Aspire with Emma Grede - What You Don't Know About Brand Beckham
Episode Date: May 5, 2026Victoria Beckham is one of the most famous women in the world. But behind the headlines is a business story that took nearly two decades to build. She entered fashion with every reason to be dismisse...d. A Spice Girl. A celebrity. A public figure trying to be taken seriously in an industry that rarely gives second chances. The skepticism was loud. The losses were public. And at one point, she lost control of the company that carried her own name – but she building anyway. Over nearly two decades, Victoria rebuilt her business piece by piece. Through financial pressure, shifting perceptions, and the quiet work of proving she belonged. Today, her fashion business is profitable, her beauty brand is scaling, and the narrative has finally caught up to the work. In this conversation, Victoria sits down with Emma to talk about what it really took to get here — the financial pressure, the imposter syndrome she carried for years, and the moment she decided to put Victoria back into Victoria Beckham. She opens up about building alongside David, what their partnership actually looks like behind closed doors, and why she refuses to feel guilty about following her dreams. And for the first time, she reveals that Harper — who has sat in on product development meetings since she was tiny — is starting her own brand. Victoria shares: What it felt like to lose control of her own company and rebuild from inside it Why staying close to the creative saved the business when nothing else could How she and David have built alongside each other without disappearing into one another The Diane von Furstenberg advice that changed how she thinks about guilt What Harper's brand pitch revealed about legacy, motherhood, and what it means to raise a family of builders What have you stayed committed to longer than anyone expected? Drop it in the comments. What would you build if you stopped listening to the noise? Drop it in the comments — we're reading. And subscribe to Aspire with Emma Grede so you don't miss what's next. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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You will not want to miss this week's episode of the Aspire,
podcast with the one and only Victoria Beckham, who is finally, after all these years,
running the type of business that she dreamed of. But it didn't come easy. And what's exciting
about today is that Victoria has real honesty about what it actually took and the failures
that she come across along the way. Stay tuned. You are going to hear her story like never
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URL so they know we sent you. Victoria Beckham, welcome to Aspire. Thank you so much.
I have to tell you, I am so excited to have you here. I flew in specifically so that we could do
this interview and I've told already you were my top five guests. When I started this podcast, I
wrote a list and I was like, I really want Oprah and I really want Michelle Obama and you and David
were both on that list and I am beside myself that you're here today. No. So do you, I bet you say that
to everyone, Emma, come on. I do not. I've filmed many, many podcasts. I really don't. I'm really
honest about it. Listen, I'm still waiting for Oprah. Like, let's tell you. And David Beckham. I'm so
sorry. You just got me. I mean, TikTok. I really, hello, David. No, I really don't say it to everybody,
but I have been a fan for the longest time. You know, I grew up in London. I was born. I was born.
in the 80s, and the spice girls in my childhood was, I cannot tell you, and I know you hear this all
the time, so pivotal. And for many obvious reasons, everybody wanted to, you know, label me a scary
spice. And I was like, babes, I'm posh spice. I am posh because of the Gucci and the whole thing,
and I am just beside myself. You have been just someone I've looked up to and admired for the
longest time, specifically for your career, post your music career. And so I cannot.
Well, thank you. Honestly, that means so much. I have to say, I'm a huge fan. I mean, I listen to every single one of your podcasts. I really do. And honestly, I find you so inspiring. Everything that you have achieved is incredible. So I'm super excited to be here and chat with you. Honestly, the feeling is mutual. And listen, I've got so many questions. So I'm going to jump right in. Because you are coming off the back of a show. And the reviews have been incredible. I feel like you are.
are really in a moment right now, post the documentary where thank you, you gave us such an insight
into your work and how you approach your business. And I guess my first question for you is really
to understand, like, where are you in your life right now as a businesswoman, as a founder,
as an entrepreneur, and how are you feeling? Do you know, I feel great. My business has been,
gosh, it's been a roller coaster ride. And I touch on that in the documentary. You know, I was in the
Spice Girls. And by the way, you look just like posh spice. You're looking very posh today, Emma, I have to say, very posh.
I mean, I just got this little, you know, Victoria Beckham thing that they say. Casual.
Well, you look beautiful. I was in the Spice Girls for four years and I'm so appreciative of my time with the girls.
Was it only four years? It was four years. That's unbelievable to me because it feels like it could have been 14 years.
Exactly. It was such a short amount of time and it was so great and I love the girls.
so thankful and appreciative of all of them on what we achieved and the fans.
But I've been so defined by that four-year period.
And I've been in fashion for 20 years.
And the business has been through so much.
It has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.
So when you say to me, how do I feel now?
I feel great now because, you know, I've been in the red for a long, long time.
I'm in the black, we're profitable.
I don't want to go back there.
No, fair.
It's been a fun ride, but finally, as an independent brand,
you know, to be able to say we are profitable,
and now I can start building the house that I've always dreamed of is very exciting.
It really is exciting, and I love the honesty there,
because I feel like certainly for this show,
so many young founders and entrepreneurs listening,
and what I really appreciated in the documentary was that level of honesty,
about how hard it is, seemingly even for somebody like you,
which I know actually has no bearings on real success and real longevity.
I wanted to ask you, though, before we dig into the business side of things,
what actually drives you right now?
Because despite only being four years,
you are literally one of the most famous women in the world.
And I'm imagining you're not hard out for a bit of money.
And so I really want to know, where's the ambition come from?
And actually, what is driving the level of dedication that we saw?
saw in that documentary to your business.
I love empowering women through fashion and beauty.
I love the industry.
I've learned my craft.
And I'm very, very ambitious.
You know, you said, how do I feel now?
I feel a level of contentment.
But that doesn't mean I'm not dreaming bigger than I ever have done before.
And so I'm excited that after all of the struggles, finally, you know, being in the
position I'm in now, I can now really start building. And I see so much opportunity in both fashion
and beauty. We know that appetite is there. And so now is the fun part. Oh yeah. Now is the fun part.
What is it that you're building towards when you look into the future and you think about what you're
capable of and what your brand is capable of? What are you aiming for at this point? You know, for me,
this has never been a vanity project. This has always been a true passion. You know, it's about creating
ultimately the best in class. So ultimately what I want to build is a legacy brand. It's always been
about the why of everything I do, not just the brands, but the product itself. You know, why am I,
why am I doing this? No one needs more stuff. For the sake of stuff, it's got to be good. It's got to be
ultimately what I desire, what I can't find, and it's got to have a point of view. Do you remember a time
when there was this perception shift
because I think it certainly wasn't easy for you
coming into fashion and being taken seriously
despite the insane and amazing outfits that we all loved.
You starting a fashion brand
was hotly questioned, contested, you know, in the media.
What was the moment for you
when everything fell into place
and it was like, they're taking me seriously now?
Do you know, I suppose I'm always going to be mindful
of preconceptions because of my background.
You know, I came from the music,
industry, married to a footballer, stepping into a fair, you could say.
And I was so aware of that, but I didn't listen to the noise.
You know, I stayed focused.
I knew what my purpose was.
I knew what my dreams were.
And, you know, the first collection that I showed, which was 10 dresses in 2008, I had a
hotel suite in New York.
I did it in a really, really humble way.
I didn't know which way that was.
going to go. I didn't know what people were going to think. Like I said, I was so aware of the
preconceptions. But right from the beginning, people were surprised at the quality of what I was doing,
you know, but it's, I will always feel that I have something to prove. I feel that I've earned
my right to be where I am, but I have to work even harder now to maintain that.
