After finding success as a cast member on Vanderpump Rules, Stassi Schroeder created her own entertainment empire, which is just one reason she’s Us Weekly‘s newest woman crush.
Schroeder was introduced to reality TV when she appeared as a contestant on season 8 of The Amazing Race. She also starred on the short-lived 2008 show Queen Bees, which aired two years before Schroeder took a job as a waitress at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant.
As Schroeder rose to fame on Vanderpump Rules, which focused on the SUR employees, she continued to model and work as a style critic. Schroeder’s first book, Next Level Basic, was released in 2019.
After her exit from Vanderpump Rules in 2020, Schroeder authored a second book titled Off With My Head. She has also remained behind the mic on her weekly lifestyle podcast “Stassi.” Schroeder previously opened up about the lessons she learned from her career trajectory.
“Be committed and practice honesty. Honesty is the biggest thing when it comes to everything that you do. Not even just pertaining to business, with relationships,” she told Forbes in 2019. “I just feel like the more transparent you are, if you’re starting a company, say something you sell, being transparent about what that is I think is so important — transparency in everything that you do. People want the truth. They don’t want to be fooled. We don’t have time for that anymore. So any woman trying to start anything, be authentic, be honest, be transparent.”
Schroeder’s personal life was also featured on Vanderpump Rules, which is where viewers saw her find love with Beau Clark. The couple exchanged vows in 2020 before the arrival of their first child, daughter Hartford. Two years later, Schroeder and Clark expanded their family with son Messer, who was born in September 2023.
Scroll down for five reasons why Schroeder is Us’ woman crush:
1. She Has a Great Sense of Humor
In 2015, Schroeder launched her first podcast, “Straight Up with Stassi,” which she hosted weekly for five years. The project turned into a live podcast tour that allowed Schroeder to share her humor with her biggest fans.
“I’ve realized the power of connecting with people because I do meet-and-greets with podcast listeners. They tell me, ‘I listen to you all the time. You’re with me when I’m driving my car. You’re with me when I’m at work.’ And the power in just connecting with people is intense and cool,” she told Forbes in 2019. “I put out podcast episodes, and then I never see anyone’s reaction to it. I don’t ever see their faces. And to be able to meet everyone and talk to everyone and watch them in the audience and see what they react to is incredible.”
2. She’s a Best-Selling Author
Schroeder’s books Next Level Basic and Off With My Head were both New York Times bestsellers.
“I’ve learned that it is so important to be honest. So many people want to write something, whether it’s a memoir or self-help, etc., and there’s this urge and inclination to be aspirational — but aspirational isn’t always the way to connect,” Schroeder told Forbes in 2019. “I think people want to hear about success and how to get there whether it’s a relationship or in business, but I believe that by talking about your failures and your embarrassing moments or times that you messed up, that’s been the biggest lesson I learned from writing a book.”
3. She Is a Devoted Mother
Schroeder has previously gushed about how motherhood changed her outlook on life, telling Us in March 2023, “It is my fantasy to have [a] ton of children, a lot of them,” she shared. “When I think about what I want my children’s lives to be like, I want to be able to devote so much attention to each of them and give them as much as possible.”
4. She’s a Fashion Icon
In addition to being an author, a reality star and a podcaster, Schroeder also invented her own holiday. National Outfit of the Day, which was unveiled in 2018, allowed Schroeder and others to show off their style.
“I want to encourage self-love, because when I do an OOTD that’s my way of making me feel good about myself,” she said in a statement at the time. “Whether you have 100 followers or 100,000 followers, when you post something, you go look and see how many likes you have, if your friends commented, if they said you looked pretty or liked your outfit. It’s kind of the way we feel good about ourselves.”
5. She’s a Foodie
From ranch with pizza to tacos and macaroni and cheese, Schroeder isn’t afraid to try new things while still enjoying her favorite foods. “We are all foodies, so do not let anyone make you feel less than because you would rather dine on Shake ‘n Bake potatoes than truffle celery root puree with gold-flecked sea salt sprinkled on top,” she wrote in her first book.
