Gwyneth Paltrow On Her Success: ‘I’m A Sexual Being And A Powerful Woman And Entrepreneur’
Gwyneth Paltrow is exploring her business acumen far beyond the reaches of acting and Hollywood, first with her informational website, Goop, and now following that up with her own line of cosmetics. Adding entrepreneur to her resume, Paltrow finds that she can really appreciate the struggle of women in Hollywood and beyond. The actress turned businesswoman expresses her frustration with being subjected to criticism that her male counterparts, such as George Clooney or Justin Timberlake, have never had to face.
Even so, Gwyneth is happy with the way she’s branched out from acting with a new skincare line. She’s equally pleased with the ongoing friendship she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin. All things considered, it seems life is treating her well.
Iron Man Star Gwyneth Paltrow On What It Means For A Female Entertainer To Turn Toward Entrepreneurship
Ms. Paltrow admits to being a bit of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to creating her own Goop skincare line. For the new product line, she says she’s been working closely with scientists in the development of every aspect of the product, because, as Gwyneth tells Glamour, “There’s no point in making something unless it’s better than anything you’ve ever found”.
As she threw her hat into the entrepreneurship ring, alongside other celebrities like Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon, Ms. Paltrow found that female celebrities are criticized more often than their male counterparts, even in business. The Iron Man actress adds that competition contributes to the drama, while male celebrities turned businessmen don’t experience those same issues to the same degrees, but Gwyneth is also hopeful that times are changing.
“I think we’re in the midst of creating a new archetype of a woman, and we’re gonna get there.”
We all live in an era where the internet makes public criticism all too common. Even fans or followers will criticize their own idols, finding pleasure in knocking them down a peg or two, if it seems the fame is going to their heads. The same goes for businesses with consumers eager to show companies that their products aren’t all they purport them to be. That’s something Gwyneth has experienced firsthand. She says that many of the complaints she’s received has been on the basis of her products’ prices, to which Ms. Paltrow has an equally smart comeback.
“I’m like, ‘Have you looked at the website? Have you seen the range of price points? ‘Cause we sell things that are $8.’ I’m like, ‘If you want to f— with me, bring your A-game. At least have all your information.’ Once in a while, if I’m exhausted and overwhelmed, I’ll be like, ‘Ugh, that bugs me,’ or, ‘That hurt my feelings.’ But very rarely. I don’t lose sleep over it. It’s my business to live my life and learn my lessons. I don’t care what anybody else thinks.”
Gwyneth Opens Up About Chris Martin’s Place In Her Life
When Paltrow and Chris Martin split up, they coined the phrase “conscious uncoupling” to describe the change in their relationship status, because they didn’t want to imply that they were ending their union, just changing it. They would no longer be lovers, but they would still be a family. Gwyneth says that they have always struggled to maintain that ideal.
“Well, the ideal is to stay married. But if you can’t stay married, wouldn’t the ideal be that you could still be a family and you could put aside your own stuff long enough to explore—what is this new family and who am I in it?”
The Proof actress compliments Martin for his ability to maintain a strong presence in his family’s life, even though he and Gwyneth are no longer involved in a romantic relationship. She says they each sleep over at one another’s homes and spend vacations together as a family, giving their children the stability they need.
“We’re still very much a family, even though we don’t have a romantic relationship. He’s like my brother.”
[Featured image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
