic environment at times that you wonder how do people get through this well?
And you know, I'm glad you mentioned that because you know, as you go through some of these controversies, and things like that. You know, really what I look at is the lesson that I can take from it. And you know, I'm now watching myself, you know, kind of navigate some of this stuff, and it's just like, you know, there are times where I'm like, God, I probably could have
handled that differently. You know, I probably could have come off less aggressive, you know, And it's like you guys, know you're entrepreneurs, Like we've we had to fucking fight for everything we have, you know, so it's like to become this fighter and sometimes this this fighter has to be aggressive and and you know, when you come from a you know, we've we've got a very healthy family dynamic, we've got a great culture in our work.
And.
You know, it was a real juxtaposition to be put in some of these situations. But you know, now, I just really try to learn my lesson along the way. And it's like, you know, I could have I could have done that different and I could have done it a lot smarter and got the same point across. So so that's my challenge to myself now is is when I'm put on the spot, how do I handle it?
How can I be smarter about it? And how can I you know, leave those situations with dignity and and still make my wife and my family proud and you know all that stuff.
What's the best part that's come out of Housewives for you?
You know, as you guys know, they're they're they're interesting perks that come along with it. You know, a lot of it is the notoriety piece, you know, getting invited to certain things and being able to expose Electra to
to certain things that you wouldn't have otherwise. You know it really, you know, we've been in business for so long, you know, and I think a lot of people get on the show, they open a business and they try to sell a product or or whatever, and you know, the the cool part is like this is something that we didn't need right to and and there's beauty in that because you know, we've been working so hard at what we do and we continue to work on a daily but you know, our salons were at you know,
eighty five ninety percent capacity, So it's not like we're getting this huge rush of business because of it, you know, but you know, it's it's fun to be able to go to New York with Angie and me and Electra Rock walk around Rockefeller Plaza while she's doing her thing, and you know, so stuff like that is is definitely that's that's a highlight for sure.
Yeah, what are are some of the bad experiences you've had on the show?
Because of the show, I would say, you know, the hardest part for me to navigate is is online troll type stuff. You know. Again, I don't care. Somebody can go on and say whatever they want about me, but when they start like messaging my daughter, that is like what are you guys doing? You know what I mean? It's like how deep is that basement that you live in? You know? And it's just like you know, you got
I mean, it's just it's hard when it involves your kid. Yeah, and so you know what, we go through things with her and we tell her like, look, you know, you're you're becomming a household name. And I always I always put it to her like this. It's like, you know, movie stars are stars, like they're big stars, but you know they come out with a movie maybe once a
year or once every other year. You know, you happen to be in somebody's living room every week, which creates a different dynamic, right, And so while most of the people that are are sending messages to us or extremely positive and so grateful for that. It's just the one off stuff that's kind of hard to to navigate and sift through because there's really no you can't have a conversation with these people. You know, they've made a choice like you're my enemy, I don't like you, and that's
just what it is, you know. So so that that that's the end, I would say that would be the worst part of it.
I agree with you, because in my experience, it's just been slowly leaking into that social media world where you know, we're we're we're professionals here under the Bravo umbrella and we're producing a show and it's edited to its maximum ability to get maximum return you know, on their on their work, right, And if it stays under that umbrella, it's cool. You know, this is a job, this.
Is what we're doing.
But when it spills over into social media and you got these idiots on the other side trying to the fame you or or make you look like an asshole outside of the Bravo umbrella, that's what gets me upset.
It's like, keep it under, keep it under.
The show.
We're here being professionals. This is a job.
We don't need to take this outside into social media and try to create a story or or derogatory fame that, you know, because you're mad at us because of the way the show was edited, right, Like, keep it under the Bravo umbrella and call it a day. This does not need to go outside of that.
Yeah, unfortunately it does. You know, I've only been on social media for two years, and just over two years, and you know, I got on social media because you know, and she's like, you know, you probably should do this and whatever, so I did, and and you know, it is it's just it's just one of those low hanging things that people can creep into and try to create chaos. But you know, it's just like block them and hide the comment and move on. You know, it's just another lesson.