Do you have any idea what you'd be doing if you never became a spice girl and you weren't doing this?
Oh my goodness. I'd probably, well, I'd be one of two things. I'd probably be a makeup artist
because I've always been obsessed with makeup or probably something, marketing, something like that.
Yeah, but you'd be in the business. Yes, for sure. It's just like in your veins.
For sure. You know, I'm a creative person. I've never been the most academic. You know,
I've had to learn along the way, educate myself later on in life, as has David. You know,
the Beckhams, we're like a little family of builders.
Yeah.
I think you're a builder too, right?
I'm a builder.
I love the idea of being like a family of builders.
That feels so good.
That's what we are.
We're creative.
I was so interested when I watched the documentary, like just seeing like the level of
involvement, you in the businesses, but also you being a mom and this sort of relationship
that you have with your husband that you're clearly like so invested in.
And it's such a like family thing, like the fact.
that your family are turning up and David is there cheering you on and helping you out when you
needed him to be. But I think people still have a fascination with what it is that you actually
do day in and day out. And I'd love you to just talk me through like just a typical
Victoria Beckham Day. What does it even look like for you? Okay, well, I'm a creature of habit
and I really like routines. So we get up every morning, we make half a breakfast. David, if he's not
traveling does the school run. I go down to the gym and I do about 45 minutes workout.
What kind of workout you do? I lift weights. Oh, you listened to what they're saying out there
for the 40 year old women. Absolutely. So I lift weights for 45 minutes before David turns up.
He then turns up and we do an hour together. So let's just say. Stop it. You are an hour and 45.
Well, rather than focus on how much I do, let's look at David Beckham as the part timer in the gym.
That's how I like to look at it. So then we work.
out together and then I go to the office. My office is 10 minutes away from where I live. I have an
incredible team of people. I have an attelier. And that's where I go five days a week.
You're going five days a week. Yeah. I'm in the office five days a week. And I don't travel
enormously. I spend quite a bit of time in New York because my beauty business is based in New York
and my fashion business is between London and Paris. So yeah. But I'm in there every day. I have
to be. I have to be and I want to be. You know, I have incredible teams of people. It's so much more
multifaceted both businesses than I think most people would really recognize. And I'm so heavily
involved with every single aspect of what both businesses do. So talk to me about how that
shifted because I think in the early days when you have a tiny brand and people pay multiple
roles, there's one role for you as the founder. And then as things scale a little bit,
And of course you've got both beauty and fashion and your family and your, you know, whole life.
So what has the shift been in how you work today in the businesses versus what it looked like in the beginning?
It's not about putting out fires every single day.
Fair.
You know, over the last 20 years, I've had many different CEOs and you bring people on, you delegate,
which is hard as someone who is a control freak.
I'm sure you find the same thing.
Totally.
But it's an imperative, right?
It's imperative. You have to. You have to put trust in the person that you've put in that position.
You know, when I first started, my fashion business was being run by an entertainment group. And, you know, I didn't know fashion either. I'll include myself in that.
And these are people that didn't know anything about the fashion, the fashion industry. And I can honestly say that after a long, long time, I finally have an incredible team of people with an enormous amount of
experience in the industry, phenomenal amounts of talent. And so for me now, it's fun because I'm
very ambitious and now I feel that I have the team of people around me that I need to really build
something meaningful. It's well documented about, you know, the losses that you had and how difficult
it was in the start. Do you as a founder sit with that responsibility for that? Or like, how do you
feel about those early decisions? Look, I think there was a naivety when I first went into this.
And I think if I'd have known then about the industry, what I know now, I probably would have been
too scared to do it. Yeah. So I think that there was something very nice about that moment.
But gosh, I mean, we've made so many mistakes. But here's the thing. I've learned so much.
And I'm never going to put the blame on anybody else. I'm the person in the room that says,
hey, I could have done that differently, and I should have done that differently.
I was learning at the same time as well.
But I'm just so lucky to have such incredible talent now.
And I know what I know, but I really know what I don't know.
I don't pretend to know everything.
And I think that that is key.
So what I don't know, I surround myself with fantastic people that do.
None of us are born CEOs, right?
Like out the gate, especially when you came from...
I think you were.
I mean, maybe, like, you know, a girl that had like high ambition,
but it's like you have to learn and you have to make mistakes.
And I think that so many people sit with ideas and they never get out of the gate because of the fear.
And I love what you're saying that, you know,
it wasn't an ideal circumstance in the beginning that you learned much later,
but you did it anyway.
And I feel like so many of us are not as honest about our mistakes as we should be.
And anyone who's doing stuff and actually making big and bold moves
has like a whole history of mistakes and problems behind them.
What have been your hardest lessons to learn, do you think?
Oh my gosh.
I mean, the financial losses, you know, and it's been so public.
And I love, you know, I love listening to, you know, I've heard you speak so much
about mistakes that you've made as well.
And it's good to reflect on that once you're out of it.
But it's hard when you're in it.
And you've got to make sure that you stay focused.
and you keep your energy up, you know,
but I think that everything's been so public what my business has been through,
and it's a double-edged sword, you know,
when you are a known person and your name's on the label,
my business hasn't been through anything than probably any other fashion business has been
through.
It's just been more documented because it's me.
And I never complained about that.
I just kept focused, I didn't listen to the noise.
I knew what my purpose was and the why I was doing what I was doing.
I never lost sight of that.
I love that it also didn't deter you from continuing because I do think that in a way,
female founders and you more specifically because of your high profile are under such scrutiny.
And when I look at what it looks like for men, you know, men go out and they start businesses
and they fail in businesses and they lose loads loads of money and they start up the next day,
having been able to raise funds.
And if a woman does the same thing,
it's really frowned upon it's up.
She doesn't know what she's doing.
The reality is that we all come into business
with a different kind of knowledge level.
And actually losing money is part of building a business.
Did you ever get to the point where you're like,
this is actually not for me?
Like I'm not supposed to be running a company
and perhaps I should consider another path.
Well, there were definitely days when I just didn't want to go into work.
and, you know, there was no guarantee that I was going to be able to sustain what I had.
But I think I had no choice because if I wanted to save what I'd heavily invested in for all those years,
I had to get out of the situation that I was in.
And it got to a stage where I have incredible investors.
I have a business partner, David Bow,
Houssen, who has been just fantastic. And I found myself in a phase where I was in default.
And so basically that means that, you know, then I'm in a position where I don't have control
over my own company. And he said, which is disastrous for you because your name's on the door.
Absolutely. But however, I trusted him. And he said, to save this business, this is what we've got
to do. The strategy has to change. The structure of the company has to change. And
the design team, the attelier, the marketing, everything had to change.
And I didn't have a choice if I wanted to save the business.
So at that point, I had a choice.
I either listened and I go with this or I lose my business.
There was a moment in the documentary where David actually had to come in and help you financially.
And, you know, because I go so far back in your history, I remember when the two of you got together and you were the big one.
You were like the international pop star.
I mean, David was not the David Beckham that we know now.
He was like a really promising amazing footballer,
but it was like, you were the star.
And I wonder what that was like having to go to him
and have him prop up what you were doing.
Yeah.
Do you know it's interesting because I did an interview yesterday.
And the woman that interviewed me said,
you know, you and David share everything.
We're both partners in each other's businesses.
And financially, we have always shared everything.
And I said, yeah.
And she said, so why has everyone always said, David supported your business?
She said, doesn't that mean that you both supported your business?
I was like, I think about.
