Gwyneth Paltrow

So it's, so I was at actually at a cocktail party in London at a friend's house. And this woman came up to me and she said, hi, I'm, I'm Juliet. I'm a VC. And I was like, what's a VC, you know? And she was like, yeah, I had no idea. English Juliet. English Juliet. I love Juliet.

So it's, so I was at actually at a cocktail party in London at a friend's house. And this woman came up to me and she said, hi, I'm, I'm Juliet. I'm a VC. And I was like, what's a VC, you know? And she was like, yeah, I had no idea. English Juliet. English Juliet. I love Juliet.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Huge. Huge. And she said, you know, I really love what you're doing and what are you doing and do you want to turn it into a business? And I said, I do, but I don't really know how to do it. And she actually introduced me to my first CEO, a guy named Seb Bishop, whom I adore and I'm still really close. In fact, I just had his birthday party at my house last week.

Huge. Huge. And she said, you know, I really love what you're doing and what are you doing and do you want to turn it into a business? And I said, I do, but I don't really know how to do it. And she actually introduced me to my first CEO, a guy named Seb Bishop, whom I adore and I'm still really close. In fact, I just had his birthday party at my house last week.

And he came on board and he helped me start to think my way around how to do this and how to build a team. And he was running Project Red at the time for Bono. And he was ready to kind of go back into e-commerce. And so we started to build a team and started to do collaborations and started to develop a supply chain and build an e-commerce engine on the site, which...

And he came on board and he helped me start to think my way around how to do this and how to build a team. And he was running Project Red at the time for Bono. And he was ready to kind of go back into e-commerce. And so we started to build a team and started to do collaborations and started to develop a supply chain and build an e-commerce engine on the site, which...

We chose the wrong one, but that's fine. And it was like just a slow process of us thinking through how we were going to offer this curation and offer special product to people. And that was kind of like phase one. It was when I was in London, very early stages of goop. I had another CEO. And then I was going to move back to LA or not, you know, move to LA.

We chose the wrong one, but that's fine. And it was like just a slow process of us thinking through how we were going to offer this curation and offer special product to people. And that was kind of like phase one. It was when I was in London, very early stages of goop. I had another CEO. And then I was going to move back to LA or not, you know, move to LA.

And unfortunately, his mother became ill with leukemia. So he couldn't come. And that's when I moved. And I really started trying to run this thing kind of by myself. So it wasn't like a conscious decision.

And unfortunately, his mother became ill with leukemia. So he couldn't come. And that's when I moved. And I really started trying to run this thing kind of by myself. So it wasn't like a conscious decision.

still trying to figure it out. I was trying to just get people around me who were really passionate. I had this little team in London, which I knew was going to be really hard to keep while we were in LA. And so I was slowly kind of, I was repatriating the company here and I had this little barn out back in my house in Brentwood.

still trying to figure it out. I was trying to just get people around me who were really passionate. I had this little team in London, which I knew was going to be really hard to keep while we were in LA. And so I was slowly kind of, I was repatriating the company here and I had this little barn out back in my house in Brentwood.

And, you know, slowly there was one woman there with me, then two, then three, then there were eight, you know, Then we were starting to build our own product lines and we grew. Oh, you started that early? We started, I think in 2016, we started with our first product lines. Okay, wow.

And, you know, slowly there was one woman there with me, then two, then three, then there were eight, you know, Then we were starting to build our own product lines and we grew. Oh, you started that early? We started, I think in 2016, we started with our first product lines. Okay, wow.

Yes, because I think in a way the model is really evolving and it still is. And so I think one of the mistakes I've made subsequent to that is sort of like outsourcing expertise in a way where there's not flexibility. And I find with people who are really passionate, they're like,

Yes, because I think in a way the model is really evolving and it still is. And so I think one of the mistakes I've made subsequent to that is sort of like outsourcing expertise in a way where there's not flexibility. And I find with people who are really passionate, they're like,

problem solving, as opposed to like, I was here, this was a playbook, this is how it worked, this is what I want to bring to Goop. That tends not to work for us. So sometimes I think it's difficult to find people who have domain expertise and are really passionate. But I agree with you. I think that passion is what's going to drive the curiosity and the problem solving more than domain expertise.

problem solving, as opposed to like, I was here, this was a playbook, this is how it worked, this is what I want to bring to Goop. That tends not to work for us. So sometimes I think it's difficult to find people who have domain expertise and are really passionate. But I agree with you. I think that passion is what's going to drive the curiosity and the problem solving more than domain expertise.