Meghan Markle to ‘pause' restocking her jam and herbal teas until completely ready
Meghan Markle has decided to 'just pause' restocking her As Ever brand, saying she wants to wait until it is 'completely stable and we have everything we need' after previously selling out of products in less than an hour.
Meghan told of the difficulties of building her firm and 'how many tears' she has shed behind the scenes, on a bonus episode of her podcast featuring Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles.
She also expressed her dream of launching a future business with daughter Princess Lilibet, after talking to Knowles about the Cecred haircare line she started with Beyonce.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Beyonce and Jay-Z at the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King in 2019 (Niklas Halle'n/PA)
'I wonder if one day I'll be in business with Lily and we'll be building something,' the duchess said, with Knowles adding: 'That's the best.'
Markle said of the April launch of her As Ever products including jam and herbal tea that the 'scarcity mentality at the beginning might be a hook for people', comparing it to 'a sneaker drop'.
But she feared it might be 'annoying' for customers, adding: 'I don't want you to eat that jam once every six months. I want that to be on your shelf all the time.'
Markle said: 'So for me at the moment, with As Ever, it was great. We planned for a year we get and then everything sells out in 45 minutes.
'Yes, amazing, great news. Then what do you do? And then you say 'Ok, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer?
'I'm looking at it saying 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need'.'
She added how people 'see all the flashy stuff and they see the product. But that end game… those behind the scenes moments, how many tears I've shed'.
Beyonce takes the applause with her mother Tina Knowles following their House of Dereon Catwalk Show at Selfridges in 2011 (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Knowles chatted to Markle about how pop superstar Beyonce could have been a hairdresser after growing up watching her mother work in a salon.
The pair discussed the singer using wigs on stage, with Markle revealing she was advised by other actresses to start wearing them while working on Suits but she chose not to do so.
Knowles said: 'She's on a stage with hot lights and she wears wigs a lot, and she's managed to keep her hair beautiful and healthy and that's not an easy task when you're in showbiz.'
Beyonce and Meghan hug at the Lion King premiere (Niklas Halle'n/PA
Markle replied: 'That is a testament. I mean, even on Suits, I was on Suits for seven years, and I remember so many other actresses, especially if you're in that grind, they said 'You are going to fry your hair', and everyone was recommending that I should start wearing wigs.
'I never ended up doing it. By the way, if I was in that industry longer, I understand why you need to protect your hair in that way.'
The pair also discussed mutual friend Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry, who gave Markle and her husband, Britain's Prince Harry, use of his LA home as a base when they first moved to the US in 2020, with Knowles saying: 'Tyler talks about you all… He loves you.'
Markle described him as 'the most extraordinary soundboard'.
She said she 'loved seeing Yvette there' – seemingly referring to Beyonce's publicist Yvette Noel-Schure – and said: 'I wrote her a letter after I went to B's concert a couple of years ago. She said the kindest things and I just wanted her to know how much it meant to me.'
The podcast was recorded before she and Harry had a night out at Beyonce's Cowboy Carter tour, with Knowles describing how the star was 'on fire' and telling Markle 'Y'all gotta come'.
Markle, who said she had been trying to decide which date to attend, replied: 'Oh my gosh. I can't wait.'
Last month, she shared pictures of herself and Harry at one of the shows in LA, writing on Instagram: 'About last night… Thank you @beyonce and team for an amazing concert (and a very fun date night)! All love.'
Markle first publicly met Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z in London at the premiere of Disney's 2019 remake of The Lion King, which featured the singer's music and her voice as the character Nala.
In their Netflix documentary, Meghan was shown reading a message from Beyonce which praised her 'bravery and vulnerability' and told her she 'was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed'.
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