Today, most of The Real Housewives have become household names with booming business ventures. Even so, these women lived very full lives pre-reality TV. The Real Housewives had interesting jobs before the show. Some of them joined the show with years of entertainment experience as actors, like Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump. Camille Grammer was a dancer on a popular MTV series. Dallas Housewife Brandi Redmond danced on the field as a cheerleader for an NFL team. Real Housewives of Atlanta OG NeNe Leakes has dance experience as well, but in the club and on a pole.
It's not all actors and dancers though. D'Andra Simmons and Candiace Dillard worked with United States presidents in Washington, D.C. Both Kim Zolciak and Luann de Lesseps worked in the medical field before they found their true calling on reality TV.
And, of course, there are plenty of Real Housewives who worked at bars and restaurants back in the day, saving money before they caught their big break, including Erika Jayne, Cynthia Bailey, Karen Huger, and Melissa Gorga. Some of the women have talked about their old jobs plenty of times on the show. Others' past work experience is actually pretty surprising, like the Housewife who worked at a federal prison and another who babysat a famous celebrity. These are some of the Real Housewives' jobs before they became Bravolebrities.
1. Bethenny Frankel- Paris Hilton's Nanny
In a 2015 interview with E! News, Bethenny dished on her pre-Housewives life as a nanny. Bethenny said, "I used to work for Kathy Hilton and take Paris [Hilton] and Nicky [Hilton] to school and so I knew them through Kyle [Richards] who's a friend of mine." What a small world. Then again, Bethenny has appeared on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills a couple of times.
2. NeNe Leakes- Stripper
NeNe said that she became a stripper after answering an ad looking for nude models when she had trouble paying the rent. According to Bravo TV, NeNe wrote in a 2018 blog post, "I own the fact that I was a stripper, which no one would have ever known if I didn’t speak on it."
3. Cynthia Bailey- Taco Bell
Cynthia Bailey's first job was working at Taco Bell. The Atlanta Housewife told Bravo's The Daily Dish, "I actually kind of hated to quit when I had to move on but at that time, some other doors had opened and I had to go on. But when I pass by a Taco Bell to this day, honey, I still am like, honey, I was here."
4. Karen Huger - Taco Bell
Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger also worked at Taco Bell as a side hustle. She told Bravo's The Daily Dish, "I was married before and I was starting my first company and my son was 1-year-old so I was doing that at night, mommy during the day, and executive secretary also, trying to get the business off the ground... 'No' was not an option for me and that was a means to an end, and I made it happen."
5. Dolores Catania - Corrections Officer At a Prison
Dolores Catania has had a lot of jobs. She was a shampoo girl, a waitress, a corrections officer, a realtor, a surgical assistant, and now she's a Real Housewife who owns gyms in New Jersey.
6. Luann de Lesseps- Registered Nurse
These days, Luann de Lesseps is all about the cabaret. Before Real Housewives, Luann was a model and a nurse. In 2011, Luann told Forbes, "I think the people skills I acquired as a nurse definitely have helped me be a better entertainer, and I never forget to be grateful for good health."
7. Stephanie Hollman- Social Worker
On her official website, Stephanie Hollman discussed her past in social work when she lived in Oklahoma. She wrote, "I worked at Head Start with families and children and at the Madonna House Shelter in Tulsa as a Social Worker. The Madonna House is a shelter for homeless, pregnant women."
8. D'Andra Simmons - George W. Bush White House Staffer
On a 2018 Watch What Happens Live episode, D'Andra Simmons discussed her work history, "I worked for President [George W.] Bush, I've worked in major corporate jobs ... people know that my background is in politics." Bravo's The Daily Dish confirmed that D'Andra previously worked for his father, George H.W. Bush, as an intern. She also worked in the nuclear waste division of the Department of Energy.
9. Candiace Dillard - Obama White House Staffer
After graduating from Howard University, Candiace Dillard worked in the White House Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs while President Barack Obama was in office. Her Bravo bio reported that Candiace also worked on Obama's reelection campaign in 2012.
10. Teresa Giudice- Associate Buyer Macy's
Bravo's The Daily Dish reported that Teresa Giudice worked as an associate buyer for Macy's long before her table-flipping days.
11. Brandi Redmond - Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
Pretty much everyone who watches Real Housewives of Dallas knows that Brandi Redmond used to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She's brought it up a few times throughout the years. However, in a season 4 episode Brandi revealed that she taught herself how to tumble because her family couldn't afford the coaching when she was growing up. Props to her for making it to such an elite level on her own terms.
