Transcription
I go back to the authenticity. I wanted to do what felt authentic. Is there any part of you that feels any sense of impostor syndrome? How can someone's words expose the gap between who they really are and the honest, authentic image they try to sell? What marketing tricks does Megan use to convince everyone she's a successful founder, even when the truth says otherwise? These are the questions I'll take a look at.
Welcome or welcome back to the channel. Megan talks about a partnership with Netflix. It's a, you know, it's a big complicated machine with big players in there. So, how do you think about the vision of what you're trying to create and also the fact that you've decided to take a chunk out of something that is really, you know, notoriously complex?
Well, I think I go back to the authenticity, right? It's what I love and it's what I want to share. So authenticity is one of many performative buzzwords in her script. Performative because it's crafted to shape perception to make her seem honest, down to earth, and relatable. She invokes it. Whether she's talking about her so-called brand or deflecting criticism, you're not the only powerful woman even in this in this community who has had a sitting president take a shot at you. Mobs come at you, powerful people and powerful forces. It's about being authentic. So, I just spoke from the heart and um and that's probably why it doesn't look polished and that's why it doesn't feel perfect and but that's also why it's authentic.
She also invokes the term when she's talking about dating Prince Harry almost as a way of anticipating objections that her intentions were pure and had nothing to do with money and status. "Anything I learned about him and his family was what he would share with me and vice versa. So for both of us, it was just a really authentic and organic way to get to know each other."
Um, you're going global. You are. How can we not? I mean, how can you not? Yeah, but it's it's the spirit of sharing. Yes. And Megan shared so many wonderful things from her book that got negative reviews, to put it mildly, to her podcast that's been severely criticized. And yes, Megan's definitely gone global. That's one of the many problems with this interview. It sells a false image. Cuz in reality, Megan's been going global for all the wrong reasons for years. This interview is the epitome of failure rebranded as success. And Megan's more than happy to play along.
Megan's constantly preoccupied with selling the image of herself as a founder. Notice the framing in what follows. Um, but I think look at the end of the day if I had gone into beauty for example and I have a lot of Was that a consideration at any point for you? It was definitely something that people were asking me to get involved with. I think there'll certainly be a time for fashion. You and I can talk about that later. Um um nice attempt at deciding what Emma should ask her. Megan's asked if that was something she considered, but she answers by framing it as a consideration others had, not her. In doing so, she positions herself as someone whose beauty expertise was in high demand. In another calculated move to reinforce the image that she's eager for people to buy into. She stabled in beauty and fashion before. Sure. But what made it possible? What's one of the main reasons she even ended up in a position to speak with authority on any of it? The answer, her association with the royal family, like when she was handed a leading role at a capsule collection launch in 2019.
"Hi everyone. Thank you so much for being here today." And that's the point. Megan hasn't built anything from the ground up or taken real financial risks like an actual entrepreneur. But that doesn't stop her from branding herself as one. At the launch, Megan tried to make her ideas sound unique, more unique than they were, of course, by contrasting them to other people's lack of ideas.
So on my visits to Smartworks, I said, "Okay, well, let's try to work with what we have and make the best of it." And then the next time I went, you'll remember this. There was a rack of about 40 or 50 lilac colored blazers. Now, don't get me wrong, it's a great blazer, and I'm sure for someone it's exactly what she wants to be wearing. But for most women, when you're going in there and you want to have a job interview and you want to feel your very best and you want to feel confident, you want to be wearing the pieces of clothing that make you feel that way and not the leftovers that didn't sell from the end of the season and not the leftovers that didn't sell from the end of the season. And I'm sure for someone it's exactly what she wants to be wearing. But for most women, oh, I have no doubt she believes that. Everything from her body language to the fact that she just finished laughing at the organization's collection really shows that she believes that it's so inspiring and authentic. And speaking of authentic, you and I can talk about that later. Um, but I think, you know, ultimately I wanted to do what felt authentic.
When someone's genuinely authentic, they don't feel the need to announce it every other minute. That kind of repetition is performative, crafted to leave viewers with the impression of authenticity, not the real thing. Is there any part of you that feels any sense of imposter syndrome? Do you ever sit back and get overwhelmed by how big the opportunity is and then, you know, pedal back from anything that might be?
I don't I think I have I think that I've always had a very entrepreneurial spirit as we talked about. Emma's question makes Megan look up, pause, and let out a superficial laugh. One that doesn't reach her eyes, and cuts off abruptly. All of which undermines her denial. She doesn't actually say no. Instead, her "don't" carries a slight upward inflection, suggesting a subtle recognition of the feeling.
