Jessica Alba: Mother of Innovation, Narrative-Shaping & Finding Calm

Today we roosted with Jessica Alba — a true force of nature in both Hollywood and business. Jessica’s story isn’t just about her blockbuster hits, her badass female Rambo stunt moves, or her trailblazing success as the youngest Latina to take a company public with The Honest Company; it’s also about rising up from childhood hospital-bound ailments and flipping the script on her own narrative. She’s the embodiment of strength, resilience, and the relentless quest to find—and own—your voice.

Jessica has built her life, career, and massive enterprise from scratch, proving that with a bold vision and unshakeable determination, anything is possible. Her drive to ensure that every baby and every person has access to safe, healthy products has made waves far beyond her personal achievements.

From a spontaneous courthouse elopement to raising three amazing kids, Jessica’s journey is fueled by unmatched creativity, love, and an unstoppable drive to keep leveling up. And, yes, she’s faced her share of mom-shaming along the way.

And now, with her return to Hollywood, Jessica is back and bolder than ever, sharing her experiences in the male-dominated world of action films and showing us all what it means to stand in your power and produce on your own terms.

Follow Jessica at @jessicaalba and get the scoop on all things Honest Renovations Season 2... coming out on Roku this month!

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This episode was produced by Kit Hoover and Harper McDonald. Our Technical Producer is Christian Brown, and this episode was edited by Christian Brown. Writing by Harper McDonald. Business Development by Casey Ladd.

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Transcript

This transcript was automated by AI. Accuracies may vary.
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Kit Hoover:

Welcome to the Coop with Kit. My name is Kit Hoover and I have been lucky enough in my 30 years in this business to interview some of the most iconic badass women out there. We all know that girlfriends give the best advice and they're all coming to the coop. We're talking career, marriage, kids, sex, aging, all of it. I truly believe we are just hitting our stride. Alright, my chickens. Let's get into it.

Hello, my chickens in the coop. Today we've got Jessica Alba, a dynamic force in Hollywood business and beyond. She's literally a marvel in every sense of the word. Her journey is far more than just business and blockbuster hits. She's battled through challenges including conquering a debilitating illness as a child that I had no idea about. She's the epitome of owning your own power and finding that inner voice from a spontaneous courthouse elopement to three incredibly beautiful kids. Jessica's story is one of unparalleled strength, ingenuity, and lots of love. Please welcome the ultimate chin to the coop. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba, everybody. Thank you for coming on the coop.

Jessica Alba:

It's so nice to be here.

Kit Hoover:

Jessica, it's funny, we are trying to wrap our arms around just what a badass you are and everything you've accomplished. This isn't even like the real list, but Dark Angel professional stunt woman, Marvel Maven, super mom, super wife, youngest Latina to take a company, public loyal friend, female Rambo, but my favorite Jessica that I got off your Instagram chin. Tell me about this word.

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, that's like just like a badass. I mean it's like a strong kind of badass kind of unapologetic woman.

Kit Hoover:

Have you always been like that? I

Jessica Alba:

Think I always have been in Chingona. Yeah. But I probably embraced it unapologetically over the last 10 years.

Kit Hoover:

This is what this podcast is about. Is that one of your kids coming in?

Jessica Alba:

Yeah.

Kit Hoover:

Is that Hayes?

Jessica Alba:

They're in the background.

Kit Hoover:

Listen, I love that you're a real mom. Jessica's shaking her head listeners. That's so funny. I want to get into your childhood, but before that one word, Jessica, to describe where you are in your life right now.

Jessica Alba:

I feel like I'm in a place of calm. It feels more like a calm before the storm and not a bad storm, but it's sort of like when you work on things, you know how you don't get it all As you're working on it, you have to plant the seeds and you water it and then you wait for the sun to give it the light and feed it and then you wait for the weather to be the right time. And it's all about the right timing and I feel like I've been planting many seeds and giving it the watering and I'm just sort of in that watering sun, waiting for the right weather for things to sort of bloom and I'm in that phase. Does that make sense? What a

Kit Hoover:

Beautiful way to put it. Yes, it does. And now that we're going to get into the honest company, now that your baby's off to college, your company, this watering phase that we're thinking, is this more in the acting space or are you cooking up something else?

Jessica Alba:

It's multiple things. There's some in the producing space and the acting space in the entertainment world. It's also and some things that are kind of percolating in business. I approached things with such a fight and I feel like now I'm looking for more things with ease and I want to think create in this phase of my life with more joy. Oh, I like that. Instead of with so much resistance, which is what I was comfortable with before, but I think there's probably a different way to manifest and create.

