Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on Life and Business Beyond the Royal Spotlight

Emily Chang speaks with Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex about her new chapter in Montecito, including her latest ventures in business and entertainment, and life beyond the royal glare. Over burgers and beer, she reflects on the intense public scrutiny she has received since her marriage to Prince Harry, her entrepreneurial ambitions, and what she’s building next.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
When do you feel the least Duchess of Sussex?

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Don't you here eating a smashburger with you? They asked these questions.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Hi everyone, I'm Emily Chang and this is the circuit.
One of my favorite parts of making this show is
meeting some of the most influential people in the world
right where they are most themselves. The goal is to
see how they are who they are in real life,
and to see a side of them you've probably never seen.
So maybe you've caught me wakesurfing with Mark Zuckerberg, swinging

(00:34):
golf clubs with Steph Curry, even singing along to Taylor
Swift in an electric comer with General Motors CEO Mary Bara. Well,
my next guest definitely understood the assignment. I went to
Montecito to meet Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who you
might know as Megan Markle. She brought me somewhere totally unexpected,

(00:54):
her favorite local brewery. We drank beer, We devoured the
best smashburger I've ever had in my life. Yes, that's
beer and burgers with a duchess. And because she likes
an extra kick, she piled on the jalapanos. Oh.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
I just got the heat from that. My eyes are
water in a little boat. But why does this taste
so good? What's so special about this? It's the squishy bond,
It's the crunch in the onion, It's the texture of
the meat. It's they're perfect. It's kind of a perfect meal.
And I'm thrilled that you're having it with me.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
You know, or you may think you know. Megan Markle,
the royal, the tabloid subject, the actress. In twenty twenty,
she and her husband Prince Harry stepped back from royal
duties and moved to California, and an unrelenting spotlight has followed.
But on this episode of the Circuit, we're going to
try to understand Megan the business woman. She's just rolled
out season two of her Netflix show With Love Megan,

(01:47):
where she shares tips for cooking, gardening, and hosting, and
she's launched a lifestyle brand as Ever, featuring jam Rose
and those much talked about flower sprinkles.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
That keeps selling out again and again. It's the start
of a new chapter.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Is someone going to say something about anything? Probably once
you make peace with the fact that they're going to
say something about anything, and that's a hard place to
get where you can make peace with that. Then I
think you just settle into being yourself.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
The question now is can Meghan have a second act
as an entrepreneur and a taste maker? Can't she turn
her lifestyle vision board into a lasting business and can
she succeed on her own terms. Here's my conversation with Meghan,
the Duchess of Sussex.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
So tell me about the luke tho, oh my god,
just as you said, I was like Mindy said that,
we say it all the time. I'm obsessed with it.
The luke.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
When she said, I thought, who's Luke? Who's Luke? This
is Jenny Kane. That's gorgeous. I don't normally wear color,
but every time I do, people comment on it. So
I thought, let's bring some sunshine. I love blue. That's
my favorite color. It's gorgeous.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
This is Julia Amory, female entrepreneur. Were you able to
bring your kids to school today? No?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
No, I'll show you on my phone that them clinging
to this. I had literally decided to come underneath the
dress and like, no, no, they're in camp in school
right now. But no, they got dropped off. We were
all leaving around the same time, so I'll see them.
I'll be able to pick up today.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
And is it fully edited.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Or is it season two?

Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:21):
We're done. Oh, we're done, done, completely done, and there's
more fun to come. Okay, but yeah, completely locked. If
we were in granular time coded edits on that while
the brand was launching, yeah yeah, the timing, oh my yeah.
And the podcast. So for me, as I say, love
is in the details. So it's very hard for me

(03:42):
to put something out in the world that I'm not
so involved in. But to be involved in all three
at the same time creatively, that was a big choice.
That's a big choice. I'm also wanting to be so hands.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
On as a mom.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
People think they know who you are.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Your story has been told a thousand ways, but I
want to hear it from you. So when you were
eleven year years old, you protested an ad that you
thought was sexist.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Oh, and I found it.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yes, I want you to watch it because I actually
I think kind of seeing it again.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Sure, Oh gosh, I remember these my classmates too. Let's
see because I still make that And I said, wait
a minute, how could somebody say that I think I'll
write a letter. I did. I wrote a few.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, tell me about that girl and how she grew up.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Well, you know, I grew up in LA which seems
like a rarity for a lot of people these days,
those of us who are actually from here, and I
had a great childhood. But that time was really fascinating
because that day that we were watching that commercial at
school was also when the LA riots were happening, and
so you have this contrast of the city was going

(04:50):
on lockdown. We're very young and don't fully understand what's
going on. It was a very tense time in Los
Angeles with race relations, and they put a on the TV.
Because all of us kids had to stay there until
our parents could come and pick us up. That commercial
happens to come on, and I remember the boys in
the classroom said, yeah, that's women belonging in the kitchen,
and that's really what upset me. It was a very

(05:12):
turbulent time in our city and a lot of uncertainty.
But the one thing I was certain on in all
of this was that's wrong. Let's do something about it.
And I wrote a letter to Linda Ellerbee, who had
a news program on Nick News and Gloria Alread and
who else did I write to? Of course the CEO
of Procter and Gamble. Of course, of course let's go

(05:35):
straight to the top, so have a conversation and approach it.
I mean, I don't remember what I wrote in the letter,
but saying this is how this made me feel, and
I don't think this is okay. And you know, if
you could change it to people all over America, I
think that would be more appropriate, and they did. It
was just so empowering to know that at a really
young age your voice could be heard well before social media,

(05:55):
where everyone doesn't just have a soapbox, they have a huge,
huge megaphone on a global scale. Putting pen to paper
wouldn't necessarily suggest that you were going to get the
outcome that you wanted, but that was what we had
at the time, and so I used that in my
little handwriting, same cursive really And then I went into
middle school feeling very confident because I was able to

(06:19):
affect change for good. And I went into a school
that was a parochial school, all girls, Catholic and Immaculate
Heart has a really great history, and it became this
really feminist driven all girls Catholic school to this day,
where celebrations were Mary's Day and about the women of
the Bible. And so I do think whether you're spiritual

(06:40):
or religious doesn't frankly matter. But when you are growing
up and it's so baked into all of the ways
that you learn that women are strong, that women have
a voice that should be heard, that women support each other.
That is so much of who you are, that's in
your tissue. And then going to Northwestern that was eye

