Heather Thomson is a philanthropist, mother, entrepreneur, and founder of her own form-enhancing apparel brand, Yummie by HT. Now this former Real Housewife of New York, Heather has taken her years of award-winning design experience to turn her passion into an empire.

Here are the best take-aways from Heather on today’s Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg:

“No electronics at the table. That’s a rule in my house.”

“Today people are so anti-voyeurism but I think it’s nice to be admired.”

“We have to keep it simple. There are things we need like our phones. But the other gadgets are too quirky.”

“My kid knows a lot more than I did at her age because she can google things.”

“Check what your kids are checking and who’s online with them.”

“If you don’t have thick enough skin to be on social media, don’t do it.”

“Cyber Monday is a matter of convenience and not having to brave the storm of shopping on Black Friday.”

“Cyber Monday is the new Black.”

“You can have so much fun with the content leading up to this Cyber Monday online.”

“I like to apply who I am as a person to my brand.”

“Everything evolves. The most important thing is that you’re passionate about what you do.”

“The three-panel tank is the cornerstone of the brand. I have the patent on it.”

“I love the fashion industry because you can be creative and brainy at the same time.”

“The three-panel tank was something I needed after I gave birth. It was a selfish initiative.”

“The most exciting thing about designing for myself is creativity. There’s something really satisfying about that.”

“My start in fashion was with making bathrobes. It’s where I learned the industry. My first break was the Calvin Klein Collection.”

“At Calvin Klein I learned what it was like to have a name and a face and a story to tell behind the brand.”

“Yummie is the face and the vision. Designed by a woman for women. Although some men really like wearing the clothes too.”

“You’ve got to always go with your gut.”

“The 3-panel tank was all about Yummie Tummy. As I grew my vision was growing but the name was limiting.”

“A catchy name is important. You may not always get it right out of the gate.”

“You can screw up your brand with the cookies you put on your website. Never stay or go with a name you don’t believe in.”

“I can make luggage with Yummie. I can’t make luggage with Yummie Tummie.”

“You have to kick all the hurdles down. If you want to start a business you have to take risks. I just went for it.”

“You’re going to fail so fail fast.”

“I had an original idea that could get patents on it. My fear was being knocked off.”

“I knew how much patent litigation costs. You have to enforce your patent.”

“I trademarked a bunch of names so I could knock myself off. I trademarked names like Tummilicious.”

“Everything at HSN is about dollars per minute. If I say a word they can see how the buyers react to that word.”

“Mindy Grossman, the CEO of HSN, can tell a great story and sell a product.”

“Bloomingdales was the first to bring Broadway to retail.”

“Sometimes it’s just time. Joining RHONY was the right thing to try and I knew in my heart it was the right time to go.”

“I went into RHONY to try something new, meet new people, and share a little bit about my son and our family unit.”

“The same reason I joined RHONY was the same reason I left: New opportunities.”

“Mark Wahlberg is doing a great job showing you can build a business on TV.”

“We all get the same 24 hours. It’s how you spend your time.”

“My kids grew up on reality TV and that’s not what I want for my children or for me.”

“Most times if you listen to your gut and go with your heart and listen, you end up doing the right thing.”

“When I told Andy I couldn’t do RHONY anymore he asked if I could do some cameos organically.”

“I have no regrets about doing RHONY.”

“Never burn a bridge, leave when you know it’s right.”

“Philanthropy is something I was born with.”

“When I was 16 years old and got my drivers license of course I said I’d be a donor. Years later my son needed a donor. It’s bittersweet, you lose a life to save a life.”

“I’m being honored by Donate Life Connecticut.”

“People have all these misnomers about organ donations.”

“My newest passion is No Barriers which about living a life of meaning and purpose.”

“What’s within you is stronger than anything that stands in your way.”

“Giving back and helping young entrepreneurs and nurturing new business is something that’s important to me.”

“The best companies out there are the ones with the most dynamic boards.”

“Innovation is key. If you’re going to do something, it’s got to be better or cheaper. Standing out and offering a unique perspective is crucial.”

“Have a point of difference.”

Find out more about Heather Thomson at Yummielife.com, @iamheathert.

Join Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg next week when Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice discuss what it’s like to run the hottest workout sweeping the nation, Soul Cycle. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 Wednesday 12pm ET/ 9am PT.

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