Monique Samuels – Real Housewives of Potomac and Not for Lazy Moms

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Monique Samuels on being the only one on Real Housewives of Potomac with babies~

“I can’t wait for someone else to have a baby on this cast. I can’t be the only one because it is very difficult trying to navigate, just making sure that your family feels whole and they don’t feel like they’re being left out and then trying to give your all to the show as well. I’ve never had a nanny until I joined the show. So I had to spend more money. Get somebody to take care of my babies while I’m off filming and doing other things that I need to do. So it’s been a transition for our family but I think we’re handling it pretty well.”

Andy Ockershausen: This is Our Town, Andy Ockershausen with the unique Monique Samuels. Monique an absolute super pleasure for us to have you as part of Our Town.
Monique Samuels: Thank you, I’m so excited to be here. I’m so honored to be here.
Andy Ockershausen: You have your television show, you have a career that’s so important to Our Town because you put us on the map and we know about Potomac but you’ve made it bigger than that.
M Samuels: Ah, thanks.
Andy Ockershausen: But to see your star is rising in the ten years you’ve been doing the show. Has it been that long?
Monique Samuels: No. Not this long for the show. The show, let’s see, this is year four for the show; year three for me.
Andy Ockershausen: That’s it.
M Samuels: Yeah.

Growing up in Pleasantville, New Jersey

Andy Ockershausen: Monique you’re so unique and I use that word and you’re not from Washington D.C. I found out in your resume you’re from Pleasantville New Jersey.
M Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: I think I know … Isn’t Pleasantville close to the bridge?
Monique Samuels: Yep. It’s right outside of Atlantic City.
Andy Ockershausen: And it’s wonderful in that part of New Jersey, right?
Monique Samuels: Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I’m not mad at it, it raised me pretty good.
Andy Ockershausen: But that’s important, it’s your roots.
M Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: In New Jersey and Pleasantville.
M Samuels: Small town.
Andy Ockershausen: Now why would a woman with talent obviously looking for help want to go to Pittsburgh to Duquesne?

College | Pittsburgh, PA | Full Academic Scholarship | Duquesne University

Monique Samuels: Yes, so I wanted to be a lawyer and Duquesne had a great law program where you could do your undergrad in three years and your fourth year of undergrad is your first year of law school. So that was my plan. I got a full academic scholarship to Duquesne University, that was another reason why I went.
Andy Ockershausen: That’s a good reason.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. They paid for everything.
Andy Ockershausen: They paid the full scholarship? That’s great.

Valedictorian to Salutatorian, Senior Year High School Because of Unexpected Rule Change

Monique Samuels: Yeah, full academic scholarship. I graduated from Pleasantville High School, I was the Salutatorian …
Andy Ockershausen: First time I’ve ever seen that word in writing. Does that mean your second in your class?
Monique Samuels: Yes. Which is interesting story …
Andy Ockershausen: Tell me that.
Monique Samuels: I was really the Valedictorian all four years of high school I was always number one. My senior year, they normally lock in the ranks after the first semester, because you know you have two semesters. So after first semester they lock in the ranks. My guidance counselor told me, he said, “Well, you technically only need one class so that you can just be enrolled for the second semester because you’ve already done all of your other classes. You’re good to go. The ranks are locked.” Well for some reason this particular year they decided that they were going to include the second semester grades to include in the ranking. So they extended the ranking period. So the young lady who was right underneath me took some other classes, took more classes then I did and she got As in those classes as well. So she slightly … Like literally by like a point two or a point three …
Andy Ockershausen: But they made her into Valedictorian.
Monique Samuels: And they made her the valedictorian. I was so pissed and I said, “You know what it’s fine.” They wanted both of us to be valedictorian. I said, “No, you all messed up.” I said, “But you know what, it’s okay. I’m going to be number one in life.”
Andy Ockershausen: Good for you and you proved that par excellence. What happened to your singing career?
M Samuels: Oh, Lord. So I went …
Andy Ockershausen: You just gave that up for the law?

