Lala Kent is shedding light on how she approaches her salary negotiations for “Vanderpump Rules” – and how far she’s come since her first season.
The Bravolebrity has worked her way up to becoming a full-time cast member, but claims her beginning “Pump” show pay was barely enough to make ends meet.
“When you’re brand new, you definitely need that hostess job. I still was having to fit model. I still was having to be a hostess. Like, what I was making on the show was not covering much,” she told host Jason Tartick on Monday’s episode of the “Trading Secrets” podcast.
Kent – who first appeared on “Vanderpump Rules” in 2015 and became the lead in Season 6 – explained that “earning your place” helps increase the check amount.
“My show rewards me for confrontation and speaking up. I don’t want to say that I like confrontation, but I will say that I’m great at it,” Kent, 31, admitted. “It’s not something where I leave feeling amazing after it happens, but I know what I signed up for and I’m being paid for my thoughts.
“When cameras aren’t on, I tend to pick my battles a little bit better. But when cameras are on, it’s, like, ‘Well, I have a thought and I’m going to say it.’”
The “Give Them Lala” author also dished out some advice for anyone looking to negotiate a salary, emphasizing that it’s critical to know not only your personal value, but also what will benefit everything else in your life.
“Do I feel like I should be making a billion dollars an episode? Absolutely. We should all feel like we deserve a billion dollars,” she said. “If I’m on television, my other brands remain relevant. And that, to me, is also a huge deal and worth a lot. So, my team, when they go into negotiations, they know where my head is at, and we make sure that everybody leaves happy.”
Despite finding success on the Bravo reality series, Kent hinted back in December that she might not return for a tenth season, saying she was “feeling a bit alone” after taping the Season 9 reunion. Weeks later, she told Page Six exclusively that she hasn’t ruled out a return.
“There are moments where I think I may have outgrown the space. But … I kind of am rolling with the punches. If they called me tomorrow, I would have to see how I felt. I don’t know what my future holds,” she told us.
“I am looking for a very positive space in life right now, so thank goodness the show isn’t filming right now. Or maybe I wish it were, I don’t know!”