‘Rehab Addict’ star Nicole Curtis says working at Hooters made her feel 'empowered'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nicole Curtis took to Instagram on Monday to share a photo of herself working at one of her first jobs. (HGTV)
Nicole Curtis didn't always fix up homes for a living.
On Monday, the "Rehab Addict" star took to Instagram to take a look back at one of her very first jobs — a waitress at Hooters.
"Once upon a time...Monday Night Football always was the reason that I worked a double 10 am-2am," the HGTV and DIY Network star captioned a picture of herself smiling in her white-and-orange uniform alongside two pals.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I’ve often been asked if I felt wearing tiny orange shorts and a tank top was degrading -never thought about it -I was 18 and driven to get through school, buy a house and move on to my next big thing," she continued. "If anything, I felt empowered."
"There’s something magical about looking around and knowing you bought it your damn self."
Back in 2016, Curtis opened up — in her book "Better Than New" — about how she's had a number of jobs, including her stint at Hooters, as well as cleaning homes in between shifts at restaurants in order to have enough money to support her son, Ethan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HGTV STAR NICOLE CURTIS DETAILS HOW SHE WENT FROM HOOTERS TO 'REHAB ADDICT'
“I never regretted giving up a corporate job to clean houses so that I could make Ethan’s second grade Halloween party happen,” she told People magazine at the time.
Curtis eventually went on to work in real estate, and when she had a meeting about appearing on a possible reality show, the 42-year-old star noted in her book that she went into the meeting determined to land her own show.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I used to be a waitress, and here I am now," she said.