IFH 793: Comedy, Confidence, and the Art of Reinvention with Rhonda Shear
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You are listening to the IFH Podcast Network. For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to ifhpodcastnetwork.com. Welcome to the Indie Film Hustle Podcast, episode number 793. Your dream doesn't have an expiration date. Take a deep breath and try again. K.T. Witton.

Broadcasting from the back alley in Hollywood, it's the Indie Film Hustle Podcast, where we show you how to survive and thrive as an indie filmmaker in the jungles of the film biz. And here's your host, Alex Ferrari. Welcome, welcome to another episode of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast. I am your humble host, Alex Ferrari. Today's show is sponsored by Rise of the Filmtrepreneur, how to turn your independent film into a profitable business.

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If you want to order it, just head over to www.FilmBizBook.com. That's FilmBizBook.com. Enjoy today's episode with guest host, Dave Bullis.

And I don't like to play favorites, but this is actually one of my favorite episodes because I grew up watching USA's Up All Night all the time. I remember when this was on, I found so many movies because of USA's Up All Night. And my guest this week was a host of USA's Up All Night from 1991 to 1998. She's acted in TV shows like Happy Days, Mad with Children, Duckman, just to name a few. In 2001, she launched her own woman's intimate line and she has the number one selling bra in the world.

and her new book, Up All Night, from Hollywood Bombshell to Landre Mogul. Life Lessons from an Accidental Feminist is out on October the 3rd, 2017, so that'll be next month. In this episode, we chat a lot about movies, finding the courage to follow your dreams, reinventing yourself at any age. It's just tons more. Again, one of my favorite episodes with guest, Rhonda Shear. Happy to speak to you. Heard nothing but amazing things about you, so thanks for having me on.

Oh, thank you, Ron. I really appreciate that. And, you know, I really wanted to have you on, too, because I grew up watching Up All Night or USA's Up All Night. And I remember. Oh, wait, wait, wait. Let me do it, Dave. Dave, wait, wait. USA. Up All Night.

I remember that all the time. I mean, sometimes I wouldn't even remember the movies, but I remember that. Because, you know, I remember, too, finding a lot of movies I'd never heard of before.

from that intro. And I remember, I just remember that intro the first time I ever saw it was you doing that. And I remember, like, it was so great because it's so catchy. You know what I mean? It's so memorable. Absolutely. And it's so funny that you say that because, you know, when I first, you know, there was another gal before me that hosted up all night with Gilbert. I was always on Friday and Gilbert Gossett was on Saturday. And, um...

I'm blanking on her name right now, but anyway, you might be able to think. Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, uh, Schlitt, Caroline Schlitt. And so she was there about a year and a half before I got there. And I know people really loved her and I thought she was actually very good, but you know, it was USA Network that wanted to replace her for whatever reason. And I think they were going a little bit, they, they thought it,

being a little bit sexier. They wanted to kind of go for it. So I did. But I always thought when I got it, I always thought, you know, you have to come up with kind of a catchphrase. And because years ago, I'm from New Orleans and when I was in New Orleans, I used to do this commercial for an all-female brand.

you know, like class, like pre, you know, all the gyms that were mixed. They used to have like men's gyms, female gyms. It was called a shape spa for all women. And I used to, and the catchphrase was, let's get in shape. So that was kind of like my thing. I mean, I did it all through my teens and then my 20s. And so it always caught, and wherever I would go in New Orleans, everybody would

Oh, it's a shape spot girl. So anyway, that kind of brought me back to that. And so I said, I have to come up with some way of saying show that kind of catches. And so hence that, that's how that was born. And, um, and of course it was the, the, the, a little bit of a ditzier character, but if you really listened to the character, you know, it was fun and smart comedy, but, um,

if you were just, I guess, uh, channel surfing, you would just see a lot of blonde hair, a lot of cleavage and up all night. But, um, anyway, it was good. It was a good run. Almost, almost eight years. So, uh, kind of cool to have that long run on the show.

on any show on TV. Yeah, I mean, that's absolutely amazing because I actually looked it up because I didn't even know the total number of episodes off the top of my head. I mean, there's like 900 episodes of Up All Night. And I mean, you did it for like eight years. I mean, that's an insane number of episodes. It really is. Well, you know what it is? It's because we taped every week as opposed to like, you know, most episodic shows are like 22 a season. But we were on every week.

So we would either tape every week and then we'd show them to New York for a while. I didn't move to New York, but we would go to New York and tape four or five, you know, bank them, and then they would air. So it was really cool to have that much fun. And I had, unfortunately or fortunately, I guess, they kept changing producers and directors on me. I don't know what they wanted, but actually, in looking back, I'm so friendly with all these people. And each one brought something else to the table. Well, of course, in the very early years, it was really sexy and sassy and a lot of

lingerie and, and for a couple of years. And then it kind of changed and it became more interview style. And then when we got to New York, it really changed. But I think people remember the earlier years, but for me as a performer, they were all cool because I really got to, you know, have a lot of say in what I wanted to do. So she watched a late, like even the last year, we did a lot of, I did a lot of impressions of like Lucille Ball and Cher and like some of my, I parodied a lot of my favorite women's

ladies of television. So that was really cool. But yeah, I did 450 episodes myself and I think I'm the only one that has most. I mean, I have probably at least 400. I might be missing a few, but I actually had them, you know, that was part of my contract that they had to give me a videotape of everything. So most of those have been

um, a doubt or uploaded, I should say. And then a lot of them are still on, uh, DVD. So eventually we'll get to them and put them all on YouTube, but I'm the only one that they literally USA network or dispose of them back then because of the tape, just saving tape. Can you imagine how, what a shame. So I, I think I, even the producer, some of the producers have a few shows, but I have most of them. Um,

Of course, I don't have the movies. I used to have all the movies. What they would do, USA Network would send me the movies to watch. And, you know, of course, then, you know, do the wraparounds later on. I should have saved all those movies, although I wouldn't have had the rights to them myself. But people always say, do you have this film? Do you have that? And back in the day, I did. But for my own storage, I couldn't read them.

