Hamptonite Molly Sims Gets Real About Motherhood, Multitasking And The Magic Of The East End

Hamptonite Molly Sims gets real about motherhood, multitasking and the magic of the East End.

"This is not a place of $200 eye creams or ingredient label panic or mean girl judginess,” proclaims the online manifesto for multihyphenate Molly Sims’ website. I am instantly sold. The new podcast Sims co-hosts with her best friend Emese Gormley, Lipstick on the Rim, offers serious real talk and life hacks gleaned from the duo’s journey through motherhood and Sims’ decades of modeling and acting. The pair balances three children each and navigates the landmined worlds of fashion, beauty and aging with humor and girl talk authenticity that is deeply refreshing. Dubbed “a world of beauty without noise,” this working mother of three is ready to listen.

“I wasn’t actually planning on having a cohost,” she shares. “But every time I would talk about something, it was Emese I wanted to talk to about it. We had chemistry, a love of beauty, a love of wellness, a love of being each other’s best friends,” Sims says. “And we’re both moms of three kids.” The mother of three and wife of Netflix film producer Scott Stuber shares that the best friends-as-podcasters result is even more special than she ever anticipated. The two have a natural rhythm and authenticity that allow them to go there faster and deeper. “We just have that built-in trust and loyalty—and also it’s who I discuss everything with today. I did want to make sure and have that authenticity. I didn’t want to just be put with another actor or actress or influencer just to say, ‘Oh my God, look at me.’ I knew I didn’t want that [just] to gain followers—because I do love connecting women.”

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Sims often quotes the words of wisdom gleaned from her all-American childhood in Kentucky. “I do love what my grandmother always said to me: ‘If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you look good.’ And that has been my motto.” The blonde beauty has been in the spotlight from a young age. “I’ve had 29 lives,” she says. “Going from Vanderbilt to living in Europe and being a model and then a host... and then transitioning into an actress and an author and a mother.” Yet, Sims says the podcast is perhaps her most powerful platform to date. “I think it’s just such an amazing platform. I can be myself. I can be authentic. I can be funny. I can be serious. I can cry. But I also can really connect with my community—and bring my community along on the ride like they are listening to a conversation with my best friend,” she says.

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Topics range from deep dives with experts like endocrinologist Dr. Jordan Geller on how to best balance hormones to the benefits of bone broth. “I love talking about different topics and getting deep and not just really surface.” It seems there is no topic that is taboo, which is decidedly intentional. “I think no woman is one-dimensional,” Sims offers. “I think we’re all curious about so many different things. I didn’t want to just be like, ‘This is a boxed podcast where we’re only going to talk about makeup, or we’re only going to talk about skincare.’ We’re going to talk about sex and mental health. And we’re going to talk about hormones and peptides and mental illness and physical therapy.” The fact that both hosts are mothers to three children means they share in the experience with so many listeners. “I think the best thing about our podcast is that as mothers we’re on the journey of our viewers.”

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The real talk includes setting the record straight that “having it all” isn’t exactly what it is all about, and finding balance as a working mother is a struggle. “It is super hard,” Sims says. “I think the one thing we learned during COVID is that you will never underestimate a stay-at-home mom and what that person does, because it is difficult. We can understand more to not put down the stay-at-home parent. And the work-life balance is awful. It’s really important to talk about, especially when we have social media—that is the best version, picture number 99 that you’re selling… and really important to not just show that but show that not everything is great. Not everything is bad. Not everything is on time. Not everything is perfect.” Sims shares she is recently learning the power of no, “because every ‘yes’ is in some way a ‘no’ to my family.” She is also working on being fully present when she is there with her family. “I think the best thing about me is that I’m an incredible multitasker, but it is mentally and physically impossible to do that all the time and be a great mom. Right?” Amen to that.

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Sims has a natural knack for curation. After transitioning from a “Tri Delt” sorority girl at Vanderbilt to model, Sims negotiated her way from CoverGirl contracts and Sports Illustrated swimsuit girl to host of MTV’s House of Style—and now Sims helms her own production company, Something Happy Productions. “In truth, I’ve always loved to put people together and connect,” she says. “I love reading. I’m a voracious reader; I always have been. I love good content.” Projects include the Emmy-nominated Get Organized With The Home Edit Netflix series. “I think it’s showing moms and dads, friends and kids, how it actually is a form of therapy,” she says of the show’s breakout success. “I think they’re just incredible talents that people want to know. People want to see how they do it. They want to try to do it for themselves in their own lives.”

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As for more personal projects, Sims is looking forward to time with her family over the holidays—and lots of quiet time in the Hamptons. “I absolutely love the Hamptons; it is my true happy place,” she says. “I love holidays. I love traditions. I love making memories. And the Hamptons has the best pumpkin patch ever—just for the record.”

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