Latest news with #SaraBlakely
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle's Baby-Naming Advice Is Incredibly Simple (But Low-Key Brilliant)
One of the most exciting (and sometimes stressful) parts of preparing for a baby has to be choosing the name. Do you go with a family tradition? Something timeless? Or maybe something totally original? The options are endless—and if you've ever found yourself lost in a rabbit hole of baby name lists or group chats full of conflicting opinions, you're definitely not alone. Now, Meghan Markle is chiming in with some baby name advice of her own. The Duchess of Sussex—mom to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with Prince Harry—shared her thoughts in the season finale of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which dropped May 27. While chatting with Spanx founder Sara Blakely, Meghan described naming (whether it's for a baby or a brand) as feeling like a bit of a 'SurveyMonkey,' thanks to the pressure of trying to get everyone's approval. But her actual advice? Surprisingly simple—and really smart. 'I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who's going to have a child—if you have an idea about what you are 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,' she said. Honestly? Preach. When you open up your ideas to everyone's feedback, it can get overwhelming fast. The pressure to please family, friends or even strangers on the internet can make what should be a joyful choice feel like a chore. Meghan's been serving up a lot of real, relatable moments on her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast—from talking about her postpartum preeclampsia to rebranding her lifestyle company from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever. Here's hoping season two keeps the honesty (and helpful tips) coming. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Went on a Super Secret Anniversary Trip
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Psychotherapist weighs in on Meghan Markle's shock baby naming advice
This week, Meghan Markle shared a stark warning about choosing baby names - and now, experts are weighing in on the various mistakes that parents make when settling on the big decision. Meghan, who shares two children with Prince Harry - son Archie Harrison, six, and daughter Lilibet Diana, three - gave her thoughts on the matter during the season finale of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder. The episode was in conversation with Spanx founder Sara Blakely, as they spoke about being business owners and balancing motherhood at the same time. During the finale, the topic of naming a company came up, as Meghan lamented that the beginning of a business was like starting a 'SurveyMonkey,' in trying to get everyone's thoughts on the venture - including about the name. 'It's no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who's going to have a child, if you have an idea about what you are going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart, until that baby is born and it's named,' Meghan said. 'Don't ask anyone's opinion,' she added. And, according to New York-based psychotherapist Brianna Paruolo, Meghan could be onto something. The expert has since shared with that it's important for parents-to-be to make sure that they are protecting the emotional space that they are in. 'It's no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who's going to have a child, if you have an idea about what you are going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart, until that baby is born and it's named,' Meghan said 'When we share deeply personal decisions, especially in such a vulnerable time, we are inviting others into our intimate emotional space,' Paruolo told exclusively. 'Behind a name choice lies hopes, dreams and connection forming between parent and child. Sharing with this others can be a beautiful moment, but for many it opens them up to criticism and judgement,' she explained. 'Well-meaning family and friends will project their own preferences onto our choices, which can create anxiety and uncertainty for the expecting parents.' Similar to Meghan's advice, Paruolo wants future parents to think about naming their baby as an 'intention' rather than an 'obligation.' 'Think about how the name feels when you say it with love, correction, or celebration. The "right" name is one that resonates authentically with you as parents, not one that satisfies everyone else's expectations,' Paruolo shared. It's also important to think about what your boundaries will be when its comes to sharing the name with others. 'The conversation around boundary-setting also becomes crucial,' the psychotherapist said. 'Think of this as an introduction into what boundaries you would like to set moving forward as you enter a new stage of parenthood. If there is pushback, a helpful response might be: "We appreciate that you care about our family, and we've chosen a name that feels right for us." Then redirect the conversation,' she suggested. In their biography of the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that when naming Archie, the pair wanted something which was 'something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it' 'Parenting involves infinite decisions that others more than likely will question and have opinions about,' the expert added. 