01x01 - Mixing Business and Family

[bunniefuu]

My dream isn't just

to be the famous Elisabeth Rioux.

It's to live a slightly more normal life.

Yeah.

I sell swimwear.

When I set up my company seven years ago,

I wanted it to give me

the means to travel.

I would say I receive thousands

of messages a day on Instagram.

Now you could say I'm overloaded.

I just feel like I work too much,

that too many people rely on me.

I need to hear back from you

within 24 hours.

Right now, I have zero work-life balance.

I think I might be close to burn-out,

but my life is so far from normal

that you could say

there will be no end to it all.

You can't afford to fail.

Clearly Eli works way too much.

If you tell Eli not to do something,

she'll do it anyway.

I feel she's under huge amounts

of pressure

to make content, post content

and interact with her fans.

I'm hurting.

Elisabeth Rioux is a victim

of domestic violence.

Her ex has pleaded guilty

to several charges.

I'M GOING TO sh**t YOU IN THE HEAD

A SIX-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE WITHOUT PAROLE

FOR BRYAN MCCORMICK

He has been given a prison sentence.

Family is essential.

It's the most important thing in life.

Fame is hard to attain.

I want to take everything

back into my own hands.

Fame can disappear just like that.

ELISABETH RIOUX

UNFILTERED

-Hola.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

I think that back when I started,

there weren't really any companies

run by influencers.

Influencers didn't even really exist

in terms of making money

from influencing, etc.

When Elisabeth was a teenager,

as a young girl

she needed keeping a closer eye on

than my other two daughters.

I remember whenever I'd come back home

from high school with friends,

I'd make them join me, like,

"Yo, we must take pics before sunset.

"Are you almost ready?"

I'd get home, put on my makeup,

and we'd go to the field nearby.

Right from a young age

I did that every day.

I was diligent.

I posted on my Facebook page every day.

We had an ice cream shop.

Our three girls worked there.

In my opinion, when you're 14 you work.

Yet we didn't have tons of money.

That's why I worked six days a week.

I'd work nights

and do odd jobs here and there.

Hola.

She had a sewing machine. I thought

she was just doing it for herself then.

You know, she'd go to the beach

in swimsuits she'd made.

I started on the Hoaka project

when I was 17.

When I set up the company,

it was in my basement.

I wanted to make my zippers

with the brand name engraved on them,

but it was too expensive

for me to do it then.

I told her, "Okay, go for it."

Then she said, "But it costs

$1,500 to dye the fabric for it."

I said, "Well, yeah, but go for it."

My father always said,

"Either put 1,000% into a project

or don't do it at all."

I still have that mindset today.

Good morning, guys. I'm so tired.

This is, like, all of the orders

today from Hoaka.

I'd say at that point, my parents

didn't really ask too many questions

until they saw more and more shelves

starting to take up the entire basement.

At a certain point it spread upstairs

into the kitchen and living room.

We couldn't even eat in the house

the last three months.

The company was a success

as soon as it launched

as it simply blew up on Instagram.

I didn't expect that at all.

Elisabeth truly is the face

of the company.

She has over 1.5 million followers.

To this day, I think following my gut

has really paid off.

During Hoaka's first year,

I still worked at the ice cream shop.

I was 18, on minimum wage,

but at the same time,

my company had made over a million,

so one day I decided I was done

working at the ice cream shop.

HOAKA

MEETING

Clearly something is going on, as Laurie

has been with us for a few weeks,

but I feel not much has progressed.

I've not heard about anything

in the pipeline. Is there?

Well, it's been, what,

ten days since Laurie started?

We're preparing photo shoots.

My dad does a bit of everything at Hoaka.

It might not be evident to you,

but he's like a father to everyone here

at the Hoaka warehouse,

so he likes to show he's always there

for everyone. My dad is always around.

I see to all of the administrative tasks

and all of the stuff

the girls don't want to do,

so shoveling the outside area

and taking out the garbage.

As a father, seeing the positive influence

Eli has had on young people

moves me. It's always really touching.

I'd definitely love

to have a graphic designer,

but there was one whose work I loved

and you guys weren't keen.

Well, of course.

She costs $125,000 a year.

-Maybe you should

-Lower your standards a little?

Lower your standards a bit.

-Yes, but we can't produce stuff I hate.

-For sure.

It's funny, as when my sister Dolores

and I were young,

we really hated each other,

but that's because we're just

two fundamentally different people.

You know, my sister is a bit more

of a realist, if I can call her that.

You really must learn to delegate. You are

a full-time entrepreneur and influencer.

My sister truly is my human planner.

Whenever I need to book something,

even the simplest thing in the world

like a hair appointment, I always ask her

to sort it as I'm not that organized.

