How Bobby Berk Turned a Side Hustle Into a Career

Design expert Bobby Berk may be best known for transforming lives and homes on Netflix’s Queer Eye, but behind the scenes, he’s built a business on principles that matter just as much as style: authenticity, team culture and learning from every challenge.

Before he became a TV star and a bestselling author, Berk worked his way through nearly every job on the retail floor — from Applebee’s to Restoration Hardware. It’s a foundation that shaped not only his design eye but also his approach to building trust, leading teams and turning a one-person side hustle into a widely recognized brand.

Related: These Restaurateurs Relied on One Tactic to Help Them Tackle Their ‘Most Ambitious Challenge Yet’

Berk’s online presence started with losing his job. When the ecommerce company he worked for suddenly went under, he acted fast.

“I went online and registered bobbyberkhome.com and cloned that database real quick and launched it on my own, thinking, I’ll sell a sofa or two while I look for another job,” he says. “I ended up selling more than a few, and it did really, really well.”

That quick decision-making set the tone for his success, but making his own name the business name also presented an unexpected challenge.

“If I ever thought this brand was going to be as successful as it was, I would’ve come up with a different name because it is often very hard being the face of the brand,” he says.

Sometimes, customer interactions turned personal or demanding — so much so that Berk created an alter ego named Kevin who would handle customer service issues. It’s a humorous anecdote but also a warning: Customers can treat the owner differently, for better or worse, when you’re the face of the brand.

Committed to leading with intention in the spotlight and behind the scenes, Berk is also thoughtful about how he treats employees. He knew scaling would be difficult if he didn’t build a business where people wanted to stay. As the company grew, he focused on building a culture that balanced freedom and responsibility.

“It is all about not micromanaging people,” Berk says. “[It’s] about giving them the empowerment to do their job but the freedom to still have a life.”

The result: employees who stick around for years. “In all these years, we’ve never had anybody who didn’t [use their freedom responsibly], because they appreciated the freedom that I give them.”

Related: She Started a Business That Broke the Mold for NYC Cafés — And Grew It Into a Multi-City Brand

Building a team he could trust — and trusted him — also allowed Berk to step back from time to time and avoid burnout.

For Berk, trust and authenticity play a large role in his business, whether with customers, employees or collaborators. Berk is clear about what he’ll endorse and researches potential partners thoroughly before promoting any products.

“My brand is about authenticity,” he says. “Both on screen and in real life, I am who I am, and I’m not gonna change that for a brand deal. I don’t want people to ever think that I’m pushing something that I would not have in my own home.”

Function, not flash, is always top of mind for Berk, who advises entrepreneurs to consider how each element of their business will impact their team and customers. For example, a shareable moment in today’s visual world can be part of a valuable marketing strategy.

“We do Instagrammable moments at my resorts because people love them,” Berk says. “It is better to invest a little extra money in making that really cool design moment that’s branded than to spend it later on marketing when you could be getting free marketing.”

When the critiques aren’t so favorable, Berk’s advice is to stay professional and engaged, not defensive or combative.

“The key is engaging and responding,” he says. “When there are bad reviews and people see that you did not care enough to engage and respond, I think the review becomes believable. Lay out the facts in a nice, professional way. Ignoring them is not the right thing.”

Related: This Venezuelan Entrepreneur Craved His Favorite Comfort Food – So He Started a Business Selling It

For founders looking to scale without losing what makes them special, consider Berk’s advice for turning personal passion and tough lessons into a lasting business advantage:

• Personal branding is high-risk, high-impact. If you make your name the brand, expect every customer interaction — and review — to feel personal.
• Empowerment beats micromanagement every time. Giving your team both freedom and accountability creates buy-in and lasting loyalty.
• Intentional design is great marketing. Investing in an eye-catching, branded “Instagrammable moment” in your space can create free word-of-mouth marketing.
• Professional replies protect your reputation. Always engage with critical feedback, but never take the bait for public arguments — other customers are watching.
• Stay true to yourself, even when it’s inconvenient. Only endorse products, collaborations and business moves that align with your own standards to preserve integrity and customer trust.

Watch the episode above to hear directly from Berk, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Wednesday.

Editorial contributions by Kristi Lindahl and Emily Moon

Design expert Bobby Berk may be best known for transforming lives and homes on Netflix’s Queer Eye, but behind the scenes, he’s built a business on principles that matter just as much as style: authenticity, team culture and learning from every challenge.

Before he became a TV star and a bestselling author, Berk worked his way through nearly every job on the retail floor — from Applebee’s to Restoration Hardware. It’s a foundation that shaped not only his design eye but also his approach to building trust, leading teams and turning a one-person side hustle into a widely recognized brand.