Change of Plans – On Leaving College to Pursue Full-time Music Career

Monique Samuels: No. So I went to … I started pursuing music when I was in high school, it was around my junior year. I started college and then that’s when I started meeting people involving music. My sister was going to Howard University and she was getting internships with big companies like Sony, Capitol Records. Like she was interning with them while she was at Howard University.
Andy Ockershausen: While she was living in Washington.
Monique Samuels: Yeah. So that’s how I got here. So I decided that I wanted to leave school so that I could pursue music full-time and I was back and forth between New York and Washington D.C. and me and my sister ended up getting an apartment together. We lived together, we were doing pretty good. I wish they would have had the Me Too movement back then because then I probably would have excelled with music because a lot of the reason I stopped pursuing is because it’s like a male dominated industry and there was a lot of sexism going on. I was just like, “I cannot,” so I had to let that one go.
Andy Ockershausen: That was the industry, not you.

When the Reality of Working in the Music Industry Set In

Monique Samuels: Yeah, the industry. And I wasn’t going to do what some other people have done to get put on. I was just like, “You know what, it’s just not for me.” And to this day my husband messes with me and he’s like, “Well I guess all of the guys that had no name that you slept with, you could have just slept with somebody that was a producer or something and got put on.”
Andy Ockershausen: There’s no business like show business, right?
Monique Samuels: Right. I’m like, “No,” because then that would be the story of my life once I excel and I’m big time then everybody will start talking about who I slept with to get there and I was like, “That is not going to be my story.”
Andy Ockershausen: No way. That’s what happened in the music industry at one time. I know that …
M Samuels: Oh, gosh.
A Ockershausen: It happened in show biz, almost everything.
M Samuels: Everywhere.
A Ockershausen: Very prevalent.
M Samuels: Oh yeah.
A Ockershausen: You can’t be … Because of your sister being in school at Howard it induced you to come to Washington?
M Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: Which is a great thing for Our Town of course but it’s certainly better then being in Atlantic City. So being in Washington …
Monique Samuels: I like visiting home.
Andy Ockershausen: That’s an exposure. I’m sure you do. Pleasantville’s wonderful that’s why it’s Pleasantville.
Monique Samuels: It wasn’t all that pleasant but it was a good town to grow up.
Andy Ockershausen: So where did you guys … You moved to the city and you lived with your sister in the city?
Monique Samuels: Yes. So, we actually lived in Greenbelt Maryland.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, yeah.

From Music Industry to Entertainment Law

Monique Samuels: Yeah. So, we were right here and from that point I was working for an entertainment attorney, I was still pursuing music at the time, one of our …
Andy Ockershausen: Where was his office? In the city?
Monique Samuels: Her office. She was based in … what part . . . What’s the upper. . .
Andy Ockershausen: She was in downtown Washington?
Monique Samuels: No, she wasn’t downtown. She was licensed in D.C, Maryland and everything but her office was based out of Maryland. So, right near Greenbelt I cannot think of the name of the area.
Andy Ockershausen: College Park?
Monique Samuels: Somewhere around there.
Andy Ockershausen: Anyway.
Monique Samuels: So, yeah, so her name is Pamela Crockett. I was working for her, she was giving me a lot of …
Andy Ockershausen: What are you a paralegal?
Monique Samuels: I was her Executive Assistant. So she … because I wanted to go into law she literally taught me everything that I knew about law in general, contracts and all of that. Which benefited me when I met Chris because I was his bootleg attorney for a long time. Still am.
Andy Ockershausen: And as what you did as an attorney has helped you with the rest of your life obviously.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Your constantly in a fiscal world and negotiating and having things to do so the law degree was very important.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, I wish I would have got the degree but at least I was able to work under someone who did have …
Andy Ockershausen: Paralegal, right. You learned the business.

On Meeting then Washington Redskins All-Pro Chris Samuels and Their Mutual Love for Music

Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. So working under her, one of our … Most of our clientele were people in the music industry. One of our clients was in a business relationship with Chris and Chris was thinking about starting his own music label.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh.
Monique Samuels: So when he found out that I rapped and sang and he wanted to hear my music he said, “I need to introduce you to Chris Samuels, he plays for the Redskins. He’s thinking about starting a label.” I was like, “Okay,” so, met up with Chris. The first thing Chris said to me was “You got a man?” And I’m looking like, “First of all, I’ve never met a human being as huge as you.” His voice is deep as I don’t know what I was like literally, I was scared.
A Ockershausen: You got to be . . .
M Samuels: I was like, “What in the world?”
Andy Ockershausen: He’s enormous but he’s still … we’re going to take a break now because this a great story that Chris Samuels is part of your life even though this is your show and this is Our Town. It’s your town now. We’ll be right back after this break.
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Announcer: You’re listening to Our Town with Andy Ockershausen. Brought to you by Best Bark Communications.
Andy Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen and Our Town and having a conversation with a gorgeous, fabulous young lady who is so important to Our Town. The star of The Real Housewives of Potomac. She married one of the real non-house men of Alabama but how you met him is a great story. As I told you I met Chris when he was a rookie here his first year and he was gentle giant and one of the nicest people and still is and your very fortunate to have him.

