In her first long interview about her lifestyle brand As Ever, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, sat down with the entrepreneur Emma Grede on the Aspire podcast. She talks about the jams that started it all, her partnership with Netflix, a launch that sold out in under an hour, and why she does not believe in imposter syndrome.
From scrunchies to jam
The entrepreneurial streak started early. Her grandfather ran an antiques shop, her mother sold dresses she made at street fairs, and in fifth or sixth grade Meghan was selling home-made scrunchies at school for a dollar each.
As Ever began with jams and preserves she gave friends as holiday gifts. When several of them texted her at the start of a new year to say the jams made them happy, she thought: maybe that is the thing. Many expected her to go into fashion or beauty, but cooking was what she actually did every day. A small local brand was the first idea, even a stall at a farmers’ market. Then Netflix, already her and Prince Harry’s content partner for five years, became her partner for the brand too, linked to her series With Love, Meghan.
Sold out in 45 minutes
The first drop sold out in about 45 minutes. Rather than repeat a cycle of scarcity, which she thinks would tire customers, she chose to restock with much more inventory and more products. Most items cost under $20: she wanted the brand to be accessible, not luxury from the start. She stays involved in the details, from packaging to newsletters. Her rule for the partnership: “Don’t bake the cake without me.” And another she repeats: “Someone else’s urgency is not my urgency.”
No imposter syndrome
Asked whether she fears failure, she answers: “My faith is greater than my fear.” She does not feel imposter syndrome either, and believes it comes from pretending to know everything. A founder can simply ask, “Sorry, what does that mean?” From her years auditioning, often for roles that did not fit a mixed-race actress at the time, she kept one piece of advice: don’t try to book the part, book the room.
She also explains why she paused her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, after eight episodes and a bonus with Tina Knowles: she wanted to focus on the business and on her children. “The only thing I want spread thin is my jam.”
Investing in women
Meghan invests in women-founded companies chosen for their values, among them a menopause health start-up, and is interested in financial literacy for young women. Women, she says, are taught not to talk about money, and that keeps them from it. Her proudest achievement so far, she tells Grede, is having finally bet on herself.