Actually, yes.
Wait a second.
Good point.
Yes, because your partners.
Because you're partners.
Because we have been partners in everything that we've ever done.
And we've always supported each other.
And I believe in his big dreams and his ambition.
And he's always done the same for me.
But at the time,
when we were supporting my business.
We weren't in the same financial position that we're in now.
And it was difficult, but we'd already invested so much
that to save what we'd invested to that point,
we knew we had to keep on investing.
And I just didn't know how to get out of this hole.
I felt like I was sinking in quicksand.
I just didn't know what to do.
Yeah, no, that's, I mean, I know that feeling
of having something that is not working
and seemingly feels out.
of your control, but you were already put too much in to walk away from it. And I feel like I've
had times in my own business where, you know, I've had to downsize and, you know, fire a lot of
people, walk away from something that feels really promising. And it is absolutely gutting. So it's
amazing that you were able to, you know, make that shift. And obviously, it's kind of working out
for you. So I used to think if you've got a great product, it'll be successful. And that was such a
naive thing to say because ultimately, of course, it's about the product, but you've got to have
the right team around you to make that a success. And though the business was going through so
much, you know, financially, no one was criticizing the creative. No, no, that's true. People loved it.
People were like, that's a good dress. People loved it. People desired what I was doing. It was just
the business that wasn't in a good position. Fair enough. So how was your relationship to money
changed. And I mean specifically within the business, because of course, it's very different when
you've got money as a person and you're making money as a pop star to when you're actually
managing an entity and the flow through of money. So what does that feel like for you now?
You know, look, I'm not a CEO. I'm not a CFO. I'm very lucky and blessed that I have now,
finally, great CEOs and great CFOs. By the way, I've had a lot of great people along the way.
It's just not always been the right person at the right time.
That is important that I say that.
I want people to be honest around me all the time
and people have not always been honest.
Can you take the honesty?
That is the only way that I can be.
You know, I don't want people around me that are sycophantic at all.
I need people to be really, really honest.
And I think in the past, people haven't been honest
because I am a known person.
and people thought that I always wanted the best, the best of everything.
Well, we all want the best, but that's not always the right thing to do,
and that's not right. That wasn't right for the business.
I just didn't know at the time.
So that is really key for me now, that everybody's brutally honest,
whether that's good or bad, just give me the truth.
I'm such a positive, glass-half-full person, and I'm all about energy.
Yes.
Harper says to me, how come you wake up in the morning,
you spring out of bed.
She always said to me the other day, we were in the kitchen, and she said, we just watched inside out.
Oh, so good.
And she said, she was like, Mommy, you know, your joy.
And I was like, thank you, Harper.
That's so sweet of you to say that.
And she said, yeah, you know, you're always so happy.
Even first thing in the morning.
You're always really positive.
And David was making the breakfast.
And he said, well, who am I Harper?
And she looked at him, now you know that little square red angry guy?
Stop it.
Stop it. Don't say that to me about David Beckham. Please.
This is only first thing in the morning. He's just not a morning person. He's the most, he's such a happy, joyful person. But in the morning, he's a little bit more grumpy.
And he turned to me and he said, well, how comes your joy? I'm like, well, don't steal my joy.
You're like, you're like, don't dare steal my joy. But this means that you choose joy, right? Because there's plenty for you to be worried about as a founder, as a mother, as a woman, like where we are in the kind of political climate right now.
there's plenty for you to be miserable about, but that means that you wake up and you choose joy.
That's what you do.
When I go to work every day, you know, I'm very aware that my energy is so important to the whole company.
I mean, people have come into my atelier and said, wow, we didn't know that a nice atmosphere with good energy was actually a thing in the fashion industry.
And we laugh about it.
Totally. No, but it's absolutely true.
It's really important to me. So I like to be positive, but I am also very honest.
someone's not doing something that is working as well, you know, I would never say something's
great if I don't think it's great. How do you deal with that side of yourself when everybody is,
and I'm sure that in your business, like you're still Victoria Beckham. So when you have to
give some critical feedback or when something displeases you, what does that look like when you're
less joyful, when you can't choose joy in the moment? I'm very lucky that the people I have around me
are genuinely the best at what they do.
So it's very rare that I actually have to tell someone
that I'm not happy with what they're doing
because it's taken a long time to find such remarkable talent.
But if I don't like something, if I don't like a skirt,
I'd be like, hey, not really loving the skirt right now.
Yeah, let's change up the skirt.
But, you know.
But you don't have a problem giving feedback?
Absolutely not.
I mean, and I have to do that because for a long time,
I wasn't outspoken enough because I was so in awe sometimes of the creative talent that I had.
And I suppose I did listen to some of the noise.
And I did have an element of imposter syndrome, really.
And so sometimes I wouldn't speak up because I thought, well, you know, what do I know?
This person knows so much more than me because they have so much more experience.
But then when I was put in that position by David, when,
I'll have some when he said to me, okay, if we're going to take this business forward and try and get it out of the mess that it's in, we need to put Victoria back into Victoria Beckham.
Fair. Do you believe that that's where some of the money challenges came from, like you not being in the centre of all the decision making?
I didn't know any different. I mean, sometimes I was having an obscene amount of lining fabrics for Outaway.
Fair. Yeah. I don't know. I watched that on the documentary because I was.
was like, you know, there was something about like a $70,000 plant bill,
which I absolutely, like, loved in a kind of posh way.
I didn't even know you could spend that much on.
I was like, all the kind of plants.
You have a rainforest in there.
But I get it.
It's like, you know, you can have some beautiful plants and some beautiful flowers
and you can get carried away with the fact that that's there and they're being watered.
And so what now are you looking at to make sure that those things don't happen?
Plastic plants.
No, I'm just not.
I'm actually joking because I hate plastic plants.
You can't have plastic, but there's no way you have any plastic anything at all.
Well, I'm definitely not having those expensive plants anymore.
You know, I just, I know to ask more questions.
Yeah.
And I have people around me now that recognize you should not be spending $70,000 on watering plants.
I mean, I'm embarrassed to even say that, but I just didn't know any differently.
You know, I've never run a business before.
I've learned a lot along the way.
but I'm more on the creative side of things
and just did not know any better.
I know that I've been in positions
where I'm like,
all of this is a business fundamental.
But when you find something like that,
of course you're like, okay, that's easy to cut.
What else did you have to look at?
Teams.
I had too many people working,
so I had to bring my numbers down.
Yeah.
That's really difficult.
It is because I'm a very loyal person
and I appreciate anyone that does anything for me.
But I had no choice.
And what do you think those financial pressures have led you to doing differently today?
Trust, really trust the people that have really proven to me that I can trust them and that they know what they're doing.
You know, I have two incredible female CEOs, both under the age of 45.
You have two CEOs?
Oh, in beauty and fashion.
One in beauty, both under the age of 45.
both women, and they are brilliant.
And I work very, very closely with the two of them, and I trust them.
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Victoria, talk to me about your move into beauty
because given all the learnings around fashion,
I wonder, A, what made you just go,
I'm going to start another entity?
Yeah.
If there was like trepidation around that
and what just gave you the feeling
that this was going to be?
be different because it has been a really different story for you in beauty, right?
Oh yeah, I mean, beauty was profitable day one.
Beow, be it, which was great.
Good for you.
Thank you.
Because beauty's a tough space too.
I mean, there can't be a more competitive space than beauty.
Yeah.
Well, what happened was Estée Lauder asked me to do a collaboration with them.