Kit Hoover:

I think that comes with age. There's a calmness and a wisdom for everything you've been through. And I didn't know much about your childhood. Tell me about how you grew up.

Jessica Alba:

Well, I grew up with parents that were very young. We grew up living paycheck to paycheck. I started working at age 12 and it gave me the opportunity to contribute to the household income, which gave some relief to the stress of just paying the bills and getting by.

Kit Hoover:

But that's pressure on you as a child I can imagine.

Jessica Alba:

Absolutely. And I would say that while I was probably more of an old soul and in a lot of ways and ready for that type of responsibility, at the same time there's probably pieces of myself that didn't get nurtured as a child because I did feel like I needed to jump into responsibility. So early in life I also had a lot of illness when I was a kid.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah, tell me about that, about the illnesses. I didn't know you were in and out of hospitals all the time.

Jessica Alba:

I had a lot of illness from issues with my kidneys and issues with appendix and tonsils. So I had surgeries and then I had a ton of issues with asthma and allergies, severe reactions, and I was on so much medication every cold I got turned into bronchitis or pneumonia. It was always the extreme. And I think because I spent so much time in hospitals, I spent a lot of time around adults and I was kind of isolated from my peer group, which then probably prepared me for a life with circus people, which is how I describe people in entertainment. I felt like I was like, oh, I'm home with these nomads that are all sort of the weirdos of their families.

Kit Hoover:

So I think about you now as a mom and you said as a little girl certain ways that you weren't fed. What were those ways? What ways were you not getting met?

Jessica Alba:

Well, I mean I've done a lot of therapy and healing and I also just think there's something about watching your parents really manifest and live their dreams verse not and what does that do to a kid? And watching my parents kind of feel like their wishes or dreams or hopes were put on the back burner. They had to sacrifice to provide for us. And that made me so determined to want a different reality for myself. But then my kids get to have the example of my husband and I are both entrepreneurs. I created a career in two fields outside of anything. There was no nepotism, there was nothing was handed to me. I started from the bottom with scraps and I figured it out. And at the same time, I also am living out my dream and I think there's something really neat that my kids get to watch their parents both create something that never really existed for their lives and also provide for them and create a safety net where we're not having to scrap by and live paycheck to paycheck, but we're not living to work, we're working to live, working to, that's what

Kit Hoover:

There it.

Jessica Alba:

I feel like so many people in our country do the opposite. Their whole identity is tied up in their work and it could be very stressful. And I think we both take the approach of we want to just really spend time with our kids and quality time and we also want to be inspired when we're at work every day and we feel a deep sense of purpose in what we do.

Kit Hoover:

I love that you are self-made. I love whatever you do, Jessica, you do it effing all out. You don't seem to do anything. I love people like that. That's true. Throw yourself in to what you're doing. And growing up, I was reading an article about you, a little feminist at age eight, knew you were put on the planet to save the earth with everything you're doing. I like that you play a superhero and you are a superhero, right? But how did you get into acting? Because you and I are in this business, it is not easy even having connections. Do you remember your first role? Where was it before Dark Angel where you thought like, okay, I've made it

Jessica Alba:

Dark. Angel was definitely the role that I feel like I made it and I got that role when I was 17. But when I was 11, there was an advertisement for this acting studio and it's like the grand prize. You get to win a year's worth of acting classes and you get to audition for agents and you get head shots and we had no money. So my aunt, my cousins, my brother, my mom, my aunt's sister and her boyfriend, we all piled into a car. I mean there was a lot of people, it was like a clown car, a lot of people in this car and

Kit Hoover:

All. And he kept

Jessica Alba:

Going, we're all in the car, we're all going to the Hilton Hotel to audition for these acting classes. And it's like, do you want to be a star? And I won the grand prize out of thousands of people basically I was 11. So I told them I have to fit all of this year's worth of classes and all this stuff into one summer because I have to go to school. And plus we didn't really have extra money, so we had to scrounge in between the couches and the bottom of purses and try and get all the change for gas money. I

Kit Hoover:

Love that.

Jessica Alba:

And that's how I got my first agent. I learned about auditioning and got my first headshot and then I got my first job maybe two months later and that was a job called Camp Nowhere and they gave me three lines, so I got to become sag, so I got to get in the union and then from there you're auditioning for more things. So I just was kind of more of a working actor until Dark Angel and that really set up my career.