On Being Married to the Musically Inclined, Talented and Laid Back Chris Samuels

Monique Samuels: Thank you, I am. He is definitely an excellent man. Close to perfect, he thinks he’s perfect. He really does but no, he really is … he’s a good husband, he’s a good father, he’s a good provider. I’m definitely blessed to have him. So, yeah. So I met Chris when I was 19 years old.
A Ockershausen: Wow.
M Samuels: Yeah, I was 19 he was 25. He was thinking about pursuing this music label so we meet on business …
A Ockershausen: Was he going to record himself?
M Samuels: Yeah.
A Ockershausen: He’s going to be an artist.
M Samuels: Yeah, he actually knows how to rap.
A Ockershausen: Okay.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, he does. He can freestyle and everything. He’s pretty talented. He just has to learn how to control that voice of his. It’s like subwoofer, you know.
Andy Ockershausen: Alabama.
Monique Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: Was he doing this when he was in school, when he was growing up in Alabama doing the rap?
Monique Samuels: I don’t think so. I think it was more so when he got into the league, he had a few friends that were wanting to explore music and he loved it and he started freestyling. He never knew how to write music, I was more of the writer.
Andy Ockershausen: I’d say so. You brought a lot of talent to the relationship then. Not only did you have a legal thing but you could write.
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah. You can’t be around Chris and just not do anything. He is definitely going to make sure you don’t.
Andy Ockershausen: You’re the star, remember that Monique. As I’m telling his star has faded and yours is on the rise.
Monique Samuels: Well thanks to his stardom he was able to give me a platform.
Andy Ockershausen: Right. He gave you a good kick start right?
Monique Samuels: He did. I don’t think anybody would have been interested in me on Housewives of Potomac if wasn’t for Chris. You know being that he was this former athlete who had this amazing career and then he’s such a good man and then he’s super laid back. His whole personality is just like perfect for TV.
A Ockershausen: He’s just, you know. I hate to say because it’s so true he’s a sweetheart. He really is.
M Samuels: He is.
Andy Ockershausen: And he gets along with everybody but he’s been great for Our Town and then to find you and to help you get into your world has been a great thing for you, correct?
Monique Samuels: Absolutely. I think we balance each other very well.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh yeah.
Monique Samuels: You know, he pays the bills and I make sure they get paid. He makes sure the money’s in the account and I make sure everything gets handled from that point on.
Andy Ockershausen: He’s in the big bucks now with his retirement anyway because …
Monique Samuels: Oh, he’s loving it.
Andy Ockershausen: I hope that lawsuit pays off for some of those guys.

Samuels Retires From NFL After Ten Years – Wasn’t Going to Limp Out of the League

Monique Samuels: Yeah and Chris has been fortunate where he hasn’t had many concussions but we always look for signs.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, absolutely.
Monique Samuels: He is super forgetful so I’m like, “Dude, you need to go get your brain checked and just make sure you’re good.” But he’s …
Andy Ockershausen: If I’m not mistaken Chris told me one of the reasons at the time he was very young to retire. He was only ten years in the league.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Monique I remember in a conversation, way long time ago, that Chris was retiring at the end of ten years.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: And that was really … He could have played a lot longer but he said, “I’m not going to limp out of this league, I’m going to walk out.”