Now, we actually did three movies or I hosted three movies every Friday night. So we we hosted and wrapped around two. And then the third one was just voiceover. But they would send me all the movies ahead of time. So I would have had a really great collection of B films if I would have kept them all.

But you know, it's funny, it's a genre that is kind of coming back. Even a few years ago, I was asked to do a film and everyone really misses that genre and the fact that it was kind of innocent, like everybody thought you would see more skin or hear more language than you really got. So it was kind of titillating without being nasty or anything.

what have you. So anyway, interesting time. I'm glad I was part of it. And even being part of early basic cable, which was USA network was the first full out basic cable. So very cool time. I'm glad I was part of it, of course. And it led to obviously many other opportunities and wonderful things.

Yeah, I was going to say there really is nothing like this on TV anymore because this, as I was saying earlier, introduced me to a lot of films that I wouldn't have seen otherwise because, again, your character was great. It was engaging. You actually enjoyed doing what you were doing. Again, I imagine watching all these movies, you're getting a feel for these movies. This was a comedy. Right. Nightmare on Elm Street, obviously that's more of a horror. Yeah.

But, you know, it really is nothing like this. No, and it's sad. And believe me, I still have fans reach out to me and say, I really miss this. I mean, I grew up with this. Of course, I always kid and say I got a lot of boys to tell me. I think I did. But I had a lot of female fans in the show, too, as well. But there isn't anything. I mean, of course, Elvira was, you know, she was syndicated. I know Cassandra Peterson.

and then they had Joe Bob Briggs and then they had I guess the later one was The Dinner and the Movie which was a knock off of us in a way. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show.

They were all good in their own way. And then I don't know of any, there might be some local people that do it. I mean, all of this spurned from local people that did it back in the day. And, you know, even Elvira started off as a local show on Channel 5.

And then that became syndicated. But now it's a shame. It's really, it's a sweet way. It looks, it's really all about, I mean, what it was about then was making people tune in to the commercials and keeping them entertained with these films. So that, you know, USA would make money off the ads. Well, uh,

I don't think anybody realizes it, but that little show made a fortune for, for, um, USA network off the, the ads. And that funded a lot of their early, um, original programming, like with Sam Nikita and other shows like that. So we were like this little cable show that costs very little to produce that was making some big dollars, some big bucks for the network. So, um,

Good time. Good time to be in TV, experiment a little bit. I hosted the show from 91 to 98. Everybody thinks it was in the 80s because I kept my hair big, but I didn't start till January of 91 and just had a great time with it.

Yeah, and I remember some of those other USA shows, too, by the way. You mentioned La Femme Nikita, and I remember, like, you remember Duckman, that show? Duckman, yeah. I actually did a couple of episodes of it as Rhonda. I wasn't a duck. I mean, I was Rhonda. And then we had All Science. I was on an episode of that. I was on, what was that other show? I was on La Femme Nikita, and...

Darn, I'm blanking on the other name of the show. I can't believe I can't think of it. But then they started off, which really made them put before Up All Night was Night Flight, which a lot of people still remember. I vaguely remember because it was before May, but that was their first kind of out there programming of interstitial late night television. So it was a really cool network to be part of in the early days.

And then they got into, I wish, I mean, I don't watch USA as much. I just don't watch a lot of television, but I always am told that it was better back in the day. I think it was just that it was a little more raw and a little bit more experimental. And, you know, everything is so, and everything is so much more reality today than scripted.

Because we were a little bit of both. We had a loose script and then a lot of flying by the seat of our pants. But it would take about 12 hours to film those. Because I would fill anywhere between 30 minutes of time to an hour, depending on how much was cut out of the film, how short the films are. It just depended on the film. Sometimes I would have to fill a longer period. So people think that

people thought that we were live. We were never live and we taped in the day usually unless we were doing a night event or something. And we shot for hours. It was definitely a lot more hard work than I think people thought. But I had a blast and I had great people in my life and

that produced it and directed it. And a lot of people that were young people that started off and went on to do amazing things, like one of the young producers, I think he produces Bill Maher now. So, I mean, they went on to do some pretty amazing things after that. Yeah, and you mentioned one thing too, Rhonda, which is about how TV is nowadays. And, you know, I wanted to get your take on this. You know, I think back in the 90s and even the 80s,

Where, you know, a lot of these new TV shows, you know, were breaking ground and they were something new and they were fresh. My whole take on this and something that I've noticed is that they let the hosts like yourself be themselves. And they really didn't say, hey, Rhonda, here's a 90 page script you have to memorize. They then, you know, would let you be yourselves. And I think as we get along to TV nowadays, it's.

It's more of, here's a script, read it, and don't venture off this script. And I think it really makes a lot of shows too cookie cutter because all the characters are talking the same. You know what I mean?

Absolutely. And even in reality, which everybody thinks is reality, I can tell you this. I mean, some of my friends who were, I did a lot of talk shows and hosted and hosted on talk shows back in that era. And a lot of those young producers are now people who are kicking butt in reality TV. So I was kind of, I

I did a lot of basically reality TV, but they were just segments then. Reality TV is not so real. I mean, yes, they don't necessarily have scripts that they memorize, but the producers really push you into situations. And they'll say, oh, I'd like to see you and that guy and that girl, and I'd like to see this happen. So you're kind of pushed. Those reality shows aren't necessarily as real as

So, I mean, they kind of stole the pot to make, you know, tension happen. And I just, because of that, it's kind of manufactured in its own world. That's why a lot of reality shows all feel the same. Because it's the

Same thing. They're pushing for fighting or they're pushing for, you know, for stuff to happen. So it's not organic. And yeah, we had a really good time. I mean, even if we were scripted and we had certain jokes that were scripted, I mean, Gilbert and I were really able to be ourselves and it was really fun to experiment with that.

