"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Margaret Josephs talks about balancing business, family and fame on this episode of "Celebrity Lemonade Stand." 

You know her from <i>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</i>, but what you might not know about Margaret Josephs is that before she found fame in reality TV she was already an established businesswoman. Her brands include the Macbeth Collection, Candie Couture and most recently a new mocktail line called Soiree. She sat down with sat down with <i>Celebrity Lemonade Stand</i> host Shannon LaNier to talk about balancing business, family and fame, and how she continues to find success.

Celebrity Lemonade Stand

How Margaret Josephs Made It Big in Business and on TV

today on Celebrity Lemonade stand. Businesswoman, author and reality tv. Star Margaret Josephs. You may know her from real housewives of New Jersey, but before she was throwing people into pools. She was already a business savvy mogul. And now she's lending her expertise to the world of mock tails with her newest venture Soiree, you have been in the fashion and lifestyle brand forever, but I want to take it back before we get into Soiree and a new company and everything you guys are doing. Talk to me about where it all began. What was your first job? My first job ever was, believe it or not, cleaning houses with my grandmother. No, Yes, I mean, I don't like to clean you know with these nails, but yes, that's what it was. I was working since I'm a little girl. I'm from immigrant parents and immigrant grandparents and I was cleaning houses with my grandmother. So did they teach you anything? Yes, it really taught me that hard work pays off. I came from, very hardworking parents and grandparents and that it gave me an unbelievable work ethic and to really show me that you know, no matter where you come from, it doesn't necessarily mean where you're going and that you can make any of your dreams come true and you are still working hard today. Let me list them. You have the Macbeth collection. You have the Margaret joseph signature collection. You have candy couture. You have now Suarez, wow! Where did it all start? Take it back to your first product and why you decided to get into the yes, My first product really was Macbeth collection and it was a home product. I was in the garment center being a dress designer and I gave birth to my son and I was home and I was like, there's no stylish storage solutions for toys or anything like that. So I literally started decomposing buckets at my kitchen table and I was like, you know, these are very cute, people would love to buy them. I started selling local stores and it really took off and we started doing gift shows and we, our first show, I sold $100,000 to stores and I was like, oh my God, I'm in business. And I literally didn't even know what to do because I was buying my buckets and, and metal products, home depot. But I figured out as I went along and it blew up into a business, I never thought would really happen. So when did you know that you were successful and that, okay, I can do this full time. It never feels like work when you love what you do. But I realized that I could do it full time when it took up all my time. I think that's really what it was. And we were selling 1000 stores and we were getting a ton of press and I had my own factory. I was like, wow, we're really in business and some people will say, you know, you're successful when someone tries to sue you. Yes, exactly. And I've been sued endless amount of time. We'll talk to us about that very first time and what type of blow to the gut that must have felt like I think I was in shock because we were at a gift show and my uh gentleman I worked with was served with papers and I was like, what are you kidding me? And I was like, well, I guess we're really on the map and it was a couple of, because I was like, we didn't do anything wrong. I felt we didn't do anything wrong, but you know what? We were sued and that's what, that's what happens. And then when I saw my attorneys bills, I was like, wow, we really, we really are in business and that's, that's what happens. But it goes with the territory, they were saying it was license infringement, license infringement, it was license infringement and things like that happen in the industry and we handled it and sometimes it's easier to settle then fight it out regardless if you think is wrong and things are business decisions and you just put your best foot forward and you move ahead. Well, you have still been moving ahead and people are buying your stuff and drove do you think that people are buying your products because it's you selling them or they're just great. I wasn't famous before when I started my company, I think they're great products, they're affordable and we make fun products that are functional and affordable and fashionable. I always have done that. So I think they buy because they're great products. We've got to talk about lex because I love how candid you both are when you're talking on your podcast, but she's your creative director, longtime partner in the business. What is it like finding someone who is your match in business? Because a lot of people, they struggle to find that person they can work with for a long period of time. I always say you're only as good as your team and the people you surround yourself with. So I feel very, very blessed if I didn't have lexi, there'd be no mark with joseph, how did you guys first meet and how did you make that connection to click like that? We were introduced by a friend of mine Polly from Oklahoma. She was doing a trade show with her and I saw something in lexi that was special and I said you know I'm do I have a store in Grand Central Station, could you run it for me this holiday season? And she said yes and I hired her and she was such a dynamo, I said you have to work for me full time, you're amazing and she just took over my business grew because of her and now you guys are going around the world around the world. Yes, around a little bit more about soiree and why you decided to start a company like this? I do not drink alcohol. So I'm going out on morning cranberry juice and club soda and iced tea. There's nothing sophisticated to drink really on the market. So lexi and I said, what is something that we can do together? She's a cocktail queen. I'm a mock tail queen. So let's come out with a drink that's sophisticated that someone can order, that's all natural, low in sugar, that tastes great. So we worked on this for an entire year with a flavor house came up with sophisticated flavors. I mean we have a cucumber drink that's cucumber, elderflower, mint and chamomile tastes great, lightly