Kit Hoover:

What did your family think about this? Let's go back to just winning the first contest. What did your aunt, your mom, your dad, did they always see this in you?

Jessica Alba:

I think they all saw it in themselves as well. I don't think they thought I was any different than that. Everybody was auditioning for it. Everybody was like, it could happen to me. I don't think they really thought that I was special in any way. I mean maybe they would say now, but I think at the time it was just sort of like you got lucky. I mean, I was kind of a provocative kid and I would say I was probably not necessarily the favorite even, I mean for my grandmother, I looked like my grandmother, so I was probably her favorite in some ways. Tell my cousins or my brother, all of us grandkids thought we were the favorite of our grandma. I like to push buttons and I questioned authority and I wasn't the easiest kid on top of the health issue, but my parents always thought my brother was really special. So

Kit Hoover:

My brother's the golden child in the family, I

Jessica Alba:

Think. No, I think my brother's definitely the favorite if they were going to be a favorite, it's my brother, but they're proud of us both.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah, we say that he refers to himself as the Golden Child. Oh, we'll give you that. What motivates you, Jessica, do you think it's that childhood growing up, you have this thing in you, this drive that I just think is unmatched?

Jessica Alba:

I grew up with stories of, my grandparents used to perform at a dinner theater where they would sing and dance and act, but they also bust the tables and worked in the kitchen and did anything they could. It was sort of like this group of people that did it all and they talk about these days as being the greatest days of their lives. But my grandmother said, oh yeah, I used to get scouted to do Elvis movies or to do the West Side story. They really wanted me to play Maria. And I was like, grandma, why didn't you do it? And she was like, well, I didn't want to leave my family. And I'm like, but you could totally have your family, you could do both. Do both. And simple. I just didn't feel like I could and I felt like it was one or the other and I was like, know movies only last a month and a half, two months. And it just felt like there was no way she could do both. And I feel like even my grandfather too, he was an accountant, but he was an incredible Spanish guitar player, one of the best. That's

Kit Hoover:

So

Jessica Alba:

Cool. And he was like did the right thing in his eyes and didn't pursue the arts. I mean he did it as a love and a passion, but his day-to-Day was corporate America.

Kit Hoover:

Is he still alive to see your success?

Jessica Alba:

Jessica, he passed away recently, so he got to see it and it's cool because they were so proud. But I would say watching them not totally fulfill their creativity or their passions and feeling like man, they compromised on it and they grew up in a much different time where it was very racist and segregated against Mexicans. So they had a different reality, a lot of other factors. And so I think that made a big influence on me Also, I was driven by people not believing in me or thinking that I couldn't do it. I got almost energized by it. Let me show them.

Kit Hoover:

That's one thing I couldn't wait to interview about is I feel like people keep trying to put you in a box or think you're one way and you continue to just shatter that box, the ceiling everywhere you go. With James Cameron, when you got Dark Angel, I love that he gave you a seat at the table and you were what, 17 years old? How did that come to be that he's already saw that in you?

Jessica Alba:

Well, I think he sees that in a lot of artists. I mean he has written strong women kind of always. He's sort of like an OG in that. For him it was like I want the voice of Max and this show Dark Angel to really be tailored to whoever we cast. So they only had wrote I think a treatment for what the show would be and a couple of paragraphs and that was what I auditioned with. But then the rest of the show kind of got fleshed out after they cast me and they allowed me to be part of that process a bit. So that was just really cool. That's just his instinct. He's just evolved, I would say.

Kit Hoover:

Do you ever laugh thinking you were 17 and is your oldest daughter 17 or about to turn 17?

Jessica Alba:

She just turned 16.

Kit Hoover:

16. So do you ever laugh like, oh my God, she's around the same age as where I, my career started to take off. I've got three kids and I've just baffled when I see the milestones that they're going through, I'm like, my daughter can't find her socks at that age. I was already doing this. You know what I mean?

