Haute Living Exclusive Q&A With Danielle Robb

Meet Los Angeles native, Danielle Robb Executive Producer, visionary and host of “A Place in the Sun”, a spinoff of the #1 property show in the world. Before taking on this new challenge Danielle was and still is an established real estate investor and CEO of her own brokerage and development company, Bella D, created in 2005. With a thirst for adventure Danielle now takes us on a journey around the world to show us just how we all can get our own place in the sun. I got a chance to talk to Danielle about her now show and more.

Q: How long have you lived in Los Angeles?

A: I was born and raised here.  Really!

Q: What do you love most about living in the city of angels?

A: I love the close proximity to everything. There are so many beautiful locations that are only an hour or two from the city…the mountains, the beach, Santa Barbara, San Diego. If you want an active lifestyle, I don’t think you can ever get bored living here. On top of that, the weather in Southern California is hard to beat.

Q: You are launching a new show on the discovery network. Tell me about how you got involved in it?

A: My production company licensed the number one travel/property series in the world from the UK brand called “A Place in The Sun”. I was looking into international real estate development, as well as

buying a place for myself abroad a couple of years ago when I ran across the magazine, also called “A Place in the Sun” in London.  I saw the potential for putting a new twist on the television format and bringing the program to America.

Q: Before the show you were an established and very successful business woman. Tell me about your background as an entrepreneur.

A: I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. I knew from a young age that I didn’t want to work for anyone and a normal 9-5 office job would not fit my personality. I love the idea of starting something

from scratch and watching it unfold and grow into something incredible. There’s a ton of risk that goes into being an entrepreneur, it’s not for everyone but it suits me. I get to wear many hats which is both exciting and draining at times.

I started my first company in college and that started me down the road of opening other businesses and companies. My focus has always been real estate and it started as a hobby flipping houses, then I got into the development and mortgage side. When I found the UK brand “A Place in The Sun” that revolved around international real estate, it was a natural progression to bring this concept of growth through travel and exploration, to a larger audience. I licensed that brand, opened my production company to produce the US version and spin off shows and it’s been exciting to watch it grow from there.

Q: How do you think your background as real estate investor plays into your role as television host on ‘A Place in the Sun’?

A: Being an investor myself allows me to look at the property and criteria in a different way. When I look at these places for my clients, I take into consideration not only their criteria but also what are some of

the other aspects that make this a great property, or not. Is it in a desirable location? Is there an investment angle to it to allow a rental income? Is the larger area going to boom, and what are those consequences, etc…?

Q: How do you like to spend your downtime?

A: Downtime?  It’s really rare that I’m not doing something that is related to work but when I actually do get true down time I’m usually still rushing around somewhere! I’m not much for sitting so most of my time is spent doing something active. I’m always game for any sport and since Southern California has such incredible weather and I live at the beach, I’m usually outdoors.

Q; What are some of your indulgences?

A: Massages, great wine and I have the worst sweet tooth on this planet!

Q: What can viewers expect from the U.S launch of ‘A Place in the Sun’ versus the U.K version?

A. The UK version focuses mostly on the property aspect and we added more culture and lifestyle which I think is extremely important because I want the viewer to really get a taste of what this location is all about, not just the properties. We also concentrate more on the journey of moving abroad. In the UK, it is much easier to buy within the EU and all of Europe is really their backyard, so we have a bit of a different adventure when it comes to moving and/or traveling abroad. For me, it was important to add an inspirational element because I do think that logistically and psychologically the idea of moving and investing abroad does seem to have some additional hurdles to Americans versus the Europeans. Traditionally, we tend to be a bit more insulated.  But, there are some surprising temptations among our locations that I hope encourage viewers to think outside the box in season one.

Q: What were some of your favorite places to visit during shooting?

A: I loved New Zealand and it’s one of my favorite shows. I could see myself living there because of the real spirit of adventure that is embodied in the people. A location that surprised me was the Okanagan in BC Canada, I could definitely, and realistically, have a second home there! It’s a four season destination spot and offers a little bit of everything, plus it’s only about a 2 1/2 hour flight from Los Angeles.

Q: You previously said you are not a big tweeter, why not?

A: My company tweets for the show and I’ll throw my 2 cents in every once in awhile with a tweet but social media as a whole hasn’t really captivated me yet. It took me forever to break down and get a facebook page.  I think I was initially thrown off by what seemed so impersonal and self promotional, but I realize it’s an ever emerging part of business and media so I’m getting on board, slowly but surely.

For more information on Danielle Robb visit http://www.daniellerobb.com.