(07:02):
opening for me because Chicago's very diverse and Evanston and
the school had diversity, but it was more pocketed than
I had been used to in LA at the time.
And then yeah, I worked for them. In my life,
it's very It's been a lot of things.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well, I mean that is to say that girl has
been in you since the beginning.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yes, I think our character who you've been and who
you are at your core. I don't think that shifts.
I think a lot of behaviors and habits and roles
that you end up playing in your life can bring
out the best or worst in a lot of people.
But you're still who you are at your core. Your
values are going to be the same and I remember

(07:40):
it might be Oprah who had said, what's the difference
between when you don't have means and wealth and when
you do? And it's like, all it does is show
who you are through a bigger, magnifying lens. So if
you were a kind, generous person before, you're going to
be even kinder and more generous. If you treated people
a certain way that was negative before, it's going to
amplify that. I think coming from a middle class family

(08:03):
being able to move through the world as a mixed
race girl, that actually didn't come up for me until
I was in college. I knew, of course that I
was mixed, but that wasn't a rarity in the world
that I grew up in as a young girl, so
that wasn't as defining for me.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
Same for me, I'm a mixed race girl too, and
I didn't really realize it until I went to college.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
It's not interesting, it is.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
It was so fun watching your old clips General Hospital,
No Deal.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
That's what Christy and I laughed about on season two of.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
The show Suits. Of Course.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
What have you taken from your life in Hollywood to
your life today?

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Absolutely so many applications, and I think there's a reason
that if you think about even American history, you look
at a president who could from being an actor to
being a president. There is something about how you carry
yourself the diplomacy that can come with that. But certainly
for me as an auditioning actor, I think that's really
defined a lot of how I approach business. You have

(09:03):
to have a thick skin, you have to be comfortable
hearing no a lot, and to not take it personally,
and you really have to know who you are or
it can break you. I think it's made me steadfast
in how I approach really what I know to be
true to the brand identity, which I would say to
anyone who's starting out, as you start to build partners

(09:24):
and you have more stakeholders, could be very easy to
be swayed.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
For you especially, is there an inherent tension in trying
to be relatable in showing us yourself while also being
a duchess.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
No, I don't find I'm just being myself. I think
probably it was different several years ago, where I couldn't
be as vocal. I had renewed panty hose all the time.
It was just to be honest. That was not very
myself literally literally because you know, like I hadn't seen
panty hose since movies in eighties when they came in

(10:01):
the little egg right at the drug store. So that
felt a little bit inauthentic. But that's a silly example,
but it is an example of when you're able to
dress the way you want to dress, and you're able
to say the things that are true, and you're able
to show up in the space really organically and authentically.
That's being comfortable in your own skin. And that's of
course had different chapters in my life. But right now, no,

(10:22):
I don't feel I don't feel that I need to
prove anything.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
Season two is happening.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Season two is happening.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
What's your vibe on launch day? Are you zen? Or
are you like gritting your teeth?

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Oh no, no, no, very zen because it's done. Yeah,
it's done. I think I sort of approach that with
anything that I pour my heart into and create, is
you've done everything you can, then you have to let
it go once I've done that. By design, it also
protects me because I don't sit there focused and maybe

(10:54):
maybe the team does going like, oh how are the numbers?
But with a success of season one and what people
loved to about it. I was really comfortable because we
had a lot of learns as we went into season two,
and we went into production really quickly. Afterwards, Netflix was
so excited about what they had in season one. Very
unusual to get green lit for a season two before
season one is even aired.

Speaker 3 (11:14):
What were the learnings from season one that you applied
to season two?

Speaker 2 (11:18):
Small things like I could watch it and say, I'm
very focused when I cook, but I need to look
up more. Because I made the choice to make the
crew a character. I thought that was really really important
to me. Otherwise you just have a typical stand in
stir where I'm in a kitchen by myself. So small
details like that. Also, just managing the time better for guests.
People forget the episodes whittled down to about thirty three minutes,

(11:41):
but that could be several days, each day being eight
hours of filming, and so really realizing what sort of
shots cinematically we wanted to keep in there, the level
of humor we wanted to keep in.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
Lots of learns, how much preparation would go into a
with Love shoot, like are you memorizing recipes?

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Are you sharpening your knife skills? Are there hours of taste.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
Tests, question, a lot of prep and a huge crew,
which I think people often forget that was a crew
of eighty people. From a practicality standpoint, even if you
could fit eighty people into your house and your kitchen,
I think most of us would say, I want my
kids to come in and just see me cooking. Yeah,
we were at a great house really close by, and
a lot of the prep would happen in the prep

(12:21):
kitchen with the crew, a great culinary team, and then
a lot of crafting. So most of it and the
pre production was inspired by recipes that I loved to make,
who I was entertaining and then test it all out. Yeah,
it's a lot. It's a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (12:34):
Any tidbits on season two you can give us, of course,
favorite moments highlights.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Season two was so much fun, and I think people
are probably going to respond to it the most because
I'm even more comfortable in the space. I know the
kitchen better, I know how to move through the space.
The crew got more comfortable. We all just you settle
into things when we've been doing it for a while.
But the guests were incredible, So Jose Andress coming on,

(13:01):
we have so much fun together and have for so
many years. So that was great. And then Jay Shetty
and his wife was great to work with a couple.
Rall these so sweet and funny. And Chrissy Teagan really
great fun guests and I've known her for years and
her husband came on to support her that day ATSEL.
So yeah, it just it was really layered. Our chef

(13:23):
who did our food for our wedding, chef Claire. She's
one of the most celebrated Michelin Star female chefs in
the UK, and that's how I had found her right
before our wedding and we've stayed in touch and I said, Claire,
can you come show me all your ways? So yeah,
there's a lot of fun that taps into different chapters of.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
My life as ever is also cooking. Just had another launch,
Yes so Rose sold out also in less.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
Than an hour, forty four minutes. I was shocked.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
I mean everything I was selling out. Yeah, how do
you keep up with demand?

Speaker 2 (13:53):
You know? In many ways, again because of my aspiration
at the onset, which was smaller, it really was. It
was a smaller offering even with the namesake and originally thinking,
oh American Reverer could be great. Well, guess what happens
if you want to call something a name that is
geographically specific. All of your items need to be sourced

(14:15):
and manufactured, the bulk of them in that same namesake. Well,
that's not a possibility in our small sweet town. That's
like Mayberry, and even if you expand into Santa Barbara.
So looking at that and making the pivots throughout the way.
As Ever was a name that I had loved for
so long and I had secured several years ago. So
thought this is its moment to really tap into that.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
So you chose the name a while ago. Was this
part of a bigger plan, like for a long time?