'Trust your instincts and build internal confidence around your decisions, while learning to hold space for what matters the most to your growing family.' In their biography of the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that when naming Archie, the pair wanted something which was 'something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it.' 'Archie, meaning strength and bravery, fit the bill,' they added. Meanwhile a friend of the couple revealed 'with a laugh': 'They thought about Archibald for all of one second. He was always going to be little Archie.' Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name, Harrison, a fitting tribute to the baby's father as it means 'son of Henry' or 'son of Harry.' As for Lilibet, her middle name is a tribute to Prince William and Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who tragically passed away in 1997.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Meghan Markle reveals 'guilt mentality' about being rich and fear about 'never having enough' money
Meghan Markle has claimed she was taught to feel guilty about being rich as she discussed fears about 'never having enough' money. The Duchess of Sussex made the admission speaking to the billionaire founder of the Spanx fashion brand, Sara Blakely. Speaking on the final episode of Meghan's Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, Ms Blakely spoke of the joy of female entrepreneurs 'obtaining a lot of financial freedom and money for themselves'. Meghan admitted she would 'love to adopt' her mindset but claimed that women often felt discouraged from building their own fortunes. 'So many women, especially, we're taught to not even talk about money and there's lots of guilt mentality surrounding having a lot', Meghan said. 'And at the same time there's a scarcity mindset that it's easy to attach to, of like "I'll never have enough".' Talking about her own businesses, which include her As Ever brand, she said: 'When you only have yourself to answer to I think it's twofold. It can be incredibly liberating or it can be incredibly lonely.' She added: 'There's a misconception that you need to go to Harvard Business School and have a lot of money and get all the best people behind you [to be successful in business]... So you talk yourself out of it'. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, was speaking about her business and balancing work with motherhood as the first series of her podcast, published by Lemonada Media, comes to a close The Duchess of Sussex, 43, was speaking about her business and balancing work with motherhood as the first series of her podcast, published by Lemonada Media, ended. After her As Ever jam, flower sprinkles, tea and other products sold out, Meghan said she wants to 'step back, gather data from the launch, and figure out exactly what As Ever could be.' Meghan said for now she is planning to launch a new range of merchandise in early 2026 - and may widen her brand into clothing. 'The category of fashion is something I will explore at a later date, because I do think that's an interesting space for me,' she said. Her online store sold out in 45 minutes and contained homely items as well as her long-awaited pots of jam. In the interview, the Duchess also revealed she wouldn't know 'what to call herself' if she had to write a CV. She said: 'If I had to write a résumé, I don't know what I would call myself. 'I think it speaks to this chapter many of us find ourselves in, where none of us are one note. But I believe all the notes I am playing are part of the same song.' Meghan added that the 'mom moments' push her to success in the business world, with plans in the future ranging from home goods to fashion. Revealing her son Archie has begun to lose his teeth, she described becoming the tooth fairy and leaving coins and a little dinosaur underneath his pillow. She said: 'I had a lot of business meetings the next morning, but I still chose to cuddle with him the rest of the night. Those mom moments energize me to be a better founder, a better employer, a better boss.' She revealed she may not restock the previous As Ever goods she sold and instead come up with new products such as fashion Speaking to the Duchess of Sussex on the podcast, the pair shared stories of wearing shoes that pinch and 'cripple' wearers, with Meghan describing how she particularly struggled during her pregnancies. 'I gained 65 pounds with both pregnancies,' the Duchess revealed, continuing: 'And you're in these five-inch pointy-toed stilettos. 'You have the most enormous bump, and your tiny little ankles are bracing themselves in these high heels, but all of my weight was in the front, so you're just going how on earth am I not just tipping, you know faceplanting. 'I was clinging very closely to my husband, I was like please don't let me fall.' During the conversation with Ms Blakely, Meghan also revealed that Archie, six, and Lilibet, three, who have been mainly kept out of the public eye at their home in Montecito, California, are doing well. She promised to send Sara family pictures, adding: 'They are so grown.' The pair also discussed starting businesses in a male dominated world, with Ms Blakely stating: 'There were very few women that I could go to, I really didn't have any. 'I didn't really even have other female founders that were in my network that I could bounce my approach to business.' Describing her time in boardrooms surrounded by men, she jokingly added: 'I'm like Jane Goodall but instead of observing chimpanzees in their natural habitat I get to observe men in their natural habitat. They totally forget I'm there.'
