Jaclyn Hill tells all (ozempic, closing her brands, having babies)
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode covers Jaclyn Hill's deeply personal decision to shut down all her businesses, linking the immense pressure of being a CEO to her severe depression and reliance on alcohol.
Three key insights emerge from this discussion. First, prioritizing mental health over professional titles is an act of self-preservation, not failure. Second, the reality of entrepreneurship for creators often involves overwhelming logistics, far beyond their initial creative passions. Third, developing internal validation is crucial for navigating constant public scrutiny and "cancel culture."
Jaclyn explicitly stated her decision to close Jaclyn Cosmetics, Jaclyn Roxanne, and Koze stemmed from deep unhappiness. She realized the demands of being a CEO were detrimental to her mental health and not aligned with her personal aspirations. This highlights the critical importance of stepping away from roles that cause severe depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
The "OG" YouTube creators often felt pressured into brand ownership, seeing it as the next career step. However, successful product collaborations provided a misleading "teaser," focusing solely on the creative aspects. The vast majority of running a business involves complex logistics, purchase orders, financial oversight, and team management, which many creators found profoundly miserable.
The conversation explored the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" nature of public opinion, where Jaclyn faced criticism for both launching and subsequently closing her brand. Experiencing "cancel culture" was described as traumatic and overwhelming, akin to facing thousands of reprimanding voices. The essential lesson learned was to cultivate a strong internal moral compass and self-validation, rather than relying on fickle public approval.
The discussion also touched upon the strategic importance of separating one's personal name from a business identity. Tying a brand directly to a creator’s name exposes it directly to personal backlash and limits flexibility, a lesson learned from shared experiences. Her health transformation from cutting alcohol, a coping mechanism for business stress, further underscores the link between personal well-being and professional choices.
Ultimately, the conversation reinforces that pivoting one's career and life path is essential when it no longer serves personal happiness and well-being.
Episode Overview
- Guest Jaclyn Hill opens up about her recent weight loss, attributing it to quitting alcohol which she had been using as a coping mechanism for anxiety, and addresses the Ozempic rumors head-on.
- The conversation delves into the harsh realities of being a creator-founded business owner, contrasting the creative dream with the logistical nightmare, and Jaclyn explains her decision to step away from her brands.
- Jaclyn discusses the importance of independence in her relationship with her fiancé, Jordan, and her immense pride in his separate, self-made success as a food content creator.
- The hosts explore the paradoxical nature of public criticism and "cancel culture," sharing personal experiences and the toll it takes when a brand is tied directly to a creator's name.
Key Concepts
- Personal Transformation: Jaclyn Hill's journey of quitting alcohol, which she used to "turn her brain off" at night, leading to significant weight loss and improved mental health.
- Brand Identity: The professional dilemma of changing a well-established personal brand name (Jaclyn Hill) after marriage and the pros and cons of naming a business after yourself.
- Creator Entrepreneurship: The stark contrast between the creative passion for developing products and the overwhelming, often "miserable" reality of managing business operations, finances, and employees.
- The "Expected Trajectory": The industry pressure on successful YouTubers to launch their own brands, even if it doesn't align with their true passions or skills.
- Relationship Independence: The importance of partners having their own separate careers and financial stability, fostering a relationship built on choice rather than necessity.
- Public Perception & Criticism: The ironic nature of online backlash, where creators can be criticized for a business issue and then criticized again for shutting the business down to resolve it.
- Evolving Life Timelines: Discussion on modern societal shifts, particularly how people are waiting longer to have children to ensure they have a strong, stable foundation in their relationship first.
Quotes
- At 1:16 - "And they type in Jaclyn Hill, and they're like, 'where'd she go?' Because now all my socials are Jaclyn Torrey." - Jaclyn explains her dilemma about changing her well-established brand name on social media.
- At 16:05 - "So everyone wants to know, the Ozempic rumors... Is it Ozempic?" - Laura Lee directly asks Jaclyn about the widespread speculation surrounding her weight loss.
