'Southern Charm' Star Craig Conover Talks Sewing, His New Restaurant, and His Haters (EXCLUSIVE)

Anyone who's anyone in entertainment will tell you that while the checks they receive from on-camera work are by no means chopped liver, the real money's in moving products.

Just ask Dr. Dre about his Beats headphones brand and Rihanna with Fenty Beauty — there's so much cash to be made in lines of goods that you'd be crazy to at least not try to break into business.

Southern Charm's Craig Conover is also making bank off of his line of pillows. Since launching his sewing lifestyle brand in 2019, Craig has a booming physical location for Sewing Down South in Charleston, S.C., where his Bravo reality show is filmed.

As his business continues to expand, the entrepreneur spoke to Distractify about running a successful business despite the skepticism he received about the company.

Craig, who studied law at Charleston School of Law and even passed the Bar exam in California, decided to shift into the pillow-selling industry after being on Season 1 Southern Charm in 2014. When he discovered his passion for sewing, he shared that he was initially mocked for his sewing skills.

Fortunately for his supporters (and his pockets), Craig continued with Sewing Down South and has seen the fruits of his labor. He reportedly has a net worth of $400,000, which stems from his Southern Charm and his business.

In June 2024, the company launched a second store in Nashville, expanding into apparel, candles, blankets, and totes.

While discussing his partnership with Heluva Good! Dip, the Bravolebrity told Distractify he's glad he didn't let his haters affect the dream he had, stating that "negativity will always exist" and ignoring it is the only way to push forward.

"You're never gonna have a happy person putting you down," Craig said. "Or someone that's happy where they are."

The reality star said empathizing with his childhood bullies helped him prepare for the comments about his business. However, Craig said he and his girlfriend, Summer House star Paige DeSorbo, can "quiet" the sometimes "loud" noise that comes with living your life in the public eye.

"The negative people are the loudest," he admitted. "But there's so many people rooting for you, and, and having fun with you. If you put your time into answering their questions or putting content out there for them, you're going to be rewarded for it."

Craig's sewing business worked out in his favor. He told us his business has around 20 employees who handle his store locations. He also shared that he plans to open a restaurant in Charleston, which fans of Southern Charm will see more of in Season 10. Like his first business, Craig expects to receive comments from those who feel another celebrity restaurant might not succeed.

However, he said he's going into this business with the same positive mindset he had with Sewing Down South.

"If I would have listened to my friends, you know, back then, Sewing Down South wouldn't exist," Craig said. "No one thought it was a good idea. Except me. And so if you have a good idea, just stick with it. Because you're not always going to get that confirmation from, you know, from other people. Either they're scared or jealous or intimidated."

Leaving a prominent career as a lawyer to sew and sell pillows may have sounded crazy to some folks — Craig's a likable, good-looking guy working in a legitimate and respectable profession. But the man wanted to make pillows, followed his heart, and he's not only making ends meet, he's earning way more than he did as a lawyer.

Not bad for doing what you love on a daily basis.

As he reflects on how much his career has grown, he said finding "peace" in his personal life and growing as a person has helped him even more laser-focused on making his dreams come true.

"I've found peace in just being home having fun by myself and with Paige," he said. "Now, just don't miss going to the bars really. So my life's changed a lot. And I think that's why I'm able to focus on Sewing Down South and building my home into a little staycation."