Speaker 2 (14:41):
As Ever was just a sign off that I really
thought felt sentimental and meaningful, and I didn't know what
it could be, but it sounded like a very strong
brand identity. Again, it wasn't my intention with this, but
then when I had to make a pivot and chose
to make that pivot rather, it was a really easy
one to jump into. We didn't know and talk about

(15:01):
learnings was what the demand would be And when you
sell out that quickly, you actually it's a double edged
sword because it's an incredible thing to happen for any
small business and any startup, and at the same time,
you don't get the same metrics and learnings about which
skews and products are the most coveted because it's all
gone immediately. So then we prepped for the second seasonal

(15:23):
drop and ten xt our inventory, gave ourselves the time
and the space to do that, and thought for sure,
for sure that would at least last for a couple
of weeks. That's held out. In a couple hours, over
a thousand people were waiting the hour before anything went live,
even though they knew the time. People were just waiting
and refreshing. So as you're starting to watch those behaviors,

(15:46):
in all fairness, I did say, oh, we're going to
need more inventory, and suddenly the conversation goes from at
the start of this year talking about a PO of
I don't know, a few thousand jars and lids to
my converse this past week with my partners saying, okay,
for the next po of just the jars and lids
for the jam as one specific skew, we need to

(16:07):
do a purchase order of a million, Okay, And that's
a huge jump in just a few months of starting
a business. But when you're looking at the demand, certainly
looking at the places we're going to evolve into Q
four and really global expansion chasing isn't the best position
to be in, so trying to hear the demand that
we've created and meet the moment.

Speaker 3 (16:27):
So, I mean, I know so many entrepreneurs and they
obsess over the details, and I know you're really involved.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
In the details. How many products have you sold so far?
How many customers do you have?

Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yes, we have a very significant amount, and I think
based on what I just shared with you, you can see
where that jump has gone to. We can't share metrics,
and I want to be respectful in my business partner
as well, but it is extraordinary to see that even
though I'm a planner. So I'm a planner and I
can anticipate where the appetite would come from pun intended,

(16:58):
but also to be able to see the demand and
the desire in territories like Australia, UK, Canada. You can
see on the back end of the website who is
trying to order product and frankly are ordering product to
have their friends send to them. So very quickly we
knew that we would go from hundreds of thousands to
in the world of millions.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
And the plan is to go global.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yes, yes, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
How long does it take to develop each product? What's
that process like?

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah? I'm exasperated in some ways by that, only because
it is such a tedious proposition to scale your own
home recipe to something at mass and maintain the same
not just quality, but the same flavor that you're able
to do at home. And I think any home cook
would say that if you say, great, can you make

(17:47):
your cobbler that I love so great? Of course I
can make my cobbler great. Can you make a million cobblers?
Can you teach someone how to make a million cobblers
that tastes just like the one that you have at home?
And I've been really consistent with one the quality to
be reflective of what I would serve you if you
were a guest in my home, what I happily serve
my family. So the timeline on that as you work
with best in class manufacturers has still been a bit

(18:10):
of a learning curve. I want to taste the fruit,
not the sugar. I also have to be conscious of
people who really understand Canning can say the bricks method
when you're going at scale, Now I'm gonna get a
little nerdy. Yeah, yeah with you, but.

Speaker 1 (18:25):
Can tell the detail.

Speaker 2 (18:26):
But there's a lot of detail in it, to the
point that even if you bring something to a higher
heat index too fast, the color of the berries will
go a gray scale. Now, there's nothing wrong with the fruit,
but the heat will make it turn that way, almost
an oxidization. I don't want gray colored jam. So there's
lots of tiny nuances that I don't think people would
think about. But yeah, give or take the development of

(18:48):
each of the recipes to scale about a month until
we can lock in the exact formulation and then make
sure that it can come out the way that feels
reflective of what I make at home.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
What about pricing, How did you you determine your pricing strategy?

Speaker 2 (19:02):
What are the margins? Yes, the pricing I think is
key from my standpoint. I know where I came from
and I remember being we're probably around the same age.
I remember being in high school and having my after
school job, and all I wanted to do was save
up to buy a shirt that said BB. Right, that

(19:24):
just said a BB And if you could get the
one with the rhinestone BB you really made it. And
I always think about that version of me who there
might be a brand or a person that you look
up to and you want to have a piece of
what they're sharing in the world. And that can't be
something that is out of price range. That can't be
something that is so aspirational you're never going to be

(19:47):
able to afford it. There is something I think really
important in that the first hero product was this nine
dollars jar of jam, which my fifteen year old self
would have been able to buy. And then after you
finish the jam, you could use that to put your
flowers in it little jar, or your pens on your desk.
And I liked the idea of having something that just

(20:09):
felt signature in that way and keeps sake packaging unaffordable.
And interestingly, as we've continued to expand, so most of
those products outside of the limited addition honey under twenty dollars,
then it was everything about under twenty dollars. And that's
why when we thought about the expansion into the wine category,
how do you meet the demand and the quality and

(20:31):
still meet our customers where they are getting that to
a price point that I felt was fair and affordable,
about thirty dollars for a bottle.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
So you want it to be accessible but also aspirational.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yes, and I think it can be both and certainly
look a certain way. Right, So if you were going
to relate it to fashion, could it look like Laura
Piana but cost j Crew and I've always had a
sensibility in how I dress with high low because it's
what I could afford. But also even as Rachel Zayan
on suit Duds, I was so involved in her wardrobe
and Jolie the costume designer, and I worked really hard

(21:05):
to say, let's have her dress like a real woman.
I was one of the only characters that rewore pieces
and mixed and match them because I think that's how
I would use my own closet. And so you could
take it from fashion or beauty or now and as
we see consumables with as Ever, it's the same ethos.
How can you have someone have a piece of this
in their home and feel as though it's accessible and

(21:27):
it's theirs.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yeah, So between the show.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
And as Ever the podcast, you be a busy year.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
It's been a busy year.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
You were off social media for years and now you're
back on. Do you feel like you're sort of launching
a new you or rebranding yourself?

Speaker 2 (21:41):
No, I think how funny. No, I think I finally
get to share the me that's been here for so
long that people maybe haven't had the same visibility to.
Coming back on Instagram was a really big decision. But
also it's just been joyful, and I'm really intentional in
using it as a platform to share joy and to

(22:03):
have fun as well, and to explore a little bit.
To see, as I was saying to someone else recently,
when I was on Instagram boomerang was around a completely
different world now, and I mean there were no stories.
All of these constructs that people are used to now
didn't exist. So I get to play and explore. I
play in public.

Speaker 3 (22:23):
You're really putting yourself out there. Where do you get
that willingness to take that risk.