- At 16:21 - "This is such a sensitive subject for me, but I'll talk about it without crying... I stopped drinking myself to sleep every single night." - Jaclyn emotionally begins to explain the real reason for her weight transformation, linking it to quitting alcohol.
- At 18:03 - "I would have my couple glasses of wine, and then I would have my couple shots, and then I would take my Xanax, and I would go to bed." - Jaclyn describes her nightly routine during a difficult period in her life, which she used to cope with anxiety.
- At 18:25 - "I wasn't a 'wake up and have a drink' type of person... I was a 'turn my brain off' person." - Jaclyn clarifies the nature of her alcohol use, explaining it was a way to numb her thoughts and anxiety.
- At 26:30 - "It is not Jaclyn Hill followers... This man has built his own career and it's just so cool to see that." - Laura Lee emphasizes that Jordan has cultivated his own audience independent of Jaclyn's fame.
- At 28:27 - "I want to know that without me, you can live in a nice house and pay all your bills... You're not with me for that reason." - Reflecting on what she needed in a partner after her divorce, Jaclyn stresses the importance of mutual independence.
- At 30:07 - "I went through therapy specifically for relationships for three years." - Jaclyn reveals her commitment to self-improvement and understanding relationship dynamics by dedicating years to therapy.
- At 49:55 - "And that was always my dream... I dreamt about how cool it would be to create my own makeup. I did not dream about managing people." - Jaclyn explains that her passion was for the creative process, not the operational side of running a business.
- At 50:49 - "This is fucking miserable. Why did I start a business?" - Jaclyn quotes what she and other creator-founders have said about the overwhelming stress of brand ownership.
- At 51:23 - "The collabs were the teaser... the product portion is what you dream about. It's so much fun." - Jaclyn reflects on how collaborations gave a false sense of what owning a brand would entail.
- At 52:42 - "What do you want?... Fuck everything except for what you want." - Jaclyn shares the life-changing advice her brother gave her, comparing it to the famous scene from The Notebook.
- At 54:08 - "I have never... I've never been this happy in my entire life. I feel like a kid." - Jaclyn describes the immense freedom and happiness she felt after deciding to step away from her businesses.
- At 78:18 - "I literally feel like I won the lottery right now." - Jaclyn Hill expresses her relief and freedom after closing down her makeup brand.
- At 78:25 - "I was so hated for the lipsticks, and then when I announced I was closing my brand, I got so hated for shutting down my brand." - Jaclyn highlights the irony of the public's reaction to her business decisions.
- At 79:13 - "My favorite thing about Lunar Beauty is not having my name in it." - Manny MUA explains that not directly tying his personal name to his brand has been a significant advantage.
- At 83:36 - "I would like it to be very soon. I would love to have babies as soon as possible." - Jaclyn openly shares her strong desire to start a family in the near future.
- At 87:51 - "You have to be such a strong couple to have kids... Honey, if there's any cracks, baby, the cracks are gonna be busted wide open." - Jaclyn shares her observation that having children tests a relationship's strength to its absolute limit.
Takeaways
- Address public speculation head-on with honesty to reclaim your own narrative.
- Recognize that using substances like alcohol to "turn your brain off" is a significant health issue, even if it doesn't fit the traditional mold of addiction.
- Build partnerships where both individuals have independent success, ensuring the relationship is a choice rooted in respect, not a necessity.
- Before launching a brand, honestly assess if your passion extends beyond the creative aspects to the demanding realities of business management.
- Be wary of industry pressure or an "expected trajectory"; prioritize what genuinely makes you happy over what you feel you are supposed to do.
- Periodically ask yourself the simple, powerful question, "What do I want?" and have the courage to make changes based on the answer.
- Walking away from a professionally successful but personally draining situation can be the best decision for your long-term happiness and well-being.
- Avoid naming a brand after yourself if you want to create a buffer between your personal identity and business-related controversies.
- Understand that public opinion is often fickle; you can't please everyone, so focus on making the right decisions for yourself and your business.
- Invest in self-improvement through tools like therapy to build healthier patterns and stronger relationships.
- Ensure your relationship is built on a rock-solid foundation before making major life decisions like having children, as they will test your partnership.
