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The Duchess of Sussex talked about taking a “complete U-turn” in her latest podcast episode
Meghan Markle is opening up about the difficulties of launching and managing a business.
In an episode of her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, that aired Tuesday, May 27, the Duchess of Sussex spoke with Spanx founder Sara Blakely about her own brand experience. She first launched her lifestyle company under the name American Riviera Orchard in March 2024, but she rebranded it under the name As Ever in February 2025, partnering with Netflix’s consumer products department.
“I was gonna do it all by myself, took a complete U-turn because I really believe in what Netflix and their CPG department are doing, but it is a different experience than if you’re doing it on your own,” Meghan, 43, said. “When you only have yourself to answer to, I think it’s two-fold: It can be incredibly liberating, it can be incredibly lonely.”
Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos recently said, “We’re a passive partner in Meghan’s company, and it’s a big discovery model for us right now.” Many of the As Ever products were featured on With Love, Meghan, which premiered on the streaming service on March 4.
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The Duchess of Sussex told Inc in an interview last month that she was “building out a very different business plan” until she met with Josh Simon, Netflix’s vice president of consumer products.
“The reach from Netflix, coupled with my vision for the brand, felt like it was going to be a really perfect match,” she said.
She added, “They have tremendous experience on licensing deals and turning brands and shows into really good products, like Bridgerton,” shouting out Shonda Rhimes’ royal-inspired series, which has expanded off-screen into fan experiences, concerts and more.
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The Duchess of Sussex also discussed her efforts to support other entrepreneurial women and how she’s now receiving similar support from her brand deal with Netflix.
“I’ve invested in a lot of female founders, and I’m really conscious… I’m not in the business of trying to dilute you, I’m in the business of trying to uplift you,” Meghan said. “You want to be the person that they can call when they’re having a quality control issue or they’re worried about something or they just feel uncertain, as we all do. And now I’m on the flip side of that going, ‘Wow, I have a partner.’ ”
She and Blakely also discussed the benefits of keeping initial business concepts close to the vest.
“It becomes like SurveyMonkey at the beginning of a business. You’re like, ‘What do you think? I was thinking of this,’” Meghan said. “It’s no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world, every person in the world who’s going to have a child, if you have an idea of what you’re going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart until that baby is born and it’s named. Don’t ask anyone’s opinion.”
