reality tv

'That's why we pushed to have cameras here.' Apparently, we never see the 'real' Kim Kardashian.

Even after 12 years of mega-stardom, Kim Kardashian still gets the occasional criticism for lacking any specific talent apart from being a reality star. But in episode two of the new season of 'The Kardashians', Kim is showing the audience who she really is - a very determined, very successful businesswoman.

Kardashian pays a visit to Harvard Business School in Boston, where she's giving a lecture to students about running and building her shapewear brand, Skims. On a piece to camera, the reality star makes a joke comparing herself to ditzy Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, poking fun at the fact that many would be surprised to hear the words 'Kim Kardashian' and 'Harvard' in the same sentence. 

Some of those surprised faces were the people who invited Kardashian to speak. While the cameras weren't allowed to film inside the classroom for Kim's speech to the students, one of the course teachers, Matt Higgins, revealed how impressed he was with her "levels of insight" and "convictions" when it came to business, and that they were "on par with the best consumer CEOs".

Watch: Kim Kardashian SNL's Debut. Post continues after the video.


Video via Youtube.

"I haven't seen this version of Kim," Higgins says, adding there's been discussions about how she's still misunderstood.

Kardashian is just as keen to start showing her more serious, business-minded side to fans, saying, "That's why I also think it's important to film stuff like this for my show, because that's what the audience will see instead of me fighting with my sisters over something stupid."

Fans of the show will know she's referring to her much-publicised spat with older sister Kourtney, over Kim's involvement in a Dolce & Gabbana deal. 

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Skims was valued at an eye-watering $4 billion this year, and operates at a 32 per vent sell-out rate and 68 per cent replenishment level, which is higher than similar players in the space, such as Rihanna's Savage x Fenty. Despite this success, Kardashian admits she still feels "imposter syndrome" when she's involved with projects such as this. 

"The top business minds in the country have lectured here. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm really nervous," Kardashian, 42, says.

She said the class about direct-to-consumer brands was "fascinating. It was about the thought process that behind our campaigns, our drops, our launches, what materials we use. So much the class wouldn't assume that I would be involved it."

In reality, Kardashian has been showing us for years that there's much more substance to her than her bikini body and an influencer with 364 million Instagram followers. She's been studying law since 2019, and has been using her public platform to advocate for criminal justice reform in America.

Kim Kardashian at Harvard Business School. Image: Instagram

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Higgins, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, says, "People know Kim from 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', but I think her experience as a phenomenal entrepreneur is way underexposed."

Kardashian admits she has struggled with juggling the 'reality show Kim' with the intellectual Kim, recalling the time she was visiting the White House shortly after posting a bikini picture on Instagram. 

"I remember feeling shameful of that and then thinking, 'Wait a minute, I want to still be me'," she says. "And I actually think that people pay attention maybe more to some of the law stuff and some of the criminal justice reform stuff that I do because my feed isn't just flooded with cases and stories about justice reform."

"Being authentically you is really important."

Featured Image: Instagram

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