I remember it.
A few years ago.
And that was so exciting for me because I have collected makeup ever since I was little.
And when I had my first meeting with them, I had a little sample.
that I'd collected, colors that makeup artists had mixed up for me,
products that had been discontinued.
And I really knew if one day I had the opportunity to create a beauty line at the time,
what did I want?
What did I desire?
What couldn't I find?
And I'd learned so much for my time in the Spice Girls,
seeing myself on stage with glittery eye shadow on.
Okay, if I ever get the chance to create an eye shadow, note to self,
make sure the particles aren't too big, fall on your face, and you're like you've had a slap.
Fair.
Right?
Fair, you're like, note to self.
Yes, I've learned so much from my own personal experiences.
So I really knew what I wanted to do.
And I think they were probably quite surprised at that when I first started working with
their stay in order.
And it was so incredibly successful that I knew at that point that there was an appetite for
Victoria Beck and Beauty.
But I knew that to do it in a really meaningful, honest,
authentic way. I had to do that myself. I really wanted to focus on clean beauty, on being
inclusive. And those two things we talk a lot about now, but people weren't really talking about that.
I remember walking around. It was when Barneys were still around in New York. I remember
walking around in the beauty department and going up to the counters and asking people that worked for
the brands, what ingredients were in their formulas? You know, I've struggled a lot over my life
with bad skin, bad acne, and I wanted to know what was in the formulas. And I realized it was a very
great area. No one really knew what the hell was in anything. And so I knew that that would be
taking on a big challenge because that was really important to me, how to create something that is
as clean as it can be and still effective. And I knew that to do that, I had to do it myself. And fashion
wasn't in a great place at that time. So it was quite the risky, probably the most riskiest thing I've
ever done because fashion is struggling and I decide, here I go again. I want to start up something
else. Here goes the builder in me. Now let's build a beauty brand. So there was nothing in you that
was like, you know what, I've got this thing cooking over here. It's having a hard time. Let me just
like do a partnership. Let me go to Lauder. Let me go to P&J. Let me go anywhere and just get this
funded. Because at the end of the day, you're still Victoria. Like you didn't need to start it yourself.
Yeah. No, I just knew that to do it in the way that I wanted to do it. I had to do it myself. We
started out direct to consumer. Did you go out and raise money first? The money was raised by my
partners in fashion. So it was a seemingly one entity, but like two separate brands? Two separate funds,
run independently of each other. Right. And then just very few of us straddling both is how I like
to put it. It's a little, a little polite straddle there. Absolutely. And we cross-polline.
And so it was quite a risky thing to do. But for me,
it was all about finding the perfect product.
And when I look at my beauty brand now, you know,
the first product I created was an eyeliner.
It's the best eye liner.
I'm not just saying it because you're sitting here.
It is the best eyeliner.
You know what's really interesting about that eyeliner is we have so much choice.
There are thousands and thousands and thousands of eyeliners.
Yeah.
Brown eyeliners.
So why is my eyeliner?
And this is just one product out of,
of a huge selection makeup that we have and skincare and fragrance. Why does my eyeliner sell more than
any other eyeliner out there? Because the attention to detail, Emma, it was making sure it wasn't
just a brown eyeliner. It was the perfect shade of brown. It was the perfect formula. It did what I
needed it to do. I have the right amount of what I call playtime to create the look. Then once it's
there, it's there to stay. And people love those eyelin.
And for me, that's been the case with everything that I do.
You know, we just launched a foundation.
That has been a phenomenal launch.
I mean, I've got 25,000 people just on wait list for the foundation because we're out of so many shows.
Do you feel vindicated?
Like, even as you sit there and say that, having everything that you've happened in fashion,
like, do you sit there and go, I knew it?
Well, not like that.
I knew it.
I feel like I know what my customer wants because I am her.
And I think that she has so much choice in fashion and beauty.
And it's not about putting anything out there until I truly believe it's best in class.
Even if you were to buy a white t-shirt for me,
is it the perfect white t-shirt with a right neckline and the perfect sleeve and the perfect jersey?
So it's paying attention to all those details.
You know, I am such a champion of women in business.
And when you launch beauty, like I always feel like, I always feel like,
the best businesses are when there's zero explanation. To me, you in beauty, you sitting there
showing us how to do a smoky eye in your beautiful robe that's monogrammed, in your towel.
It's like, that is... I could just sit and watch those videos. I'm just like, you know,
just like this. And I feel like it makes so much sense. But I feel like there has to be a part of
you because, I mean, I'm reading some crazy stuff about this beauty brand. And I'm not asking you
to say it, but I read like a $700 million value.
out there.
Like, you're clearly having an incredible trajectory with this brand.
And I feel like there must just be a little part of you that goes.
That's really lovely.
I just genuinely love what I do.
And I'm just scratching the surface.
You know, it was only up until quite recently that anybody even realized that those
tutorials that I do are me, on my own, I've only just invested in a tripod.
Because up until recently, I was just holding the camera up, the phone up myself.
Like, give her a light, a tripod.
And so many people would comment, what's wrong with the other side of your face?
And I'm, for the love of God, I'm doing it, I'm talking it, I'm showing that, and I'm holding.
You know, I'm also not actually an influencer, but I can get a tripod.
But people thought I had a whole production team behind me.
It's just me in my bathroom, the reason I got a towel on my head is so I don't have to even blow dry in my hair.
Damn right.
And it's just me saying, look, I'm not, clearly not a model.
I'm not a makeup artist.
This is the why.
And if I can do it, anyone can do it.
Yeah.
Right.
Do you have an awareness of how humble you come across?
Because I feel like, you know, maybe I've been in the US for too long.
Maybe it just says more about me.
But I would feel so braggadocious if I was you.
I would feel so pleased with myself.
And I'd be like, yes, I've done this, like, insane business and built this insane brand.
You're just like so, like, I just love what I.
do and I get that. But is that a little bit of like the protectionist in you because you know that
the minute you go like the press is coming to get you? I don't know about that. I just think I've been
through so much. Yes. And yeah, I think it's just that, to be honest with you. And there's no guarantee.
I'm really excited now because I do see the potential. Yes. And now, you know, now we're looking at
retail for both fashion and beauty. You know, we have one flagship store, Dover Street, in London,
which is just doing so phenomenally well. We know that that is the next chapter for the brand.
Yes, it's a beautiful concept. Thank you. Retail, you know, global retail expansion. We know that is
the next phase. And I'm excited for that. So I'm not sitting here feeling or, you know,
cocksure of myself, but I'm sitting here feeling really excited because I've worked really hard.
and I'm not afraid of hard work
and I know it's going to be a lot more hard work.
I also just can't stand listening to asshole.
Fair enough.
You hear so many people.
I mean, I listen to so many podcasts
and you just think, oh my gosh, it's like,
I don't, I would never want to come across that way
because I'd like to think I'm not that person.
Fair enough.
No, I think that's really fair.
What does the future look like for you?
Because, of course, there has to be an awareness
of all the opportunity that's in front of you.
You do have this beautiful retail,
concept. And to me, it's very easy to see, you know, flagship stores on the best streets in the
world. You have this unbelievable beauty brand and beauty, but there's such a feverishness around beauty.
So when you look into the future, what does brand Victoria Beckham look like? I am a founder and
creative director of Victoria Beckham, the fashion brand, but I own my beauty brand. I own my fragrance
company that is not a license. Again, nothing wrong with that business model. But that's where
I see the potential and the excitement that, you know, being a living founder that still owns the
beauty and the fragrance really does open up incredible opportunities. I mean, so many opportunities.