Speaker 2 (22:28):
I would say that I do it for my kids,
and I do to a certain extent, but also you
get to a point where you're doing it for yourself.
I think, for me personally, what are the options I
could choose to be creative and take risks and play
and have that level of perspective, or I could put
all the weight of the world on my shoulders, which

(22:49):
sometimes it can feel that way regardless, But what's the
point of life if you're not going to be curious
and explore and try. And I really do believe that.
I mean, my barometer for success might not be the
same as yours or the media's. And I think because
I went into it really confidently with what I'm sharing
in the world and what I believe the brand ethos is.

(23:13):
It's not that it took the pressure off, and it
certainly didn't take the foot off the gas, but it
did let me go into it with a perspective that
I'm already succeeding just by taking this risk. I'm already
succeeding by showing my kids and modeling what it can
look like to be a working mom, and that people
really loved the products. So whether I sold ten jars
of jam or ten thousand or hundreds of thousands, it's

(23:37):
still to me felt successful.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
I want to talk a little bit about season one
and season two, and authenticity seems to be what people
really want these days, and personally I find it hard
to give it to them sometimes, like it's hard to
be that raw and real. Do you feel that, Do
you feel like it's hard to sort of show your
whole self.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
I wouldn't say that it's hard, but I hear you
when you say that, because it is putting yourself in
a position of vulnerability. I waffle with some of my
choices before I make them. I'm generally very decisive, but
social media is a great barometer for this for me,
because putting out a video of myself nine months pregnant
was a really big choice. But I also wanted people

(24:20):
to see themselves in my story, in our story, and
to be able to show that with all the noise
that might happen in the world on a day to
day basis, real life is still happening behind the scenes,
really real life. It's not always glamorous and pretty or polished.
And that's what I want to see when I look
up to someone or when I connect to someone, I
want to know that they're also dealing with the chaos

(24:42):
of getting your kids in the car and picking up
cheerios on the ground in the morning, and we have
two different shoes on. That's real and that's what happens
to all of us. I think demystifying this idea that
if you have means, or if you have a really
privileged life, that everything is all pulled together with a
beautiful bow. That's just not true, And it's okay that

(25:02):
it's not true. Actually, part of the beauty of life
is in all the other little moments that you get
to learn and figure it out and clean up a mess.

Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, but you put that out there and some people
like they tear it apart.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
In sure they did, I don't know, But I also
protect myself from seeing that.

Speaker 3 (25:16):
Well, are we seeing the real you? Or do you
think you'll always have a bit of a guard up.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
I don't think there's much more realness I can show
than that video. And also, even with love Meghan, I
get to just really enjoy my guests and be relaxed.
I'm sure people like to pick anything apart. That seems
to be the way of the world these days.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Sadly, it's been interesting preparing for this interview because every
day you search for your name and there's like a
thousand different news stories.

Speaker 1 (25:44):
About a thousand different things. I know that's your real life.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yes, I guess the distinction there is. We were touching
on this a little bit earlier is those people don't
know me and they're not talking about me, and that's
a really hard place to come to terms with. But
that's the truth. So if you can really compartmentalize it
and go, oh right, there is a very very powerful
machine and it's all about generating income. Those stories aren't

(26:11):
just appearing because it's fun. Clickbait has a huge financial implication.
If I'm part of an SEO and that gets them
more clickbait, then yes, they're incentivized to churn out as
many stories, false or damaging or whatnot to feed the
beast because that's paying them. And I think a lot
of people forget the economic element of it, and I think,
from my standpoint that's why I don't look at it. It

(26:34):
would be very hard to see anything about yourself that
isn't true. But equally, it's not me that they're talking about.
It's some caricature they've had to create to get clicks.
I'm very clear on the difference between the two.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
The show hit the top ten, yeah, globally, globally, and
yet there were mixed reviews.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
How did that land for you?

Speaker 2 (26:58):
I think I knew who I was trying to meet
and so if you know your audience, you know your demographic. Well,
they love the show, and my partners love the show,
and that's why we have a season two and why
we have more fun coming. I think oftentimes the negative
voices again, are they saying the negative things and then
secretly going home and making single skill at spaghetti? Possibly,

(27:19):
And that's all right. They're trying to pay their bills
and that's for them to sort out if they're comfortable
doing it at someone else's detriment. From my standpoint, the
intention of the show was to share more of myself,
to share tips that I love in my life, and
to have fun. And we achieved all those things and
made a really incredible show with an amazing crew, and
we could keep doing it. So for me it's great.

(27:41):
Everybody else, I don't know the.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Netflix of it all.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
You have a really unique relationship with them.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
How does it work? Like take us behind the curtain?

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Sure?

Speaker 1 (27:49):
Who was the last word?

Speaker 2 (27:51):
Creatively? They very graciously said, no, this is your baby
and this is your brand. So all creative decisions and
final decisions like that end up with me. Though the
CpG division might be newer for a lot of people
to hear about. They have been doing that with a
lot of shows and brands that they've had and been
in the consumable's territory and market. So for example, with

(28:12):
Stranger Things, they'd introduced a line of ice creams or pizzas.
So they have a lot of incredible suppliers and manufacturers
that they are comfortable working with, and then I'm able
to try the products, work with those teams as well,
and then sort of green light so not as much searching.
And then I would say, look, we began our relationship
with Netflix five years ago purely as a production company

(28:33):
with Art twelve Productions to put great content out, and
we've managed to have some wonderful shows and docuseries that
we're really proud of. And then with the evolution of that,
we're able to see the ambition of it being something
larger than just the production deal. So the evolution of
our partnership now is them doubling down and their supportive
as ever, especially as we talk about the global expansion
and different territories we can go into, and the show

(28:55):
complements that.

Speaker 3 (28:56):
Yeah, but there's this take that you're glorifying homemaking, glorifying.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Trad wives oh, really, that feels odd to me.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
How do you respond to that?

Speaker 2 (29:05):
That feels odd to me? I mean, I hadn't heard that.
I am really unapologetic about the fact that, though would
it be lovely to go and churn your own butter? Sure,
maybe I don't have time for that. I don't have
time for that. And I don't think you get an
extra gold star if you do that. For me, A
lot of it is how do you show up thoughtfully.
I don't have time to make dinner every night. I

(29:27):
wish I did. I don't have time for that great
at ordering takeout and plating it beautifully and look and yes,
do I have small things where even on my kids plates,
I wipe the side of the plate. So I'm like, go,
oh my gosh, that's so ridiculous. For me, that's two
seconds where I get to present something that looks a
little bit more beautiful. I have absolutely no judgment on
trad wives. If that works for them, then they should

(29:49):
do it, And frankly, anyone who has a criticism on that,
why that's their life. For me, I think finding the
hybrid model that works for you, if that means take
out all day every day, I'll live your best life
and if that means making everything from scratch, then go
and do that. But for me, I think there is
an in between. Joy for me comes in finding that
sweet spot in the middle.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yep, there's this flywheel effect when you link content and commerce. Yeah,
how do you think the show impacts as ever, and
what's the strategy there?