I don't I think I have dogs. What's the entrepreneurial spirit they talked about earlier and that Megan wants Emma to focus on in order to shield herself? Well, I really want to understand where you got the entrepreneurial bug and I started using my own sewing machine. I would make scrunchies. So, when I was about fifth, sixth grade, I was selling scrunchies for a dollar a piece at school. That's right. Making scrunchies in elementary school equates to having an entrepreneurial spirit. Just one question though. How do scrunchies open doors to platforms like Netflix? They don't. So what did? Once again, the answers, the royal family, her association with and later disassociation from the family gave Megan a title and the opportunity to make a multi-million dollar deal. But anything to avoid admitting that she has a cooking show despite not being a chef. She has a podcast that's about branding her as a founder on the same level as her guest and yet she claims she doesn't feel like an impostor.
Sure, imposter syndrome is what you get when you pretend to be good at something you're not. Like the former vice president of marketing for Bud Light, Alyssa Hinshide. "And I struggled a ton in the early part of my career with imposter syndrome. Probably the most impactful piece of advice I've ever heard." This woman, Beth Commtock, I've seen her speak and she amazing, amazing, amazing. And this one girl raised her hand and was like, "I just want to know where do you get your confidence from?" And so she had this fantastic answer. She talked about faking it number one. She was like, "I fake it all the time. And you realize the more senior you get, everybody's faking it. And it's so true. Everyone doesn't really know what they're talking about." Faking it. Yes, what an impactful piece of advice.
Megan continues to struggle with Emma's question about imposter syndrome, suggesting that she recognizes the feeling she's denying, albeit unreliably. "I think that I've always had a very entrepreneurial spirit as we talked about, but equally I enjoy being in in a position of having a strong team around me, being able to help guide that team as a whole. Um, and I've also, you know, in the adventures of my life, I have certainly I have certainly navigated through things that can in some ways feel bigger. Yeah."
Yes. And what a good job navigating. I remember in the car and driving up and he said, "You know how to curtsy, right?" And I just thought it was a joke. Like I curtsied as though I was like, [Music] "Please meet you, your majesty." There are lots of indications that Megan wants to evade this question, but doesn't know how. First of all, talking about guiding a team and navigating has nothing to do with Emma's question about imposter syndrome. Secondly, she pauses and looks away. "Being able to help guide that team as a whole. Um, in the adventures of my life, I have certainly." Thirdly, she says, "you know," a common expression, but one that indicates that she's acutely aware of herself and what she's saying. This expression appeals to shared knowledge as if Emma knows what Megan's talking about, which she doesn't.
"I enjoy being in in a position of." And again, why is Megan in that position? Because of Harry's family, the family she can't stop complaining about while making money off of it. And people aren't supposed to see that. Megan sure doesn't think much of the critical thinking abilities of the people she's trying to convince about her uniqueness.
"uh that you need to embrace your uniqueness. Yes. And uh you know create your own box. Yeah. Exact. Oh my. How sweet is that? You you've been reading the tit um um" It takes her a full minute after the question. A full minute of visible discomfort before she realizes she needs to deny being an impostor emphatically because of course this interview can't get too honest. Let's take a look.
"I have certainly navigated through things that can in some ways feel bigger. Yeah. So, this for me is just another chapter that I think is full of, you know, I'm a very curious person. New learns. I love learning something new all the time. I don't feel imposter syndrome. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now." And where's that? "I love learning something new all the time. I don't feel imposter syndrome."
Her sudden strong denial clearly meant to protect her image is undermined by her earlier discomfort with the question. It's further weakened by the fact that she's acting authoritative in fields where she lacks relevant education, whether cooking, fashion, or beauty. She pretends to advocate for women. But what she really wants is for women to stop criticizing her.
"is if you're reading something terrible terrible about a woman, why are you sharing it with your friends? New learns. I love learning something new all the time." I talk about a focus shift. She's not learning new things. She's posturing as an authority in fields where she has no credibility, no merits, no relevant education. Whether she's posing as a writer, a founder, or a chef, it's all the same. Self-serving performance.
"So this for me is just another chapter. So whilst living in the UK, you're getting a new country out of it. Um a husband obviously, but also giving up giving giving up your career. Yes. Nice. Yes. But I I don't see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. It's a new It's a new challenge. It's a new It's a new chapter, right? It's a new chapter, right?" How long will this chapter last? I wonder.
"Oh, I'm really happy you said that. I mean, I do think I speak to so many founders and more often than not, they feel some sense of imposter syndrome and I have so many women that will say to me, didn't you feel or don't you feel imposter syndrome? And my answer is always no. I'm like, if not you, then who? Like, why would you feel that way?" Maybe because you are an impostor. Maybe because someone else would be better suited for your job. Remember what Alyssa said? And so, she had this fantastic answer. She talked about faking it, number one. Mhm.
It means having a campaign that's truly inclusive. But let's not let a detail like that stop Emma from giving the usual deceptive empowerment speech in order to come across as a brave spokesperson for an entire demographic. "I'm like, if not you, then who? Like someone more qualified, perhaps just an idea." But for Emma, it's all about the easy slogans, preferably as far removed from reality as possible.