Do you ever see a day? I just watched the most beautiful collection I thought,
Hyder Ackerman, who come in for Tom Ford. Do you ever see a day where you won't be the creative
director of Victoria Beckham? I don't know. I mean, I look at Tom Ford and
you know, people say to me, who do you look up to?
Who do you find inspiring?
I mean, no one has done it like Tom Ford.
No.
I mean, when you look at what he's achieved with both fashion and beauty
and then ultimately selling his companies.
And I mean...
Billions and billions and millions.
Yeah.
So I don't know. Let's see.
Now, I feel like Tom Ford is a really great,
like, personal sort of like North Star and reference point for you
because, you know,
there are so many, like when you look at those kind of two businesses and the trajectory that you went on,
which is why I mentioned Haida, because, I mean, I looked at that collection and I was like,
I need to buy every single piece. But it's a different time. I think that Tom has very famously said that
after a certain age, you can't be a creative director of a women's wear brand. And I wonder if there's
anything in you that goes, there will be a time to pass the bat on. Well, I think that I'm not there
just, yeah, I think, look, Tom was in the industry for much longer than I was.
I mean, I first became aware of Tom Ford, you know, in the late 90s, early 2000s,
when I was taking up all the Spice Girls budget and I was buying Gucci when he was the creative
director over at Gucci.
So I think he's been in the industry so much longer than I have.
But I'm not there.
I'm not there just yet because as I do get older, of course there's going to be certain
garments that maybe I don't want to wear as I'm getting older, but that doesn't mean that I don't
know who the Victoria Beckham woman is. Yeah, 100%. Do you envisage a time when you would actually
want to sell your brand and like go into a big group? Because again, when you're at this
kind of sweet spot, and I feel like this is one of the things that I've seen kind of over and over again,
you can get too big to sell. You can get to the point where you limit the opportunities for
acquisition because you're just so bloody big. And so I wonder if there's that piece of it in your mind.
Like, is there like some grand plan to eventually like exit and move to the country and help David
with the chickens or something? My goodness. Look, I think that you don't know what's around the corner.
The idea of a huge cash injection and ultimately what I could then do with the company, I'm always saying,
you know, I can get quite impatient. And I'm always saying, I want to put my foot on the gas. I want to do more.
I want to get bigger. I'm ambitious. I want to do this. I want to do that. I mean, like I said,
I really am just scratching the surface. So the thought of being able to do that is not something
that sometimes does not feel like attractive. However, I'm proud of the fact that currently being
independent gives me the freedom to do what I want to do. But I'm always just sit back and see what
comes my way. See what happens. I mean, listen, when you're, when you have success, you have a lot of
options. So it's just like, just keep doing what you're doing, right? That's going to give you the,
the ability to pick and choose from all of the things that you can do with this beautiful brand.
I want to ask you, as somebody who works with their husband, and understanding like this
beautiful dynamic that you have with your husband, what's been so interesting is that seemingly,
and as you say, you guys work together, but you haven't disappeared into one another's identity. It's like,
you will turn up in Miami and support him.
He is there supporting you all the time.
How have you balanced that as two people with like big goals,
big ambitions, big profiles?
How do you like go home and just have a cup of tea?
And, you know, I just, I wonder what that looks like.
You know, we just, we've grown together.
And that is what I'm so proud of with our, with our marriage.
We have grown together.
We have educated ourselves and each other.
other along the way. You know, neither of us were particularly academic. You know, we've just surrounded
ourselves with really smart people along the way and we've had to learn on the job. So we have that
in common. And I want to make David the best version that he can be of himself. And he wants to do
that with me. We fully support each other's dreams and ambitions. You know, we don't get involved
with each other's businesses on a day to day. I mean, look, I'll show up and watch a football game,
I'm not going to get in the dressing room and tell him what to do.
You know, I'll be there to support him every now and then, you know, just before a show,
he'll come into my pre-production space and he'll give his opinion, Emma, of the collection.
Love him for that.
And you know how that goes.
But you know how that goes.
You're like, dude, not right now.
That's great, David.
Move on.
He doesn't tell me what to put in the collection.
I don't tell him, you know, anything about the football side of things.
So I think we really support each other, but we don't get overly involved.
Yeah, I understand that.
I mean, it's interesting because people always say to me that,
how do you work with your husband?
And I'm like, well, we do work together, but we do very different things.
I can go days in the office without ever even seeing the end,
because we are just not across.
Like, he does what he does and I do what I do.
And it's actually very, very separate.
We very rarely are actually collaborating on something together.
But I do think that when you have an understanding and an appreciation as somebody professionally,
it's so amazing for a relationship.
Because when you are someone who pours your everything into your profession and your work,
it's like you need someone who's going to get it.
You need someone who understands you don't have a regular nine to five.
And also I think it's just very healthy for a relationship when you just have, you know,
you're not like in each other's pockets constantly.
Totally.
I mean, I think the two things that people really don't realize about David,
David Beckham. Number one, he's incredibly smart. He has built incredible businesses. And so I do
turn to him and ask advice because I respect what he has built. And the other thing is he's incredibly
funny. Those two things people don't realize. I love that. They know he's handsome. They know he's a good
dad. We know. He's really funny. He is not as funny as me. I mean, clearly, obviously not. I have to say,
like, the word on the street is that you're the funny one. No one goes like, David Beckham,
funny, they go, Victoria Beckham's really funny.
Thanks, Sam.
Just saying, that's just what I've heard.
I'm just telling you what I'm now.
Well, that's why we're getting along so well,
because I've heard that about YouTube.
I actually don't know if I believe that.
I don't know if anyone thinks I'm funny.
They think I'm just a bit, you know, a lot, just a lot.
I wonder how you guys deal with things differently
because it's obviously clear that whatever the both of you are doing,
you're getting a lot of opinion from the outside world.
How do you guys deal with the scrutiny differently?
Do you have different ways of actually handling all the pressure that comes your way?
My days of being overly bothered about what people say, that just doesn't serve me.
You know, I also don't want to be an idiot and not aware, but it doesn't serve me to look at, you know, anything negative or find myself on Instagram looking at anything negative.
I know how that would affect me, so I just used to not look at it.
So what do you do?
Like you don't pick up a newspaper.
or look at social, like you just...
I have people around me that deal with that.
And look, I don't want to be an idiot and not aware.
But if someone's written something horrible,
I said something horrible, I have zero interest in looking at it.
Look, I'm not saying that's always been the case,
but that's where I am right now.
You know, I want to do the best that I can do when I'm at work.
I want to be focused.
I don't want it to kill my energy.
And at home, I want to be the best mom that I'm.
can be as well. Yeah, there has been an element of self-preservation at some point because otherwise
you're just looking for problems. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, damn right. How do you even decide
what remains personal and what is going to kind of become part of the broader brand Beckham?
Do you know, when myself and David first met, it was never the intention to start a brand. You know,
people talk about Brand Beckham and that has happened so organically. You know, when I first met
David, I mean, he was a brulcreen boy. He was playing for Manchester United. I actually remember
that deal. I 100% remember that endorsement. I mean, first of all, the whole country was
obsessed with David's hair. So it was a genius deal. But that is what I remember, Adidas and
brookery. Yeah. Every boy in that, every school had brokraine as a result, by the way. It's great,
great investment for them.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.
And so, you know, David was, you know, Addidas and Brill Cream and Pepsi.
You know, I was in the Spice Girls.