And by the way, we had so many guests on, both of us. I mean, Gilbert had all these great comedians in New York and I had great comics and I also had cheerleaders and, you know, I had actors and actresses and stand-up comics and just all kinds of people, singers and, you know, from all walks of life. And that was fun. That kind of came into Rhonda's world back then.

Yeah, I mean, and then we would shamelessly promote whatever, you know, if they had a movie out or a book out, we would promote them and we had fun with it. And we were kid about how shameless we are. And we would do spoofs off of Letterman was big at the time and his list of 10. And so we would do our own list of 10s.

craziness and I had all kinds of fans I had foot fetish fans that loved my feet and my shoes and all that we would cater to you know whoever would really write us and really pay attention we would give them a shout out and no you don't see that happening anymore when you really cater to your fans you know we did we took the fan mail we'd have fan mail nights I would just read fan mail

And that was fun. And you would also just, because you were being yourself, and it was also, you were having fun. And you were having fun with it, because you could just go on, be yourself. And like you said, you did have some scripted jokes, but they allowed you, you were a character. And that's why I think a lot of today, it's just, it's harder and harder. It's almost like they want to homogenize things in terms of like, I mean, you know how it is. Somebody probably looked at a sheet or something and said, well, hey, people really are responding to

this on that show. So what if we did this? And that's what I think happens today is you have people who've been looking at so many numbers and stuff like that that they just think, hey, look, we have a formula we've made, and if we plug this formula in, we're going to make hit after hit after hit.

And I think that's what my... Right. You're 100% right. It's more scientific today than it is organic. And that is kind of sad. I've pitched TV shows. In the beginning, I really... In the beginning, I mean years ago, I wanted to do a reality show because there was so much craziness in my life. You know, I manufacture...

and produce undergarments, which of course was a, you know, came out of wearing so many intimate apparel on up all night. But I, you know, I want, I thought it was such a funny business to be in. I mean, you know, you're actually talking panties and bras. And I pitched it and, you know, people would, you know, they liked it, but they wanted it

They wanted to see my husband's my business partner. And they wanted to see us fighting and have him, you know, me being jealous of the models. And I said, that isn't happening. I mean, I'm not going to make up something that's not real, right?

And I mean, these producers, I had a father who was very successful, but he actually, he kept pushing, you know what your husband's thinking when he's looking at the models. And so you're trying to make something happen that doesn't happen. I mean, you know, we can look at beautiful girls and think they're beautiful, but that doesn't mean he lusts or wants, you know, that you're trying to make something happen that's completely untrue.

So that's what happens on those reality shows. I think it's kind of yucky. Yeah. You know, so we didn't agree to go down that road at all. I mean, you know, that's a bad road to go down. Oh, yeah. And I mean, that would cause you problems off camera as well because, you know. Right.

Yeah. I mean, that's just bad. It's just bad. And besides that, it's not who I am. I'm not negative. That's not who I am as a person. And that's not how I talk to my customers. You know, I'm more of a positive, flirty, fun, you know, I kid about my husband. But I don't believe in negative and nastiness. I mean, a lot of these people end up getting divorces and some bad stuff happening on these reality shows. And I do think it's the fault of the producers for pushing them down certain bad roads. Yeah.

So don't need to do that. Yeah. Don't need any of that in my life. I love the positive. There's enough negative that happens, you know, that you don't want to happen. There's all these things in business or life, but you don't need to push that into your life. And that's what they want. They always want to have that kind of yin and yang and the fight and people fighting and arguing and pulling hair. I'm like, not me.

Yeah, it's kind of like Jersey Shore. I think that that reality show, I think, ruined a lot of producers because we need more of that. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show. And it's like, you know, that was so manufactured. And, you know, now it's like, oh, you know, or the Kardashians. That was another show, I think, that just, you know, it was a...

I think, again, we were talking about formulas, and I think that was too much of a lot of where producers could look at that and say, hey, see, we could be that, that show. Right. Look at what Kim can do from that show. It's like, well, yeah, that's not something most people really want to do. Or all the housewife shows. Yeah. You know, that's the fact that they keep me. I've never watched any of them. You know, and people say, have you ever seen them? I say, I've never seen any of them. They just don't intrigue me or interest me at all. I know what they're saying. I totally get it.

I mean, hey, good for them. That makes them happy. But, you know, I like the old-fashioned ways of people becoming celebrities because they actually had talent.

I was a stand-up comic for many years and the Jerry Seinfelds were around and those people. That's where I came from. People had to really be funny and write a good joke. My days of stand-up, when anyone was doing the sexier stand-up comedy, female comedy at all, when I started in 1984, 85. It was kind of a category. I didn't know what to do with me. I ended up getting booked and headlining and all over, but

I mean, nowadays I would have been right in there with the Amy Schumer's, but back then they didn't want that. Of course, I'm not, I'm a feminist in my own way, but I, but not the way these women are like the Amy Schumer movies, you know, she's attacking the guy. I'm still that old fashioned girl. That's like, I want the guy, you know,

coming on to the girl and being flirty but I don't like it's just I like just a little bit more old fashioned in my life I think it's sexier but whatever you want to call it I don't have an old fashioned but that's just the way I was brought up and I still think you know that's just I still think guys like that at the end of the day I don't think they necessarily love aggressive women and that

that are that aggressive. You can still be a feminist. That's what my book's about, by the way. I do have a book out, you know, that will be actually hitting, um,

it's, it's on pre-sale right now on Amazon called, called up all night. And it's the life and journey of an accidental feminist, which I really think my life was because I did so many pageants. I was in the Louisiana and then I was a saints cheerleader back in New Orleans. And then I went on to Los Angeles and, um,

at Happy Days and, you know, co-starred on a lot of television and then eventually up all night. And then I reunited with my high school sweetheart 16 years ago and we started the current business I am, the Rhonda Shearer brand of Intimate Apparel. And so it was about, you know, my book covers, you know, my early life and

