Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Selling the OC’ season 4 definitely gave fans a surprise by premiering with several of the original cast members missing and providing no details as to why they were no longer on the show. Amongst them is Kayla Cardona, whose stint in the previous three seasons has been marked by her intense drama with some of her fellow co-workers, like Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland. However, it turns out that, unlike Tyler, who left The Oppenheim Group brokerage but not the reality series, she only quit the reality production and not the renowned real estate agency.
Kayla Cardona Has Overcome Significant Challenges to Provide For Her Family
Born on December 20, 1988, in the heart of Orange County, Kayla Cardona has always been a bit of a fierce free spirit owing to her background as well as her environment. According to her own accounts, she grew up in broken households all her life, which resulted in her struggling with self-esteem and self-worth by the time she was merely a teenager. Little did she know her life would further plunge into chaos as she found herself pregnant at the age of 17, with no supportive parents or loved ones to stand by her as she decided that “abortion wasn’t an option.”
Kayla’s family reportedly presented her with a heartbreaking ultimatum when she chose to go through with the pregnancy, telling her that she either give the baby up for adoption or leave home for good. She chose the latter as she couldn’t even bear the thought of parting ways with her child, so her parents gave up their rights and sent her off to a shelter when she was 7 months pregnant. That’s when Kayla decided it was high time for her to fight for herself because she now had a son she needed to care for all by herself. After all, the baby’s father had stopped being in the picture when he cheated on the teenager, impregnated another woman, and chose to tie the knot with her.
Kayla had some dark days, but she eventually picked herself up, worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and then moved out of the shelter to give herself and her son their own space in rented rooms. She later chose to take on night jobs at clubs for the additional pay before deciding to turn her passion for hairstyling into a career by earning her barber license and establishing her own salon in her home county. The mother of one actually ran a successful business in Newport Beach in Orange County, California, for around a decade while also bartending at night to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Yet, it wasn’t until she was in her early 30s that she truly found her calling in real estate, encouraged by her clients to give it a shot due to her extensive knowledge of the area.
Kayla Cardona Continues to Thrive in the World of Real Estate
It was around the late 2010s when Kayla finally earned her real estate broker and sales agent license under the National Association of Realtors, only for her to start making a name for herself rather quickly. The connections she had built over her years of barbering and bartending proved crucial in her initial few months, and so did her extensive, natural knowledge of the county as a lifelong resident. That’s how she ended up securing a spot as a Realtor Associate with The Oppenheim Group in 2019, before joining their Newport Beach office as soon as it opened its doors in 2021. She subsequently proved her mettle with the deals she closed, all the while specializing in international trades, long-form negotiations, strategic marketing, and transaction management services.
Therefore, Kayla continues to hang her license under the banner of The Oppenheim Group, meaning she proudly works as a real estate agent in their Newport Beach office to this day. She only parted ways with ‘Selling the OC’ in 2024, after the premiere of season 3, likely because all the interpersonal drama was getting too much and she wanted to focus on her business. However, this is purely speculation on our part based on our knowledge of her history because she has never explicitly given any reason behind her decision to step away from the world of reality television.
All we know is that Kayla is thriving at the moment, getting to work in the industry she is deeply passionate about while also caring for her teenage son, Jordan. The houses she currently deals in range from $5 million to $25 million, and since her stint on Netflix, she has even been able to establish herself as a public figure as well as a public speaker. In fact, with the way she uses social media as a platform for her career and the significant following she has, she is essentially an influencer as of writing. She even has a closet blog to help repurpose things in her closet by selling them at affordable prices, and she is the proud host of the ‘Pain to Power’ podcast. Furthermore, as a public speaker, she primarily focuses on helping others become the best version of themselves, meaning she’s a lifestyle coach. As a result, she has been traveling across the nation to give keynote speeches and will also give one at a Young, Beautiful & Busy Network event at the end of the year.
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