I just want the right person for the job,

but you think she's too expensive.

Elisabeth struggles trusting people

as she wants everything to be perfect

but nothing is ever good enough.

We need to think of a strategy,

not just one but several.

With everything that's going on right now

like the recession, etc.,

a new swimsuit might be

the last thing people think to buy.

I don't want

to lower the quality of our products,

but we'll need to cut down

our profit margins slightly and sell more.

We've definitely reached a point

where we need to take some risks.

There are many competitors on the market

so we must constantly innovate

and keep bringing in new designs.

I'm always worried that at some point

she'll make a wrong move,

as fame is hard to attain

and it can sometimes disappear

just like that.

We have 10 days

before the trip to Costa Rica with Laurie.

It'll be her first trip with us.

Costa Rica will be exciting but different.

We'll need to be prepared for the climate.

I'm worried I'll make mistakes

because I'm new.

I'll be doing tasks I've not done before,

but I'll push myself to see

what I'm capable of.

I really want to impress Eli.

Is it just Laurie going with you?

No, no, no. Laurie's coming

and the photographer, plus Claudia too.

Who is going to pay

for everyone's flights?

Well, we are.

My dad and sister often ask questions

like, "How much is this going to cost?"

Elisabeth isn't involved

in the company's finances at all.

It doesn't interest her.

Even her own personal finances.

You wouldn't ask Eli

to do the business admin,

any paperwork or pay taxes

as it just wouldn't work.

My dad even takes care of

my personal bills and mortgage

so they're done correctly.

She doesn't even take out her own trash.

I don't know how I'd do it without my dad.

The photographer will

also need to be paid too.

-What about Claudia?

-We're just paying for her trip.

What will she do? Photo shoots for us?

Yeah. You know how much that's worth.

She has as many followers as me.

These influencers cost $75-80,000.

If you pay someone 80,000,

you need to charge 240,000 for yourself.

Keep that in mind.

You're the real star here. End of story.

ELISABETH'S HOME

I'm so used to going to Costa Rica

that every time I go

I feel kind of at home.

Costa Rica really embodies who I am.

Many people on social media associate me

with Costa Rica and vice versa.

I talk about it all the time.

I'm crazy about it.

In Costa Rica, it seems

as if everyone is just happy to be there.

I've traveled all over the world

but I've only felt that here.

Yes? Hello, Dolo?

Hello. Have you got amazing weather

in Costa Rica?

VOICE OF DOLORES

ELISABETH'S SISTER

Yes, the weather is amazing. It's sunny

and all of the girls have arrived.

By the way, Dad saw the invoices

for the plane tickets and he's not happy.

Yeah, but Dad is never happy spending.

He'll always have some kind of issue,

but with our major collection coming out

this summer,

I can really make great headway here.

People think Eli's life is easy.

She travels around to dream locations

and does photo shoots,

but it's so much more than that.

Dad would love for us

to have zero expenses

and millions of dollars in revenue,

but, like

-You'll deal with it when you're back?

-It's fine. I'll take the risk.

-Okay. Bye.

-Bye.

It's definitely not a vacation

for me when I travel for Hoaka.

I really have to manage

pretty much everything.

Let's start with one

on the sun lounger just over there.

I think if we do a relaxed torso shot

it'd be real cute.

Okay, yeah. Yeah.

-If you lie down like you're sunbathing.

-Yes, on the lounger could work.

I don't want to get

my bikini top or my hair wet.

-I've just done it.

-If you can work with that, it looks fab.

-Like this?

-Yes.

Stretch your legs out

so you look like a mermaid. Mermaid mode.

-Are you sure my feet don't look awkward?

-Just like that, yes. Perfect.

-It doesn't look awkward?

-Not at all.

-Okay.

-That's stunning, Eli.

I honestly think I must be

the most demanding person in the world.

-Too much sky.

-Yeah. Maybe I'll take it from higher up?

-Sky is my worst nightmare. Yeah.

-So as little sky as possible?

I know exactly what

I want my photos to look like

and it's rare that someone

can do it how I like it.

With a Polaroid you get one shot

so you must get the right angle.

That's definitely not my good angle.

Basically, I take Laurie

to all of my photo shoots now

as I want her to learn how I think,

so while she's with me, her thought

process is in tune with the Hoaka brand.

This is my first sh**t with Eli

where I'm helping take pics of her.

I don't know her top angles,

what she likes.

I made a few mistakes here and there.

Laurie, could you go and get a chair

so Sandrine can stand on it?

-Yes. Perfect.

-A sturdy chair so she doesn't

The chair. Are we really

going to talk about the chair?

I froze. I didn't know

which size or height of chair she wanted.

I'm a country girl.