Jessica Alba:

Yeah. It is a trip. Even my middle child is 12 and that's when I started acting and I'm like, oh my God, no way is this kid trying to learn lines be on set all day and you have to get good grades as well in order to get your work permit. And I was doing the most and she wants to sleep.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah. She's

Jessica Alba:

Like, no thank you. Why would, would she even put pressure on herself like that and then also, or

Kit Hoover:

Give the money to you then say Mom and dad, here's what I made. You were unbelievable. Yeah,

Jessica Alba:

Yeah. It's wild, but totally different. I think because I didn't have a traditional upbringing. I get to live vicariously through my kids and I get so much joy just watching them. They're so wholesome, they're so sweet and pure in their spirits and not that I wasn't, but I think I saw a lot more that kind of gave me a little bit of cynicism early and I feel like they don't have that.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah, I always say their success, their drive is what motivates me. That's my greatest success when the three of them are just thriving and Jessica, each stage is so fun.

Jessica Alba:

I do love all the stages. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. I have the 6-year-old, the 12-year-old, and the 16 and just what they need from me is very different. There's not a ton of crossover, so it's like sometimes that feels overwhelming. I feel like some days I'm like, just leave me alone. It doesn't peace and quiet.

Kit Hoover:

Did you always want to be a mom?

Jessica Alba:

Yeah. Yeah. Since I was a kid I saw myself as a mom. I think sometimes you just know or you don't. No judgment either way. And I don't know if it was even society having an impression. I just know I wanted kids same for some reason. Yeah.

Kit Hoover:

And we're the same because two girls and then a boy, I feel like my daughters are hardest on my son. Are they tough on him? Yes.

Jessica Alba:

Yes. They are tough on him. And they bully?

Kit Hoover:

Yes,

Jessica Alba:

Not bully, but kind of they walk by and they like, yes, definitely show him that they're bigger and stronger and they can just do whatever they want. And it's very, I think humbling and they're like, yeah, he should be humbled. I'm like, my God, that's so mean. He's the baby that's the best. But I always feel like boys that have an older sister are the best. I agree. Not that others aren't, but there's something about a tenderness that boys, a compassion they have for women when they have to grow up with an older sister.

Kit Hoover:

I'm telling you, you just nailed it. They're a special breed. I have an older brother, so I didn't know this dynamic and it is fascinating to watch. How would your kids describe you, especially your daughters?

Jessica Alba:

I don't know. I don't know. Sometimes they say I'm scary.

Kit Hoover:

That means you're doing it right, but

Jessica Alba:

Then thank you. But they also cuddle on me and they want to tell me everything and sometimes too much. I'm like, okay, I don't need every detail of every single piece of the story right now. I get the big picture. I think I'm probably a good balance of being a parent that sets boundaries and has rules, but then I'm also really flexible and I like to improvise. So while I like to plan and I have things so organized and we have boundaries of what's appropriate, what's not appropriate. At the same time I think I still like to fly by the seat of my pants a bit.

Kit Hoover:

That's the good stuff. Do they want to get into the business or they've seen any of your work or think you're cool?

Jessica Alba:

I think they probably think I'm a mix of very uncool and sort of not the worst because I'm like, compared to your friend's mom, what are we talking about? Never. They are hard on me. I'm compared to who.

Kit Hoover:

So true.

Jessica Alba:

And then they're like, I guess you're not that strict. The only time they're really hard on me when they think I'm being too strict, but I'm like, I'm really much more chill than a lot of your friends' moms

Kit Hoover:

I loved recently you posted they wore some of your old dresses that you wore to big events. I thought that was the coolest thing. And they're getting

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, it was crazy. And I was going through my storage and I saw them and I was like, oh my gosh, it would be so cute. And I was like, I bet they're going to shut me down. I bet they're going to be like, oh mom, that's not what anybody wears. That's so uncool. There's no way we're wearing that. Because usually every time I suggest they wear anything, they're like, are you trying to dress me a mom? Is

Kit Hoover:

What they saying? Did I get, I'm like, I'm like, mom, jeans are in by the way.

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I don't look that bad. Anyway, but they were both into it. It was really sweet. And I was like, cool, so you will wear it. And they're like, yeah. And I was like, oh my god, that's so cool. Oh, I love it. And it was just kind of a fun moment also because I'm not trying to give 'em another dress that they're literally going to wear for one time, not

Kit Hoover:

Even. Yeah, you

Jessica Alba:

Can rewear it

Kit Hoover:

Working so much. Have you ever been mom shamed? How's that juggle been for you?

Jessica Alba:

There were twinges of Mom, shame with Haze because I feel like you really feel it at the early ages. With honor, I definitely felt it and Haven Preschool Kinder, the primary school ages, it's there a bit. And I tried, I attempted to do the things and sign up for all the book thing that you fill out and I'm like, I can't. It's just not it.

