These Mormon influencers turned their shocking scandal into a reality TV show. It’s been good for business.

But reality TV isn’t another one of Paul’s TikToks, meaning she had little to no control over how her arrest — which she’s described as the “worst night” of her life — would be portrayed onscreen.

The show’s premiere ultimately cast Paul in something other than the flattering glow of a ring light when it used actual bodycam footage of the arrest to tell Paul’s story, before picking up 11 months later to discuss the aftermath.

For Neeley, exchanging control over her image for more exposure was more liberating than worrying. Sure, she sometimes worried that small creative decisions, like the cast’s uniform blue coats in the show’s opening sequence, would make them look “stupid” (or in that case, she says, “polygamist”), but overall, it was a net positive.

“I liked it, because I feel like I could show my personality. Just be myself, and forget cameras were there,” she says of filming the series. “With social media, I feel like I have a hard time sharing my real personality, because it’s like, you’re setting up your phone. It’s just not the same.”

Subjecting yourself to reality TV editors can be risky — but if it works, it’s great for business

Prior to “Mormon Wives,” Neeley already had a business of her own: Babymama, a line of natal nutrition gummies. Though she’d been developing the business for a few years, she says she kicked things into high gear once she knew that the show was a go to capitalize on the exposure it would bring. Something she didn’t consider? Whether scenes featuring her business would make the final edit.

“When I heard how many things were getting cut, I was like, ‘Oh my God, thank God,'” she recalls. “I was so scared, but it made the cut.”

It didn’t hurt that her business ended up becoming a backdrop to some of the show’s key storylines: first, a photoshoot where Paul and Neeley discuss Neeley’s reservations about Mortensen, and second, a launch party where the absence of Whitney Leavitt, the cast’s resident frenemy, serves as the final nail in the coffin for her relationship with the rest of the group.

Even when it’s chock-full of drama, the show has already been a boon for business, Neeley says. Now, she’s already thinking about how she’ll devise ways to keep getting exposure for Babymama on the show in a potential season two.

“If I do throw an event, how am I going to keep it interesting enough to stay in the edit?” she says. “That’s what I’m thinking now, when I saw certain things that were cut. I’m like, ‘Okay, well, if I’m going to throw something, I’ve got to make it really good.'”

In the meantime, Paul, Neeley, and the rest of the cast have millions of followers to contend with on social media — many of whom have just devoured season one and are curious where the group’s key relationships, friendships, and beefs stand today.

Since this is a cast of influencers, they’re leaning in to the drama by posting more content. Neeley and Mortensen have beef during the series, but on TikTok, the two of them and Paul are making videos poking fun at her protectiveness. Other members of the cast are furthering the season’s drama around Leavitt, while Paul is making tongue-in-cheek videos about how her “questionable life choices” got her friends a TV series.

“I think it’s a win-win for both of us, for us and for Hulu, because we’re promoting and we’re also getting the views and the attention,” Neeley says.

“At the end of the day, that’s how you get paid. So for our business, I feel like that’s how it helps us work too and get our brand deals,” Paul adds.

In the wake of season one’s success, Paul and Neeley are already making savvy plans for a future with multiple revenue streams. Content creation isn’t forever, after all — Paul is considering getting into real estate and owning more properties.

“We don’t want to be 40 years old doing MomTok videos still, right?” Neeley says. “We want to make sure we have businesses in place so we don’t have to feel like we have to show up on social media constantly.”

As we sip on our dirty sodas, thousands of miles away from Salt Lake City, Paul puts it plainly.

“At the end of the day, you’re only relevant for so long.”