Meghan Markle has revealed her plans for As Ever, and how the brand will continue to grow. At Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., the Duchess of Sussex led a special session titled "Next Level Influence: A Conversation With Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex," where she shared her business experiences and where she’s taking the brand next.
In an intimate conversation at the summit, the Duchess of Sussex said she plans to “[leverage] her significant influence to build a successful, long-lasting business empire” through her lifestyle brand, As Ever, following the success of her Netflix series. “It's a lot of work," she said of the eight-episode series. "And having done Suits for seven years, I remember what goes into a production.”
Speaking of what might come next, the Duchess said, “I also recognize how much people want content in different sizes. Part of what we're testing out now is, it's amazing to sit and watch a show for 30 minutes, but how can I give you a recipe in two minutes? And where can I share that with you?" Her comments hint at a shift to short-form series, like those on TikTok or Instagram.
Leaving a larger partnership, like the one Meghan and Harry had with Netflix, would be a big shift for their work, but Meghan said the change is “exciting, because it gives us flexibility to go to our partners first, then at the same time, shop content that might not be the right fit for Netflix but has a home somewhere else."
Social media seems an obvious choice for two-minute recipe videos, but the Duchess of Sussex isn’t sure she’s cut out to be an influencer. “Look, I have had a very complicated relationship with social media, as you can probably imagine,” Meghan said. “I also recognize the role that it plays in business.”
In an exclusive conversation with People, Meghan said, "I see myself as an entrepreneur and a female founder, and if the brand ends up influential, then that’s great.”