Kit Hoover:

It's so hard when you'd go there and it's all the ones, it's like, oh, and you want to put your name down, but you're like, then I know I'm going to get called. It's just a harder balance and you want to be there. We

Jessica Alba:

Do breakfast burritos and that's what I did with Honor and Haven when they were younger. Whenever they did the school friend's breakfast, they bring bomb breakfast burritos. It's what we want to eat anyway. Yes.

Kit Hoover:

Do you make the bomb breakfast burrito?

Jessica Alba:

Oh no, I don't make it. No. There's a place that they're professionals

Kit Hoover:

Now. I'm going to shame you if you're making these. I'm like, okay,

Jessica Alba:

You can shame me. I definitely pick 'em up from our taco place and they make amazing breakfast burritos and it's fine.

Kit Hoover:

Oh, that's great. I say you made 80 of 'em. I'm like, okay, Jessica. Now you're just showing off.

Jessica Alba:

It's like 200. It's like 200.

Kit Hoover:

It is funny though. It is such a funny balance and I feel like for our kids to see us working, but being present, it's a tricky balance.

Jessica Alba:

I volunteer sometimes, but I feel like it's always kind of a fail whenever I do. So

Kit Hoover:

Tell me about a time you failed that because I've done art class for me was an epic fail every time, Jessica, first of all that I'd be there late and it was just very stressful for me.

Jessica Alba:

Recently we did smoothies and I thought when you do smoothies with the kids in the classroom and they're kinder, right? So you're like, it's not going to be that deep. It's going to be strawberries and blueberries and bananas and call it a day with, it's a little orange juice and almond milk or oat milk. There's the variety. These fools wanted custom. I was like, literally, are we at Jamba Juice right now? This is so la.

Kit Hoover:

They're

Jessica Alba:

Not that much orange juice. Can you put a little more blueberries? I made custom smoothies and it took so long and it would explode. And then we figured out an assembly line and then we're in the teacher's kitchen. So then the other teachers were like, oh, well you took over our kitchen with all these little kids. And I was like, I'm sorry. They told me to come in here. The loud noise of the blunders freaks out the kids. It was like a whole thing.

Kit Hoover:

That's hysteric. Think of how far we've come. Jessica and our mothers would no more be caught dead doing that. Back in our day growing up even mean you were lucky if you got maybe a hot caprice. I don't even know if that, I don't even know if we even got that right now. It's the whole man and the almond milk and the thing. And mothers didn't volunteer tear back then.

Jessica Alba:

It was like the Sara Lee Poundcake. The

Kit Hoover:

Edmonds. The Edmonds. Oh, that was a big day if you got the Edmonds. Oh my gosh.

Jessica Alba:

Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Kit Hoover:

Yes. Oh now honest company. How did this come about? Because here you are really, you can say the height of your career. I mean you just kept upping your game with one role to the next, but then you saw a need for something that wasn't being met. Take me in that moment where all of a sudden you maybe I was thinking reflected back on your childhood and thought like, okay, how did this happen?

Jessica Alba:

I definitely had a moment when I was pregnant with honor. All kinds of things go through your head, but of course your own childhood. And so much of my childhood, I was riddled with illness and I had an allergic reaction to a laundry detergent my mom recommended I use. She was like, oh, it's for baby clothes. And I had this allergic reaction and I was like, what could have caused this? And I freaked out and I called my mom. She's like, you are hormonal. Call me back when you're done yelling. And I was like, well, what's in this thing? And I googled it and I looked up ingredients and detergents and all these things and I learned about untested chemicals that are in everyday products, everything from baby products all the way through to beauty products and personal care products, deodorants, air fresheners, mattresses, chemicals that are sprayed on children's pajamas, all these things.

And I was like, oh my God, what? What's happening? And we're all exposed to these chemicals every day and we don't even realize it. And so many people are having so many issues, cancers caused by the environment you're in. It was like hockey stick growth since these chemicals were introduced into the marketplace. Learning differences and disabilities, hockey stick growth that coincided with these chemicals being introduced into everyday products. And even if you think of early puberty and how many of my friends going through IVF and having a hard time getting pregnant, all of this on the rise. And these chemicals are endocrine disruptors. They mutate your hormones and so they're hormone disruptors, they're endocrine disruptors, they can just throw your body off and they're in everyday products and it's not just one product. So scary. So then I was like, what's safe? How do I make better choices?

