Conferences·MPW SummitMeghan, Duchess of Sussex on how her ‘complicated relationship’ with social media shaped her strategyBy Sydney LakeBy Sydney LakeAssociate EditorSydney LakeAssociate EditorSydney Lake is an associate editor at Fortune, where she writes and edits news for the publication's global news desk.SEE FULL BIO Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, spoke Tuesday at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Conference.Stuart Isett/FortuneMeghan, Duchess of Sussex, once taught gift wrapping at Paper Source while auditioning as an actress.
The American-born former actress, who played Rachel Zane on legal drama Suits, said at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Conference in Washington, D.C.
on Tuesday that founding her As Ever brand has gotten her back to her roots in the most unexpected way.
“That’s not the full circle I was expecting, but here we are,” she said in an interview with Fortune‘s Editor in Chief Alyson Shontell.
This year, she launched her lifestyle and making brand called As Ever, with Netflix as her sole investor and partner.
With a deep love and passion for tactile goods, her brand sells goods jarred jams, flower sprinkles, and teas.
The Duchess hinted more tactile ducts could be in the mix in the future, and she has also expanded her media presence with the Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” and the podcast series “Confessions of a Female Founder,” both of which launched this year.
Formerly Meghan Markle, she became a member of the British Royal Family in 2018 upon her marriage to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex—an event watched by millions around the globe.
She also ran a lifestyle blog, The Tig, before her marriage.
Considering the scrutiny Meghan faced during the early days of her relationship and marriage to Prince Harry, she has quite a complex relationship with social media.
“Look, I have had a very complicated relationship with social media, as you can bably imagine,” Meghan said.
But “I also recognize the role that it plays in .” Meghan had taken a hiatus from social media, only rejoining in January during the launch of As Ever.
She’s continuing to develop a social media plan that works for her, her family, and her .
One tactic she’s used is turning off s on social media posts because “a lot of those people aren’t going to my page to see negativity,” she said.
It’s “not just tecting myself or the people that work with me, but also the supporters.” But to continue to grow the community, Meghan s handwritten notes with supporters.
“Let’s find small and creative ways to engage the community and let them know that I’m listening, that I really see and appreciate their back,” she said.
“A lot of it is just designing what works best for you, while also being really cognizant of what it’s going to help grow the with an intentional and authentic point of view.” Duchess Meghan’s dedication to women in Meghan has long focused on women’s rights and feminism.
At age 11, she wrote a letter testing what she called a sexist television commercial by cter & Gamble for Ivory dish soap, which stated “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” She was motivated to speak up against the message and wrote a letter to P&G, then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, and news anchor Linda Ellerbee.
Meghan suggested they change the phrasing in the ad from “women” to “people.” She also dered a high-file speech at the UN on gender equality in 2015 and remains active social and political issues paid family leave and reductive rights.
Meghan also invests in female-led companies, and says her investment apach is more a “dolphin tank” than a “Shark Tank,” meaning she apaches with a more supportive and friendly style.
Her media ventures—Netflix jects, the end of Spotify’s Archetypes, and subsequent brand resets— have been minent moments within the high-stakes economics of Hollywood deals and audience perception.
Historically, Fortune has her at its Most Powerful Women platform to discuss online toxicity, civic engagement, and accountability, a thread that continues in coverage of her and Prince Harry’s calls for platform policy changes at Meta.