Meghan Markle is getting real about how “incredibly lonely” running a business can be.
The Duchess of Sussex explained to “Confessions of a Female Founder” podcast listeners Tuesday how “different” her experience with As Ever has been since partnering with Netflix.
“When you only have yourself to answer to, I think it’s two-fold,” the “Suits” alum, 43, noted. “It can be incredibly liberating and it can be incredibly lonely.”
Markle, 43, added that she initially planned to launch her lifestyle brand “all by [her]self” and “on [her] own.”
However, the former actress clarified, “I … took a complete U-turn because I really believe in what Netflix and their CPG [consumer packaged goods] department are doing.”
Markle’s admission comes after a slew of business venture attempts, including her short-lived Spotify podcast, “Archetypes,” in 2022.
She announced her latest podcast, this time through Lemonada Media, in March, on the heels of releasing the first season of her Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan.”
Markle dropped the first “Confessions of a Female Founder” episode — and her first line of As Ever products, which quickly sold out — in April.
On Tuesday, Markle noted that she has been “on the flip side” of that experience while mentoring and investing in female entrepreneurs herself, from Kadi Lee of Highbrow Hippie to Hannah Mendoza of Clevr Blends.
“I’m really conscious [about making it clear that] … I’m not in the business of trying to dilute you. I’m in the business of trying to uplift you,” the “Deal or No Deal” alum said.
“You want to be the person they call when they have a quality control issue or they just feel uncertain as they all do,” she continued.
Elsewhere in the episode, Markle subtly poked fun at her brand changing its name from American Riviera Orchard after running into trademark issues.
“It’s no different than … if you have an idea of what you’re gonna name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart until that baby is here and it’s named,” the two-time mom, who shares Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 3 with husband Prince Harry, told listeners.
“Don’t ask anyone’s opinion!” she exclaimed. “It becomes like Survey Monkey at the beginning of a business.”
Markle previously spoke about her company’s name swap in an April episode, calling the original “word salad.”
She also opened up to People about undergoing “twists and turns” over the moniker in her March cover story.
“I was figuring it out in real time,” Markle told the outlet about the “learning curve.”
At the time, she gushed, “I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out and also to be forgiving with myself through that.”