I ran for public office when I was young. It talks about that, how I was accepted to law school. But then I went to Hollywood and I was very, I was typecast immediately as a sexy girl and I thought it, but it just, it didn't work. So eventually I just went with it. And so it, the book has all these life lessons on how to use what's God given to

And I mean, basically, I was a feminist in my own way and stood up and stood my ground and always did and always got things my way. But I also use the things that were given to me in life. I didn't, you know, I wasn't this aggressive or outwardly aggressive woman. But yeah, I did fight for my own rights. Just I did it my way. So the book has a lot of life lessons and tips along with comedy and a lot of pictures from up all night and stuff.

My Younger Life, and I'm really excited. It actually, like I said, it's on pre-sale right now on Amazon. Actually, it's called Up All Night by Rhonda Shear. But it literally will be out October 3rd is when everything hits HSN and all the other places. So we're in bookstores. So we're very excited about it.

And I'm going to link to that in the show notes, everybody. Cause, uh, I actually saw Rhonda was writing the book and I thought this would be a great time to, to, to approach you Rhonda about, you know, coming on this podcast. Cause you know, Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for, you know, for coming on. And I will link to that in the show notes because, uh,

Again, I love the title, obviously. And again, you know, some of the things you were just talking about, about using your strengths and, you know, and using, you know, not trying to fight resistance. You know what I mean? Like people were saying to you, you know, hey, you know, hey, Rhonda, this or that, the other thing, and...

You know, you just mentioned about, you know, finding your talents and finding what you do, what you really like to do and are very good at. And, you know, you use that and you were able to, you know, build this whole empire you have now. You have a clothing line. Wow. Which is doing very well, by the way. I actually, you know, to prepare for this interview, I actually looked it up and I didn't know you have like the number one selling bra in the world, I think. Yeah.

Yes, it's called the Ah Bra, which I always believed in taglines. It's a very comfortable, wireless, no hooks and eyes bra. It took off. We started doing it in 2003. It really took off in 2009, 2010. Then we did an infomercial. Lo and behold, it became the best-selling bra in the world with over 35 million sold worldwide.

in 34 countries. And we continue to do the bra along with other bras. So we basically came up with a category of bras. So, and we also started, you know, after our bra, then we have the lifestyle clothing. And now I'm starting another loungewear line called our dreams by Rhonda Shear. So it's really exciting. And this was something that came out of my husband and I getting married and reuniting that we started this business just to work together.

because we hadn't seen each other really since we were kids and he was living in Louisiana and I was living in Hollywood and we put this together never thinking that it would have the success that it did but you know we both complimented each other as business people me as the spokesperson he you know behind the scenes and

and the financial end of it. So very cool. So the book talks about love later in life and finding a soulmate. It talks about, you know, becoming an entrepreneur later in life and that you can reinvent at any age. And so I have a lot of tips along with being really funny. I mean, there's some really funny stories now in my Hollywood stories and some fun pictures. So I think it's a book for everyone to read, both men and women. I think we'll really enjoy it.

Um, so I mean, then I have to say accomplishing and writing a book is something I always wanted to do. And I actually am getting ready to start my second one because you kind of, it kind of gets into your blood, but, uh,

I have to say, it's like one of the prouder things that I've done is like, you know, actually writing down because I thought I really feel I have a lot to share with a lot of people. And you also want to remember some of those amazing moments in your life. And because, you know, I get up and I do a lot of speeches and people love to hear stories.

My story and my story with my husband. And, you know, it's a very loving tale of two people who were first loves. We met when we were 12 and 13 and then getting back together and then starting a business. I mean, gosh knows you never even dream of that. That's why you kind of have to go sometimes where life leads you.

And again, that's like not manufactured. So people want you to manufacture this stuff. And I just feel like you have to be really real in life and very authentic and stick with whatever you're doing. And, you know, all dreams can come true. You mentioned about reinventing yourself. You know, if there's one thing I've learned about this podcast is I've interviewed people from all walks of life. And one thing that they've all sort of mentioned is one way or another,

is reinventing themselves. You know, some people, they didn't, they didn't pick up a camera until they, you know, they were 40, 50 years old and they were able to go out and make films. And, uh, you know, some people, they ended up, you know, winning Sundance and they ended up just sort of, you know, uh, doing something completely different now. And, uh, you know, it, it just, it's amazing, uh,

It's taking chances, Dave. So when my husband and I got together, he was living in Louisiana, I was living again in LA. We took a chance and we moved to Florida after a couple of years to start our business because Home Shopping Network, which is known as HSN, now it's branded as HSN, is located in Florida. So we figured if we moved here that it would really help our business move it along, would be in front of the right people. And it did. But so many people are so...

complacent where they live and what they do that they won't take their chance. So it's one of the things I always tell young entrepreneurs and all people is that sometimes you have to, what's the worst that'll happen? You can always go back home or back to where you began, but if you don't take a chance at something and people get stuck in ruts and won't do it. So when you talk about these people, I am sure, and we interview these people, I am sure that they all took chances. And there's some of us that will do that and some that won't. So I always like to encourage people that

hey, it's cool. It's okay. Go for it. Nothing bad will happen. You'll always wonder in your life if you don't, just like you during the podcast. I mean, I'm sure it's amazing that you keep learning things and, you know, it's amazing to interview people and hear how they've made it or how they've changed. And, you know, I use the word reinvent, but it's not even the

