On Friday, Meghan Markle’s lifestyle company, As Ever, will be releasing a new slate of products. This week, the duchess told Skims cofounder Emma Grede that she has been working to make sure they won’t all sell out in an hour, like they did in April when the brand’s virtual store first went live. In an episode of Arise with Emma Grede that dropped Tuesday, Meghan explained that she has been planning to offer “exponentially” more As Ever products this time around.
After the April launch, Meghan and her team started working to expand their offerings. “There were decisions to be made,” she said. “What can our offering be at this point that is larger than what sold out in that first run? As a seasonal drop, I think that was really important. To say, ‘Let’s get it back, but let’s get it back in a much bigger way.’”
A spokesperson for the brand confirmed that more products would be released on the As Ever website at 11 am ET/11 am PT on Friday, and the product offerings would include the initial offerings of tea, baking mixes, raspberry preserves, and honey, along with a few new “surprises.”
During her interview with Grede, Meghan explained that she started making jam at home to give to friends, and their positive response led her to start a food and housewares business. “I do believe it was probably more obvious to a lot of people that I would get into fashion or beauty,” she said. “That seemed like the natural inclination, but that’s not what I was sitting around doing every day. My real passion was in this way of sharing, and I love being in the kitchen—I’ve always loved cooking.”
She said that now she is focused on making sure that As Ever can become a “heritage” and “timeless” brand following its initial success. “I have poured my heart and soul into it—it’s not just jam,” she said. “I was really excited about it, but let’s think about how we can make this something that really works at scale because I don’t want this to be a niche product line.”
She also told Grede about how she managed her time while launching multiple projects this year, including her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, though she is looking forward to taking a break. “I wrapped season one of my Netflix series, still had to promote it, still had to be in the edits for season two,” she said. “I just wrapped edits on season two of With Love, Meghan last week. It’s still ongoing, while also doing a podcast, while also building my business. At a certain point, the only thing I want to spread thin is my jam.”
Confessions of a Female Founder ended its first season earlier this month, but Meghan said she wants to take a break before she starts work on another. “I would love to bring the show back when I am at a different end of my founder journey—when I’ve gone through Q4 and can say, ‘Here are my proof points,’” she said. “I think a different time will be so exciting—to be able to compare and contrast.”
She also discussed what she has learned from investing in other women-founded businesses, adding that she has decided not to sign onto projects that don’t reflect her personal values. “I have turned down a lot of opportunities that are not value-aligned,” she said. “It’s very easy to say no—no matter the price—if you aren’t going to be able to sleep well at night.”
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