And that's where I learned so much about how to build a brand, you know, and marketing.
So whilst he was doing Brill cream and Adidas, the Spice Girls were doing Walker's Crisps, Pepsi, Chubba Chubb's Lollies,
deodorant.
I mean, we were raking it in over there.
You know, true story.
My mother still has a...
Spice Girls pizza in her freezer.
No, she does not.
First of all, that's her mom right there.
No, she's, how proud do you, how proud can you possibly be?
Proud and slightly, slightly disgusted.
I mean, that pizza's been in the fridge for 30-odd years.
It's not good for my dad if she decides to cook that.
Let's hope she never pulls it out for him.
Yeah, yeah.
But so, you know, when people talk about Brand Beckham, you know, that was never something that
we together ever even discussed. David did what he did. I did what I do. And, you know, like I said,
we're just, we're a couple of builders. That's what we do. It's what we enjoy. You know, when I look
at Cruz, my little son, you know, Cruz, who's a musician, he's actually on tour at the moment.
I said to Cruz, the most important thing is to learn your craft. Take your time, learn your craft.
and he has spent years learning to play five or six different instruments, writing his own songs,
putting a band together.
He's gone on tour, touring small venues, doing it in a very, very humble way.
And he's incredibly talented, but he's learned his craft, he's building his brand.
You know, that's just what we do.
I mean, it's pretty amazing to think about the idea that you weren't like really
trying to conceive of a brand beckham because when I think about the best and I do think about it
like this like talent-led brands because that's very much the industry I'm in brand be brand beckham is
like one of the best like if not the best it's just like you have such a you know if I was coming in
and working with you like you have such clarity of what you stand for who you guys are what you would
choose what you're intent like you're so intentional about everything so it's amazing to think that
you weren't like thinking about crafting that a lot more.
You know, we don't have any deals together.
David does what David does.
I do what I do.
We don't have any deals.
Really?
No, nothing.
And that's the way it's always been.
Oh, I never thought about that.
Not that, I mean, I've come to you with many, many things trying to put you guys in a deal together
back in my old, like, brand broker days that you, of course, you turn absolutely everything down.
That's so interesting.
I'd never really thought of it in that way.
Well, we have very different interests, you know, very different, very different things that, you know, that we do.
So I think it was the outside world that really talked a lot about Brand Beck and that's never really how we saw it.
We're just doing what we do.
So let's talk about, because you do have this, like, unbelievably beautiful family.
And I always think about raising kids and I'm doing it in a very different, you guys have such a spotlight on you and so much attention.
But when you raise children,
who have a very different upbringing to you.
I wonder how you guys have thought about that
because even as you say,
encouraging crews to like, you know,
double down and get really good at his craft.
Like, what have you taught your children
considering that, you know,
you've got these unbelievable careers
and now you've got these four kids
who seemingly, you know, it's like they're yours
and you're like, you know, in this world
and they've got all the kind of choice and opportunity.
What does that even look like in your family?
Do you know, I think that out of our kids,
children have had a very different upbringing to myself and David.
No doubt.
And I think the world is also a very different place now as to what it was when they were younger,
you know.
And we've always tried to protect the children as much as we can.
We've always been very close.
Communication is really key.
You know, six o'clock at night, every night at our house, so long as neither of us are
traveling, we always eat dinner together.
We're quite a traditional family, more than people would recognize, without even
saying it, you know, we're not on our phones and we're all just talking about what's happened
that, you know, during the day. So being very close is really, really important to us. And just
ultimately, you know, we want the kids to be hardworking, kind. I think that I've always wanted
to be the best mom that I could be and look after the kids. But I also feel that it's been
part of my job to really help them fulfill their full potential. And for them, and for
to recognize what their sense of purpose is.
And with Cruz, for example, it was his music.
And anything that I could do to support him, to encourage and to help him,
that's my job as his mom.
It's never about being pushy or forcing.
It's being there to support.
And so for Cruz, you know, he could have released a record years and years and years ago,
but he knew it was really important to learn his craft,
start from the ground up.
I wonder how the scrutiny that you constantly face
has shaped the type of mother that you are.
I think that it's very different parenting adult children
to parenting smaller children.
And, you know, I'm just trying to do the best, the best that I can, you know.
And they grow up so quickly.
And I just want them, like I said, you just want to,
it's my job to make sure that my kids are the best versions of themselves.
and that they feel fulfilled.
You know, I always encourage them to dream big
and then dream even bigger.
My kids manifest.
My kids have crystals beside their beds
and they know that they do have a responsibility as well
because of the profiles that they have
and how they can use that to do good in the world.
That's really important as well.
And to be really good people.
You know, the greatest compliment, as you know,
is when someone will say, I met your kids.
And they were great.
great kids. Do you think that responsibility to live up to everything that you just said is
a lot of pressure for your children? I suppose it must be, to be honest. I mean, look, Cruz is in
the music industry, but he's a very different artist than what I was. You know, his music is,
he's in a band, you know, it's alternative music. And what does success look like at an early
stage is very different to what success looked like for me with the spice girls. And seemingly
kind of impossible to live up to, right?
Yeah, and you know what?
I don't, we don't put any pressure on our kids.
We just want them to do what they love and to work hard and to be happy.
Victoria, everyone has their own opinion of you and your family,
but what has it actually been like raising a family in this level of public scrutiny and attention?
It's very different now to what it used to be like.
Media is very different to what it is now.
In what way?
It was much more intense.
And I think that as much as social media, you know, there's a negative side to that.
There's also a really positive side of that.
I mean, let's be honest.
Everyone thought I was a miserable bitch for many, many years.
We did kind of think that maybe in England, little.
Okay, but Emma, why was that?
Well, because of the one photo that we got served up with you, we never saw you sitting there
having a laugh like that.
I totally get it.
The image that was portrayed was, in fact, an image that was portrayed.
It was not something that you were in control of.
your narrative was managed for you.
Exactly.
You know, the story was taught,
the narrative was being led by the media,
and the pictures were taken by paparazzi.
And I think that's the great thing about social media.
There's lots of negatives, as I said,
but the great thing is I can take back that ownership.
And that's another reason why I decided to do the documentary
is it was the right time for me to tell the story from my side,
for me to own that narrative.
If you could change anything, would you change something?
Whereas it pertains to like how much attention there has been on you?
I don't think I'd change anything because it's been a hell of a journey.
But me and David are stronger because of that.
I never thought anything would be easy.
I've never expected anything to be easy.
I was bullied a lot when I was at school.
I was never used to people being particularly nice.
So I was used to it and it's made me who I am now.
No, 100%.
I thought about you a lot when I was coming here because my kids are so little.
And when I leave, you know, I have a 12, a 9, a 4 and a 4.
And it goes, as you say, like so, so quickly.
And, you know, I look at my 12-year-old now and he's having an entirely different life.
You know, the girls come around.
It feels to me like they're like 15, these 12-year-old girls.
It's like unbelievable.
And my little babies are just so precious.
And as soon as they get to that age of four, my brain is like, oh my goodness,
like maybe do I need another baby?
Like, this is so insane.
But I know, oh, wow.
Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you that question.
I was really thinking just about the changing dynamics as your kids get older.
Like, how does that feel for you right now?
Because, of course, you're in a different stage in your career.
Your family's in a different stage.
And I just wonder, like, what are the big shifts for you guys as a family?
Do you know what I think I'm really enjoying.
the stages that they're at right now.
You know, I mean, Harper is going to be 15 pretty soon.
