Actress, model, entrepreneur and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow joined聽 Fashion@Brown鈥檚 Fashion Week as the fifteenth and final speaker of its series Monday evening.听
She was introduced and interviewed by Fashion@Brown President Sasha Pinto 鈥�21 who began the conversation by asking Paltrow鈥檚 thoughts on actors transitioning to entrepreneurship, which Paltrow believes to be a natural phenomenon.听
Paltrow is known for acting as Viola de Lesseps in the historical romance 鈥淪hakespeare in Love,鈥� which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1998, Holly Holliday on the musical comedy-drama television series 鈥淕lee鈥� which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011 and Pepper Potts in Marvel鈥檚 鈥淚ron Man鈥� franchise.听
Beyond her acting career, Paltrow has made a foray into the wellness and lifestyle business by launching her company , which she founded in 2008. Goop started as a weekly email newsletter, and in 2011, the company transformed into an official e-commerce brand. Paltrow describes the company鈥檚 mission as connecting people to tools that can better their life experiences. To do so, Goop produces health-related editorial content and sells lifestyle products including home decor, clothing, makeup and even sex toys.听
鈥淎ll artists are at heart entrepreneurs,鈥� Paltrow said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many parallels between what it takes to create and to have insane self-belief.鈥�
Growing up, Paltrow watched her mother (actress Blythe Danner Paltrow) act in various productions, which sparked her own interest in pursuing the same career path. As far as entrepreneurship, she attributes her longstanding interest in the field to reading the business section of the New York Times as a child.听
According to Paltrow, Goop has become a 鈥渢railblazing member of culture鈥� because it is 鈥渘ot afraid to ask questions鈥� or receive backlash. From its beginnings, Goop has promoted concepts like acupuncture and gluten-free eating that have since become more mainstream. In sharing her ideas and questions, Paltrow is prepared for any response, and she gives credit to her editors for their important role in the editorial process, putting Goop 鈥渁t the forefront in the wellness space.鈥澛�
鈥淲hat we always say is if we鈥檙e doing something in integrity, then we have the latitude to ask and write about whatever we want to explore,鈥� she said.听
Goop鈥檚 forward-thinking ideas gained the company notoriety 鈥� so, too, has its marketing strategy. The company has released various products with obscure names, such as a spray that is an essential oil blend of lavender, rosemary and juniper entitled 鈥�,鈥� as well as a geranium and bergamot scented candle called 鈥�.鈥� The latter attracted widespread media attention, showcased on the likes of and 聽 But pop-cultural buzz was not Paltrow鈥檚 initial intention. She credits this branding to her 鈥渋rreverent鈥� sense of humor.
鈥淚 think humor is a great way to connect to a customer and for them to understand 鈥� that you have a relaxed open approach in your marketing,鈥� Paltrow said.听聽
Without a business school background, Paltrow said that she has made 鈥渕any鈥� mistakes with Goop and continues to learn on the job. Goop has come under scrutiny multiple times, including in April 2015, when Paltrow and her staff failed to follow Goop鈥檚 nutritional recommendations while only using food stamps, according to the . In September 2018, Goop paid where the company claimed its 鈥淛ade Egg鈥� had vaginal health benefits despite the lack of a scientific basis and received .听
鈥淚鈥檝e learned so much not only about what not to do again but how to examine the thinking behind why I made the wrong decision,鈥� Paltrow said. 鈥淚 would say always challenge the way that you see something and always challenge the way that you think something through.鈥澛�
In response to the pandemic, Goop has seen a shift from consumer interest in its skincare line to greater desire for kitchen and home items such as pots, pans, cookbooks, pillows and candles. Paltrow has also recently entered the fast-meal market by creating a 鈥淕oop Ghost Kitchen,鈥� a delivery-only health food restaurant based in Santa Monica, California. Paltrow is looking to expand this venture throughout California, and, one day, all across the country.听
The conversation then opened up to audience questions, one of which came from a Duke University student, who asked Paltrow about her leadership style.听
鈥淔or a long time women in executive positions were approximating the more male archetype in trying to be a boss, and I don't do that,鈥� Paltrow said. 鈥淚 am trying to uncover what it means to lead from the feminine (perspective) 鈥� to embrace my femininity, to find the strength through that femininity, as opposed to trying to act like a man.鈥澛�
In closing out the discussion, Paltrow offered some words of advice to listeners.听
鈥淭he more that you can act in accordance with your truest self and have the courage to speak from that place and really be in integrity 鈥� you will find happiness quicker,鈥� Paltrow said. 鈥淟ife is challenging and laden with disappointment, but if you go through the process with integrity and saying what you mean and listening to yourself, I think that's the quickest way to experience peace and 鈥� success.鈥澛�
Rebecca Carcieri is an arts & culture editor. She is a senior from Warwick, Rhode Island studying political science.听
