Former reality TV star was financially independent at 17, but still had to learn 3 hard money lessons: 'Going broke is not fun'

Lo Bosworth says she became financially independent when she was just 17 years old.

The founder of Love Wellness, a women’s health and personal care company, Bosworth got her start as a reality star on “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills” in the early 2000s. The shows earned her enough money to live independently as a young adult, she says.

But she knew she still wanted a college degree to give herself options if she decided not to work in entertainment forever.

“I wasn’t enamored enough with the entertainment industry to pivot away from getting my degree,” Bosworth tells CNBC Make It. “Hollywood can be very tantalizing in that way to a lot of people … but the way that I would be forced to live my life if I continued in the entertainment industry simply wasn’t for me, and I learned that at a very young age.”

Inspired by her own health journey, Bosworth started Love Wellness in 2016, which makes supplements and personal care products without sugar, synthetic flavors or colors, or corn syrup. It was bringing in “about $50 million in annual net revenue” when Bosworth stepped down as CEO in 2023, she told The Glossy Beauty podcast in 2024.