And I cannot believe, I mean, 15.
Yeah, it's like a woman at this like this.
She is.
And I'm so proud of all of the children.
But, you know, Harper, she's very ambitious.
She's got big dreams.
And she's very appropriate.
She's very appropriate.
But I don't know what I expected to be honest.
I mean, she's been sitting on my lap taking part in beautiful.
beauty development meetings ever since she was little.
Isn't that incredible?
I mean, what an apprenticeship for her.
How do you protect your kids?
You know, like the private side of your family,
when stories are circulating, like how are you even able to protect them?
I think that we're just very close and we talk.
Yeah.
And we talk.
And, you know, I think that's the most, that's the most important thing.
That's all that you can do.
And that's the way that we've always been and protect them as much as much as you can.
I talk all the time about trade-offs and the things that I'm not there for or the things that I'm
unable to do in both the business and in family. And I just wonder what that looks like for you
because so many people will be listening to this and being like, bloody hell, how does she do it?
So like, how do you do it?
Do you know, well, I mean, look, the same as you. There are trade-offs. And, you know,
I can't be at everything. You know, Harper had a school play the other day. And, you know, I was
outside, you know, on, you know, working, you know, watching the school production through the
window because I had deadlines. There were things that I had to do. And I tried to do the best that I
can. You know, between myself and David, we tag team. But I think that the key is to not feel
guilty. Just do the best that you can. I remember Diane von Fosterberg saying to me years ago,
I said to her, Diane, you are so incredibly.
successful. I mean, she's such an icon.
Legend. A legend.
One of my favorite people.
You know, and you've had two incredible children.
You know, how did you do everything?
Did you feel guilty? And she said, guilt is such a negative emotion.
It is pointless. And then she said, and darling, it's very aging.
And you were loved her.
Not guilty, sadly.
I loved her for that.
Yeah. Because as women, we do feel guilty. We do feel guilty if we can't be a drop-off.
or pick up or at a school play, or if we have to travel for work.
But that's what we do.
And our children, ultimately, I believe, will be inspired by that.
You know, Harper showed me a project that she did at school last week.
They'd been asked to write a piece on who inspires them.
And that could be anyone.
And she chose me.
Oh, that's just so darling.
It was the sweetest thing.
When you see her, like, actually, like, write your name and say you,
you just die? I felt so proud because like you just said, I have not been at everything because
that's just like you said, there are trade-offs, but the fact that she looks at me and finds it
inspiring and recognises that we have a great relationship, I've been the best mom, but then I've
also followed my dreams and passions. And that is now what she wants to do. You know, Harper is
her own little, you know, she's a little entrepreneur herself. And I love the fact she looks up
to what I do. And, you know, she's finding her own sense of purpose and what she wants to do.
I mean, it's amazing. I was going to ask you about Harper because she is watching you and she has
a front row seat watching you build this fashion and beauty empire. And I wonder, specifically as a
daughter, like, what do you hope Harper takes away from seeing you do all of this? Well, you know,
She came to me two or three years ago, and she was really struggling with her skin.
She used to have beautiful skin.
But then, like all young girls, she was enticed by certain beauty brands,
and she was putting a lot of product on her face that was not suitable for her skin.
And consequently ended up going to see a dermatologist because her skin was really, really bad.
And I went through that journey myself.
You know, I suffered with child acne, teenage acne, adult acne.
I mean, every acne under the sun, I've been there.
So I could really relate to her.
And she said, you know, I really want to create a brand
because I know what I want, what I can't find,
and I don't want other people to have to go through what I have been through.
And she came to me with a little PowerPoint presentation.
I love this girl.
I mean, she had two PowerPoint presentations.
one about this brand that she wanted to create
because she was struggling with her skin
and the other one was a reason as to why
I should let her have a perm.
Please tell me you only greenlit one of those presentations.
We put the perm conversation to one side
and it was very sweet
because she genuinely had a point of view.
She really did.
She didn't want other people to struggle
because she saw what she had done with her skin.
And ever since she was tiny, she sat on my lap.
She loves products.
She loves formulas, you know.
She's even helped me select colours sometimes
when I've been working on colour palettes.
And you have to tell me, like the presentation,
what did the presentation look like?
It was products that she had collected,
things that she liked.
She's seen you.
She just like, she knows how this goes.
She does.
But she really, she could not find what she wanted that would be kind for her skin that was acne prone.
And that just did not exist.
And she said, so I want to create that.
Look, at the same time, she's still at school.
She's studying her GCSEs.
But that is her passion.
That is what she wants to do.
What was the feeling?
I was so interested to hear her reason why.
Why does she want to do this?
and she'd been through such a journey herself with her skin,
and I could really relate to that, you know.
That's amazing.
Is she going to launch a brand?
I think she probably will.
And obviously, this is what I do.
This is what I love.
I mean, product development is, that's my, you know.
Yeah, that's your sweet spot.
I mean, I bet you'd love to kind of get in
and solve all of those like past acne problems for you and for everybody else out there.
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, I think it's so interesting.
because like it or not, I feel that, I mean, I was obsessed with cosmetic products when I was a kid.
You know, I would go to boots and you'd try all the things.
And, you know, we had two, you know, it was like clear a seal or, I don't know, like some other, like, thing that would like just strip your skin.
And as a black girl, you know, you'd wash your face and you'd be gray.
And it would just like strip all the oils out of your skin.
It would be literally the worst.
And I remember, like, dreaming of coming up with an idea.
Sadly, I didn't have the type of mother that would give that two seconds of thought, nor could she.
But I think it's kind of amazing that she would pitch that type of thing to you.
And the idea that you could bring this brand to life is amazing.
If I can support her dreams and her passions like I can the other kids, I want to do that.
I think there's a difference between supporting as opposed to pushing.
I said Brand Beckham, not you, because I know you don't think about it in that way.
but this feels like an extension to your world and to your brand,
like to have your kids involved in what is like your family empire.
I mean, we joke about it and I say, David, how strong are my jeans?
There's no footballers.
We're singing, we're dancing, we're doing beauty.
We're all creative.
We're all singing and dancing.
So is there like, are there imminent plans for this brand to come out?
Or do I just have to like hold my breath and wait?
We'll just have to wait and see.
Are you one of those media strategy people
clicking through slides, scrolling spreadsheets?
Yes? Good. This is for you.
Because on Spotify, there's an audience that's different.
Locked in, loyal, invested.
They're called fans.
Fans don't just listen to music.
They feel seen by it like it belongs to them.
So when your brand shows up on Spotify, that's who you're talking to.
And you're right next to artists like me, Lizzo.
So, are you ready to talk to fans?
Spotify Advertising.
You're among fans.
Before we come to a finish, I want to talk to you just a little bit about legacy.
Okay.
Because you have built such an incredible business and an incredible family.
And I think that so many people look up to you.
So when you think about legacy, what is that even, does it have any meaning to you?
Do you give it a second thought?
Well, for me, I want to build a brand that will outlive me.
You know, it started with girl power.
and empowering young girls and boys in music.
And now it's about empowering people through fashion and beauty.
And I would definitely like that to outlive me.
I want to make women feel like the best most empowered version of themselves.
And you're doing that.
Thank you.
Is there a part of you that goes, it's working?
Like I'm doing exactly what I set out to do.
Yes. I do feel that way. I feel so proud. I really do. It hasn't been easy. If anybody can look at my journey as someone who has genuinely been the underdog and think, well, maybe I can do that. I would encourage anyone to dream big and then dream even bigger. And if I can do it, if you're not afraid to put in the hard work, then anyone can do it.