I said I started out to reinvent. And after I got married, we both had to change directions for different reasons. I wasn't 21 and buying the sexy girl stuff anymore. Not that I couldn't be the sexy older girl, but you have to be real in where you are in your life. And yet I didn't want to stop working. So it's just like, okay, let me continue doing something that I love near and dear to me. I can still be myself.

but it's just another extension of myself and my husband as well. He was a businessman. He had never done anything in the obviously apparel world, but he just applied everything that he knew about business. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show.

to what we're doing. Same thing. So a lot of people are just afraid to do that and no reason to be. So, you know, living in my dream house in Florida, I've got the five dogs, very happy.

And we don't know where life will take us next. The book is exciting because that's kind of taking me on another journey. I'm getting offers to make speeches and appearances and some TV talk shows and just hired a publicist. And he's got some really exciting plans. I'm going to do a book signing in New Orleans. Yeah.

the weekend of October the 27th and then which is a fun weekend because it goes almost right into Halloween and then we're going to do a book signing here in Florida

Florida, St. Petersburg, Tampa area the weekend of October 14th. So, you know, just those two things I am so excited about because I'm sure I'll get a lot of my up all night fans. I'm sure I'll have some fans from who watch me on HSN and are big, you know, customers of my brand. So, it's neat. You know, it's just, you just,

living life, I don't look back and go, gee, I wish I was still this age or I still wish I was... I just look forward and think, wow, I still got time to accomplish a lot more. So it's fun. Yeah, absolutely. And you probably took a chance writing that book because I have a friend of mine who's a professional author

And he said, if you actually think about writing a book and what it really is, he goes, you know, it's only been around for this little sliver in human history and being able to, you know, write an actual book, put it together. And then he said, if you look at it again in the world that we live in now, Rhonda, you know, you can make a Kindle version. You can do self-publishing. You can go through a publisher. You have a lot of options.

Yeah. That's even a smaller sliver. And he said, if you think about how it actually what it means to write a book, he goes, you as a human being are sitting down and writing, you know, five digits in words. So it's a couple of thousands upon thousands of words and compiling together all these thoughts. And I mean, it's time consuming. And I mean, you probably thought to yourself, you know, hey, I could write this book or I could go do another thing. I mean, and so you really have to make a choice. Thank you.

I love that your son put it that way. I've never thought about it, but it's true. And I did put it off for years because I've been wanting to do it, but I just felt like it was the right time with everything that was going on in my life. So finally, I just sat down. I do have a ghostwriter that kind of put my thoughts into the right order, and then I completely rewrote what he did. Yeah.

And then he loved what I did. I mean, I literally took it and started not over, but just, you know, it had to have my voice completely. And then after that, he...

then took that and really pulled it together. So it was a really, you know, because I had never structured a book and as a new author, you really have to have that right structure. So, you know, it holds people's attention and it's my life. Cause even when Tim, Tim is my, Tim VandeHei is my ghostwriter's name. He's fabulous. I don't mind admitting it at all, but he, he just, you know, really made,

made me understand, you know, the process and, and again, holding the attention. And we went back and forth of how, because a lot of my things start in one, one part of my life. So it kind of like goes back and it keeps going back to certain stories. So I think that's where I needed help because I would start, I'd say, if I start from the very beginning, then it's going to get boring if I just go through my life. So we would start, you know, we started at like

you know, a certain birthday and then we told some stories there. So it's very compelling. I'm very excited about it.

And again, we put the life lessons in. We also put this like basically like a bubble over my head. So I express to the reader what is going on in my head, like even what I was thinking when I was in the beauty pageant. You know, so how did I feel when I was on stage and in front of an audience with just a swimsuit on? So even though I was young, I never really, you know, what was going on in your mind? And I think that really gives an insight to

to the people who read it of what was really happening in my head and what motivated me to continue to do what I did through life. And I'm just really excited about it. So the second book that I'm already concocting in my brain is perfect because it has to do with self-body image and how we look in the mirror as women. So that covers my brand, but it also covers, you know, who I am and then how, you know, through life, you know, you gain weight, you lose weight, you know, you get women become

self-conscious, but then, you know, so it deals with it. But I'm going to do it with a lot of levity and a lot of comedy. So I'm already putting thoughts down about that. And then I could put a lot of the stories that I couldn't fit into the book. I can add those stories back into, because it was hard when we edited it.

But a lot of the stories I would have loved in were taken out, but you can't put everything in. So this way I get to put back a few of the stories and add to it and tell some more tales. Because I do kiss and tell a little bit in the book about some of my Hollywood stories and people I date in. And that's kind of fun. And it's not done viciously. It's just real. There's nothing in it that isn't 100% authentic and real.

But that's cool what your friend said, who's the author. I could see becoming very addicted to that. Now, when I wrote my book, though, here was the only obstacle I had. So I've got these four little chihuahuas in a Yorkie, so I'm sitting there writing, and they wouldn't let me write at my desk. So I had to write downstairs, on the couch, on the computer, and basically they were climbing over me. So months and months of dogs climbing. Now, I think that takes a special talent to be able to,

have dogs on your computer and write. More so than anything. But it's a great feat when you finish it and then the only thing is this is what you need sometimes, I think, and you definitely need an editor, but because you just like don't know when you think it's over and then you think of, oh, I have this one more thing and then you need that other eye, even outside of my husband or whoever read it, to look at it and go, okay, you're done. You don't need...