Monique Samuels on Watching a 6’6″ 315 Pound Football Player Lose All Power due to Spinal Stenosis

Monique Samuels: Yeah, he had that spinal stenosis condition and that was probably the scariest thing. It totally changed my whole enjoyment of football because then you get to see the real serious side of it and when you see a man that is, at that time he was 315 pounds 6’6” huge guy, lose all power. He got hit in a way where it triggered paralysis.
Andy Ockershausen: Right.
Monique Samuels: You know, essentially.
Andy Ockershausen: He would have been a cripple.
Monique Samuels: Oh my God. And it’s so high up, it’s in his like c2, c3 vertebrae somewhere like very high up where if he took a really bad hit it could literally kill him or it could paralyze him because it’s going to … His brain will not be able to tell his lungs and his heart to do what they’re supposed to do.
Andy Ockershausen: He lost all control.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Well you were married at the time.
Monique Samuels: No. This time we were still dating.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh wow!
Monique Samuels: Yeah, Chris and I; we dated for six and a half years before we got married.
Andy Ockershausen: Before he convinced you. That’s obvious.
Monique Samuels: Oh my God. He begged and begged and I told him, “No.” Chris was not … When I first met him he was not the marrying type. He did not want to be married and coincidentally my parents had just went though a divorce. So when he asked me …
Andy Ockershausen: They must have been young too. Your parents.
Monique Samuels: Well, yeah they started pretty young.
Andy Ockershausen: You’re young.
Monique Samuels: They started really young. My mom was 18 going on 19 when she had me and my older sister she was … you know, she’s a year and a half older then me. But yeah, when Chris … At the point where he experienced that. At that point and time he got the x-rays …
Andy Ockershausen: The injury?
Monique Samuels: And he had a tear … he had two tears on his spinal cord so we were like, “Um, yeah,”
Andy Ockershausen: He’s on a bubble then, right?
Monique Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, that’s terrible.

On Husband’s Retirement from NFL and Moving to Alabama

Monique Samuels: Very scary. So it was like he could have a surgery and it could possibly prevent him from having another episode but who wants to take that chance, you know. So yeah we were together six and a half years and we got married. Which was after he retired. Life completely changed for us because we then moved to Alabama. Which he told me he would never do.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, I didn’t know that. You were home for awhile?
Monique Samuels: Yeah. So we were in his hometown for four years.
Andy Ockershausen: I didn’t know that.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Then he came back as an assistant here or something. Did he not?
Monique Samuels: He started assistant job here first and then the next year he felt like he had to prove himself outside of the Redskins. So we went to Mobile Alabama for a year and then Coach Saban saw what he was doing with the high school team he was working with and Coach Saban offered him a job with the University of Alabama. Which is where he …
Andy Ockershausen: Right, part of the coaching staff.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Well paid job. I’m sure.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, and we were there for three years and yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Were you into any venture. You weren’t singing.
Monique Samuels: No.
Andy Ockershausen: You weren’t lawyering.

Monique Samuels: From Entertainment Lawyer’s Executive Assistant to Real Estate Appraiser, Wife, Mom and Family COO

Monique Samuels: No. So at that time … While Chris and I was dating I was doing real estate. So I transferred from being an executive assistant to being a real estate appraiser. So I did that for some years.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh neat! What a background.
Monique Samuels: Oh, let me tell you. I’ve worked all my life. I know how to hustle, I’m always going to make sure that I have like money in my pocket.
Andy Ockershausen: You never sit around.
Monique Samuels: Never going to sit around. I could never. Even with me being pregnant right now this far along it’s had to keep me to sit still.
Andy Ockershausen: This is your third pregnancy?
Monique Samuels: My fourth pregnancy but the third this far along. So we had a miscarriage last year. So yeah, we’re moving forward and yeah, non-stop
Andy Ockershausen: That’s great as you get three … Well almost three wonderful children.
Monique Samuels: Yes, thank you.
Andy Ockershausen: And coming back from Alabama, did he go to a high school job when he first came back?

Back to Our Town – Vienna, VA to Potomac, MD – High School Football and Family Time