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Yeah? I think you're definitely onto something and you see
that model play itself out in other not even platforms. Platforms, yes,
but prior to that, if you look at other channels.
I won't name the ones that I'm thinking of specifically,
but they were really wise about bringing in a show
and launching a brand off the heels of it, and
using the two to really pull the levers. Now, the

(30:40):
difference here is I had the ideation for my brand
in advance and the show was in development. They don't
have the same name, but they are in a complimentary
world of each other. And I think when you're able
to see something and then whether you want to make
it or not, you can choose that route or you
could say, oh, or I could buy something that comes
from the same universe. So it's not merch but it

(31:02):
is something that I think really is an extension of
what we're creating that you see on the show, like
show and Tell. Yeah, I'll show you how I do it.
I can tell you if you want to go and
buy it over here. Otherwise let's make it together.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
I'm curious about your takeaways from the hits and misses
because you've done some other things. You had this deal
with Spotify that, oh yeah, I don't know. It went
for a year or so.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
I can't remember how long it went for, but Archetypes
was very successful.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
What were the.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
Sort of lessons there? What did you learn about yourself
and about your audience the audience.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
That was the first indication that I had in this
new chapter of my life of how global the audience was,
because it was I want to say, thirty plus countries
that it went to number one in non English speaking
where English isn't the first language. Rather so, France, for example,
has a huge podcast community, but most of their podcasts
in the top ten are in French, and so being

(31:53):
able to see that metric, especially on a thematic that
was pretty niche, Archetypes was very niche in terms what
we were discussing. That was a helpful reminder of the
global reach and desire to sort of see what I
was going to put out in the world. I think
I also learned at that time. Look, we were in
our partnership with Netflix, but had very close personal relationships

(32:13):
and with Spotify, it's another large conglomerate in business company
that I think for me, I really love and embrace
working with a small, hands on team and that I
had in my team that was producing the podcast with me.
So Terry Wood, for example, Whi's incredible. She was Oprah
for years and she was my primary producer on Archetypes.
So that was helpful knowledge to translate when we went

(32:36):
to Lemonada and to work with a small female founded
team that could really be like minded and meet me
in the conversation that I wanted to share. That was
a huge learn Another big learn from that was people said,
we love hearing her, but we want to see her.
And it wasn't a videotaped podcast, it was just voice.
I wanted people to relax and so if you want

(32:57):
to have your hair and a towel and have some
conditioner on, you do whatever you want chat. But that
was a helpful learn which I think was catalyzing for
having the with Love Megan series, so you could have both.

Speaker 3 (33:07):
Celebrity brands are all the rage right now. It seems
like every day if you know, someone's launching a new
skincare line or beauty line or a tequila.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
What's going to make your standout? What makes yours different?

Speaker 2 (33:19):
I mean I had a lot of options of things
that I could jump into. The authenticity is probably what
will help it stand apart also the price point. I
think certainly we're looking at economically what's happening right now.
You really want things to be in a range that
people can still have a piece of whatever ends up
happening with our economy. More than anything, I've just poured

(33:40):
so much love into this brand, and I would say
the same for so many of these celebrities who probably
have dreamed of something for a long time, and at
the same time, when they see it come to fruition.
For a lot of them, are they writing copy and
doing all these things that maybe they are, which I
think is incredible And so I think from my standpoint,
as long as you're authentic, you really have a strong
business plan, you know what your north star is, then

(34:03):
I think you're in pretty good shape. Everyone is putting
out something unique in the world. Even if it feels
like there's a million tequilas, I'm sure they all have
a different point of view in some regard. And I
really do believe that a high tide raises all boats.
I believe that. I think there's room for all of us.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, I mean there's speculation you want to get into hospitality?
Are there in hotels, restaurants, beauty, fashion, what's on the
h That's a lot of stuff.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
I mean, we were just talking about how I'm trying
to narrow the scope of what I'm doing because it's
a lot. I do not at this moment have any
aspiration of getting into hotels and hospitality. That's the first
I've heard that one. I just think even a B
and B would be a lot to run. I'm open
to the possibilities of what can happen, certainly in the
expansion of as ever, and then knowing that I'm in

(34:51):
my forties, so it's still a lot of time to
develop and iterate on other ways to dream. I would
not put beauty or fashion out of the mix. Think
those are things that people associate with me, and it's
categories that I really love. I just wanted to start
with something that felt a little bit closer to home.

Speaker 3 (35:09):
So what is the grand vision for as ever, what
do you want it to be?

Speaker 1 (35:13):
What don't you want it to be?

Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, I don't want it to feel generic. I don't
want it to feel cookie cutter. I'll start with the don'ts.
I don't want it to feel like it was phoned in.
And I know that it would be impossible to feel
that way because I know how much time I spend
on it, from soup to nuts. But I want it
to be something that people feel excited to have in
their home, and especially that people feel excited to gift.

(35:35):
I oftentimes find myself you go, oh, what's the hostess
gift that I can give? Whether you're making something from
your home or you found some great produce the farmer's market,
where you say, I'm bringing you a pot of jam.
I just hope that there's always a piece of it
that people can hold on to and share in a
really meaningful way, and that then it becomes a staple.
But that starts with consumables. So we've invited you into
the kitchen, and then the natural expansion of that is

(35:56):
where else in the home we're going to invite you
in the garden. Oh, what are we going to use
out there that will make your garden experience better? What
are we going to use when you're setting up a
guest room that might make your experience better. So the
verticals are vast, but they're also very clearly connected to
the core of what the brand is about, which really
is elevating the every day but it's stemming from the garden.

(36:17):
What are the things from my garden I can bring
into my home and then share throughout the space.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
Do you have any backers other than Netflix or are
you looking for other investors.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
At the moment?

Speaker 3 (36:26):
No.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
Netflix is my partner and investor.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
So what is the path to profitability?

