Clayton Echard started 2022 in the spotlight as the leading man on The Bachelor Season 26.
Since the show, Clayton has not been shy about the challenges and mental toll of being the Bachelor.
The former football player had an uphill battle from the start, as viewers were already displeased that he was even chosen as a lead.
However, it was his actions in the final episodes of the season that brought an avalanche of backlash. Clayton revealed he’d received an outpouring of online hate and even death threats.
Along with the public scrutiny, Clayton recently opened up about some of the financial anxieties that he went through after the show.
The Bachelor Nation star’s latest statements on his finances post-show aimed to dispel the misconceptions that franchise members immediately become rich.
Clayton Echard gets honest about financial anxiety after The Bachelor
Clayton Echard appeared on a live episode of Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast.
Jason’s podcast is known to bring guests on to discuss financial ups and downs, and Clayton was candid about his personal experiences.
Clayton shared that he signed a 3-year $1.4 million contract during his time with the NFL, but not a single cent of that money was guaranteed as he revealed the total amount he made in the NFL was actually $5,000 before he got cut.
Clayton also ventured into medical sales, where workers on the low end make $80k. Clayton kept his sales job while on The Bachelorette Season 18 and was kept on the payroll but shared the pay “was next to nothing.”
Jason asked if Clayton made more money from ABC and The Bachelor or in medical sales.
Clayton answered, “I made more in medical sales. People thought I became a millionaire from the show, it’s like, no, that’s not the case. You don’t get paid as much as people think.”
Clayton also said he was making much less money post-show, suggesting Bachelor Nation women have more earning potential after appearing within the franchise.
He stated, “I came off the show, I was getting a couple ad deals and making substantially now less, which that then drove my anxiety up through the roof because I was told you won’t have to work a 7 to 3 anymore, and I was like ok so I started to believe it.”
Clayton thought he’d be able to do whatever he wanted comfortably after The Bachelor but admitted his experience was “anything but comfortable,” as he added, “I stepped off the show, I’m like ‘oh my gosh, nothing’s coming in.’”
Touching on why he thinks it was harder to have immediate success after his newfound fame, Clayton suggested people are getting tired of influencers, and the opportunities aren’t where they used to be at the height of the show a year ago.
Clayton Echard is ‘so thankful’ for ex Susie Evans pushing him toward his passions
When asked where he stands today professionally, Clayton credited ex-girlfriend Susie Evans for helping him figure out what passion he should pursue.
Clayton knew he wanted to do something in the field of mental health and physical fitness, so he decided to use his platform to create and sell workout plans and programs.
He spent a month building his website himself and launched it after a month and a half. However, he only sold two programs for about $60 total, which made him panic and want to go back into corporate life.
Susie again helped motivate him to keep at it, which is why Clayton expressed being “so thankful” for his ex-girlfriend.
After Susie encouraged him not to give up, he’s now seen more success in the mental health field and is also getting his real estate license.
The Bachelor premieres Monday, January 23, at 8/7c on ABC.