MW Chelsea Handler talks about her boozy lemonade, the meaning of turning 50 and why real-estate is the best investment

By Charles Passy

The standup comedian has had a busy year, with a new book and Netflix special

At age 50, Chelsea Handler says she's just getting started.

Handler has continued to build on a robust career that covers many a medium. She does standup comedy, with her most recent special, "Chelsea Handler: The Feeling," having bowed on Netflix (NFLX) earlier this year. She writes books, including the best-selling "I'll Have What She's Having," which also came out in 2025. She has hosted late-night talk shows - most notably with a seven-year run on the E! network $(CMCSA)$. And she has an advice podcast called "Dear Chelsea."

Now, she's even got a boozy product to her name. Handler has partnered with Owl's Brew, a beverage company that produces a variety of sips, on a vodka lemonade.

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted," she boasts in a lively TikTok post that shows her perfecting the recipe. But Handler actually started concocting a formula of sorts when she ran a lemonade stand as a child - "once I realized my parents didn't have any money in their savings account and I was going to have to make my own way in this world at some point," she told MarketWatch.

In that same recent interview, Handler also talked more about what she's been doing and shared her thoughts on a few money-related topics. The interview has been edited and condensed.

MarketWatch: Let's begin by asking about your boozy collaboration with Owl's Brew. So, you had a lemonade stand as a kid. But talk about how that evolved and now figures into a business today.

Handler: I started a lemonade stand when I was really young, around 8 years old. I had to think about a way to improve my profit margin. And I thought: "Why don't I spike these drinks?" Then I could sell to the parents and the children. I could sell the children, the [unspiked] lemonade and I could sell the parents vodka lemonade, tequila lemonade, gin and lemonade. I hired a boy in our neighborhood to mix the drinks for me. I made $329 in one week. So it's kind of been my family lore that at some point, I would have my own alcohol brand.

MarketWatch: What led you to Owl's Brew?

Handler: I have been down the road with so many liquor companies or prepackaged companies for many years with the interest of coming out with my own vodka lemonade and it just was never the right taste. It was either too sweet or it had that artificial flavoring or the lemon didn't taste like lemon. And then when I met Owl's Brew, I let them know I was doing a book tour and this was a great opportunity to pair my book with a vodka lemonade. And not only were they able to like facilitate and expedite the process, they nailed [the product] on the first time.

MarketWatch: Howard Stern has been called the "king of all media." Are you the "queen of all media"? You certainly do a lot of different things in a lot of different formats.

Handler: I would say I'm one of the queens. I wouldn't say I am the queen. I like to make sure that we have lots of queens roaming around. That's the great thing about women - we have come to an age where we all value each other's worth and understand that the more ships that rise with the tide, the better.

MarketWatch: Speaking of all the media formats you embrace, which do you enjoy the most - and why?

Handler: Writing books is very special because it's permanent - you put your ideas down and it's there forever. But standup is really how I started my career and it's just allowed me to build all of these other businesses around that and my personality. I get to be make a living being myself, so that's been really nice. And I love being able to provide laughter and joy, especially during dark or ominous or unpleasant times.

MarketWatch: Given your entrepreneurial streak, it's worth noting you don't have an MBA. And you didn't even go to college. Does that mean all these degrees are overrated?

Handler: For what I do, you don't need a degree. The degree you need is life. And I make sure that I experience that at the full tilt. Full tilt in terms of working really hard and full tilt in terms of enjoying my life and experiencing what there is. The more experiences I have, the more material I get.

MarketWatch: What's the best piece of financial advice you've ever received?

Handler: Invest in property. I don't have tons of investments, but I have a lot of real estate because that's always going to mature and that's always going to have value in the right places. Somebody explained that to me many years ago. So, I figure if I'm not going to be looking at the stock market daily - I don't have that kind of brain - what I can do is invest in properties.

MarketWatch: What's your biggest money mistake?

Handler: Converting a five-bedroom house into a two-bedroom house so that my family wouldn't visit me for too long. That was a big financial mistake. It made the house less valuable. I had to turn the two bedrooms back into five bedrooms to sell it.

MarketWatch: What do you hate spending money on?

Handler: Wi-Fi on planes. I find that to be really ridiculous at this point. I feel like airlines should just provide Wi-Fi.

MarketWatch: Conversely, what do you like splurging on?

Handler: I love to splurge on vacation. I think every vacation is worth every penny.

MarketWatch: Any place in particular?

Handler: Bora Bora. It's a very expensive trip, but I just find Bora Bora to be one of the most special places in the world, the colors of the water...it's just beautiful. You can't ever get tired of looking at that scene.

MarketWatch: What's your most valuable possession?

Handler: My dog, Doug. He looks like a lion and a gorilla had a baby. He's a full black Chow Chow and he is just happiness. He's the first dog I've ever had that likes to play, likes to fetch, likes to run and jump. All my dogs [before] have always been really mellow.

MarketWatch: Do you think you'll ever retire?

Handler: I always thought I'd retire when I was 40. And now I'm 50 and I'm working harder than I think I've ever worked. I think when you're a creative [person], you've always got ideas percolating. There's always so many opportunities. I have a couple of TV opportunities and shows that I'm really excited about this year. I just did a European tour where I did 17 countries in 24 days and I was so up for it. I've got a residency in Vegas coming up at the end of August.

MarketWatch: You turned 50 this year. Is 50 the new 30? Or is 50 just 50?

Handler: To me, 50 is just a celebration of life and a reminder that this isn't a dress rehearsal. This is the real life. I think 50 is just not what it used to be. Like, I'm in better shape than I've ever been in my life. I feel great. I'm optimistic and I'm more energized. And I think you're hearing that more and more [from other people]. Whatever is in the sauce, we're drinking it.

-Charles Passy

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August 05, 2025 07:30 ET (11:30 GMT)

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