Speaker 2 (36:32):
The scaling is going to be key, and certainly we
look at the show continue to be not a marketing
tool but a compliment to the brand. As we discussed,
I think expansion into different territories is going to be
very big for us, and certainly shifting out of D
two C not necessarily into brick and mortar of our own,
but in finding the right retail partners that make sense
to be on the shelves. What's the story we're telling

(36:54):
and how do we merchandise that story in a way
that you walk in and have a real experiential feeling
of oh, oh my gosh, I've been watching this on Instagram.
I was watching her on our show. I can see
these and then you can walk into it and you
can step into and have all the things that you
might need that compliment each other, that match, that have
the same taste levels. I think that will be a
really big inflection point for us shifting out of D

(37:16):
two C and that path to profitability will reflect that.

Speaker 3 (37:19):
So you want to see as ever on store shelves.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
Do you want to see it at Target or william
Sonoma or.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
I think a key retail partner is going to be
very valuable. And also, look, if you look at the categories,
it might not just be one. We might have exclusivity
in certain ones that make sense for the consumables, but
as you expand into candles or things throughout the home,
where do those live that it makes sense? So it's
multiple partners. And then of course when you look at
global territories, where does it make the most sense there

(37:46):
and which territories First, as you talk about compliance, especially
for food products, that's a lot of development, So the
other pieces of it, I think it's just finding the
right home. And there's a lot of interest, which is fantastic,
but I know that all those decisions really matter. So
being thoughtful in the choice, why.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
Do this with Netflix?

Speaker 3 (38:04):
Why not raise money on your own where you might
have more control, you might have more financial upside.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, that had been my plan, and I thought that
it would be great just to build out my own
team and really do it purely on my terms. But
then I also would say when Bella and I spoke
and Netflix made a really compelling cell about why Netflix
would be such a great partner. I had the history
of having worked with them for now several years, so

(38:31):
there's a great shorthand and to really be able to
have a network that I could tap into from them,
which yes could come with different private equity or VC
without question. And I have friends who are who've built businesses.
A lot of female founders are my closest friends and
all very supportive. So I was fortunate in that as
a startup, I had options, but I chose Netflix because

(38:55):
I really think that having a partner that I have
a shorthand with was KEI and all. So exploring it
at the onset. If we want to end up opening
that aperture a little bit, we can for funding, but
at the moment we're okay.

Speaker 3 (39:07):
The Megan effect. I don't know if you've heard about
this one. I've heard about that one, This concept that
you can transform a small business by wearing or using
their products. How do you make decisions about what to
wear or what to feature knowing that you.

Speaker 1 (39:20):
Can have that level of impact.

Speaker 2 (39:23):
Yeah, it's hugely flattering, and it's also I take it seriously.
Up until then, there was always speculation on what I
might be wearing, and then you'd find different media outlets
would put it up with their affiliate sales and they
might sell out on a shirt, but it wasn't the
shirt of that female founder that I was choosing to support.
And that was really interesting for me because a lot

(39:45):
of my choices, especially when I wasn't using my voice
as often, my fashion choices were decisive and they were
really designed to uplift a lot of smaller brands that
people might not know about, especially female founded brands and
designers and supporting friends as well. So from my standpoint,
even having shot May on Instagram has been an interesting

(40:07):
exploration because I'm able to say these are the actual
brands and people can find what they're looking for if
they wanted to emulate the style. But yeah, it's flattering
that you can move product without leaving the house and
that there's that much fascination in a skirt.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
You've been doing some angel investing, Yes, I saw that.
You called it Dolphin Tank now host to Shark Tank.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
I love Shark Tank, by the way, Don't get me wrong.
I love watching that show. I just wanted to approach
it with friendly waters.

Speaker 3 (40:31):
Yeah, well there are sharks out there, let's be honest. Yeah,
how do you learn to swim with the Great Whites?

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Oh? So eloquent, so cinematic as well. I'm just really
really considered in my approach of who I want to
invest in and work with, specifically women at different generations.
I think it's key. I'm trying to tap into what
are our needs going to continue to evolve to need

(40:59):
and how are they going to continue to evolve and
what are we going to need at different stages in
our lives. So whether it's midy with perimenopause and menopause
support or supporting a younger entrepreneur like Hannah Mendoza who
created Clever, which is also filling in need of how
you start your day, what's your intention of it, how
do you take care of yourself? All of it really
stems with different versions of how women are caring for

(41:19):
ourselves and our families. A friend of mine I just
recently invested in her company called Palata, which I'm proud of.
It's an at home reformer which in a very short
amount of time you can take care of your body.
So as a working mom, you say I don't have
an hour, I have an hour to go and work out,
and so finding things that I say, oh, that's a
practical use that I would have in my home, and
I know that will help someone else as well. And equally,

(41:42):
it's not just the concept that I'm investing in, it's
the founder and really knowing how I can be valuable
for them. If I don't think that I can add
value for them my association with the brand, yes, it
might have that effect, but I want to be more
valuable than just the clickbait version. I want to be

(42:02):
able to bring really sound investors to their cap table.
I want to be able to open up their network
for them. I want to be able to be a
soundboard and just a place for advice and to help
them grow. That's part of the relationship building that I do.
When I look at my portfolio, Yeah, what what's.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
The bigger strategy? Like?

Speaker 3 (42:18):
Are you looking at AI or biotech or e commerce.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Or Fintech's really important and interesting to me? AI? Man,
I aren't.

Speaker 1 (42:27):
You a little bit scared by AI?

Speaker 2 (42:30):
We have to move to I mean, we have to
make peace with it. Though the world is changing, our
lives are changing, So there are certain things that I
just don't know enough about to want to jump in
with both feet. And at the same time, I have
a great team that can help with advising me on
what seems like a sound investment. But yes, I mean
when it comes to women, finance, healthcare, and tech, Yes,

(42:53):
I mean that is the world that we live in,
and I think finding the ways that those make sense
for my portfolio, they have to make sense for me organically.
If I'm not going to use it, if it's not
going to be part of my life, it's not something
I genuinely believe in, I am not financially backing it.
That doesn't feel correct to me, wouldn't be fair to
the brand either.

Speaker 1 (43:12):
Yeah, are you using AI.

Speaker 2 (43:15):
I you know, last week someone had talked about chat GBT, which,
of course everyon's talking about chat gabet. I hadn't experienced
it before. I'm shocked. But again, as we talked about,
I'm a little bit vintage in any ways because I'm
from a time capsule of handwritten notes and putting a
stamp on a letter and mailing it. And yeah, it's

(43:36):
it's not something that is part of my day to day.
But you have to imagine series not on my phone.
I don't have location services. I'm not caught up in
the day to day tech things that most people are.
But yeah, I'm sure it will end up being a
part of our life in some capacity. How could it not.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
AI recipes, I mean AI re suppies are huge.