I can climb on anything and feel fine.

I've got good balance.

I'll hold your hand so you're more stable.

-It's a bit small.

-Is this not stable enough?

This is the tallest. The others are lower.

I think the stool might have been

too high and unstable.

-Are you sure that's safe?

-Not really.

-Yes.

-Let's not die for a photo now.

I messed up then. I felt like

I wasn't doing my job very well.

I thought she'd be disappointed

that I kept screwing up all day.

Eli, let your hair tumble down

at the back.

Laurie, can you spread her hair out?

I'd say it can be a real long process

taking my photos.

I know a lot of people hate it,

but it's not my fault.

I just want them to be perfect.

That's a nice shot. It's 100% worth it.

I'm definitely quite stubborn.

I don't always listen to what my dad says.

Don't worry, Steeve.

We'll sell you lots of swimsuits.

You will get that cash in your pocket.

I'd say my friend Claudia

is really my little devil.

Claudia has truly been there

from the start.

When we met, we were both broke.

We said, "Okay, let's go to Miami together

on a road trip.

We went and took the first photos

for Hoaka.

From that moment on,

we've really been inseparable.

We became best friends for life.

Which set do you want me

to wear for today's sh**t?

I'd say to start with

this one here in size S.

-Okay.

-I'll wear this one,

then I'll put the other one on

so we match.

Have you This is a small.

Do you have the top in an X-small?

You need to wear that.

These are for product shots.

The cup must be

-I know you love to be sexy.

-Okay, I know.

It's the tan lines.

I need to keep my legendary tan lines.

Three years ago,

Playboy México reached out to me,

and so now I'm a Playboy Bunny.

Eli really impresses me.

Every time she shows me

a new swimsuit design,

I wonder

where she draws her inspiration from.

Before we have some fun,

we need to be really productive,

as my sister called me this morning, so

What did she say?

My dad doesn't know you're here,

as per usual.

Damn it, Eli.

Does it really surprise me

that Eli does what she wants?

Not really.

I feel like we've always done

what we want since we were young.

Where do you want us to take this shot?

Well, I thought we could go down there.

There is a pretty light right now.

I thought if we take it from below,

it will accentuate your breasts too.

Okay.

We want it to be quite sexy,

but the light will be behind your head.

This campaign is going to be called

"Girls Will Be Girls,"

the opposite of the well-known expression

"Boys will be boys."

Initially, my idea was

to show off Claudia's attributes

which she is known for,

so being feminine, sexy, ultra-confident.

I wanted to showcase that to the max.

-I'd perhaps tilt your head a bit more

-Okay, we really want

-this way.

-Yeah, work it.

From that idea I was like,

"Okay, we should do the opposite."

We wanted to show Claudia doing things

people consider to reflect

"Boys will be boys."

That doesn't make her any less feminine.

Act like there is something in your nose.

Claudia will look stunning

with beautiful makeup on, etc.,

but she'll have a finger up her nose

because we all know everyone does it.

My nostrils are small.

-Plus my finger is tiny.

-No, your nostrils are big.

Picking our noses is our favorite hobby.

Wow. The light on your face looks amazing.

Yes, that's it.

It's easier with nails.

I think girls do it better than boys.

-The gold accessories look amazing.

-Oh, my God.

-That's so pretty.

-I know. It's not finished. It's a sample.

I can't show you my butt.

The cut is too sexy, just how you like it.

Yeah, that's true.

Claudia is that friend

I can really let loose with,

but I can also work with her.

I think that's something

I can only find in her.

Okay, are you ready?

Okay. Yes, hold my head. That's perfect.

In my friendship group,

I'm 100% the craziest one.

Eli isn't wild if she goes partying,

but whenever I'm involved,

we get four shots in a row,

throw caution to the wind,

and she joins in with my silly antics.

It's safe to say

I'm the little devil on her shoulder.

All of my blood has run to my head.

It's worth it for the shot.

I think I'll even touch up your makeup.

-What are you trying to say?

-Well

I'm not red from the makeup.

The blood has run to my head.

Do you need a poo?

Claudia is really different to Eli.

When they're together,

Eli comes out of her comfort zone.

30 more seconds on this shot,

then we'll change swimsuits.

Okay, as my neck can't take it anymore.

-One, two, three, go.

-Here we go.

Everything hurts.

I'll get into position

when you say, "Go," okay?

-Time to get changed, girls.

-Okay.

All good. We got the shot.

We have the same job,

so when we need to take photos

and be productive, we get down to it.

Look who it is.

-It's Wolfie.

-Baby.

Mommy.

-Mommy's there.

-Can you say yummy yummy?

Give me a hug. Want some watermelon?

I'm happy to see Mommy.