You'll write again and you'll put it in there. So it is an interesting process, especially your first book. Yeah, you know, it's funny because the friend of mine who's an author who actually said that to me, he said the first, you know, he and I would talk back and forth. And I've actually had him on this podcast before. And he said to me that the hardest part about anything is actually starting it. And I said, well, what's the second hardest part? And he goes, finishing it. And I said, because...

because you just, like you said, you'll get stuck in that endless loop of rewrites. Like, Oh, should I keep this? No, should I not keep it? And then you just have to get out of your own head. I mean, that's what I did. I completely rewrote, you know, I completely rewrote it from scratch and, and, and then it took a different turn. But you know, at the end of the day, it's exactly where I want it to be. Cause I think what it was desperately, it was more autobiographical in the beginning. And I do have a book agent and even though we've self published it, um,

we may still bring it to a major publishing house, which you can do now. And I do have a book agent in Los Angeles and when he first started, he goes, it's great. It's

It's autobiographical. I can't believe all the things you've done in your life. It's amazing. But the big publishing houses don't necessarily buy complete autobiographical books now. And he's a really big book agent who deals with just the big houses, you know. So he said, I think it needs to have...

more insight and I didn't know how to do that at first I couldn't figure it out I couldn't figure out how to take what I had already and then

you know, make it insightful. So that's when we, when I started thinking of the bubble, you know, like people always don't know what is that person really thinking, you know? And so it became like the bubble over my head. And then also each chapter will have life lessons that I learned at that part of my life. So it really goes back to my, I mean, it has my up all night years. It has my, you know, years as a Miss Louisiana and, uh, uh,

my New Orleans upbringing. I mean, and that in itself is interesting to grow up in New Orleans and then finding love. So each, each, each chapter really has something for everybody. An entrepreneur, I think will give a lot of people insight to how to start a business and how to keep going with it and not give up. So,

You know, I think, you know, it tells the story of my life, but it also has lessons. I think it's important to, you know, even if someone has no idea who I am, they will pick it up and just read, okay, this is a woman who, you know, when I started, like I can't even call it kind of the Bill Cosby years because when I was in Hollywood, you know, we don't know what, who knows what happened and what happened.

didn't happen then but I can tell you I was in Hollywood in the 80s and in that era and guys would push themselves on you and they would say if you don't sleep with me you are I will get you blackballed from the business now I never went down that route maybe if I would have I would have been a bigger star

But it wasn't who I am. I always kid about that. If I was slept around, maybe, you know, it would have worked, but it wasn't me. I was, I came from this nice Southern strict family and it wasn't who I was. I mean, it just wasn't, you know, I had, yeah, I had boyfriends, but they weren't, you know, I never chose the big producer types that came after me, but we need some big, big ones came through my life, but no one was going to push that down my throat. And pardon the pun. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

And now back to the show. But, you know, I was not going down that road of I had to live with myself. So, you know, everything I got, I got on my own. I didn't have family in the business. I knew no one when I first got to Hollywood. And literally, I just did it the old fashioned way of auditioning. When you look at Hollywood today, there's connections and it is who your father and mother is. But I moved here. I didn't know a soul.

So I'm proud of that. I'm proud that I got where I got on my own and, you know, did get a name for myself and did end up headlining as a standup comic. When I was told you're too pretty or you're too sexy to be a comedian. And I was like, to hell with that. I will do it. I stood in line at the comedy store until I got on stage and the improv until finally I got all the way up to headlining in Vegas. So, I mean, I feel like I really accomplished things that I wanted to. And,

pretty much the book talks about, you know, whenever anybody would tell me I couldn't do something, it would make me try harder. I mean, I've been told that my whole life I was either too pretty or too sexy to do this or I was, you know, ahead of my time doing stand-up with short dresses and miniskirts. No one was doing it. It had to, like, be a frumpy mother or...

Or, you know, even in my lingerie business, you can't do that. There's too many other brands out there. You can't start. Who's going to buy your brand? So pretty much my whole life has been you can't. And I have. So that just shows you that anybody can do it. You just can't.

listen to negativity. I am a glass half full person, not a half empty person. And I think that makes a difference just who you are, you know? And so when I started the book, I'm like, well, will anybody read it? I really feel like, you know, after having the few people I have that have read it, they have, and that people that are like,

major people like you know I have a friend who's one of the presidents at MGM and he loves the book and that really made me feel good because these people had a lot of a lot of manuscripts go past their desk so who knows maybe one day it'll be a book I mean not a book a movie yeah you know

Hopefully not a B-movie, but I'll take a B-movie too. I'm fine with that. It would be really meta if you actually introduced it on like a special edition of USA Up All Night and you introduced your own movie. You know what's really funny, Dave? The very first thing I did on Up All Night was the very first movie I ever introduced was

was, or rather on USA Up all night, was Basic Training, which is a movie I starred in, which had like three seconds of toplessness, which I was mortified to do at the time. It was in my contract that it didn't have to be more than three seconds. And of course, I went on to do Clay's Weight in 91 called Girls of the...

which I actually brought that idea to them. And then that next year up all night had like taken off. And so they came back and offered me a celebrity pictorial. And so that was really cool. So, you know, I have, you know, the book also talks about my playboy years and going to the mansion. So a lot of people like that in itself, you know, cause I did go to the mansion for many, many years. Actually, I had a line with Crystal Hefner, um,

A couple of years back, you know, I should say the last Mrs. Hefner. I believe the last Mrs. Hefner. Who is it still? Mrs. Hefner. But, you know, so, you know, it just romps through all those kind of interesting things. And along with, you know, I do a lot of charity work, and it talks about that, giving back. Once you've kind of hit a certain spot in life, we enjoy, my husband and I, you know, giving back to the community. It kind of just hits all that.