Speaker 1 (43:52):
Thumbs up or thumbs down.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
This is new.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
Oh yeah, you can say I have these five things
in my Oh wow, forridge, What should I make?

Speaker 2 (44:00):
No, what you should do is to read Tom Calichio's
Think Like a Chef, which is one of the best
books written by a chef, frankly, because it teaches you, Oh,
I don't want I don't want people to lose critical thinking.
I don't want people to lose critical thinking. That was
one of the best books I ever read that helped
me navigate being in a kitchen so that you weren't
looking at a recipe and going, oh, I don't have this,

(44:20):
I don't have this. Before Instacart, there's no version of
have to go to the store to buy these key ingredients.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
No.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
Think Like a Chef was transformative because what it says
is a chef will look in a kitchen in a
pantry and say, I've got this, I know what I
can whip up. I don't. I think it's great if
AI can help with recipes, but I also would encourage
people in the same way that I do. Cooking can
be so playful and life can be so serious, and
if you can find a moment where you can play

(44:47):
a little bit, I think your day will probably be
a little bit better. I love that about being in
the kitchen to experiment and play and figure it out.
That's part of the joy of it, and I get
to share that with my kids.

Speaker 1 (44:58):
Do you Inherit do deals together?

Speaker 2 (45:00):
Yes? Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
He's a great investor and we look for different things
and investments. We share some and we also have separate portfolios.

Speaker 3 (45:06):
So what's the sort of working together strategy.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
What do we both believe in, What do we think
is really going to move the needle in terms of
value alignment. And we're very value aligned, so you know,
again my portfolio gleans more towards women and his. You know,
my husband served ten years in the military. He's obviously
very minded about how we show up and do good,

(45:29):
how we can be of service, and he looks at
it through through different lenses as well, so kind of
concentric circles.

Speaker 3 (45:35):
You've talked about how important it is to be financially literate,
especially for women, Absolutely financially literate. Talk a little bit
about your own journey around money, learning how to make it,
learning how to manage it.

Speaker 2 (45:49):
Yeah, I've always been very financially responsible, and I don't
know where does that come from. Certainly, as an auditioning actor,
you are paycheck to paycheck, so you're very much mindful
about how you spend. But I grew up clipping coupons,
I grew up looking for deals. It's like they just
find find all the places where you find a gift.

(46:09):
And you know, my grandfather had a really small antique shop,
so I also grew up watching the energy of people bartering.
People would come into an antiquehop where he would also
have a little stand at the Fairfax Flea Market, and
I would help him when I was a little girl
on weekends, and also when I was in high school.
Go it was every Sunday, I think, go and bring
him lunch and help. But I would watch exchanges in

(46:32):
that way. I'm actually really struck by it now because
everything is so digital and on a card, even for
our own children curious with yours, they don't actually touch
coins and money and to be able to see that transaction.
We were at a bouncy house place two weekends ago
or last weekend, and they also had those sort of
chucky cheese esque like the carnival machines, but everything had

(46:53):
to be on a card. And I thought, well, no,
what happened to the days of like they get tickets,
you know exactly how many tickets you'll get a coin
and you get the tickets. There's something about transactions that
aren't as clear anymore when everything is on a card
or digitized. And I do think the way in which
I approached money was always saving, always being mindful about

(47:14):
what I would save up for I would invest in
things of quality. I would also really use my funds.
I always worked. I mean, my first job was when
I was thirteen. I've shared that before frozen yogurt shop
called on free Yogart. But I worked at a donut store.
I worked in retail. I worked at a restaurant as
a hostess. I was a calligrapher gift wrapping, taught gift

(47:35):
wrapping class. I've had a lot of jobs over the years,
and when you work really hard, you value what you've earned.
I think that translates into how I invest It translates
into how I spend, what I teach my children, And
I think it's incredibly important for young women, especially to
have a sense of why it matters for her to

(47:56):
earn her own money and to be able to be
financially independent. That's not about anything other than being self reliant.
The more that you're able to take care of yourself,
especially as a woman, then you're making practical choices in
your life that are not hindered by a need being
met by someone external. Taking care of yourself is so key,

(48:18):
and it's the most empowering thing in the world. So
I think it's important that young girls have financial literacy.

Speaker 1 (48:24):
We actually did our first lemonade stand this weekend. My
daughter was asking.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
For it good.

Speaker 1 (48:29):
It was awesome, and I think they learned a lot.
They're like, oh, this isn't so easy. It's not as easy.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
As it looks.

Speaker 3 (48:35):
People showed up with real money, and I realized that
they I don't know if she's ever counted money before.

Speaker 1 (48:41):
I don't think she has, because people just don't use
real money.

Speaker 3 (48:44):
Changed so much, but it was such a great experience
to have that whole sort of cycle.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
And did they make the lemonade.

Speaker 1 (48:51):
They made the lemonade. We added some ice cream.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
Oh that's yeah. We did an ice cream stand too.
I think about lemonade stand when I was a little girl.
I mean, we didn't sit around squeezing lemons. We had
one little lemon tree in front of the duplex that
we lived in, but that wasn't enough lemons to make
a whole thing of lemonades. We would use those frozen,
minute made cans that you would twist and add some
very flavorful, very flavorful. And by the way, it's just
the act of you have to see it through for

(49:16):
a child. I think that's part of the learning. You
have to see it through from I made this so
I value it. Someone is paying for it, so they
value it. And what am I going to do with
these funds now? Because I worked really hard and I'm
going to clean it all up and now I have
a choice to make. But that's so key, and I
love that you did that. Now you're going to have
your sticky fingers every weekend lemonade.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
I know, I think they're probably now they're hooked. We
talked about, you know, especially the importance of women being
financially literate. Bigger picture, what do you see going on
with women in culture and business and politics. It feels
like so often women are a target and then often
they opt out of the fray.

Speaker 1 (49:57):
Do you see that?

