The Contrast Man: Selling Sunset Star Romain Bonnet Talks Fitness, What Makes A Man and More

For “Selling Sunset” star and The Contrast Man cover Romain Bonnet, being a man is defined by his actions. “Men can talk a lot, but actions speak louder than words.”

Roman rose to fame as viewers of the hit Emmy-nominated Netflix series got to know him on a more personal level. As someone who believes hard work pays off, Romain’s story shows just that. This is why he never stops striving to reach his goals; his ambition has inspired many.

Born and raised in Paris, France, he landed his first job as a pastry chef while still in school, working for his parents. He later landed a project management job, which he intended to be temporary. The stars were aligned because today Romain runs The Oppenheim Group, with his partner Mary Fitzgerald. The pastries didn’t work out; probably for the best.

Romain says fitness and sports prepared him for the professional world and allowed him to always push to “be the best version of myself and also push my limits.”

When Romain isn’t selling homes with Mary, or filming their series, he is a fitness expert and wants to share his knowledge and insight with the world. “Fitness, for me, is a form of therapy,” says the Selling Sunset star. “I highly recommend it to anyone as it can help you to achieve goals and feel good about yourself.”

Always challenging yourself is the motto, according to Romain. “I enjoy learning new things, gaining new skills and becoming proficient.” He says, “I also keep in mind that it’s important to fail, so we can learn and become better.“

Catch the full interview below, and be sure to follow Romain on Instagram and watch Selling Sunset on Netflix.

You’re on our cover of Contrast Man! What do you think defines a man? For me, what defines a man, are his actions. Men can talk a lot, but actions speak louder than words.

What are some fitness tips that people? Fitness, for me, is a form of therapy. I highly recommend it to anyone as it can help you to achieve goals and feel good about yourself. It can also can be a healthy release of a lot of stress, frustrations or other emotions.The goal is to start slowly and take it step by step.

Tell me more about ‘Food On Foot’ and why you feel it’s important to get involved? I just feel like it’s so important to help each other at any level. I got to know more about it a couple years ago via Jason and really like how they are helping and pushing people to get back on their feet. Giving individuals the support they need along the way to take their life back into their own hands and get a better lifestyle or job but also put a roof under their heads.

I feel like I’m now able to help a little bit at this point and couldn’t be happier to help someone or multiple people get back on their feet. A little something for someone can be a lot for someone else. We need to push each other up and not down!

What’s your philosophy in life? My work philosophy is that I always want to improve at my job. I enjoy learning new things, gaining new skills and becoming proficient. But I also keep in mind that It’s important to fail, so we can learn and become better. Always challenging yourself to Strive to be the best version of yourself.

You’ve also been pretty active, dabbling in sports like Boxing, Archery, Snowboarding/Skiing, Basketball and Tennis. In what ways have these sports prepared you for your role with The Oppenheim Group? I have always been really competitive and wanted to be the best at what I do—learning as much as possible to find all the tricks and skills necessary to do so! Sports always helps me to push myself to be the best version of myself and also push my limits, which is what you need in this kind of work.

What advice do you have for someone who is wanting to get in shape but can’t get started? Rome didn’t get built in one day, it’s a process that anyone can adapt to their needs. Take it slow. The hardest part is the beginning. After a couple days once you start to see some little results and how much better you feel, everything becomes much easier.

Often people make the mistake of starting right away with a really intense schedule and training program that will do nothing but make you hate it. Take it step by step and see how it goes and how it makes you feel but mostly have fun with it.

What’s next for you? I’m still working on my General Contractors License, which I had to put aside since we bought our house. I’m also thinking of doing an app for fitness with training and diet plans for different goals. Nothing really yet but working slowly on it.

The definition of Contrast is “to be strikingly different.” What makes you strikingly different? I would say my work ethic, loyalty, and confidence in myself. I know what I want, and definitely not motivated or swayed by anyone else’s opinions.