I'm sorry Rhonda You mentioned the comedy store I just want to ask this before I forget You mentioned the comedy store Did you ever meet a comedian there named Don Barris? I don't know the name How old? What era? He started in the 90s The early 90s He was there and now he's the headliner On the Ding Dong show on Monday nights

Oh, maybe that's why I may know his name there. Kind of, and a probable, I mean, I still would have been out there, of course, in 91, because, I mean, I was still on the road. Gosh, I mean, I was on the road until, I mean, I still actually occasionally do stuff, but definitely up until like 2006 or 2007, I was still, you know, out there. So I guess I know his name from that, but I can't say I remember like medium. I just thought I asked you.

I'm thinking like, maybe I dated him. I don't remember. He's been out there for years and he actually does like a lot of work with the comedy store. Um, like every night he's there and, uh, yeah, his name was really familiar to me. Absolutely. Cause he was like him and Mark Marin are really good friends.

Ah, okay. Well, I am sure that we came across each other, but that would have been during my up all night years. It was really funny, you know, and I've met so many people through my life, like through New Orleans and then my comedy years and then even my now apparel years. I'll go, I know that name. There's a comedy comic out that's doing really well out there now named Sebastian. Do you know who he is? No, I haven't heard of him.

Okay, if you just Google Sebastian O'Connor, I can never pronounce his last name right, but anyway, he's major. He has major shows, major showtime, all that stuff. And Sebastian used to wait on me as a waiter, and

at the Four Seasons Bar, we'd go there, it was around the corner from my house in Beverly Hills. And we'd go there and he was funny and he would say to me, I was on up all night at the time, he would say, "I want to be you." You know, LA has a lot of way those little actors, you know, I mean, it's like the only one thing I didn't do, but you know, people that legitimately that's their job, that's their day job or their night job. And he would say, "I really admire," it was really sweet because he goes, "I admire you as a female comic."

and he, when he took off, he took off. I mean, he really took off and I didn't even realize it because I've been so out of the loop myself just doing my own thing in the last few years and then I came across him like on social media and I was like, man, I'm proud of you. I mean, you know, because he said he was going to do it and he did it and he's got a whole different take. So, yeah, you know, stand-up comedy is a really rough road. Most of my friends that even started, like I started in 1984, but

Most of my friends that started in 84 are still doing stand-up. People usually don't leave that world. And the cool thing is you can get older and still do comedy, but you just have to find kind of different venues because...

you know, to the younger world at the comedy club. So then people move to ships, they do boats, they do, you know, comedy cruises, they do theater, you know, so you can keep at it. But I have to say, I'm not, I'm happy, Dave, that I'm not out there on the road doing that for a living. Although every now and then there's a piece of me that, you know, my friend will come to town, Carol Montgomery, she's hysterical out of New York and she gets up at a club and I'll have a cup of glass of wine and I'll be like, I want to do what you do.

And she's like, no, you don't want to give up your life. Your life is good. I said, it's still in my blood, you know, to make people laugh. And it's still like, once it's in your blood, it's in your blood. But every now and then I do Rhonda's Pajama Party and I'll host it and I'll do some stand up. And then I have like four other females and sometimes I put a male comic in there. So maybe with the book coming out, we'll do that again, which would be really cool.

Yeah, I was just going to say when the book comes out, if you do a tour, if they're a tour, you get another taste of it. So then at the end, Ronnie, you'll probably be like, well, you know what? I got it out of my system again, but now I'm glad I'm not doing this again until the next book, right?

Exactly. Exactly. But I do, but you know what I love doing is the speaking tours. So I'm excited about that because I did a lot of it during, when we won Ernst & Young and all these major entrepreneurial awards for this bra. And I mean, I didn't even think about myself as an entrepreneur, you know, but all of a sudden we're winning all these awards and it was amazing. So I found myself being asked to speak locally and regionally and all

All of a sudden, I'm getting up making these speeches about being an entrepreneur, but I'm funny. And then they're asking questions about my Hollywood background. So...

I really enjoyed it. I mean, I had never done just speaking without doing stand-up, obviously. So I'm really excited that now I'm being submitted and being asked to speak because, you know, there's a few comedic speakers, but not many, that can, you know, just talk about their life and how they did it. So I'm looking forward to doing that. It's a little bit of stand-up and it's a little bit of, you know,

information giving. So I look forward to that too. That may be, who knows, that may be the next, the next, uh, sort of standup comedy. It'll just be, you know, entrepreneur speeches. Yeah. And you have to do like a different podcast to like a John Lee Dumas podcast, entrepreneur on fire. Um, I'm sure you've heard of his podcast. Yeah. So it's like the one podcast in the world. Um, right there, like Mark Maron's and like, uh, this is your American life. And, um, but, but you know, that's good. So you'll have to help me get it.

This is kind of all new to me too. You know, when you have your head to, you know, I have been a very focused person in my world. So, you know, my life has been women's wear daily and fashion. And so I'm pretty excited about opening this new chapter of, like you said, doing podcasts. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show.

I mean, I did Gilbert Gottfried. If you talk about dirty, you're telling me I can be uncensored. If you ever go Google, I'm sure, hopefully I'll do it again, talk about my book. But if you Google and find the Ron DeShere podcast with Gilbert Gottfried, it is beyond dirty. It is like, I mean, he and I, when we get together, I don't know what it is, but he brings out the naughty in me. And he's naughty, but he thinks it's naughtier.