Yeah, I feel like your whole life and career is testament to that.
Following the documentary, do you feel like there was a perception shift
that people think and look at you a little bit differently?
There was something quite liberating about both documentaries
because I say I went into the process, a control freak,
and came out a reformed control freak.
Did you really?
Because I did not have, I didn't have sign-off, I didn't have control.
And so that was quite daunting for me at the beginning,
but I knew that was the way that it had to be
so that it was on it.
You know, it was not a vanity project.
So I had to put myself in the hands of the people that I trusted.
And it was actually the night of the premiere, someone said to me,
are you nervous because I hadn't seen the show?
And I said, you know what? I'm not because if I'm a,
then I deserve to come across as one.
Let's be honest, is what it is at this point.
I mean, you said it.
I don't think that's what happened.
But it's interesting to have that kind of like, you know, I've done it.
I've put it out into the world and that's it.
Yeah.
I understand that.
When you think about women sitting at home listening to this conversation with their own dreams and aspirations, some at the beginning of their career, some that are potentially thinking about reinvention, what do you want to say to people about the ability to live an ideal life about success, about living the life of their dreams? What have you learned over all these years?
I have followed my dreams and I'm so glad that I did.
that I wasn't scared to do it.
You know, I had my children, and I was in a fortunate position to be able to go back to work.
I appreciate that that is not always the case, but if you have the opportunity, don't feel guilty.
There's nothing wrong with, you know, with doing what you want to do and what feels right for you
and following your dreams.
And I'm so glad that I did that because I think if I hadn't have done, I'd be waking.
up at my age, really regretting that, really regretting that.
I wonder what you're dreaming about now that might surprise people.
Oh, a glass of wine.
You and me both, babe.
Or tequila.
I mean, I don't.
Tequila, wine.
What's your tipple of choice?
Well, I will either have a tequila or a red wine.
How about you?
I am a tequila or a red wine too.
Oh, nice.
I'm going to move into rapid fire before.
Okay.
It's like, I'm really cheap at rapid fire, by the way, because I'm so long-winded.
Me too.
feel like, you know, do whatever you want.
Okay, so rapid fire.
What is one part of your business
that you've had to get better at
whether you like it or not?
I mean, I had to get better at so many things.
Do you know what I had to get better at?
Like, not losing my shit.
Like, that was my thing.
And I say it quite openly.
I had to learn to not be a hot head.
Do you know that's very true
because that was some advice
that someone gave me, actually,
is that we have to be really mindful
of how we deliver
sometimes news that someone doesn't want to hear
because it really affects people
because they care what we think.
It's really true.
And it stays with people.
It does.
There you go.
We've learned.
This is funny.
What is your most used phrase
in a fitting or a product review?
Oh my gosh.
I don't know.
These are really difficult.
No, I'm so sorry.
Oh my gosh.
I can't think of that.
What do you say all the time?
Or just what do you say all the time
in any situation?
Oh my God.
I don't know.
Okay, can I just tell you what one?
Like, don't you feel like the word vibes is really overused?
I'm like, that's a vibe.
Good, great vibe.
Yeah, I'm feeling that vibe.
I'm like, can you just never say that again?
I'd like to erase that from my vocabulary.
Okay, okay.
Now, what do I say most?
I mean, I probably can't actually say it to be.
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
I'll take that as the answer.
I'll take that as the answer.
How does the control-freaking you let loose and lose control?
Oh, gosh.
I mean, all of us, Beckham's.
We, you know, we really do, we love music.
So music is on in the house, first thing in the morning.
And, yeah, I mean, I really enjoy, me and David really enjoy going out, having a drink,
or sometimes on a Friday night, if the weather permits, sitting, you know, in his vegetable patch,
listening to music with a glass of wine.
That's our favourite thing to do.
Heaven.
I mean, we saw it.
We saw it firsthand.
We were all upset.
You were like, look at them too.
Have a little moment.
Have a little dance.
And she's like, heaven.
You know, romantic.
All right.
What's one rule that you live by when it comes to money?
I'm still very mindful of what things cost.
I mean, don't ask me how much a pint of milk cost
because I won't know the answer to that.
But I am mindful.
You know, I will still walk out of a room and turn the lights off
because that's how I was bought up, you know.
So I am still mindful of what everything costs.
And I'm not particularly wasteful.
I really do know what.
It's not cost because I'm so cheap.
But I love that you say that because like waste just really frustrates me.
Is there a book that has changed your life?
Oh my gosh.
Do you know I didn't read for so many years because I am self-diagnosed dyslexic and discountculec.
I did not know that you were dyslexic.
I'm dyslexic too.
Oh really?
I mean so many founders are, but that's interesting that you're dyslexic.
And I didn't know really up until, you know, obviously seeing what my children have been through,
through their academic journeys.
And so for so long, I didn't read because I was scared of books.
You know, I had a teacher at school who told me that I was sick because I couldn't read
because, you know, when I was at school, dyslexia wasn't something that was recognized.
So I was so scared of books for so many years.
And, you know, only the last few years have I really learned to enjoy books.
And I read The Secret.
Oh, I did.
It's a good one.
that's a very like manifesting creative visualization energy vibes vibes yes i love that and it and it's true
you know funny little story not so funny at the time i'm scared of lifts i got stuck in a lift i manifested
it emma what are you going to do actual factual facts you did you did as i manifested you so it
It's both ways.
I mean, literally, could be good, could be bad.
I'm so happy that you say that you started reading books
because I feel like it's such a beautiful, like, joyful thing of life.
And this is not in my rapid fire questions,
but just because I'm obsessed with dyslexia
and actually how many successful people have dyslexia,
do you have an awareness of the superpowers that you've developed
as a result of your dyslexia,
meaning that because you can't do certain things
or you struggle with certain things,
that you've found ways around it and they're actually, like, amazing.
Probably not aware of them. I think that we just find the tools within ourselves to overcome the problems that we have, right?
I think that you probably have so many things that you're so amazingly good at because you struggled and you just didn't know.
I was undiagnosed at school as well and I just, I think it's fascinating that so many successful people are.
All right, last question. My last question. What are you aspiring to in your life right now?
Oh gosh, I aspire to be the best mom, continue to be the best mom that I can be, the best wife,
and to really now truly build the fashion and beauty house that I dreamt of, you know,
a legacy brand, a brand that will outlive me that will make other people feel like the most empowered,
powerful, beautiful version of themselves.
I think you're doing that.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations.
are in all your success.
Thank you.
You too.
Thank you so much.
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Aspire with Emigreed
is presented by Odyssey.
I'm your host, Emma Greed.
Executive producer,
Ashley McShan,
Derek Brown, and me.
Our executive producers
from Odyssey,
Leah Reese Dennis,
Asha Saluja,
Lauren Lagrosso.
Producer KK Sublime,
Stephen Key is our senior producer.
Sound design and engineering by Bill Shorts.
Angela Paluso is our Booker, original music by Charles Black.
Video production by Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, and Carlos Delgado.
Social media by Olivia Holman, Catherine Bale.
Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sydney Ford, my team's at the lead company and WME.
Mora Curran, Josephina Francis, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose,
Mikal, Sean Cherry and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DM me at Aspire with
Emagre. Greed is spelled G-R-E-D-E-D-E. That's Aspire A-S-P-I-R-E with EmmaGreed. Or you can submit a question to me on my website,
emagreed.me.
