Meghan Markle revealed the trailer for her new podcast today, telling listeners it will give them the ‘kind of advice that turns small ideas into billion-dollar businesses’.
The Duchess of Sussex adds in the preview for Confessions of a Female Founder, her new production with Lemonada Media: ‘We’re going to get some girl talk!’
Meghan also giggles about whether one of her business guests is single, in the one-minute preview ahead of the first of eight weekly episodes out on April 8.
It comes hours after Meghan shared a collection of clothing and accessories on Instagram with some items featuring links through which commission can be earned.
She posted a rare photo of her with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to her profile, and a story of a collection of her style inspirations with purchase links.
The preview, which was first revealed by People, comes after the new podcast was announced on March 13 – following the Lemonada deal struck in February last year.
Meghan says: ‘I’m Meghan, and this is Confessions of a Female Founder, a show where I chat with female entrepreneurs and friends about the sleepless nights, the lessons learned and the laser focus that got them to where they are today.
‘We’re diving into the highs – and the lows – and the kind of advice that turns small ideas into billion-dollar businesses. And of course, we’re going to get some girl talk!’
The Duchess of Sussex is launching a new podcast called ‘Confessions Of A Female Founder’
The Duchess of Sussex , 43, gave her 2million Instagram followers a closer look inside her wardrobe when she launched an online shop – with handpicked pieces from brands like Heidi Merrick, Saint Laurent, Reformation and J CrewÂ
The preview also includes audio from the show, in which guests speak about their own business ventures.
One says: ‘It just started climbing and climbing, and there was 5,000, 10,000 people on our website. I’m broke, and no one is calling me.’
Another states: ‘I knew in that moment that I’d rather stand for something than sell a whole ton of product and stand for nothing.’
The Duchess also asks one guest about their relationship status, saying: ‘Are you saying you’re not single now? Have I missed something in the past couple weeks? What’s happening?’
She also says in the preview: ‘And through it all, I’m building a business of my own, and getting all sorts of practical advice along the way that I’m very excited to share with you.
‘So join me for Confessions of a Female Founder from Lemonada Media, which by the way, is also female-founded. Launching April 8, wherever you get your podcasts.’
The link opens to a ShopMy storefront and Meghan’s first drop includes a £148 white linen shirt, Heidi Merrick’s ‘Windsor’ gown for an eye-watering £1,068
This crossbody bag linked on Meghan’s ShopMy site costs £712
A Maya Brenner necklace called ‘The Happiness Retreat’ that is part of the online ‘closet’ will set you back by nearly £400
Meghan concludes: ‘This is not Shark Tank, think of this as ‘dolphin tank.’ These are very friendly waters, it’s all going to be good.’
In a statement given to People to accompany the trailer’s release, Meghan spoke about the inspiration she has found from other female founders.
She told the magazine: ‘What’s been meaningful is being able to talk about my own entrepreneurial journey with other female founders who are either on their own trajectory of growth or have IPO’d, sold, or created high impact brands and gone through all of the learning curves that we all do at the start.
‘You’re just trying to figure out how to walk, then you want to learn how to run, and then you want to learn how to fly. All of those things take time.
‘There’s also something very exciting and energizing about learning something new as we get older. The entrepreneurial journey, for anyone, is a lot, and I’m also really, really lucky that so many of my close friends are female founders that I can glean advice from.’
It comes after the Duchess shared a collection of clothing and accessories on Instagram.
She had described her style as ‘high-low’ in her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, meaning she wears items from designer brands and high street retailers.
The launch of the website came less than an hour after Meghan shared an adorable photo of herself with her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, while promoting As Ever
This blouse on Meghan’s shop in the colour ‘Licorice’ comes with a price tag of £395
The black wool blazer on Meghan’s merchandise website can be purchased for £345
She posted a ShopMy link in a story, featuring a collection of clothes and accessories, with the message: ‘Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week. More to come’.
A message on the ShopMy page read: ‘A handpicked and curated collection of the things I love — I hope you enjoy them!’ with the addition: ‘Please note, some products may contain commissionable links.’