It's pretty funny. I mean, you know, I've had people say they were walking down the street and listening to it and laughing out loud and people like staring at them. So yeah, it was pretty funny.

because he could do impressions. So I would name different guys, you know, from my past in Hollywood. And then he would go off and just do an impression of them. And you're just laughing, you know? So he's a, he's one of the quotes on the back of my book that, that, you know, says to buy the book. And then I have Mindy Grossman on the back, who's the CEO of Weight Watchers and was the CEO of HSN, major business person. And then I have Joy Mangano, who,

who the movie joy was, was written about. Um, so pretty, pretty exciting. Plus a lot of other friends on the inside and celebrities, but, uh, it kind of hits show business and, and entrepreneurs and CEOs. So I, uh,

I'm really excited. I know I'm talking more about the book, but I guess it's just that I'm really excited about it, along with my line. Listen, you know, please go to rondashare.com, go to hsn.com, check out. I have this full, amazing line of everything from the most amazing undergarments to loungewear, and I was really into it. We literally designed everything in-house here in Florida, and then we manufacture all over the world. And a lot of my, most of my apparel, like,

My clothing is made in the USA and then a lot of my other pieces are made in Turkey and we make it China, but we use beautiful factories with

real high quality, everything. So that's very exciting too. And when you get into that world and that was, listen, my husband and I taught ourselves, we, we didn't come from that world at all. I came from a background in show business. Next thing you know, you know, we're reaching out to factories and, you know, it's, that was quite a interesting time in our lives too. But again, you're never too old to re to recreate and to, uh,

reinvent and find another career and find love, find all those wonderful things. Yeah. And that is such a wonderful assignment, Rhonda. And, but yeah, I mean, I will definitely send you the links to, to the podcast I just mentioned. Thank you. Check them out. Please. I want to, I want to put it up. Sure. There goes my dog. They knew the end of the podcast. Yeah. They can feel it. They can feel it. So we, we, yeah, we have been talking about it. They're like, mommy, I'm hungry. Yeah.

Yeah, and I must acknowledge their names. We have Chickie, Tiki, Sweetie, Lexi, and Brandy. Like two and a half are rescues. When I got it at an auction, it was kind of a rescue. Yeah.

And now that you mentioned their names, they're probably like now even more eager because they're probably like, what? Did we do something? What's going on? But I will link to everything, Rhonda, that you mentioned. Thank you. And everyone listening, I will link to everything that Rhonda mentioned in the show notes at DaveBullis.com. Rhonda, just quickly before we sign off on this episode of the podcast, I just have one final question.

And I just want to ask, is there anything that you might want to just talk about or discuss? Or is there anything you want to just to say to sort of sum up this whole podcast interview? Well, you know, just to sum it up is like I am a positive person. Everybody out there has to think positive and try to run from negativity. I mean, just don't surround yourself with negativity and don't listen. I mean, always, I always like to say, put a stake in it and go for it in your life.

Enjoy your life. Savor your life. I love food. I love everything. In moderation, obviously. I love fine wine. But I say enjoy life. Enjoy the journey of your life and of your business. And then it's fun.

and just don't be negative. So that kind of sums up my life and I've had a, had a wonderful life so far and hopefully it will continue to be amazing. Who knows where I'll end up next, maybe doing a podcast. Who knows? But, but I thank you, Dave. It,

It's been wonderful. And I just, I know you're going to link, but I do have a website too, or a webpage of rondashearspeaks.com. So that's for anybody who is interested in having me as a speaker, along with rondashear.com and of course, Amazon with the book. And I know that you'll promote the rest. And I thank you so much.

My pleasure, Rhonda. Rhonda, it has been so great talking to you. Thank you, Dave. It really has. Again, I used to watch USA Up All Night all the time. I know I've already mentioned that, but I thought I'd mention it again. I mean, because of you, I found the Toxic Avenger. And I've had Lloyd on the show. Lloyd!

I love Lloyd. The last B film I did, he was in it. We had a scene together. Oh, and I was like a bad prisoner, of course, because that's what it was. I don't know what's the name of that film. I can't remember. But anyway, we actually won Best B Film of the Year. But anyway, I love Lloyd. Lloyd used to come on Up all night all the time, and Toxie came on. I mean, literally, he was one of my regular guests.

So he's a great guy, isn't he? Brilliant, brilliant man. Great guy. It was funny, really quick, because I know you have to run. Really quickly, when he came on the podcast, he said that he started trauma in prison with him and Michael Hertz. And he was like, well, I was Michael's prison bitch.

And he's like, you know, we got married. Well, people who listen to that podcast actually wrote in to me and they were like, Dave, is that true? Did he really form this in prison? And I said, no. I said, it would have been funny if he did. But I was like, you know, I should have put a disclaimer before Lloyd's interview being like, don't pay attention to anything Lloyd says. I know.

I know. And he is so funny and so brilliant, such a family man and a great guy. And really helped us on Up All Night because he supplied us great films. We had Toxie. What can I say? I'm not going to tell you what a good lover he was. People will believe that too. Rhonda, it's been an absolute pleasure talking to you. Thank you. I'm sure we'll do it again. Anytime, please. Thank you. Yeah, I was going to say when the second book comes out, you have to come back on.

You've got it. You've got it. Or the next time I'm hosting or whatever. We'll find another reason. I'll weasel back on your show somehow. Ronna, the door's always open. I thank you so much. Thank you, Dave. And please send me the link and I'll talk to you soon. Bye.

I want to thank Dave so much for doing such a great job on this episode. If you want to get links to anything we spoke about in this episode, head over to the show notes at indiefilmhustle.com forward slash 793. And if you haven't already, please head over to filmmakingpodcast.com, subscribe and leave a good review for the show. It really helps us out a lot, guys. Thank you again so much for listening, guys. As always, keep that hustle going, keep that dream alive. Stay safe out there, and I'll talk to you soon.

Thanks for listening to the Indie Film Hustle podcast at IndieFilmHustle.com. That's I-N-D-I-E-F-I-L-M-H-U-S-T-L-E.com.