Entertainment
The formerVanderpump Rulesstar spent her 20s baring all for Bravo.
(She married casting director Beau Clark in 2020.)
When we get into the house, we ignore her tantrum.
Sounds normal enough for life with two kids under 4.
But how does she think this would play out onVanderpump?
We would look like the most neglectful freaking parents.
They would probably zoom in on the messes, the dirty plates in the kitchen sink, Schroeder says.
Anything that would help shape [the idea] that Wow, theyre awful parents.
Their lives are falling apart.
Theres a wonderful freedom in that.
Something Ive learned over the last couple of years is that I love the word no.
There is such a power when you say no to opportunities or going to a party, Schroeder says.
In terms of becoming a mother, your backbone gets so much stronger.
Schroeder says she turned down a spot on theVanderpumpspinoffThe Valley.
(Theres a better chance of me doingCelebrity Big Brother UK, she tells me.)
Everyone has a fear of remaining relevant, but theres so much power in being out of the spotlight.
You have to evolve a little bit.
you gotta let people miss you, she says.
No one wants to see, hear, watch, or read the same thing over and over.
So taking a break and not being relevant is powerful just like saying no.
By the finger sandwich portion of the hour, Schroeder starts hinting at her comeback.
Are you under the impression that I wouldnt go back to reality TV?
she asks, with an amused look on her face.
I tell her shed have to be offered a really,reallygood deal.
Yeah, thats how I feel, she says.
I love reality TV.
My whole adult life was onVanderpump Rules.
It was all I knew.
I wouldve stayed on forever, Schroeder tells me.
Her willingness to seemingly bare all made her a breakout star of the shows early seasons.
Yet inYou Cant Have It All, Schroeder opens about some struggles that werent on camera.
But she credits motherhood with inspiring her to speak up.
Im like, Oh, God, that feels dirty.
How will I ever explain to her that this was something that I chose?
Plus, she likes the feeling of being a truly open book.
It just feels like its been a secret, and I dont like secrets.
I think that’s part of maybe why I do what I do podcasts, just living out loud.
Because there is this feeling of: Im free.
Everyone knows my sh*t. I dont have to hide anything.
Schroeders best friend, podcaster Taylor Strecker, says that resilience is Schroeders secret weapon.
She doesnt second-guess herself.
She doesnt overthink things, theTaste of Taylorhost says.
Strecker recently saw this in action when she accompanied Schroeder to the photo shoot for her book cover.
I would toil over that decision for months.
Returning to television, however, required some careful deliberation.
I never felt like I was completely done with reality TV, Schroeder tells me after her Hulu announcement.
I dont want my children around that or seeing it.
Even now, Schroeder still wrestles with how to juggle motherhood with the cameras.
But then I think, Whats the alternative?
They could also, 18 years from now, say, Why didnt you ever show me?
Will Schroeder still be on television then?
Shes not sweating it.
Ive already been at a point where I felt like, Oh my gosh.
I dont have any more jobs.
Should we move to Italy?
Im like a roach a survivor.
You cant get rid of me.