The items, mostly in her signature neutral colours, included an oversized white shirt by Reformation for £128, a beige Uniqlo raincoat costing £99.90 and a gold Maya Brenner Happiness Retreat citrine stone necklace, made in collaboration with Meghan’s former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, for £383.
The collection also includes a pre-order link for a £712 handbag from Cesta Collective, a brand which she told the New York Times she had invested in last summer.
The bag, which is similar to one Meghan was seen wearing on a tour of South America with Harry, has been made in a small batch to be shipped in June, the Cesta Collective website says.
‘Secure yours before it sells out again,’ the page Meghan linked to adds.
The basket bags are handwoven of ‘locally sourced, renewable resources, by talented female artisans in Rwanda, Africa’, Cesta Collective’s website says.
Lemonada Media co-founders Jessica Cordova Kramer (left) and Stephanie Wittels Wachs
Meghan’s Spotify contract ended in 2023 after one series of her first podcast Archetypes
Other items include leather sandals made by shoe designer Emme Parsons for sale on luxury American department store Bergdorf Goodman’s website for $495 (£383).
While some products are from high street chains like Gap, others are from small boutiques including a £395 brown blouse from Brochu Walker.
Her story showed the disclaimer ‘Please note, some products may contain commissionable links’ in asterisks on her ShopMy page but did not have a specific disclaimer on the post itself.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) requires people sharing affiliate links – which are unique URLs that allow companies to track who is responsible for a sale or lead – to identify links and sections of content related to affiliate products as advertising.
Many influencers will mark such content with ‘ad – affiliate link’ on Instagram stories when they can earn a commission from purchases made through links shared.
Meghan has faced widespread critical reviews of her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan this month, but has already filmed a second season and is focusing on her new brand As Ever.
Netflix has also become a partner in the duchess’s As Ever business, with the first products set to include raspberry jam, herbal tea and a ready made crepe mix.
The Duchess of Sussex’s new show ‘With Love, Meghan’ came out on Netflix on March 4
Prince Harry makes just one appearance at the end of the first season’s final episode
With Love, Meghan launched on Netflix on March 4 – with a second season now on the way
The new podcast was first announced on March 13, with Meghan describing the venture at the time as ‘candid conversations’ with ‘amazing women’ about the success and struggles of their businesses.
She wrote on her Instagram account that she was ‘so excited’ to share the news, describing recording the series as ‘absolutely eye-opening, inspiring…and fun!’
The former Suits actress added: ‘Because what’s the point if we can’t have some fun on this wild adventure?’
She said the women had shared their ‘tips, tricks (and tumbles)’ as well as ‘letting me pick their brains as I build out my own business, As ever’.
The duchess’ Archetypes podcast about female stereotypes in 2022 ran for just one series, and was part of the Sussexes’ previous £20million deal with Spotify, which ended the year after.
The podcast was created as part of a deal Meghan signed last year with Lemonada Media, which said listeners would hear ‘unfiltered stories behind the successes of notable female founders’.
It also said the series would also be ‘sneaking a peek behind the curtain of Meghan’s own entrepreneurial journey launching As ever’.
The Netflix show has been viewed as a make-or-break moment for the Duke and Duchess
The duchess launched her lifestyle brand As Ever in tandem with her With Love, Meghan show. Her first products are a small selection of jams, herbal tea, ready-mix baking mixes and flower sprinkles.
Lemonada added: ‘As Meghan herself navigates the world of entrepreneurship with the upcoming launch of her brand As Ever, be inspired by the real, unfiltered stories and lessons learned from notable female founders—from knowing your worth, to trusting your gut, securing investors, and investing in yourself.’
Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Lemonada’s chief creative officer and co-founder, said: ‘Listeners can expect conversations that are way more break room than boardroom.’
The US podcast firm’s chief executive and and co-founder, Jessica Cordova Kramer, described the series as ‘the exact podcast we needed when we started Lemonada’.
She added: ‘Meghan is such a warm and welcoming person, and you feel that in her interviews.
‘She creates a comfortable space for her guests to bring fascinating personal stories to the table and open up in a way they likely haven’t before publicly.’