Monique Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: I know you all were living in Virginia or someplace.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, we were living in Vienna Virginia and he was coaching at Churchill High School for two years.
Andy Ockershausen: Right.
Monique Samuels: I’m sorry, not at Churchill. He was at Osborne High School for two years. Now he’s at Churchill. This is his second year.
Andy Ockershausen: Churchill’s in Virginia.
Monique Samuels: No Churchill’s in Maryland. In Potomac.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, I beg your pardon. I’m thinking of something else. That’s right.
Monique Samuels: Osborne’s in Virginia. In Manassas.
Andy Ockershausen: Manassas.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: So but this thing in high school now has changed both of your lives. It’s given you more time with Chris and given him more time with his family.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yes.
Andy Ockershausen: It’s not as intense as college or pros, right?
Monique Samuels: Oh, it’s exactly what we needed. When he coached in the college level I barely saw him. Me and my son would like never see him.
Andy Ockershausen: Yeah, that was a full, full, full-time job, right?
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah definitely.
Andy Ockershausen: Those guys work around the clock.
Monique Samuels: Oh my goodness it’s insane. It is.
Andy Ockershausen: He’s been with the high school and with the kids and where do you come into this family. You’re not going to sit still what are you doing while he’s coaching?
Monique Samuels: Well while he was coaching I was traveling back and forth taking care of all of the properties. So for years I’ve been Chris’s business manager so I handled everything. Everything, his calendar, and pretty much like his personal assistant slash property manager slash accountant slash like everything.
Andy Ockershausen: And you’re in charge of money too.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, well look I’m like whatever I have to do to make sure he’s good. Automatically I’m going to be good.
Andy Ockershausen: What a career for you that you had all this opportunity.
Monique Samuels: All the time and I’ve had all the experience.
Andy Ockershausen: Keep hustling.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, all the experience from just being on … just life experience taught me a lot and yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: You are a real housewife. Now that’s something that we’re going to talk about but being a coaches wife gives you a lot of opportunity and time but then it got you involved with charity work.
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Was that though his coaching or your involvement in the community?

On Charitable Work and Learning from her Grandmother

Monique Samuels: Well, I’ve always been involved even before I met Chris. I’ve done charitable work since I was like a little girl in church, you know, growing up my grandmother was always …
Andy Ockershausen: You learned from good people.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. We would always have donation drives. I was that kid out front of the store that we shopped at back then, we either had ShopRite or Pathmark and I was that kid selling candy outside of those stores raising money for …
Andy Ockershausen: And the little table, the table?
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. Had my little table set up …
Andy Ockershausen: Card table and sit behind it.
Monique Samuels: … and nobody would turn me down. I’m a good sales woman.
Andy Ockershausen: What a life, what a career for you!
Monique Samuels: Yes, always hustling.
Andy Ockershausen: You found at an early age the more you give the more you get back.
Monique Samuels: Definitely.
Andy Ockershausen: To find that out is a God send. It’s … your grandmother taught you that.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, my grandma … I actually just talked to her yesterday to, her birthday was yesterday. She’s 75 and still young …
Andy Ockershausen: Doing great.
Monique Samuels: … and doing awesome.
Andy Ockershausen: And your doing great for what she taught you.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Made you a much, much more well varied person in your career. By giving.
Monique Samuels: Absolutely.
Andy Ockershausen: I noticed a list of your charities and they’re so special. You kept this up even after you were successful.
Monique Samuels: Oh definitely.
Andy Ockershausen: You’ve always been successful.
Monique Samuels: I just feel like any time you get to a new level your job is to help other people. Like that’s just my mind set.
Andy Ockershausen: You got to do more.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, you’ve got to. Yeah, absolutely.
Andy Ockershausen: We’re going to take another break here and Monique Samuels is such a unique Monique person and this has been such a great part of Our Town and this is Andy Ockershausen and we’ll be right back.
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Announcer: You’re listening to, Our Town, with Andy Ockershausen.
Andy Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen and talking to Monique about her life has been sensational. I’ve learned so many things that I didn’t know or maybe I didn’t realize how important it is. But this person has a unique background and she’s brought it to her life and I really appreciate all you’ve done, it’s great.

Monique Samuels Founded Not For Lazy Moms

Monique Samuels: Thank you. One thing that I’m really proud of, this company that I have it’s called Not For Lazy Moms. I actually started this company while I was in Tuscaloosa. So what it is … It started as just me trying out natural remedies for my son. He had the worst sinus infections because of the area we were in and …
Andy Ockershausen: Damp, right.
Monique Samuels: … recurring and I mean when I tell you Tuscaloosa is like a valley. So all of the pollen just settles there. There’s no breeze in the summer. So I mean my son had the hardest time. Whatever the doctors were giving me it just wasn’t working for him so I needed something different. I started using essential oils and it worked so I had …
Andy Ockershausen: Wow.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, I had a lot of friends reaching out to me and they would ask me, “What can I use for this or what natural remedy can you give me for that? My baby is too young to have medicine so can you give me a tip?” This was just text message and phone conversations. Next thing I know my friends are giving their friends my phone number so they can reach out to me and it was just like non-stop. I’m giving advice to people as if I’m some doctor. I was like this would be a fun business to start if I can help some people. I don’t know how it could become profitable but I said, “You know this is a nice way to help people.”
Andy Ockershausen: You were putting out so you’re going to get it back now.
Monique Samuels: Yeah. Now I’m getting it back. So one of my friends she said, “You know what would make it easier? If you had a website where you could just put all of this information on.” And I was like, “You know what, that’s a good idea.” I started out with a Facebook page.
Andy Ockershausen: Wow.