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Meghan Markle claims 'guilt' over having too much money as experts accuse her of being inauthentic
Meghan Markle's podcast "Confessions of a Female Founder" wrapped Tuesday, leaving several royal experts wondering if it will be renewed for a new season. No official announcement of a season 2 has been formally made. Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell, which handles the office for the Duchess of Sussex, for comment. Meghan made headlines with comments about money in the final episode. "I think so many women, especially, we're taught to not even talk about money, and there's lots of guilt mentality surrounding having a lot," the Duchess of Sussex said, as quoted by People magazine. "And at the same time, there's a scarcity mindset that it's easy to attach to, of like, 'I'll never have enough.'" The Duchess of Sussex was having a sit-down with Sara Blakely, who became a billionaire after creating Spanx. Doug Eldridge, a branding expert and the founder of Achilles PR, claimed to Fox News Digital that the former American actress' "confessions" from this past season only continue to brand the former American actress as "inauthentic." "The personal revelations were inevitable but terribly inauthentic," Eldridge told Fox News Digital. "It's like humidity – you can't see it, but you feel it and it's undeniable. For Meghan, this was a tactic to try and become more relatable to her audience, but you can't fake authenticity; you either have it or you don't. This has been an ongoing struggle for her." "In terms of the royal family, her indirect references continue to hurt her with the target audience," Eldridge claimed. "The perpetual use of the 'victim card' has backfired," he claimed. "Over a long enough timeline, the cracks in the story – coupled with the past allegations of her mistreatment of staff – have turned into gaping fissures." "Not only does this fail to move the ball forward for Meghan, but it's akin to a series of self-inflicted holding penalties; she started at midfield, but now she's back on her one-yard line," Eldridge added. Markle's comments about money got a big reaction from listeners. The royal couple is far from struggling in California. Forbes previously reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a five-year, $100 million contract with Netflix in 2020. That year, they splurged on a $14.7 million home in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito, the outlet reported. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. In 2021, Meghan's husband, Prince Harry, told Oprah Winfrey in a televised tell-all that the royal family "literally cut me off financially" after their royal exit. The 40-year-old noted that he had money left to him by his late mother, Princess Diana. "Without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this," said the prince, referring to the couple's California move. While they signed deals with Netflix and Spotify after their exit, Harry told the talk show mogul "that was never part of the plan." In the final episode of her podcast, the mother of two also described the difficulties she faced in running a business. She originally launched her lifestyle company as American Riviera Orchard in March 2024, but rebranded it to As Ever in February 2025 due to reported trademark woes. She partnered with Netflix, which premiered her lifestyle series, "With Love, Meghan" in March of this year. "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," said the 43-year-old. "When you only have yourself to answer to, I think it's twofold: It can be incredibly liberating, it can be incredibly lonely." During that same episode, the "Suits" alum spoke about her pregnancy as a working royal. She gave birth to her son, Prince Archie, in 2019, while they were still working royals. "I always wear my five-inch, pointy-toed stilettos," said Meghan about her past maternity style. She noted that a friend remarked to her, "You have the most enormous bump, and your tiny little ankles are bracing themselves in these high heels.'" "But all my weight was in the front," said Meghan. "So you're just going, 'How on Earth am I not just tipping, you know, face planting?' I was clinging very closely to my husband, like, 'Please don't let me fall.'" In a previous episode, Meghan also admitted that royal motherhood didn't go according to plan. "I will say, for myself, especially when they are baby babies, and before I was a mom, I've always wanted to be a mom," she said. "I was like, 'Oh gosh, I'm going to give a speech with a baby on my hip.' I had a whole vision. Granted, I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and both babies. But it was not the way I envisioned it." Following Meghan's statements, Eldridge is adamant that her relatable role isn't convincing. "The ongoing struggle for Meghan has been authenticity," he said. "If you want ad dollars, you need eyeballs. If you want eyeballs, you need connection. If you want connection, you need relatability. If you want relatability, you need authenticity. You have to follow the blueprint as it's laid out. You can't skip steps, take shortcuts or devalue certain variables. If you do, your structure will never have a solid foundation, and without that, you have nothing." "My brand advice has been evergreen: drop the act, quit the victim marketing and just be yourself," said Eldridge. "The show and podcast were your chance to do just that, yet most viewers seem to think you've rolled another gutter ball." British royal expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital that the podcast just didn't have "Markle Sparkle" to prompt a second season. It's noted that unlike her previous podcast "Archetypes" on Spotify, which had an all-star guest list, "Confessions," is focused on conversations with female entrepreneurs. But it's the star power that will attract a wider audience, Fordwich insisted. "Given the dearth of high-profile guests… a future series looks unlikely," Fordwich claimed. "Not only has she failed to attract marquee names, but her show has also received harsh criticism due to being so shallow, yet again self-focused and lacking substantive business acumen. She has failed to deliver beneficial advice to the audience." "Her conversations are centered on her own narrative," Fordwich claimed. "She fails to probe her guests who could share valid experiences and/or practical tips… There has [also] been an overall lack of media buzz… Her inauthenticity has rendered her unpopular on both sides of the Atlantic… She's had a rather privileged background… and yet her [comments] rang hollow, undermining her very own efforts to connect with even her own fans." "Her podcasting career is uncertain with her plummeting popularity… without significant changes," Fordwich added. WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE WILL NEVER WIN OVER UK PUBLIC AGAIN, AUTHOR CLAIMS Eldridge said it's "difficult to say" what Meghan's future as a business woman is or what her podcast will look like if she doesn't revamp her image. "If Meghan is still trying to find herself and her voice, then it's going to be nearly impossible to disambiguate who her audience is," warned Eldridge. "You need gasoline and oil – authenticity and audience. Right now, Meghan has neither." Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that there's no doubt Meghan has more in store for audiences. He pointed out that new episodes of "With Love, Meghan" will premiere this fall. Still, "Confessions" needs more – much more. "Her previous podcast 'Archetypes'… did better than 'Confessions,'" he said. "It needed Beyoncé and Taylor Swift or their equivalent… Maybe this shows that Meghan really isn't interesting enough." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex parted ways with Spotify in 2023. Meghan partnered with Lemonada Media in 2024, leading to the launch of "Confessions." Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner sees things differently. "Meghan is a born survivor," he told Fox News Digital. "With Harry and the children by her side, she will find natural ways of engaging with her audience. She is the type of royal that ethnic communities in Britain long for to represent them… Her natural qualities will come out on top." Eldridge stressed that if Meghan wants to succeed as a solo act, she needs to first understand who her audience is. "The production cost of a podcast is demonstrably lower than a lifestyle show like she has with Netflix," he explained. "That said, if the listener numbers aren't there for the podcast, she won't have the advertisers and that is ultimately the oil that keeps the engine running. The listeners and guests are the proverbial gasoline that keeps the vehicle moving forward, but without the lubrication of ad dollars, the pistons lock up, and you're on the side of the road." "It remains to be seen whether Meghan will move into the HOV lane with season 2, or be left on the shoulder with her blinkers on," he added.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Find Your Optimal Performance Zone In Business
How to find your optimal performance zone in business Most entrepreneurs set arbitrary limits on their output before they know what's actually possible. They decide to post twice a week, work eight hours a day, or launch one product per quarter without testing whether they could handle more. This cautious approach keeps them trapped in mediocrity. Successful founders take a different path. Gary Vaynerchuk built Wine Library TV by posting daily videos for years before finding his sustainable rhythm. Sara Blakely worked nights and weekends on Spanx prototypes while maintaining her day job to test her capacity before going full-time. Reid Hoffman famously works in intense sprints followed by strategic recovery periods at LinkedIn and his venture capital firm. They deliberately test their maximum capacity first, then intelligently dial back to find their optimal zone. This data-driven approach to performance beats guessing every time. The magic happens when you dial back from extremes to find your optimal zone. After testing your edges, you can intelligently choose a sustainable rhythm based on experience rather than guesswork. This approach creates sustainable excellence: performing at your best without burning out. Here's how to do it with style. High standards become energizing when you frame them as a game rather than a burden. I hold myself to extremely demanding standards, but it never feels like work or grinding because I'm curious about what's possible. How far can someone push this? What happens at the edge? This playful curiosity transforms the experience of pushing boundaries. After testing extremes, you can design personalized constraints that work for your specific situation. Maybe you discover three deeply focused content pieces monthly works better than rushing multiple each week. Or perhaps two intense training sessions weekly with perfect recovery outperforms five mediocre workouts. Track relevant results over time. Then make optimizations based on real data about your performance. Excellence requires cycles of intensity and recovery. By deliberately creating these cycles rather than avoiding them, you maximize their power. Plan periods of pushing boundaries followed by consolidation. Intentional oscillation produces better long-term results than constant moderation. The rhythm becomes your secret weapon. When you have your system set up, apply it to your projects. Here's how to get started testing your edges to find your optimal performance zone. Define a specific challenge with defined boundaries and a clear endpoint. Make it ambitious enough to stretch you significantly, but with a finish line in sight. I ran a 30-day YouTube challenge that fit this framework. It had both intensity and a clear end date. Schedule regular moments to capture what you're learning during the process. What's easier than expected? Where are you struggling? Which systems are working? Don't quit a sprint without trying a few tweaks to make it work. This ongoing data collection makes the experience infinitely more valuable. Before you begin, plan how you'll transition from extreme testing to sustainable practice. What metrics will guide your decisions? How will you determine your optimal frequency? Having this strategy prevents the all-or-nothing trap that causes many people to abandon their progress entirely. Track both performance and sustainability metrics. Performance tells you what's possible, while sustainability indicates what's repeatable. Together, they reveal your personal optimal zone. This is the sweet spot where you produce excellent work consistently without fatigue. Testing your limits first gives you an unfair advantage over entrepreneurs who never discover their true capacity. You'll know exactly how much you can handle during busy periods, what recovery you need, and where your breaking points lie. Most founders operate on assumptions about their capabilities. You're operating from real data. That's the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. Test your edges, find your zone, then dominate from there.
