Southern Charm's Venita Aspen On Balancing Being An Influencer And A Reality TV Star - Exclusive
"Southern Charm" is one of many Bravo reality shows that offers viewers romance, friendships, and drama each season. The series follows Charleston, South Carolina's socialites as they manage their personal and professional lives. Many of the cast members have been part of the show since it first aired in 2014, but Venita Aspen is a new face that viewers are just getting to know. She first came on "Southern Charm" as a guest in Season 7, but now she's back as a full-time member of the cast for Season 8.
With her first season of the series airing, Aspen sat down for an exclusive interview with The List to share what it was like joining the cast. Along with her new role as a reality star, Aspen is also a model, social media influencer, and long-time Bravo fan. Going on the show was a dream come true, but it was not without its initial growing pains. She had to learn how to balance her full-time job with Bravo's busy shooting schedule and somehow still find a little time for herself and her personal relationships.
Scheduling was her biggest challenge going on Southern Charm
Venita Aspen had been a fan of Bravo shows for years before she was invited to come on "Southern Charm" as a cast member. So, of course, she wasn't going to pass up such an exciting opportunity. In fact, she'd already decided to say yes to the show before she was even offered the job. "I set the goal last season of, if I do good enough and they ask me to interview, I think I'll take it and see if I can do it," Aspen said. "I'll always try most things once, and this is one of those things."
Becoming a full-time cast member came with its challenges. The biggest obstacle for Aspen was finding a way to manage her schedule. Before going on the show, she'd made a name for herself as a full-time social media influencer. So, she had to find a way to keep up with her personal brand while filming a reality TV show. "I no longer have time in my day," she told The List. "It's all gone. If I'm not working as an influencer, I'm working for Bravo, and time does not exist anymore." However, she loves her work as an influencer and being a part of the show, so she was determined to make it work.
Finding balance and disconnecting
Although it was difficult to juggle working as an influencer and filming Season 8 of "Southern Charm," Venita Aspen said she's getting better at managing her time and finding a work-life balance. "If you were to ask me that two years ago, I would've been like, 'I don't know what balance is,'" she admitted. More recently, she's been trying to set aside time for herself. She does her best to completely "unplug" during the weekends so that she actually gets a break. "Which has helped me balance the fact that I now have two full-time jobs," Aspen said.
She also stays grounded by spending time with friends and family who don't treat her any different after going on the show. "So far, so good. I haven't gotten any special treatment, or people haven't started acting weird yet," she said. Though she added that perhaps as the season progresses, she'll see more of that. For the most part, she's just been supported by close friends who are just as excited to see her achieve her dreams as she is.
New episodes of "Southern Charm" air Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes are also available Fridays for streaming on Peacock.