Not For Lazy Moms Grows :: Website and Podcast

Monique Samuels: Posting my natural remedies. Now I have a full blown website that not only covers natural remedies and alternatives but also tips on how to maintain yourself as a mom, a wife, a business woman. We have lifestyle tips for the family. So, now it’s like a full fledged lifestyle brand and I just started a podcast where we can actually have the audible version you get when you go to the website.
Andy Ockershausen: People can talk to you about their aliments and you can coach them?
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: With your podcast. Do you record it here in Washington or do you go back to Alabama or you do it here?
Monique Samuels: Nope. We do it here. So I record right in Rockville. I actually had a deal with iHeartMedia for my first season. So we did season one. Chris is actually one of my cohosts.
Andy Ockershausen: Right.
Monique Samuels: Along with a young lady named Aly Jacobs and then my cousin Hank who is … He is unique because he is a bachelor and he doesn’t have any kids. So to have him on this podcast is nice because you get that single person perspective. So it’s been really fun.
Andy Ockershausen: Without the prejudice of any kind, right?
Monique Samuels: Right. He is totally like … You know, he just gives his point of view and it’s actually caused a lot of people who aren’t in relationships and do not have children to still listen to the podcast and they say that, “This is kind of preparing me for, you know, what I might have one day.”
Andy Ockershausen: You’re into so many things. You’re a teacher, a drugest …
Monique Samuels: Witchdoctor
Andy Ockershausen: Witchdoctor. You could do it all. Have your magic brew. Monique brew. This has enabled you to really, really enjoy your life.
Monique Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: Doing all these other projects in addition to being a wife and a mom.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yes.
Andy Ockershausen: You’ve got so much going for you.
Monique Samuels: And it all intertwines. That’s what I love about it. Everything that I experience as a wife and a mother I use it for the website and for the podcasts.
Andy Ockershausen: You are what you are. Now how does this turn into the Housewives? How did this happen?
Monique Samuels: Oh, how did I get into being on the Housewives show?
Andy Ockershausen: Yeah.

Real Housewives of Potomac – How Samuels Got Started and the Reality of it All

Monique Samuels: Well actually, shoot how did I become a part of the show? Chris and I were looking to move from Vienna to the Potomac area and we were approached.
Andy Ockershausen: Your crossing the river?
Monique Samuels: Yes.
Andy Ockershausen: You’re coming back.
Monique Samuels: We crossed the river. Oh yeah. So, we started meeting different people and I fell into this circle of women and next thing I know I’m on a reality TV show which I never would have thought I would ever do and my husband actually encouraged me to do it. Which is crazy because Chris is very quiet.
Andy Ockershausen: This happened after you moved to Potomac?
Monique Samuels: It was during the process. We were looking for a home in Potomac and we had our eyes set on this house. We looked at this house for a good year and a half before we even did a walk though. We really loved it and then once we actually finally did the walk though we were like, “This is it.”
Andy Ockershausen: We got to have it.
Monique Samuels: Yes. This is the house where we want to raise our kids.
Andy Ockershausen: Was somebody living in it at the time, of course.
Monique Samuels: Yes. We bought it from a young lady named Judy who I actually I still talk to to this day. She’s a wonderful woman.
Andy Ockershausen: You’re living in her house.
Monique Samuels: Yeah, look hey she did an excellent job.
Andy Ockershausen: Put somebody in the cast of the show or somebody watching the show said, “This woman should be on it because she’s real housewife.”
Monique Samuels: Right, yeah. One of the … A few of the housewives actually lived nearby. So it was a natural transition for us.
Andy Ockershausen: What do you have five or six of them now or?
Monique Samuels: I’m the sixth one. So yeah, it’s six of us. Well, actually yeah it’s six of us total. Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Well, does this take a lot of your time?
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah. It’s a …
Andy Ockershausen: You’re just a … what we’re doing here is just taking all these people out of time.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. We film for four months out of the year but even besides that we still have other obligations to do press and sometimes we have to do pickup scenes. It’s pretty much year around. I was told it was four months so they got me real good. It’s non-stop and it’s a lot of work, you know, people think that you … “Oh, it’s just a reality show. Their just filming your life,” but it’s mentally draining at times.
Andy Ockershausen: I’ll bet.
Monique Samuels: And then having young kids. I’m the only one on the cast who has young kids …
Andy Ockershausen: The other ones have children but you’ve got babies.
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: You’ve got a new one coming in.
Monique Samuels: Oh, Lord. I can’t wait for someone else to have a baby on this cast. Like seriously. I can’t be the only one because it is very difficult trying to navigate, you know, just making sure that your family feels whole and they don’t feel like they’re being left out and then trying to give your all to the show as well. So, yeah it’s a lot. I’ve never had a nanny until I joined the show. So I had to spend more money. Get somebody to take care of my babies while I’m off filming and doing other things that I need to do. So it’s been a transition for our family but I think we’re handling it pretty well.
Andy Ockershausen: I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to hear you talk about it because you’re so enthused and you have so much personality and it just popped out all over.
Monique Samuels: Thanks.
Andy Ockershausen: Because that’s the real you.