"If not you, then who? Like, why would you feel that way, right? I feel like to some extent, we're all waking up as we go along." The key words are "to some extent" because there are limits Emma conveniently ignores. If you're not qualified as a writer, for example, should you leverage that title to publish a book and promote it on talk shows? If you're not a chef, should you use your title to give the impression that you possess a remarkable aesthetic sense? Megan and others like her exploit the fact that we don't live in a merit-based world anymore. People become millionaires and billionaires not because of talent, but because they star in reality shows, make brave statements on social media, or simply capitalize on whatever gains attention.
Yes. And even if you're making it up as you go along, as you say, which I think true, most people are doing that. Imposter syndrome is when you're posturing as though you know everything. M you don't need to posture as though you know everything. It is perfectly okay for me as the founder and the owner of this company to say sorry what does that mean? Yes. Can you help me understand that? And actually I think it's a really great posture to take or a truth rather to take as a leader to show that yes I know what I know but I'm also so excited to have people on this team that know more about certain avenues than I do.
As if asking "what does that mean?" is the main issue when it comes to how Megan operates. But way to turn a negative question about imposter syndrome into positive self-praise that you aren't afraid to ask, which by the way has little to do with the definition of imposter syndrome. Persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts and skills. A far cry from what Megan's talking about. And in case anyone has any doubt about Megan's deserved role, she doesn't mind spelling it out for them.
"For me, as the founder and the owner of this company, as a leader, making it up as you go along, as you say, which I think true, most people are doing that." Like Emma, Megan conveniently ignores the limits of that claim. In a merit-based world, people don't make it up as they go along to the extent that they're branching out into areas where they lack qualification. Also, there's a difference between making it up as you go along and faking it till you make it or never make it rather.
"But I'm trying to also enjoy these these big wins right now. Yes. Enjoy them. As a founder, knowing what you don't know is so important. Like you got honest. Yes. Be honest about it. It's okay to not know everything." Which has never been the issue. But Megan's made it the issue. With this focus shift, they don't have to dwell on the potentially compromising talk about imposter syndrome. In that sense, it's ironic that she's using the word honest because there's very little honesty in this conversation.
"Separate team for with love Megan. That's a crew of about 80 people. It's a lot of people. It's a lot of people. So, there's a lot of different teams and at the same time, my core team that sits around me for all of the projects is, you know, very, very strong, savvy women. Mhm." This excerpt reveals how Megan's always focused on self-branding. In this case, positioning herself as a champion of women. That's the only reason for mentioning the gender of the members and her core team because it's a completely irrelevant detail that anyone with a merit-based mindset would overlook.
Which again reminds me of Alyssa in what follows. Notice how the gender of Alyssa's employees matters to her far more than their talent. "I cast an incredible female choreographer who just brought incredibly positive, amazing energy to the spot. We cast Miles Teller and his wife, Kelly Teller. But it was really crucial to me that if you see that spot, Kelly is Kelly is the heartbeat of that spot. You're seeing this whole experience through Kelly. She's the beating heart."
That's a crew of about 80 people. 80 people for a cooking show that's at 3.2 two on IMDb and has been severely criticized. A disaster anyone but the chief content officer at Netflix apparently could have predicted. That speaks to the incompetence of Netflix's leadership. One day, Bella said, "There's a show here." Next, they talk about Megan's extraordinary jam.
"You know, the one that makes people so happy. So many friends at the same time had texted saying, 'I don't know what it is, but your jams just make me so so happy.' It was very, very well executed, but you basically sold out of everything in about 45 minutes." Listen, I can't get you on that one cuz I don't know a business that I've had where, you know, a couple of hours in, every single thing has been gone. Everything. Nice job steering the viewers's impression of those impressive sales. Basically sold out of, you know, but are the sales really impressive? Maybe they are. Her first win after countless projects no one asked for. Made possible by a Netflix eager to squeeze just some success out of her. If not the show, then the jam. Or maybe she's using a common tactic, keeping inventory low to create the illusion of high demand. She pulled the same stunt during the capsule collection launch, making it seem like a success before it even started.
"One quick thing that I found out as we were in the car on the way over here was that the totes already sold out online. Um, in doing with your contribution and extend it for just a little bit more so that everyone can play a part in this shared success story. Every single thing has been gone. Everything. Everything. Yes, I think everyone got that. But thank you for repeating it." Well, what I should ask you, was it planned? I mean, did you plan to actually surprise? The question's relevant because you can make almost any sales statistic look like a beautiful surprise. Very authentic and reliable word choice. By the way, especially in the business world, you can make something appear successful before it truly is. That way, more people want to be part of the success story by buying products, even if it was never really a success.