And I tried vinegar and baking soda and my husband was like, oh my God, our house smells literally salad dressing. It's so bad. And I was like, well, I don't know what to do. I don't want my baby to have allergic reaction. She can't even talk. What if she just turns blue because her throat closes allergic to something? And so I kind of went extreme. I was like, no plastic in this house. It was like that person, I found a compromise. But back in the day it was really hard, especially honors age to find just the right products that were safe. And it was often prohibitively expensive to find the right products. And then I looked at Europe and Europe had much higher standards as far as testing goes, and they had banned over 1100 chemicals. And in our country they had only banned under 12 chemicals were banned.

It's so frightening in personal care alone. And so I was like, wait, so we're just being exposed to all these chemicals that they know in Europe are just not safe for humans to be exposed to? What the heck are we doing? And so I lobbied on Capitol Hill, I learned pretty quickly that health is politicized and they're like, are you a conservative or are you a liberal? Because then we'll know if we should care about this. And I was like, what do you mean this is human beings? It doesn't even matter. Don't you care about human beings? This country is this incredible country where you can really start from nothing. You can have a great idea and if you work hard and surround yourself with smart people, you can create a business. And so that's what I did. And it took me three and a half years to come up with the right business plan, find the right partners, get the right resources to launch it.

I definitely put my career in Hollywood on the back burner to get the company up and running. But for me it was just like I felt like if God put me here to do something, this is what I was meant to do. It's not just my baby that should be safe, it should be everybody, everybody's baby, every person should. It's not just children. It's not just women or moms. It's everyone should be safeguarded. Thank goodness it worked. And now I would say what's cool is you look up and there is a company that can go about business the way they used to and they do have to think about health and wellness and they do have to think about the impact that their company and their products are having on humans, but also on the environment. There's a consciousness. And I was just so happy to be part of that awareness.

Kit Hoover:

I've got one word to say right here in the coop chin right

Jessica Alba:

There,

Kit Hoover:

Chin. I'm serious. Think about what you did that's changing the planet, the earth, our families. This is a massive undertaking that you took on. And my favorite thing about researching before talking today is Jessica, you had this quote and I'm going to botch it by basically saying it took me a while to realize I'm smart, I can use my smart voice, this is who I am. Why was it hard for you to tap into that side of you?

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, I think because I didn't have a traditional education or background in business, I always put people on such a pedestal that went to university and how to hire education. And for me it was like, oh, those are the people that have the key to intelligence and they're the ones that make the world go round. And I just never felt worthy of being considered in that way.

Kit Hoover:

When did it switch? Was there a moment where you were like, okay, hell yeah. It's always in me, but now I'm going to listen to that voice

Jessica Alba:

Took me three and a half years to get the company started, but it probably took almost about three years after I started the business to really take ownership of it and connect with it and feel empowered and correct people when they thought my business partner brought me on and my business partner was the one who had the idea for the honest company. And I was like, I actually recruited him. It was my idea.

Kit Hoover:

And it's the opposite.

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, I'm going to correct on that one. I just let people believe what they believe. I didn't care.

Kit Hoover:

Why do you think that is? I'm just thinking about our daughters and growing up. Is it a female thing?

Jessica Alba:

I think it's probably both of those things and society, wanting women to be smart but not too smart to be cool, but not too provocative to be a boss but not too pushy, don't have too many ideas because then you want to be a bitch. Oh

Kit Hoover:

My god, it's the Barbie movie. It's the Barbie movie.

Jessica Alba:

It's like this delicate balance, right? Always so true. And so I think I always felt that. But then also growing up in an environment where my grandparents, in order to survive in California at that time, they really had to assimilate and they had to kind of disappear in a lot of ways and to not get noticed. And it's like don't stand out too much and you should be happy with getting by what they give you. And if they give you the scraps, the scraps are better than nothing. And I think being raised with that mentality had an effect on me. And so it did take me a minute to kind of step into the light, I guess.

Kit Hoover:

Well, we're never going back. I'm so glad you stepped into that light. It's incredible what you did. Now you've built your company into a massive success. We're talking big time people. I'm going to say hundreds of millions of dollars. Tell me about the moment when you decided to pivot once again Jessica and say, okay, now I've got that off and sing and I'm going to let this go and pass this off. Did you have to struggle with this from the moment you decided, did it happen quickly or was it a long time coming?