On Having the “Happy Gene”

Monique Samuels: Yeah. I was watching the news the other day, like two days ago, and they said that there’s a gene in certain people that makes you happy and I said, “I must have that gene,” because my husband always says, “You wake up and your just happy and you’re smiling, even when your going though it you’re still happy.” So I think that explains it. I think I have a happy gene.
Andy Ockershausen: You got a fabulous gene and I can relate to that only because my kids that used to stay with us all the time they’d … “We understand why you sleep with your mouth open,” this is a five year old boy. I said, “Why’s that?” And he says, “So you can start talking right away.” Five year old. In which I do Monique. On you it’s so attractive because you have it.
Monique Samuels: Thank you.
Andy Ockershausen: And for you to be a big part of Our Town is very special I believe that. You’ve done wonders for Chris who’s disappeared but we still love him.
Monique Samuels: I’m trying to get him to come out the house more. Oh, I got to tell you.
Andy Ockershausen: Tell me.

Not For Lazy Moms Podcast – Why Do It and Subject Matter

Monique Samuels: So, we’re actually doing our first live podcast. Which is going to be the kickoff for Season 2 of the Not For Lazy Moms podcast.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh great.
Monique Samuels: So I’ve given him a job and now he’s getting out the house. I’m trying to take over.
Andy Ockershausen: You do everything to fair thee well you don’t do half assed. You do.
Monique Samuels: Oh I do it full fledged. Oh, yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: That’s great for your family. I’m sure that they’re very proud of you in Pleasantville.
Monique Samuels: Oh, I can’t wait to go home and just see what people have to say. I’m going to have to do a podcast at home in Atlantic City one day.
Andy Ockershausen: You’ve got to.

