The Duchess of Sussex revealed the advice her “mentor” Oprah Winfrey gave her ahead of launching her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
In April, Meghan unveiled the first products for sale from her highly anticipated business, including jams, honeys, cookie and crepe mixes and herbal teas.
For the fourth episode of Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan chatted with her close friend Jamie Kern Lima, who is the co-founder of IT Cosmetics.
While reflecting on the challenges of starting her own business, Meghan shared the advice she received from talk show host Oprah, who told her that while she could “put her name on” tons of products, she should find one that “encapsulates her essence”.
“At the beginning, I just liked making jam,” said Meghan. “All I liked to do was just make jam and preserves, and it went from, ‘Okay, well, I’m gonna share this jam with lots of friends and family. People really like it and it brings me joy, so maybe I can share it more broadly’. But even then, I was in so much fear of failure or opinion that I wasn’t thinking big enough at first.”
Meghan went on to explain that after applying for a cottage license, which would allow her to sell homemade foods, she initially planned to sell small batches at a farmer’s market or “somewhere small” before questioning whether she was “playing small” because she was “scared”.
Sharing the advice Oprah gave her, Meghan continued: “Oprah, who I know is a mentor and friend to you, same for me, she was the one who said there are tons of things you could put your name on, but for you and how you like to show up for people, once you figure out how to encapsulate your essence, then you’ll know and it was so clear.
“Even as I’m listening to your story, the essence of who you are was about feeling seen, knowing that you’re enough, knowing that you’re beautiful, despite what anybody would say, and putting that essence in a product that could be shared with millions of people,” she added.
© InstagramLast week, Meghan was joined by Prince Harry in New York as she spoke at the TIME100 Summit.
The Duchess discussed juggling work with parenthood, revealing that her five-year-old son Archie was about to lose his first tooth.
Harry and Meghan also called for stronger protections for children online after unveiling a memorial in the city to young people who lost their lives due to the harmful effects of social media.
Episode three: Meghan addresses ‘word salad’ brand name
On episode three of the show, Meghan opened up about American Riviera Orchard, the former name of her lifestyle business, which has since been renamed As Ever.
Speaking to her hair colourist and friend, Kadi Lee, who is co-founder of hair wellness brand Highbrow Hippie, the Duchess said: “I had secured As Ever as a name in 2022, and then, as everything started to evolve last year, and bringing in a partner the size that it was, it was just so interesting.
“You remember, I said ‘I like American Riviera as an umbrella’, and then be able to have verticals beneath it.
“And maybe have the Orchard really small. But when that’s not feasible… suddenly it became this word salad. I didn’t love that so much.
© @mrstracyrobbins/Instagram“I was like ‘OK, let’s go back to the thing that I’ve always loved. Let’s use the name that I protected for a reason that had sort of been under wraps’.
“And then we were able to focus in the quiet and put our heads down and build on something that no-one was sniffing around to even see about.
“It was really just helpful to have that quiet period.”
© Gregg DeGuire / GettyMeghan met Kadi in 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to the US.
Meghan said: “My family had just moved to California. We were staying in our friend’s home and, because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye, and I thought I’m gonna look just like she does on the box.
“And instead it was this very inky, almost Elvira-esque black hair.”
Kadi replied: “I remember meeting you guys, and you were so warm and both you and H wrapped us up in these big bear hugs and I was like ‘I don’t even know these people and I’m not a hugger but let’s do it’.”
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