Jessica Alba is a full-time businesswoman.
Jessica Alba is a full-time businesswoman.
The 36-year-old star created the incredibly successful The Honest Company, and in a new interview for Good Housekeeping's January 2018 issue, talks about what's next on her agenda. Alba says she's no longer interested in acting, unless she's the one in charge.
"I did a role in Ted Melfi's movie El Camino Christmas, but unless I was in control, [going back] would feel weird," she tells the magazine. "If I could develop a film or a series for Netflix, that would be cool. I still have my Dark Angel fans, and Hollywood is finally allowing women to star more in action franchises, which is a passion of mine."
Of course, Alba also has her hands full being a mom to her daughters, 9-year-old Honor and 6-year-old Haven. She's currently pregnant with her third child with husband Cash Warren, a baby boy.
"I feared I would lose my sense of self in becoming a mom, but it's actually made me more true to who I am," she notes. "It's good for my girls to see that I have an opinion…hopefully some of what I'm doing will rub off on them. It's hard, because they're growing up with more privilege than I had."
Alba definitely wants to instill a sense of confidence and competitiveness in her children.
"Recently, I told my oldest, who doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, 'It's OK to win a race; it doesn't mean you're bragging. Don't hold yourself back,'" she shares.
“I’m competitive. Being in acting, you [learn to] persevere," she also explains about her own success. "'You don’t think a woman of color can be a leading lady? Let me show you.' The constant rejection in acting prepares you for just about anything, but certainly for business. When people tell me something can’t be done, I see a challenge. Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean it can’t be. I just have to figure it out.”
Not surprisingly, Alba doesn't let herself get fazed when it comes to setbacks. In 2015, the Honest Company was sued for being allegedly "deceptive" in their marketing, and last March the company was hit with another false advertising lawsuit. In a statement at the time, the Honest Company said that they "strongly stand by [their] products."
“[Dealing with lawsuits] was stressful, but it was a lesson, and it made us want to better convey our messaging," she says. "We are always looking for ways to be innovative, to learn and take it to the next level.”
“Nothing is easy," she also notes. "If it’s easy, you should worry. You have to fail a few times to find out what the best path forward is. It’s part of learning."
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