Danielle Olivera Talks Summer House, Her Tequila Partnership, And More - Exclusive Interview
Danielle Olivera is a reality TV staple as a regular cast member on Bravo's "Summer House." Viewers have loved following her close friendships with Lindsay Hubbard, Carl Radke, and the rest of the "Summer House" crew, but she's also found herself involved in some serious drama on screen. Currently filming the seventh season of the reality hit, Danielle is also helping to launch The Ultimate Margarita Strawberry, the chic new summer cocktail from 1800 Tequila.
As for why The Ultimate Margarita Strawberry is the perfect summer drink, she told us, "When you say you're going out for a margarita, people are like, 'Oh, yes. Have the margarita.' If you're saying, 'I'm going to have a few shots by the bar alone,' people are like, 'I don't know.' That's not the same effect."
In an exclusive interview with The List, "Summer House" icon Danielle Olivera opened up about starring on the popular Bravo show, her relationships with the rest of the cast, and why she's excited about her new partnership with 1800 Tequila.
Celebrating 1800 Tequila's Ultimate Margarita Strawberry
You're launching the Ultimate Margarita Strawberry with 1800 Tequila. Why is this your summer drink of choice?
Well, once I heard the word tequila, number one ... It's so easy. I'm pretty busy for the most part, and when you give me a cocktail in a bottle, I'm yours. I love the flavor. Nerd alert, but I love that it's in a plastic bottle because it's easier to travel around with. I'm, as you know, in between the Hamptons and my place in Brooklyn and everywhere in between, so it's a nice, easy grab-and-go. And [it's] a crowd pleaser for when you have people over.
Are you a fan of their other products, and what else have you been drinking lately?
The same ones, but in different flavors. They have so many great flavors. I was excited about strawberry, but they do have a bunch of other really good flavors.
Are you a fan of mixing up cocktails in your own time?
I'm not a mixologist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a bar cart at my Brooklyn apartment. It's so hard in the summer to devote the time to it. I'm like, "Let's get everything that we can and do it quickly and have a good time."
Following Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke's Summer House romance
You recently returned to filming "Summer House." What's it been like watching Lindsay [Hubbard] and Carl [Radke]'s relationship develop? You've been their best friend the entire time and have watched their relationship go full circle.
In the beginning, it required a lot of tequila for me because it was such a shock. It was right under my nose all along, and then you're like, "Wait, I've been witnessing this for such a long time and I didn't even know what was going on?" They told me before everyone else knew, but still, I was like, "Wait, what, guys? We've been hanging out for a while — just us — and you guys were low-key very into each other?" They're like, "Yes." I'm like, "Oh, my God."
It was a shock. It took a lot to get used to because the dynamic shifted, but it's great. It's amazing now. It just took me a couple of months to fully warm up to the whole entire thing.
It's crazy now to be able to look back and watch all the seasons and know that they end up together.
It's pretty crazy to have that all documented also.
Having difficult conversations on Summer House
During the reunion, you had an emotional conversation with Ciara [Miller] about race and about how you felt you'd been overlooked in that whole discussion on the show. Have you sat down and talked with her since, and is there any tension going back into the new season of "Summer House"?
I can't say anything about the upcoming season, but I can say that there were some [conversations]. Honestly, we're moving forward, where it's since been addressed and those feelings of not being heard on both sides are not there anymore, which is great. I hate living my life with any sort of unfinished business or unspoken tension. That's not fun.
Whenever anybody in a minority speaks out, it's so important, and it makes everyone feel more heard, so thank you for having those conversations. That can't be easy on an international platform.
No, it's definitely difficult, and it's definitely taken many, many years for me to be able to speak up for myself. It's not something that I was born being able to do. I'm in my thirties now, and I feel a little bit more confident in who I am. It's something that I've definitely had to grow into versus something that comes naturally to me.
I know it's made a big difference for a lot of people.
Thank you. It's good to know that some of those hard conversations — it sucked at the time — but it's good that it has the impact that it has for everyone else. That's why we keep doing what we do.
On her romance with chef Robert Sieber
Do you have a favorite reality show? Would you be open to starring in any others?
