The social media influencer and entrepreneur extraordinaire Bernice Burgos spoke of her illustrious career as a bartender when she appeared on the Joe Budden Podcast. She told listeners how this busy nightlife of New York City was fashioned into a very lucrative one indeed, where she took in between $30,000 and $70,000 in one night alone. So, how did she manage to make that much? Her success wasn’t about mixing drinks. It was about strategy and relationship-building.
For three years, Bernice worked in the pulsating bar scene of NYC. She had her secret: peddling bottles of liquor at cheap prices. “I make sure I give you the bottles for $250. The bottles cost $350. So Im gonna hustle”, she said. The smart sales pitch attracted a surge of more customers who were ever ready to shower her with generous tips towards the end of the night, hence making her earnings unbelievable.
But Bernice wasn’t just business-minded and talkative; she was oozing with hospitality and warmth; for this woman, greeting and being nice to people were ways to show respect and appreciation. She based her success on these relationships. “You don’t gotta tip me. You don’t gotta give me the tip right there. You tip me later, like throwing money,” she said. Her capability of establishing regulars drove in consistent and heavy tips.
Despite the fortune she was earning, Bernice always had her eyes set on something greater. “I only bartended for three years. I only said three years I was gonna be in here, start my clothing line, and I was out-buy my house and do what I gotta do, and that’s what I did,” she shared. Sure enough, she took that money and invested it in her clothing line, Bold & Beautiful, and a little real estate.
Then again, the success story of Bernice is not about the money; it is about being true to oneself. While hers was a glamorous earning, she kept it real: “I don’t do too much. I used to be covered with a whole-body suit on.” This just warmed up the fact that her success did not need to use sex appeal but was based on hard work and authenticity.
Joe Budden added, playfully, even though she made weak drinks, her personality and presence brought people to her bar. “Respectfully, Bernice made the worst drinks,” he said, jesting, reaching to the laughter of the room.
Bernice’s transition from bartender into an entrepreneur underlines the essence of working hard, thinking strategically, and genuinely relating to customers. The time she spent behind the bar taught her priceless lessons in business management, customer service, and networking-skills that have been instrumental in this entrepreneurial pursuit.
She insisted on being real in personal and professional life. Her story is a tale of how being true to oneself, combined with hard work, pays.
These days, Bernice is far more than just your run-of-the-mill bartender; she is a well uprising entrepreneur alongside her reality TV star and social media icon titles. She also stars alongside her daughter Ashley in the BET+ reality series “The Impact: New York.” Active on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, she shares parts of her life, workouts, and business ventures with her fans.
Bernice is a proud mother of two daughters, Ashley and Sarai, with rumors that Bernice is dating Jaylen Brown of the NBA. She has an estimated net worth of about $4 million, which proves that the nightlife’s main lady has successfully made a very successful leap into the business world.
The story of Bernice Burgos is one of hustle, heart, and entrepreneurship. She took her bartending job and made it a stepping stone toward greater things, showing only one could achieve extraordinary success with just the right blend of strategy and authenticity.
