In an exclusive interview with Inc., she shares the strategy behind her new brand, As Ever.

BY ALI DONALDSON, STAFF REPORTER @ALICDONALDSON

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Illustration: Inc; Photo: As Ever

Like many startups, the home and lifestyle brand As Ever started at the kitchen table of its founder. This week, the consumer-packaged goods company launches online with a curated product selection and eventual in-store aspirations. The team supporting this effort is small, with fewer than 10 employees. The founder has built a support group of fellow female entrepreneurs to lean on for advice. There have been a few aha! moments along the way. Altogether, it sounds like a familiar story—until you remember the woman behind this venture is one of the most famous people on the planet.  

More than a year after announcing the launch of her lifestyle brand—originally called American Riviera Orchard—with an Instagram account and scant details, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is opening up about her new, rebranded business, As Ever. The Los Angeles-based company, which built up a following of 758,000 on the platform before ever releasing a single product, starts accepting orders today.

Meghan, who spoke with Inc. in an exclusive interview, says she wants the brand to be an authentic extension of her “essence.” That starts with her love of hostessing, entertaining, and being in the kitchen. Cue the Martha Stewart comparisons—though Meghan says she was not looking to any specific brands or........

© Inc.com