Yes — "Below Deck: Sailing Yacht." I would love to be on that show, because it's the perfect combination of ... They work hard and they play hard, similar to ours. They're definitely doing it in the most insane circumstances on a huge yacht and under high stress. But it's so cool. The places that they go to [and] the personalities are so fun. I would hang out with them. Actually, I'm hoping that I meet them at Bravo Con; that'll be soon.
I was really shipping Daisy [Kelliher] and Gary [King] this season.
[They have] weird friend tension. I love watching her busting his chops all the time.
We need a crossover. You need to get on that boat.
Yes. Robert [Sieber, Danielle's boyfriend] could chef it up with Marcos [Spaziani].
I was going to ask about Robert, because it was really nice to see you in this happy relationship on "Summer House." What's it been like having that romance in the public eye?
It's weird because people say, "You guys are so normal." It feels like it did before it was public. I don't know. We have such a good foundation here. We're in Montauk right now. He's currently sleeping because today's his only day off, but we have friends outside of the show that support us. We have such a good balance, so it doesn't ever feel public — because once it does, you might do stuff in the relationship that isn't authentic to the relationship. You might be doing it for other people versus yourselves. I like that even though we're out there, we still maintain this bubble. Bubble's the worst [word] because bubbles are meant to pop, but you know what I mean.
Becoming a CEO of her own company
You recently quit your job to start your app, which must have been really scary. Can you tell us anything about the company and what's happening with it?
It's still really scary. I'd be lying if I didn't say I have an imposter syndrome. I'm really good at building software. Where I struggle is with being a CEO and all of the things that come with that that I had no idea about — all of the financial aspects, raising money, hiring and firing. It's a lot. We're definitely moving slower than I would like, and that's a struggle for me, too, because I'm very much a workaholic and I want everyone to work at the same pace. But that's not the reality of the situation. I'm hoping it'll come out in the fall, but it's been so delayed because I did have a hiring and firing situation because we weren't moving fast enough.
I hope that we have momentum this summer and can put something out. It's something that I feel strongly about because it's an app that I want to use to help me get ready every day. I want other people to feel the same way, that you can show up confidently everywhere that you go, which is a game changer in how you approach anything that you do. If you feel like you look good and presentable and it fits the situation that you're in, there's nothing holding you back from crushing it. That's what I want people to feel after they've used my app. Whether it be [that] they're going to the Hamptons [or] going to work, we'll know your personal style — hopefully better than you know your own personal style — and help you get dressed.
I'm not going to reveal the name just yet. ... [It] will be revealed soon, hopefully this summer. I want to do a whole unveiling of the concept and the brand strategy and everything that we're about. That is something that I'm working a lot on, and then the app will be released after that.
Overcoming imposter syndrome
That's exciting. Well, don't have imposter syndrome. It sounds like you've got it.
It's a lot. It's overwhelming sometimes. But again, tequila. It's hard because, even when partnering with 1800 Tequila, it's one of those things where ... Going back to Carl and Lindsay's relationship, it's having to balance people in my life who are sober and then wanting so much to drink to de-stress, but do it in a fun way. I thought swigging tequila on its own ... That's why I'm like, "Okay, strawberry margarita, that's fun and flirty." It's not like I'm promoting you doing shots. I'm promoting you enjoying a margarita poolside with your friends. That's another reason why I chose this partnership.
To circle back, [I] even [included] Carl, because I'm always sensitive to my friendship there. I even texted him beforehand. I was like, "You would be cool with this, right?" ... I'm always careful to pick partnerships that I really enjoy and that my friends would also love and be cool with me doing.
I also saw that you'd been doing some acting and you're in a movie that's coming out.
No, that's on IMDb.
Is that not you? Has someone co-opted your profile? That's so weird.
I feel like I wouldn't be a good actress. I don't know. I would prepare a lot. I'm definitely a good preparer, but I don't know if I have it in me. I'm too normal. I don't know if I could be anyone else besides myself.
We just need to get you on "Below Deck."
That I could do. That would feel great. I would need to take some sort of lesson on how to operate a yacht, or the bow, the stern, and the port. I could be a guest. I could definitely be on the yacht. Those are my goals.
The Ultimate Strawberry Margarita is available nationwide and on Drizly. For more information about the full range of The Ultimate Margarita, please visit 1800tequila.com.
This interview was edited for clarity.