Raven Gates' Career Will See A 'Bachelor' Boost

This season of The Bachelor has been dramatic, entertaining, and filled with roses and reindeer. Now we're at the final episode and Nick's narrowed down the field down to Canadian special education teacher Vanessa Grimaldi and spunky southern business owner Raven Gates. While I think Vanessa may end up with the final rose, I have been a big fan of Raven's. She's been a breath of fresh air all season. Her commentary is lighthearted, her dates are fun, and she has a way of surprising both Nick and the audience with her boldness. Regardless of if she ends up with a ring, Raven's job will benefit from her increased Bachelor platform. And that's a win unto itself.

There are many reasons contestants sign up for The Bachelor. Yes, contestants do dream of a televised love, but many folks also go on TV for business reasons. Raven is a young business owner, who owns a boutique in Arkansas called Grey Suede. While I have no doubt that Raven is head over heels for Nick, her initial reason for signing up for the show may have included love and had to do with her store. The Bachelor platform provides increased visibility and the ability to showcase her clothing on national television. There is no doubt Raven's business will benefit from her time on the show.

Many contestants promote clothing and products from within the house. They'll wear a cute top and then post it to their social media as the show airs. Raven has 431,000 followers on Instagram. And Grey Suede's store Instagram has increased in popularity with 15,000 followers. A combination of clothing that is being televised and increased social media mean direct profits for the store. Grey Suede is a small store in Jonesboro, Arkansas. A national platform will make all the difference.

Raven's job can also expand past Grey Suede, thanks to her new national platform. Since Raven was already in the fashion industry, creating an online store or fashion blog would be an easy transition. Many past contestants have taken to fashion blogging and product promotion. Raven's career was already headed in that direction and her new platform will only increase her visibility and options. Her southern style can reach a much larger audience now. With an increased audience comes an increased profit. That's a pretty cool bonus to finding love.