And and I try to use these examples for Electra. It's like, this isn't just going to happen here. You know, you're you're about to start high school and it may happen with you know, classmates and stuff like that, and this is how you deal with it. You know, you just got to keep moving forward, don't question yourself.
You know, I'm glad you talked about that, because that's one thing that is I think important, is to keep your kids educated and abreast of the experience and how to take it, because you know, as a kid, you're so easily influenced and so easily distracted, especially when there's something on TV and you know you believe it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's see what else I think we covered that.
Oh, let me ask you this. Do you get along with the majority of the men on the show or do you talk to them or are they just work friends?
If you will?
Yeah, you know, I get along with all of them, you know, I mean Angie and Meredith and I guess Meredith and I have some some controversy hanging. You know, it's happening. We're in the middle of it. You know. I get along with her husband's Steth fine when we're together. You know, I think generally speaking, he's a great guy.
The other guys that get along really well with I do spend more time with, like Justin and I and I recently started spending more time with Todd Bronwin's husband outside of filming, and I really really love and appreciate those guys. You know, they're they're smart. Justine just a good old boy, you know, and and so is Todd. And Todd is Todd's a very smart guy. He's done a lot of great things in his life. And you know, I just I like to spend time with guys that
I can learn from. And you know, on that note, it's funny because you know, I've got mentors, and you know, you guys are are I look at you guys as mentors from you know, not only business, but you know, from from watching you guys on the show and and all that stuff. It's like, but all my mentors are named ed I have Outside of you guys, I've got a couple ads that are mentors too. So it's I like to spend time with guys that I can learn from.
Yeah, by the way, is this the first time that you find yourself in the drama?
Well, you know, there was with the gay rumors last year. That's kind of when it started and it's kind of carried through to to this season up to this point.
So yeah, so are you like talking a lot this season?
I'm talking more than usual. They they they've pulled me in and they've got me engaged a little bit more for sure.
Yeah, you know, it's interesting when they get you more engaged, they still don't pay you, right, No, it's not like, hey, you're going to talk a lot more this season, but you know what, we're not going to pay your exactly, No love, no love, Eddy. Are you getting paid for the drama of the season?
No, No, I got and I got roped into it too.
There should be a clause for the men that if you get roped into the drama, they should hey.
Yeah, And that's why I always wondered if the New Jersey guys are getting paid because they are all into it and they're great at it and they have great dynamics on TV.
But I wonder like, how did they do it? How do they feel comfortable?
Because I don't feel comfortable being on TV and not getting paid, you know, or if we're even doing anything, you know, I'm getting exploited. I'm getting you know, thrown on this show and it just doesn't make any sense.
And the women get paid. So it's a job.
And from what I've seen and witness from with my wife, she's doing her job and she's getting paid for it. But why why aren't we getting paid.
I have rarely seen any of the husbands when they get in the drama come out looking good.
Rarely it's it's.
I don't know if one comes to mind, but typically it's it's not a good thing.
Well, you know, for me, it's it's I guess I'm blessed in the way that you know, the stuff that that I guess I'm I'm engaged with.
Uh.
You know, production has done just i mean such a great job of of uh getting me through it, you know, without without anything too crazy. So and I'm still new you know that can Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna know how here.
The same thing happened to me, Brether and it's just a matter of time.
I'm sure.
Yeah, in a really good day and ask you to do an interview or something and you'll be you know, thear minded happy, everything's great, and then it happens.
So yeah, be careful out there, crossed.
Yeah.
I have one rule and I've i I think I've shared it with almost every guy house husband that has come to me for advice, and like, just don't get involved, you know, I this the sooner you learn to not get part of the drama, this sooner you'll be like, Okay, it's it's less stress, but it's hard.
They'll catch you. This year, they.