12. Kim Zolciak - Registered Nurse
The Real Housewives of Atlanta ladies challenged Kim Zolciak when she said she had a nursing degree during a season 3 episode. However, Kim is actually a Licensed Practice Nurse, with licenses in both Connecticut and Georgia.
13. Kyle Richards - Child Actor
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was far from Kyle Richards' first time in front of a camera. When she was a child, Kyle had a recurring role on Little House on the Prairie. She also appeared Halloween, the 1978 horror movie classic.
14. Erika Jayne - Cocktail Waitress 
Erika Jayne met her husband Tom Girardi while she was working as a cocktail waitress. In 2017, she told Glamour that Tom was one of her customers for over a year before she asked him out.
15. Melissa Gorga- Bartender/ Tanning Consultant
"Strippergate" was a Real Housewives Of New Jersey storyline for years. Melissa Gorga has adamantly denied being a stripper many times over, however, she did work in a strip club, just not on stage. Her rep told Huffington Post in 2012, "Melissa worked at the club behind the bar, not as a dancer. Worked one day a week for almost a year. She has nothing to hide."
16. Ramona Singer- Buyer For Macy's
After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Ramona Singer became a buyer for Macy's. Her bio on her official website also states that Ramona was a sales manager for Calvin Klein and French Connection. There's no doubt that she made sure all of those brands had plenty of "Ramona blue" apparel in stock.
17. Dorinda Medley - Cashmere Company Owner/ Real Estate Agent
Dorinda Medley ran the company DCL Cashmere in London for a decade. The company counted Princess Diana and Joan Collins as loyal customers. After selling the company, Dorinda returned to the United States and started working as a real estate broker, which is how she met her second husband, Richard Medley. She sold him a townhouse and the rest of was history, as reported by Bravo's Daily Dish.
18. Yolanda Hadid- Dish Washer At Chinese Restaurant
Yolanda Hadid was the epitome of glamour on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but that wasn't always the case. After her father passed away, 13-year-old Yolanda wanted to step up for her family. Yolanda became a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant. Three years later, she was discovered by a modeling agent and she started traveling the world for jobs.
19. Lisa Vanderpump- Actor
Nowadays, people think of Lisa Vanderpump for her many episodes. When she was younger, she was an actor on the UK TV show Kids in 1979. She also appeared on the short-lived series Baywatch Nights in 1995.
20. Camille Grammer - MTV Dancer
Camille Grammer's dance moves stole the show on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which makes sense because of her professional experience on the show Club MTV. In March 2018, Camille told Bravo's The Daily Dish, "I mean, being 18, 19, 20 years old and traveling around with rock stars — it was so much fun and dancing and meeting all these different performers and just the camaraderie between the dancers. Back then, MTV was so cool."
21. Kameron Westcott - Dog Clothes Designer
Real Housewives of Dallas fans are familiar with Kameron Westcott's quest to sell pink dogfood. Before she became a Housewife, Kameron was the director of Babylou Pooch Couture, a line of handmade dog clothing.
22. Gina Kirschenheiter - Flight Attendant
Before she was a Housewife, Gina Kirschenheiter was a flight attendant for North American Airlines. In March 2018, Gina told Newsday, "My first year out of college I was broke and wanted to travel so I was an international flight attendant for North American Airlines. We did charter flights, military mostly." And now she's enjoying cast trips with the Orange County Housewives, i.e. engaging in alcohol-fueled arguments in the midst of jet lag.
23. Jackie Goldschneider - Real Estate Attorney
According to NorthJersey.com, Jackie Goldschneider worked as a lawyer for seven years. For five of those years, she focused on real estate law. Once she became a mom, Jackie stopped practicing law and started her second career as a freelance journalist, which included shading Jennifer Aydin for "spoiling" her children.
24. Robyn Dixon - Publicist
Before joining Real Housewives of Potomac, Robyn Dixon worked as a publicist for a Washington, D.C.-based firm called TAA PR. She worked with brands including Shake Shack and Ritz-Carlton.
There are many reasons that these women have been cast for The Real Housewives. They have been hustling and working hard their whole lives, proving that they are capable of taking on many roles, most importantly as Bravo superstars.
Source: E! News, Bravo TV, The Daily Dish, The Daily Dish, Huffington Post, NorthJersey.com, Newsday