Speaker 2 (49:59):
I think what I'm struck by when I watch women
in leadership positions in any of those verticals you just mentioned,
women who are trying to break through. What I find
the most troubling is that oftentimes the hindrance for their
success is other women not being supportive. I find that
so painful because I grew up going to an all

(50:20):
girls school and I was in a sorority, and I've
been around such a camaraderie of women. And now as
an adult, my girlfriends fan an age from in their
thirties in their seventies, so I had these multi generational friendships.
And I think every woman would say to you, gosh,
can we get out of each other's way of being successful,

(50:42):
because we've all experienced some version of it? But why
and at what cost? And actually it ends up being
such a distraction from the larger purpose whereas of women,
if we can support each other entirely, certainly in business,
you have more of a rallying cry to encourage women
to keep going. But I do think it ends up
being probably too challenging for most people. There are few

(51:02):
that are in the media lens as much as someone
like I am c few. This is a grain of salt,
and you know, so I have a thicker skin, but again,
I've designed it so I protect myself from the noise
that's going to limit me. But if it's new for you,

(51:24):
one story, one, not a thousand in a day. One
in a day would be enough for most people to
have that be the story that they tell for the
rest of their life. Like, oh my gosh, you remember
when this horrible story was written about me, and that's
enough to make most people go, I'm not going to
do it. In that regard, I would say, my gosh,
if women across the board with each other can be

(51:46):
supportive as we are climbing to get to the top
of whatever corporate ladder you're on or whatever your personal
journey is, frankly, and that people aren't trying to have
a gotcha moment or to make something snarky and delacious
just for the purpose of clicks. That's pennywise, pound foolish.
What are you actually doing for us as women when
you're cutting us down as we're just trying to succeed.

(52:09):
We're just trying to do the best that we can,
and I think women have a large role in that
to be able to move the needle.

Speaker 3 (52:16):
Do you feel like you have to be perfect? Do
you feel like you have to curate what you show
us or be a more polished version of the Megan
that you are, like, you know, just at home putting
your feet up on it.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
I did feel that for a while, even though I
wasn't seeing it, you could feel the energy of it.
So you feel a lot of pressure to go. Is
this hair out of place? So that it is, but
I'm okay with it. Is someone going to say something
about anything. Probably once you make peace with the fact
that they're going to say something about anything, then that's
a hard place to get where you can make peace

(52:49):
with that. Then I think you just settle into being yourself,
whether you're high profile or not. It's hard to be
a teenager, it's hard to be in your twenties. It's
hard to be mom for the first time every chapter,
for figuring it out for the first time every single chapter,
and then you layer in just the natural change that

(53:10):
happens as we get older. My friends and I would
just talk about brain fog all the time. You're like,
there are things that are just naturally going to be
part of a new chapter of our life. I really
think you just have to have a little compassion for that.
But perfection is not the goal. I don't think there's
anything valuable about trying to be perfect. Perfect doesn't exist.
I guess my version of the closest thing to perfection

(53:34):
would be being really comfortable in your own skin, and
I do think that comes with time. God bless you.
If you're in your twenties and you feel that way,
I would trade my twenties with you any day. If
you feel so comfortable in who you are. That takes
time and you know, maybe a lot of therapy.

Speaker 3 (53:49):
If you could choose one thing for people to know
the truth about you, what would that one thing be.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
No one's ever asked me that. Oh what a great question,
the one thing? Oh gosh, what's the one thing? Oh gosh?
I just you know, I think when I sit with
it for a second, here, I just want people to
know that I'm a real person, and I think a

(54:16):
lot of that gets lost in what can be super
dehumanizing when you look at the clickbait culture and how
much is written about someone. It's like, no, my friends
have to read those things, Like I have real best friends,
the same one since I was seventeen. I'm a real mom.
I have to go and I choose to go and

(54:37):
do school pickup and drop off. But I do that
under a landscape that is created that forgets that I'm
a real person. And so those things I think, you know,
I could expand on that quite a bit, but ultimately
that's what it comes down to, And how would you
want someone to treat a real person in your life
that you cared about or loved or respected. So there's

(55:00):
something about that I think that often gets lost. And
even though earlier I was saying you can compartmentalize, I
say that's a caricature. Yes, but my kids will see
those magazines and we all know mom's gossip, and so
I have to make a choice to move through the
world as myself in spite of all the noise that's created.

(55:22):
But maybe there would be less noise if people remembered
that I'm a real person.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
You're a real person.

Speaker 3 (55:28):
Yeah, I'm here, and I can attest it to pinch
me a real person.

Speaker 1 (55:33):
What do you want more than anything in the world.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
I have it. I have it. I have a beautiful,
healthy family. We're happy, we're safe, we have an amazing
community of support surrounding us. There's nothing else that I need.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
What scares you more than anything in the world.

Speaker 2 (55:51):
Well, the state of the world right now is scary
in a lot of ways. So I would depersonalize that.
I would say probably the same things that scare everyone else,
especially when you have children. You want your family to
be safe. You want your children to grow up in
a world that is certainly more peaceful than it feels
in this present moment.

Speaker 1 (56:13):
What's a scene in your life? Yes, that changed everything,
but nobody else.

Speaker 2 (56:18):
Would have thought was pivotal. Oh boy, I mean there's
an obvious one, but I think everyone probably thinks it
was pretty pivotal. When I went on this date with
this guy from London. It changed a lot of things.
What is less, less expected or less known, that's pretty pivotal.

(56:42):
Outside of that, and I've talked about it again, becoming
a mom hugely pivotal for me. There are a lot
of catalyst moments.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Well, and here we are as you you know, you're
writing your next chapter. Maybe maybe we're in like the
next chapter of your next chapter.

Speaker 2 (56:55):
It's a long book. Yeah, indeed, there are a lot
of chapters, I mean like full surprises. And I think
the more that I can just embrace that and celebrate it.
Let's say, okay, here's another adventure. Something happened yesterday. My
friend was at the house staying with me, and she goes,
oh my gosh, it's only nine am. You're dealing with

(57:15):
all of this. I said, it was just Monday. So
if you can take it with that grain of salt,
in that perspective, all of these moments can be super catalyzing.
But yeah, I think I will flip that on its head.

Speaker 1 (57:29):
Thank you for letting us read this chapter.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
Oh, thank you for reading it with me. Yeah, I
appreciate it too, Thanks crew, Thank you guys.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
I think we're gonna go.

Speaker 2 (57:38):
Eat some burger They're so good.

Speaker 3 (57:40):
Yes? Do you like this? Just days after this interview,
Netflix announced that following its five year, one hundred million
dollar deal with Megan and Harry, they've signed a less
exclusive first look deal similar to the Obamas. Critics seem
to view this as a setback, but studios have cut
back on deals like this in general. Really means Netflix

(58:01):
still has first DIBs on anything they develop. A Season
three is tbd, but Netflix is promising a holiday special
with Megan and has expanded its partnership with as Ever.
Thanks so much for listening to this edition of the Circuit.
You can catch the full episode and see us chowing
down on Burger's and Pier on Bloomberg Originals. I'm Emily Chang,
your host and executive producer. You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok,

(58:23):
and x at Emily Chang TV. Our showrunner is Lauren Ellis.
Our producer is Victoria Lacey. This is edited by Grammercy Post.
You can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg
Television or streaming on the Bloomberg app or YouTube.