They caught me, you know, in a situation where I didn't want to be in and I ended up participating and getting into an argument with one of the guys. But you know, it's a long story and the long history behind it, and I had to get involved.
But I didn't like it. I didn't. It's not this is a.
Housewipe show right right right.
So anyways, in closing, would you do this show again if you didn't have this experience?
You know, I you know, I just go back to you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna support Angie. I'm gonna be that guy that you know through through the heights and law, I'm gonna continue to support. I love your advice, and and like I said earlier, it's just like I'm gonna be a little bit more aware in terms of like, if I'm pulled into anything, I've got to really you
know't have that awareness to respond smart appropriate. And you know, like like you said, they can they can do whatever they want with the footage and make it look whatever. But you know, as long as I know that I've handled myself appropriately. I you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna be okay with it, I think, you know, And like you said, that's that's a beauty of age, is like you know, you just you kind of care less and less about what people think. And you know, finally, you know, finally,
I was a late bloomer in life in general. And you know that's that's what I love about, you know, experience and age and stuff like that. Is just a simple fact that you know, I'm okay with somebody now liking me these days. You know, I got to live with myself. I got to wake up with me.
Yes, Yeah, that's super helpful to be on this show, Sean.
One of the things I love about you, by the way, as we close, I love your humility. You know, you've been very You've been very obviously you've been successful, I think in all areas of your life, not just obviously the family, the business, uh, you know, fitness, and just uh, the humility that you have. It's the first thing that draw me to you when we first spoke, uh saying, he was like, man, this is a guy that I
could hang with. Yeah, it's because you've had incredible success yet you're still humble, and it seems like you're still that guy in the ranch that well, you know.
You know, I appreciate that, and I think that's what dream me to you guys as well, is just the grounded uh, you know, the ground at presence there. You know, we're not we're not trying to impress each other. You know, we're just who we are and and we're doing what we do and and not trying to show anybody anything that we're not. And you know, for me, I'm always drawn to authenticity and and you know, I can sniff
out the alternative really quick. And I think, you know, it's it's really cool to be able to develop those six senses and uh and just navigate life based on your gut and you know, those senses so that age, it does, it does.
It's one of my favorite quotes from Humility is you're either humble or you're about to be.
That's a good one.
Somebody will serve you some humble pie one time or another.
Right, yes, yes, so last question and and then we'll let you go. But what was what has been the best experience overall on the Housewives show for you guys?
You know, I think the best thing that has come along with being on this show is you know, and you know, I've been forced to communicate more so, you know, we we we've always communicated, but you know, when you're in business together, it's like, you know, you kind of pick up on cues and you're able to kind of
see that stuff and address it. And you know, with the show, you know, we've been able to really communicate more direct and like when she comes out of an uncomfortable situation, I can now go and say, look, I don't know what that was or what you're dealing with. Do you want to tell me about it? You know? So, so I would say communication is really increased since being
on this show in a really good way. Yeah, And I think you know, we're really able to show support from one another in a whole a whole different in a whole different way. So I would say that's been the most the most positive part of this.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's just it's communications on level ten and I think that's you know, obviously, you know it's percent important for anybody in a relationship, but but to be consistently aware of it and to be consistently like concerned is like how you're handling this, how you're doing it. You know,
same thing with Electra. You know, it's just it's really forced communication to have uncomfortable conversations and and and really have that transparency as like how you're feeling, what do you think about this, you know, stuff like that.
So that's awesome. Yeah, very positive.
I like that. Thank you, well, great show, guys.
Well thanks for coming on. Sean.
It's been really fun to talking to you. I mean, I knew it was going to be fun because when we met in San Francisco, it was just so easy to sit down and have a conversation with you. We have so much in common, more than I imagine. So thank you so much for coming on and and in the background here and uh and we will we wish you the best man, keep being successful, keeping who you are. You doing great, and you know, don't let this thing bring you down with.
You guys, Sean, Mike, Sean, take care of care.
Been