-You're happy to see Mommy?

-Yes, so happy.

To this day,

Wolfie is clearly my biggest pride and joy

and that pride grows more

and more every day.

Good job.

Ever since Wolfie came into my life,

I've definitely changed as a person.

I no longer see life the same way.

In fact, ever since I was young,

my biggest dream was to start a family.

Wow. You girls look stunning.

-What have you been up to?

-Mommy was taking photos.

Marilou has been a friend of mine for

I couldn't even say how many years.

I mean, we'd look old if I told you

how many years we've been friends.

Eli chose me to take care of her daughter

as we've known each other forever.

When I'm taking care of Wolfie,

in the evenings,

I'm exhausted,

my energy levels are pretty drained.

I take care of her when Eli is doing

photo shoots and content for Instagram.

I'm a high-class nanny.

Marilou was my roommate for a long time.

When we'd go out,

I'd ask her to do my hair.

Lots of my friends get all dolled up

and I'm always like, "Help me, please."

-I guess that's a wrap.

-Yes, we're done.

Let's wrap it up.

Marilou and I can

sometimes be at loggerheads,

as I'd say she is much more

of a mother hen than I am.

Wolfie is an energetic girl

with a big personality

so she needs an authority figure

in her life.

It can cause a bit of tension between us,

but I know that when I'm not there,

I can completely trust in Marilou

as I know she'll keep her eye on Wolfie

every second of the day.

I know I'll have many challenges

to face in the future.

Now that I have Wolfie,

it's extremely hard to create content

as the content I always used to make

revolved around a girl

who was always having fun,

traveling and partying

with a boyfriend or friends.

Yet I've also fully embraced

my role as a mom.

Wolfie has been in her terrible twos

for way too long now,

so it's really difficult to concentrate

on the world of Hoaka and social media.

-Cheers to today.

-Yes, girls.

It was a really great day.

-I'm exhausted.

-Cheers.

I always take Wolfie when I travel.

It's important I create a routine with her

like parents who go to work

and come home in the evening.

I really can't wait

to see how the photos turn out.

-I feel good about them.

-What's nice is it never rains here.

It rained constantly on our last trip,

but here it's always sunny.

The sunset was beautiful.

-Did you fly here from Berlin?

-Yeah.

How's it going with your boyfriend?

I've officially been in a relationship

for almost a year now,

but it's a long-distance relationship

between Montreal and Europe.

What I like about

long-distance relationships is

when I come back home,

I have time for myself and for my friends,

instead of Usually in life,

whenever I've been in love,

I've spent all of my time with my partner.

How's single life treating you?

The single life. Cheers to that.

Single life forever.

I'll down the other half of my shot.

Trying to date

after having a baby is impossible.

Also, when you're breastfeeding,

it's hard to even think about.

No, but seriously,

I don't think I'll ever

I don't know how many years it'll be until

I want to be in a relationship again,

but men are just

for entertainment purposes right now.

Elisabeth hasn't been very lucky in love.

Her love life has been pretty tough.

I think many people would say

my love life is

really tumultuous as it never works out

and I am always with a new guy, etc.

I personally think I'm just a young girl

who is trying to find a life partner.

It's trial and error.

As a mom, I feel like

I'm a totally different person now,

so I feel like I don't

fully know who I am,

but I don't see myself with a partner now.

I don't think Eli has to date someone

in the same line of work as us,

but she definitely needs someone

who understands our job

and who is okay with what we do.

-What's your type, Eli?

-My type?

I like all kinds of different guys.

They have to rock their own style

in the sense of I could go for any type

of guy, but he just needs to own it.

-Bye-bye.

-Can you give Mom a kiss?

-Bye.

-Off to beddy-byes? Kisses.

She'll watch a movie first.

-Bye, everyone.

-Bye, baby.

-Bye.

-Bye.

-I'll come join you later.

-Okay, bye-bye.

Bye.

Do you ever think that Wolfie

is missing a father figure in her life?

I honestly don't think so,

as at the moment, she's still too young

to compare herself to other kids

who have dads,

but maybe as she gets older,

she will ask more questions.

Until that happens,

I try not to think about it too much.

How do you feel now

that her father is out of prison?

It's a relief for the influencer

and businesswoman

-Elisabeth Rioux.

-Elisabeth Rioux.

My name is Elisabeth.

A year after she revealed to her millions

of followers she was a victim

-of domestic violence.

-Bryan McCormick.

Bryan McCormick.

-He kicked her

-Choked her

-as*ault, death threats.

-She could have died.

I feared for my life.

What made me press charges

was the fact

I feared for my daughter's life too.

"I'm going to burn you alive."

I always feel like I need to escape.

I'm constantly afraid.