How The Royal Family’s $28 Billion Empire Really Works | Glamsquad Founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson’s New Fund | MacKenzie Scott Gets Remarried | And More

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Are you still thinking about that stunning Oprah interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry? Well if not, you’re about to, because it’s still on my mind.

Yesterday, Forbes published a deep dive into “The Firm”—a term both Meghan and Harry used to describe the senior-most members of the royal family—and the $28 billion empire to which they are the face, and which pumps hundreds of millions of pounds into the United Kingdom’s economy every year. If you’re at all curious about where this name and fortune came from, I highly recommend you give it a read.

But beyond the money, I’m still thinking about Meghan’s revelations about her mental health, how she said she reached a point, while she was pregnant with Archie, that she didn’t want to be alive anymore. When she asked for help, “The Firm” essentially refused, she says. But here’s the important part of this: she asked for help and her partner listened and then acted. With some 17 million Americans watching on Sunday night, and millions more catching up over the following days, this was a powerful and important example to set—particularly at the one-year mark of a pandemic that has brought so much loss and so many challenges.

It’s been said so many times over the last year that it can begin to sound trite, but there really is strength in vulnerability, and it’s okay to not be okay. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

Take care of yourselves,
Maggie

ICYMI: Stories From The Week

It’s been one year since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, forcing companies to shift operations online. Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the past year in remote work. (We’ve saved more than $4,000 by not commuting!)

MacKenzie Scott, a noted philanthropist, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos and the world's 22nd richest person, has found love again: she has married Seattle science teacher Dan Jewett.

Five months after actress Kristin Bell launched Happy Dance, her line of CBD products produced with Lord Jones, the brand is getting picked up at select Ulta stores nationwide. Here, Bell answers some frequently-asked questions about her brand and CBD.

Berta Vasquez, a 65-year-old master mezcalera in Oaxaca, has continued to make mezcal through the pandemic—but as mezcal sales have soared in the U.S. over the last year, Vasquez’s sales have plummeted. Can her company survive?

In an effort to make its products more inclusive, Unilever announced Tuesday that it is removing the word “normal” from all its beauty and personal care packaging and advertising. 

Online beauty retailer Nykaa has seen its business surge over the last year, and the company is prepping for an IPO that could value it close to $3 billion—and make its founder, Falguni Nayar, a billionaire and India’s second-richest self-made woman.

Check List

#1: Before discussing uncomfortable topics, prepare. During Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, each spoke on difficult subjects with clear facts and timelines but didn’t speak from a memorized script, which was an effective strategy for conveying information.

#2: Take an inventory of your hiring process. Are your company's job listings written in gender neutral language? Believe it or not, answering this and other questions can help get more women into executive roles.

#3: Put your cash to work. Women are leaving massive amounts of money on the table and are missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in returns by not investing it. If this describes you, consider taking some of your cash off the sidelines.

Across Forbes