sparkling. I don't drink either. And I'm always like struggling to find something that I can drink besides lemon water I don't want to drink and if someone else and you can mix it too, it's a great mixer. Oh, I like it and it doesn't have an aftertaste. I hate when it's naturally sweetened with monk fruit and real cane sugar, but it's only 45 calories for 12 ounces. That means a lot, a lot of times you're drinking your calories and people are like, oh, I don't want to drink all of my calories and then they're, you know, getting that. But someone who does drink can use it as a mixer? So you talked about the, developing like you were hands on everything, like what is that process? Like for people who may say I want to develop a drink one day? It's a lot of work. It's I mean this is something lexi and I knew nothing about and I feel like now we know everything about the beverage industry, was it the learning curve that made it a lot of work? What was it? It was the learning curve there, there's just things that you, you don't know, it's like you have to work at the flavor house, there's natural juices, things that are sweet, a thing that's called the cloud that puts the color in a drink. I mean I know I didn't know anything about this but I feel like, oh I could talk to anybody about making a beverage now and then the co packer who makes you know where you bottle your beverage and then you have to do the labels and there's FDA approvals and, and things like that that we have learned so much about what was the major difference between putting this out and maybe some of your other products in Soiree. I, we have funded the entire thing myself, we're taking all of the risk but I, I absolutely believe in this beverage. It's perfect timing. People are choosing not to drink alcohol doesn't is not authentic to me, I have to really do what's all authentic to me and what I really believe in. I like that cause it seems like so many other people just want to put their name on a product or just want to put something out there because it sounds cool and marketable, but why is it important to do something that's organic to your lifestyle? I feel like people by what they believe in and I don't want to speak about something that's not authentic to me because I can't get behind something that I myself don't love, I can't just slap my name on something that I'm not using and I don't believe in, I don't even when I endorse something or somebody asked me to promote something, is it something I'm going to use? Is it something I believe in? I can't speak to something if I don't believe in something we're gonna play celebrity squeeze, are you ready? Okay, I have a deck of high profile individuals, I'm gonna ask you a rapid fire questions, you're gonna pick one of them for the question as your answer and tell us why you pick them, we have your boss and what watch what happens live host Andy Cohen we have P Diddy himself who just goes by didi now rapper and producer, we have model and also chef, chrissy Teagan and editor in chief of vogue, anna Winters, So who would you like to write the first review for Soiree, mock tail. Okay, Christy teegan, Christy teegan, okay, why? Because a she's a chef, she no longer drinks, she is now sober and I think she would love Soiree and she's tons and tons of followers love that will boost the business. Okay, next up, who would you like to make the best commercial for Soiree? And I think Andy Cohen would do a great commercial for Soiree. Okay, he's very authentic, He's my boss, he would look adorable. I maybe get him a print of Soiree shorts, I think Andy Cohen would do a great commercial. Okay, who would you want to drink mock tails with Anna Wintour and a winter? I would drink cocktails with her and I would look very glamorous, very chic. It would be a great photo up. I'd love to pick her brain and then take a picture in vogue and then vogue vogue. I'd love to be on the cover of vogue with the Soiree, That would be amazing. Okay, who would give the best business advice? C. P. Diddy P Diddy see I saved him because he's amazing. He's a mogul. I mean, come on, he's done so many great things. He's launched so many careers and I think you give me some great advice. Okay, you're next and last question, who would you want to partner with and your next brand? Chrissy Tegan bam, Christie Teagan, I think you know her and john legend are also they have partnered in hint water. I know they love hint water and I think that would be great partners in Soiree. I like that. Yeah, yeah. So you know, most lemonade stands are run by kids right? So now we want to toss it over to the youngest business moguls out there so they can get some questions answered by a pro. Alright. Alright, okay. Our first one is 11 year old Kayla, what's the next product you would like to develop? So I would love to do a soiree sorbet because I think it's a great name and the flavors that we have for Soiree would be green Sorbet. Oh I like that. Okay, next up 11 year old Kayden, what's your advice for going into business with friends or family? So I think what you have to do is set boundaries from the beginning. Get everything in writing which is very, very important. And then when you go home, leave the business at And focus on your family and I think that and you know what there's always issues when it comes to money and everything else. So literally get everything in writing. Everything. Okay. Remember it's your friends and family that you love them. I like that. Yes. eight year old Ireland how do you come up with the names for your products? That's a little difficult. But I always say it has to be short, sweet and catchy. Sorry, it's a party. I came up with a ton of different names and then I run it by people, I talk to people. What do they think of the name? What does it mean to them? And I do a survey. I like that. She's surveying everybody. Yes, I do survey people that I trust now we have a 13 year old Nicholas. What job would you get me or what would you put me in charge of a 13 year old like yourself? I would give a job of social media And and helping me do posts and things like that because 13 year olds like Nikos, like yourself. really have their finger on the pulse of what's going on. You know, and you have to be in the moment and that's why I think it's great for a 13 year old. They know exactly what's going on. They are so plugged in. So I have people help me. I like to answer my own direct messages, but I answer everybody myself because I don't want everyone speaking for me. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah, it's and it's that's hard to tell me about it. All right, Great job. Thank you so much. Thank you. Celebrity Lemonade Stand. I loved it.