With more real estate shenanigans upon us, we went straight to the source—Emma, Selling Sunset star—to get the 411 on the new season. (Because the only thing more irresistible than Emma's empanadas is behind-the-scenes reality scoop.)
Now that Selling Sunset season 6 of the reality series has hit Netflix, Emma Hernan, O Group realtor and a food industry entrepreneur, chatted with My Imperfect Life about all the things the cameras don't catch, from her favorite beauty finds to behind-the-scenes moments to what shows the reality star is binging next.
Emma from 'Selling Sunset' chats to My Imperfect Life
MIL: Congrats on season 6! How has your time on Selling Sunset changed from when you first started in season 4?
EH: I went from being the new girl, and now I feel like I'm filming with some of my best friends in the world. I was comfortable with filming from the very beginning, but when it came to forming relationships with the cast members, now everything feels so much more natural and fun.
What's the best piece of advice you received before joining the series? How has it impacted you?
I believe Mary [Fitzgerald] said it, and I don't know her exact wording, but it was basically: "Be careful." She warned me about people making fun of you and giving you a hard time. Having that piece of advice helped me go in with confidence and not let other people's opinions affect who I am as a person.
Part of being on a reality TV series involves being vulnerable. How do you manage cameras digging into your personal life, work life, and love life?
I think a big part of that is being comfortable in your own skin and being comfortable with the crew. I'm super close with my producers and our camera guy, and I think it's really important to treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Although filming can be vulnerable, I'm with my best friends, so I think that's been really helpful.
But at the end of the day, I made the decision to join the show, and I don't think it would be fair to myself, or fair to the audience, if I didn't allow people in 100%. When I signed up, it was going to be all or nothing. I'm an open book, and I hope that people resonate with that. It's not the easiest at times, I'm not going to lie and pretend it's smooth sailing. But, you know, with smooth sailing comes a bit of rough waters.
What have you learned about mixing business and friendship while on Selling Sunset? How do you keep work and personal life separate?
With any friendship that I have, I put in 110%, I think it's so important. We work together in the sense that we're in the same office, but most of our deals we do on our own. When it comes to filming for the show, that's what makes it so fun. It is work, but at the same time, it's filming with my best friends. And to be honest with you, that's a huge reason I enjoy doing this. As soon as we wrap, we usually go out to dinner, we go to brunch, we're planning vacations together. I'm so lucky and I'm so grateful for the relationships that I've formed because of the show. That's been a huge bonus for me.
"I'm so lucky and I'm so grateful for the relationships that I've formed because of the show. That's been a huge bonus for me."
Emma Hernan
So you keep in touch with the realtors when you're not filming? Have you stayed in contact with those who've left the O Group, like Maya and Vanessa?
I've known Maya for quite some time, Vanessa was new, so I was just kind of meeting her [at the time]. I love Maya, I adore Maya and she just had a baby and named her Emma. I'm so happy for her.
We'll always be super close regardless of the show. If tomorrow, Chelsea or Chrishell or myself didn't do the show, we're still going to be doing brunches, we're still going to be doing vacations, we're still going to be seeing each other multiple times per week. I think that's something super positive that came from the show.
Let's talk empanadas! You have your own empanada company, Emma Leigh & Co. How do you go about picking flavors? And what are your plans for the future?
I create all of my recipes, I do everything myself. Because the empanadas blew up because of the show, people think that it's just empanadas, but I have numerous other items: I have a Keto cauliflower crab cake, I have spring rolls. I own the manufacturing facility where I manufacture my items.
My line will be expanding to different spring rolls, different cakes, different wraps coming up in the next few months. But on top of that, I have other companies from all over the top east coast coming to me to manufacture their items. I've had literally hundreds of investors asking to invest in the company and I turned everyone down because I really wanted to prove that I could do it on my own, especially as a female in business.
I tried all of the plant-based appetizers everywhere. And none of it was what I wanted to eat, so that's when I came up with the idea. "I'm going to make it really tasty comfort food, you can't tell that it's plant-based!" And it's been a hit, for sure.
So you're on a reality TV show, but what reality shows are you watching yourself?
I want to watch Vanderpump Rules—I'm so behind! I have been following all the juicy tea on that story and I'm so looking forward to starting it. And I feel like I get to start it all and watch it from the beginning.
Selling Sunset is known for its fashion moments. What trends will you be trying this summer?
I'm always open to try something new, but when it comes to summertime, I love a good maxi dress. They're so elegant, they're super comfortable. You know, Sofia Richie just got married and it was this classy, sexy, elegant vibe. I feel like that is definitely the vibe for the summer of 2023.
Speaking of summer, what do you have planned? What are you most looking forward to?
Chrishell and I are planning a trip together, somewhere fun and tropical, and I'm also going to plan a little European vacation.
Something that's so interesting is that when you travel with someone, you kind of become really close or you're like, "Ok wow, we cannot travel together again." Part of the moments that Chrishell and I became super close was when we traveled to Cabo for my birthday. We were like two peas in a pod.
We're obsessed with trying new perfumes. What is your favorite fragrance right now?
TOM FORD Eau de Soleil Blanc. It's unisex and I love that you can have a distinct smell, but also share it with your partner.
We also can't resist a solid skincare routine. Are there any beauty products you're particularly enamored with?
This is a new obsession of mine—have you heard of Dr. Barbara Sturm? The. Best. Beauty. Products. Anywhere. Their scrub is my absolute favorite scrub in the entire world. And they have a nice night serum that I put on every single night and it's pretty life-changing.
If I'm not filming, I'm not always wearing a ton of makeup. That's not so much my thing, but hydration and doing things from the inside out is so, so, so important to me.
Last but not least, what can we expect from you in the future, both on and off-screen?
For me on and off-screen, I'll always continue to have amazing friendships and family—that's super important to me—continue to work on relationships and continue building my empire. I think it's important to create that generational wealth and create a life for my family and future kids. I like making people proud and working really hard for myself.
Catch Emma Hernan in Selling Sunset season 6, now streaming on Netflix.
