Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan
From Mama to Mogul with Cécred’s Tina Knowles
Tue, 03 Jun 2025
Today, Meghan sits down with the one and only Tina Knowles, the designer, businesswoman and legendary mama behind some of the most iconic moments in pop culture. Together, Meghan and Ms. Tina dive into stories from her newly released memoir, Matriarch, exploring themes of love, reinvention and faith. They reflect on what it means to lead with purpose, to evolve through life’s chapters, and to create space for oneself after years of nurturing for others. Follow Meghan @Meghan and Ms. Tina @mstinaknowles on Instagram. Stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: Who is Tina Knowles and why is she significant?
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And she said, I know you know what you're doing. You know, in a room full of people that were advisors, they were like, I don't think that's a good idea. And she was like, my mom knows what she's doing. So she trusts me on things and I trust her. That's really important.
I'm Megan, and this is Confessions of a Female Founder, a show where I chat with female entrepreneurs and friends about the sleepless nights, the lessons learned, and the laser focus that got them to where they are today. No. There's something incredible about a young woman who is willing to roll the dice on herself, be an entrepreneur, and build.
Let's say you're in your 20s and you start doing that. Let's say you're in your 30s. Let's say you do that in your 30s and 40s as a working mom and you're trying to figure it out. There is something where I just put my hands up and applaud all of you who are doing the thing. And then there is something that gets a standing ovation.
And that is when you are in your 70s and you say, I'm still going to build and I'm still going to invent and I'm still going to create. That is next level entrepreneurship. And that is why I am thrilled to have this guest on today. She knows it better than anyone else. I am talking about Miss Tina Knowles.
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Chapter 2: What inspired Tina to start her hair care line, Sacred?
Chapter 3: How did Tina navigate motherhood and entrepreneurship?
It is such a good sign. It is. But look at you right now. I can't even imagine. You have so many plates spinning. I do. Does it feel as though even with the exhaustion, even with the swirl around all of it, does it feel like it's your time? Oh, absolutely.
You know, even though I'm exhausted and I've been going from one place to the other because the tour is going on right now, Beyonce's tour. So I'm going back and forth because I'm working there. I just feel reinvigorated every day when I get to talk to people about the book and the things that have happened.
And when someone texts me and they say, you know, I went and got my mammogram and I have been putting it off or, you know, I decided that I was going to make my kids a priority. And some of the things that I put in a book, I mean, I just get all this energy and just feel all the... You know, like I did something that was a good thing.
An act of service. Exactly. Just at first glance, you go, that's the most giftable book in the world because you have to put that in someone's hands. It needs to be in everyone's home.
But I think the inside is really obviously the true gift, which is what your journey has been, obviously as a working mom, but as a female entrepreneur, which is why I'm so happy we get to talk and have this bonus episode. For people who are listening, especially young women who want to start something, Do you think you have to find yourself first and then be able to find your business?
Or you can find your business and through that business you start to find yourself?
I think it's the second one. I think that you start your business and then you find yourself. It gives you confidence that you didn't have before. It gives you creativity and confidence. And you just feel accomplished. Now, I don't think that I would have gotten that had I not had the hair salon. That's where I learned to be a business person. I learned to be a boss.
I learned to take care of business and organize things. And I got a lot of self-esteem from that. And so I think that for me, it was the other way around.
I mean, that's really helpful because a lot of people would say you need to know yourself before you know what you're going to start. But it seems like we're all kind of figuring it out along the way. And also we evolve as women. And the chapters of being a mother evolve. I mean, Archie turns six tomorrow. Where did the time go? Where did the time go?
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Chapter 4: What key lessons does Tina share from her memoir, Matriarch?
Chapter 5: What is the importance of finding your niche in business?
Chapter 6: How does Tina manage work-life balance while supporting Beyoncé?
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I'm so curious how you go from in Texas, starting the hair salon, having the girls there, and then all these years later, evolving this into now Sacred, which is incredible. And I mean, just the accolades. Why did you want to start something else?
It has been a dream of mine forever. And Beyonce has been a big dream of hers. And so we talked about this for years and years and years. But she just really was not interested in pursuing a business. another business because she, in her younger years, she completely focused on her singing and her skills and, you know, all of that.
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Chapter 7: What challenges did Tina face while developing hair care products?
We get along really well. And so if we have a disagreement, it's her business. So she gets to win because it's her business.
And also, you know, I think it's just part of the evolution of in any partnership with business, right? Of course, it's more layered if you're in business with family. But ultimately, any business, you're going to have to make strategic decisions and you're going to have to, at a certain point, come to agreement. And trust. And trust and communication.
Yeah, because I trust her. She's just such a savvy business person. And she knows so much about hair. And so we trust each other. And sometimes I'll say, you know, I want to open this office. I want to build this office, but I want to have a test salon in the back and I want to have a laboratory in there. And everybody else was like, you can't do that in that amount of space.
And I'm like, yeah, I'll figure it out. And she said, I know you know what you're doing. Yeah. You know, in a room full of people that were advisors, they were like, I don't think that's a good idea. And she was like, my mom knows what she's doing. So she trusts me on things and I trust her.
That's really important. That's a key facet, I think, for whether you're in business with a partner or someone that you know and love or just in business in general. If there is no trust there, I think the entire foundation is fractured. Exactly. Exactly.
You know, whenever you're doing something for somebody else, it might seem like you're doing it for them, but you're also doing it for yourself. And it works both ways.
Yeah. Well, and you also said at the beginning, even your original experience in having the salon, that it did so much for your self-esteem.
Yes.
Those relationships of how we support each other taps into that as well, where you go, someone believes in me. Right. You know, I think as you look towards some of the biggest wins that you've been having, can you think of some of the biggest learns and lessons that you've had along the way that will be helpful for some of these women listening?
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Chapter 8: What does it mean to be a 'mama mogul'?
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As a mom, in many ways, it is like being an entrepreneur because you are creating, you're building every day. You're creating, you don't need to call it a brand. It's not a brand, but your family and what you're creating and working on every single day. And you don't get a do-over.
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