Not For Lazy Moms Podcast

Monique Samuels: That’d be fun. The reason why I wanted to go into podcasting is because I really enjoy talking and it’s literally like the audible version of Not For Lazy Moms. So I try to pick topics that people can relate to. Whether they’re parents, whether they’re just in a relationship or married or even single. So the topic I came up with for this podcast – bonus children. So, what does that mean? When Chris and I first started dating we both knew that we were the type of people where we probably wouldn’t be in a serious relationship with someone who already had kids. That was just our preference. So Chris, his whole take on it is hilarious so I can’t wait for people to hear his reasons of why he didn’t want to have kids before he got married and being that he’s an athlete it’s pretty common for a lot of the guys to have, you know, a lot of baby mamas. So he kind of learned …
Andy Ockershausen: He didn’t do that.
Monique Samuels: He didn’t and he learned from watching others and that just was not for him.
Andy Ockershausen: Was his up bringing in a small town in Alabama or major city?
Monique Samuels: It was a major city. He actually grew up in Mobile.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, okay. So he’s not a farmer or anything like that.
Monique Samuels: No, no. Although I thought when I first went to Mobile …
Andy Ockershausen: A city boy.
Monique Samuels: … I thought I was going to see cows crossing the street and it’s nothing like that. It’s actually a pretty big city.
Andy Ockershausen: Oh, Mobile’s a major city.
Monique Samuels: Yeah. So we’re going to cover topics like that and give our perspective of it and I actually have some of my friends coming as well who are going to talk about their experience with bonus children. Meaning people who they dated or marrying into situations where children already exist.
Andy Ockershausen: That’s a bonus to inherit children, right? I mean you’re married.
Monique Samuels: Yes. It’s bonus, you have an instant family and it’s like what challenges do you go though and how do you over come them? And this day and age a lot of people have relationships where they’ve either gotten divorced and now they have kids and they want to move on to start dating again or they’re young and they might meet somebody who has a toddler and they want to figure how like, “How do I navigate this and still maintain a great relationship with the person I’m dating but also make sure I’m at peace with the biological mom or dad.” So we have Fred Smoot coming as our guest. Which we all know he is hilarious.
Andy Ockershausen: He’s been on Our Town. I couldn’t shut him up.
Monique Samuels: Oh my God. Oh, yeah. Me and Fred get together and we like to talk. He actually did a show with me before. So he’s the first person on the live.
Andy Ockershausen: He’s one of the sweetest people in the world. So he’s really a nice guy.
Monique Samuels: He is. He has a good heart and he has a lot of good stories when it comes to bonus children.
Andy Ockershausen: Not as good as yours.
Monique Samuels: Oh God, I can’t wait to hear him. So I have another friend of mine, Karen Huber, she actually has two children. Her first son, he was six years old when she married her now husband Ray and she has mastered the art of this transition. Going from being a single mom to being married and having an instant family and I told her I can’t wait to hear what advice she can give people because there’s times where I forget that her oldest son isn’t biologically her husbands. So, whatever they did they need to share it. They need to share it.
Andy Ockershausen: They get it.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: And that’s great.
Monique Samuels: Yeah. Then I have another friend, her name is Candiace she just recently got married. She now has three bonus children and she also grew up as a bonus child. So she has a …
Andy Ockershausen: So she’s really got a story.
Monique Samuels: She has very unique perspective. So we’re going to love to hear what she has to say and she’s gonna share some of the struggles and some of the successes that she’s had. Given that she was just married like two months ago. Yep and then another guest I’m going to have, Ashley Darby, her and her husband are almost thirty years in age … their age difference is like thirty years. So she actually has bonus children who are almost her age. So I thought that would be kind of unique to talk about.
Andy Ockershausen: That is very, very unique.
Monique Samuels: Yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: I have to say, I guess because of Janice and I. Janice is a lot younger obviously but age is only a number.
Monique Samuels: Yeah it is.
Andy Ockershausen: And if you can forget that you can go on with life.
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah.
Andy Ockershausen: Offer a lot. Young as well as old.
Monique Samuels: Oh yeah. Definitely. You can definitely tell with Ashley and her husband they have mastered it. They don’t care what anybody else thinks and they’re a great couple. So, yeah I’m really excited and this …
Andy Ockershausen: You’ve got uniqueness coming. Monique is unique and you’ve got guests that are unique.
Monique Samuels: Oh, yeah. We’re just trying to make it something that everyone can relate to.
Andy Ockershausen:This is incredible to put these things together and the great part about your podcast it will always be there. And people may not hear it the first time but they’ll hear about it and they’ll to hear the things that interest them like age difference and number of children and so forth.
Monique Samuels: Absolutely.
Andy Ockershausen: So you’ve got a living legend here.
Monique Samuels: Thank you. Yeah, we’re excited and I just feel like it’s going to take off and I really look forward to doing some tours and just taking it to the next level.
Andy Ockershausen: A star is real born. She’s been born already. You’re reborn. That’s great.
Monique Samuels: Thank you
Andy Ockershausen: We certainly look forward to all your many successes in the future. You’re the star…for me, you’re the star of your own show. It’s been great having you on Our Town. Give our love to Chris. Please keep listening. Whatever you can do to help us we want to do, and whatever we can do to help you we’re here for you.
Monique Samuels: Thank you so much.
Andy Ockershausen: This is Our Town. This is Andy Ockershausen and thank you for listening.
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