The Meghan content continues! Just when you thought the world could not be offered enough Meghan Markle-created material, the Duchess of Sussex has released another cluster of stuff—her thoughts, ideas, ways of being—this time, in the form of a podcast!
On Tuesday, Markle released the first episode of an eight-episode series podcast, called Confessions of a Female Founder — the latest addition to her refurbished lifestyle brand, As Ever. The show’s description promises listeners “advice and insights from a handful of amazing women who have scaled small ideas into successful companies”.
The “fly-on-the-wall conversations” will “inspire anyone who’s interested in turning their own entrepreneurial dreams into a reality and anyone else who just wants to hear what really happens behind the scenes.”
The first episode features an interview with Markle’s friend Whitney Wolfe Herd, the 35-year old founder and CEO of female-focused dating and networking app Bumble.
During the 45-minute episode, the pair discuss the day to day realities of being female entrepreneurs, the importance of resilience in the face of media scrutiny, parenthood and brand-building.
In an email to the New York Times, Markle, 43, said she wanted to have “honest conversations with women who’ve built from the ground up, faced challenges and kept going.”
“Whether you’re building a business or building self-belief, I hope these stories serve as tools for growth — and feel like you’ve pulled up a seat with us to learn, laugh, and rethink what success can look like,” she said.
But much of the commentary surrounding the first episode has not centred on any particularly insightful or eye-opening advice provided by either woman. Instead, the internet has chosen to fixate on Markle’s disclosure about a “scary” health battle she faced after childbirth, in which she suffered postpartum preeclampsia.
The rare condition is related to high blood pressure and can cause seizures, strokes, brain damage, and in some cases death, if it is not treated, according to Cleveland Clinic.
“We both had very similar experiences, though we didn’t know each other at the time, with postpartum, and we both had…postpartum preeclampsia,” Markle said.
“Can you believe we both had that? It’s so rare,” Herd responded.
“It’s so rare … and so scary,” Meghan added. “And you’re still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn’t know what’s happening, quietly. And in the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people. And in the quiet, you’re still just trying to show up mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares.”
“I mean life or death, truly,” Herd added.
Markle did not reveal which birth left her with the condition — she gave birth in May 2019 and then again in June 2021.
Herd is also a parent of two children, born in December 2019 and April 2022. She stepped down as chief executive of Bumble in November 2023 and returned to the role last month.
Why is Meghan doing a founders podcast?
Who knows. Perhaps she is trying to tap into another area…outside of that feminine-coded ‘lifestyle’ space? Perhaps she is trying to seem more ‘business’ orientated and gain corporate legitimacy.
Perhaps she’s taken a leaf out of Amy Poehler’s book—recently, on her own newly released podcast series Good Hang with Amy Poehler—the 53-year old comedian said one of the reasons she wanted to do a podcast is because she had watched “so many men do the bare minimum.”
“I’m truly giving 25 per cent, which is for most people a 75 per cent,” she said.
Poehler went on the clarify her motivation, saying she was tired of self-optimising podcast that are aimed specifically at women.
“Enough as enough,” she said. “Enough with the hundred percent and enough with improving ourselves listening to stuff about how we’re supposed to get better and better and better.”
Does Meghan’s podcast offer any useful advice?
Depends on what you consider “advice”. There’s definitely a handful of vague, broadly unspecific motivational ideas and questions thrown in between reflections on their friendship.
Herd: “I always think that…the best entrepreneurs…bottle their essence.” [What exactly does this look mean?]
“I’ve always said this about consumer products and technology. You can feel the DNA of the founders or the founder in the product you use.” [Again… please explain.]
“True entrepreneurship is real people solving real problems and putting their real energy and passion into it.” [Erm, yes. Sure. How else can one be?]
Herd went on to explain that as a child, she had never been one to “check the same box as everybody else” and that she instead “struggled” to “follow the rules”.
“We’re not trained to be rewarded to be these freethinkers and movers and shakers,” she said.
The pair dove into Herd’s experience of online bullying after she left Tinder, following a lawsuit she filed against her former employer. She recounted not leaving her home for a month and a half, being “completely paranoid” and “totally depressed” and “humiliated.” How did she resurface? She imagined the experience she endured through the life of a 13-year old girl, facing bullies at school.
“I was like, okay, what almost killed me can make us stronger,” Herd said. “I have to go fix this problem for 13-year olds…young girls and women.” The platform she began working on eventually turned into Bumble. “I wanted it to be an environment of thanks and gratitude… and the core defining feature of the product was going to be compliments only.”
How did she turn it into a successful dating app?
“I started thinking, maybe dating is not so dissimilar to this, maybe dating is broken for girls and women too. This is not just about social network. This is about behaviours and that was the beginning of women making the first move on Bumble.”
Then also spoke about self-love, saying: “loving yourself is a revolutionary act.”
Gratitude is also something the pair talk extensively about. Herd said that when she was making headlines around the world for becoming the youngest self-made billionaire, she was at her “inward lowest”.
“You have to take stock of how you measure your happiness, your wealth and how you define it.”
Okay, so in summary — exude your ‘essence’ (after you figure out what that is), don’t follow the rules, and be grateful.
Is there backlash?
Of course. Mostly from men, surprise surprise. The first episode has already been described as “nauseatingly boring, tedious and entitled”; “ego-fluffing conversation”; “inane”; and “frustrating” with “no confessions or secrets.”
Men — why put in all the effort to criticise a show that was not meant for you? I suppose they have a lot of time on their hands. And sadly, Meghan is such an easy target.
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