"In this shared success story, it was um amazing. And also to your point, because I'm business-minded, I'm immediately going, 'Okay, well, this is going to be a big pivot. Now what?'" There's a limit to how business-minded you have to be in order to ask yourself, "Now what?" Especially when you have a crew of at least 80 people and a million dollar contract because of the title you got out of marrying a prince. But then again, this interview is about self-grandisement, not truth.
Considering how business-minded Megan is supposedly, it's strange that she didn't look at the problems with her first podcast, Archetypes, and said to herself, "Maybe I shouldn't be a podcaster." Instead, she chose to make a new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, repeating the same mistakes and making new ones. It's strange that she and Netflix, for that matter, didn't take the negative reception of the cooking show as a sign to say maybe I or we shouldn't make a second season. It's almost as if Megan isn't as business-minded as she brands herself as.
"Wait, I think scarcity is great if it happens organically at the onset, but at a certain point, even being consumer-minded, I would be fatigued if that kept happening and I was going to a website. So I said, 'Okay, let's take this opportunity to grow to have exponentially more more SKUs as well as more inventory.'" Megan already said authentic. Now we got organic, another word in her script. And I really do have a organic and deep love of travel and of food and authentic and organic way to get to know each other and a word that other authentic people use. Kamala, [Applause] let's open the door and invite everybody else in. And everybody actually came organically. Organically. Ironically, the use of this word could actually make intelligent people think that the audience didn't show up organically. That's the problem with performative terms.
"I think scarcity is great if it happens organically. Exactly. Because making it look like their scarcity is easy. Is the scarcity organic though or is it deliberate to make your product look like a success? That's the question and I think I know the answer to it." Megan practically says it here.
"So I said, 'Okay, let's take this opportunity to grow to have exponentially more more SKUs as well as more inventory being consumer-minded.'" Just when I thought things couldn't possibly be any better, it turns out that Megan's not only business-minded but also consumer-minded. But where's that consumer mindset when it comes to consumers, negative reactions to her podcast and Netflix shows? It's about ego, rebranding tactics, self-grandisement, masters, making relevant content and important products. They're talking about jam. I mentioned that because listening to Megan, it sounds like they're talking about something that's actually important.
"Let's take a look. I say, 'If I was the person that waited so long to get that product, do I want to a second goaround not be able to get the product or do I want to be able to buy it and share it with all my friends?' So, I'm I'm constantly putting myself in the mindset of someone who's supported me for a long time and want to be able to get it, or the 15-year-old girl who's saved up her money to be able to buy a couple of the offerings that we have." This doesn't sound dramatic at all. Megan would never dream of exaggerating how important her work is because seriously, who wouldn't want a second chance to get this extraordinary product?
"Waited so long to a second go around. Nice move encouraging people to share your products with their friends without actually saying it. Just speak fast enough and it's like a wink and a nod. Or do I want to be able to buy it and share it with all my friends? So, I'm I'm constantly putting constantly putting myself in the mindset of." If I just close my eyes hard enough, people will think I'm being sincere. This has become a great addition to Megan's performances and interviews and tapping into what really ignites my joy.
"I thought, how interesting is it to be able to listen to the conversations of someone building a business or the 15-year-old girl who's saved up her money to be able to buy?" The only reason to mention a hypothetical scenario like this with irrelevant details about a fictional girl saving up her money is to brand yourself as thoughtful and caring. It's overly dramatic. Same as when she claimed that she Googled the national anthem late at night.
"Nobody prepares you. No, but even down, sorry, but even down to like the national anthem. No one thought to say, 'Oh, you're American. You're not going to know that. That's me late at night googling how what's the n I've got to learn this.'" Why did it have to be late at night? I mean, it's possible to Google in the daytime. Dramatization makes what you're saying sound urgent. And urgency fuels the pathos appeal she constantly relies on. Appealing to people's emotions and pity, whether she's selling a victim narrative or jam, who falls for these marketing PS. Unfortunately, many and people like Megan who pretend to be skilled at things they're not, bank on it.
Literally, people are are saying, "You're the next Martha Stewart. You're the next Guth Poutro." Who says that? The same media companies that use deceptive flattery like the CEO of Time.
"first want to just say congratulations to you on everything that you've done and everything that you're doing. Thank you. You're I want to talk about you as a founder, as a CEO, as an innovator, as a creator, as an investor. Uh we have the CEO of Netflix here. I did binge your show with love, Megan. There's nothing you can't do, which is amazing. But you care for so many people and you in you talk about joy and love. Everything that you do comes with caring for the people that are on your show and around you. How do you care for yourself?"
The vast majority of reactions related to Megan are negative, including all the comments to this particular podcast. What about mentioning those? Or would that be too authentic and organic? What's your favorite moment from these beautiful excerpts? Let us know in the comments. If you like the video, click the like button. Until next time. [Music]