Jessica Alba:

It was a long time. I think it probably took me from the moment I knew that I was like, okay, I've probably done all that I can do here maybe three years. Wow. It took me to kind of get comfortable with what I knew and then it was again, it was finding the right time. I needed the right CEOI needed the right leadership team. The board also needed to be balanced differently than it was.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah. Let's talk about that. Tell me about stacking the board and finding your people, Jessica, people that you knew would embody what the honors company is all about.

Jessica Alba:

Well, it was really a board that could be there and support the CEO versus the board was primarily the investors. It's a different board. The board that invests in the company is different than the board that's going to help you get to the next level. And I knew that the company's at the place where we needed to go to the next level. So it's having true experts in scaling businesses and have that type of knowledge to support and help the CEO and to have a CEO that can really streamline and execute is important. So she's amazing.

Kit Hoover:

She's incredible.

Jessica Alba:

And she surrounded herself with a great team. And then I felt like, okay, great. She's got our team, they're great. They're executing, they're doing the thing. Now I can go and do whatever I'm going to do next, but I'm more of the visionary creator. I don't get a ton of energy from streamlining and paring down and supply chain and operations. That's fine, but it's just not what brings me joy or gives me energy.

Kit Hoover:

Well, how are you with letting go? And we talked about the calmness coming in for your one word, but I feel like you're either sort of mach 10 or off. We'll get to trigger warning in all your goals and your company. How are you at shutting off?

Jessica Alba:

I think that's what it was. It was Mach 10 or off.

Kit Hoover:

That's how I roll. I feel

Jessica Alba:

Like the last year I did a good job kind of winding down and really passing the baton. Genuinely

Kit Hoover:

Is your day to day so different from that. That has to be a massive adjustment. It

Jessica Alba:

Is different. It's great. I mean wasn't back to back 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12, I was in back 10 back all day. No real breaks, not even to have lunch. So this is great. Now I wake up, I meditate, I work out, I have meetings. I have maybe three meetings a day and then I can talk to my kids and my day ends at a reasonable hour. And then sometimes I'll have drinks or dinner, but for the most part I'm home with the kids and I get to be present with them. And I mean I was working seven days a week for so long

Kit Hoover:

And no, you're working nine days a week with that job. You know what I mean? That truly is.

Jessica Alba:

And I was up all night stressed and it is a lot when you create something that never existed and you're learning

Kit Hoover:

What I love that I act like. I'm like, yeah, I've never done that, Jessica. I'm like, yeah, it's really hard. I have no idea what this must have been like.

Jessica Alba:

It's like a crash course and running a business while learning business, it's wild. And there was a lot of creativity in the process, but it's different. I feel so at home when I'm on a set, I just feel like I'm home and it feels so good. And so yeah, it's cool.

Kit Hoover:

Well, now where you are back on set on your terms with trigger warning, what you and I talked about when you're on set with me is you being the boss behind it too and controlling more of it. What did you love about this? My favorite scene. Don't make me talk about that mop scene when you're kicking some major ass. And I love that there's knife not guns. That's too easy. So what did this movie feel like for you?

Jessica Alba:

I had a vision of what I wanted to do and I was pretty uncompromising in it. And I think that was the unlock for me before in my career as an actress, I sort of took the scraps that I was given and I tried to make the most out of it. And I would say other ones were huge wins. There was definitely a box that I felt like I needed to fit inside and I don't know if it was me or if it was the environment. And I think a lot of it was probably me not feeling comfortable in my own skin, me not sticking up for myself in the way I probably could have or standing in my power and maybe I just felt, yeah, I just didn't feel that comfortable with myself before and now I do. And so it's just a different swag when you can walk away from something at any time.

I also had nothing else but my identity as an actress prior to now I have a pretty good life that I feel very blessed to have. And so if it doesn't live up to doing something that is good and I feel at all uncomfortable or weird, before I would just kind of swallow it or I'd feel sort of pinned against the wall and then sometimes I'd burst out a bit, but now I just kind of talk about stuff right away when it's like, oh, this doesn't feel good and this isn't right and we should address this right now and blah, blah blah. And it's cool because if you can take on stuff without it turning into a big drama, then it never becomes dramatic. And I think what's neat about producing a movie, especially an action movie that is very dominant genre and having so many women as department heads, like female director and even having a female writer come in and things don't always have to be totally dramatic. You can kind of have your almond milk latte and you can do all the scenes

Kit Hoover:

You can communicate.

Jessica Alba:

Then it doesn't have to be super scary.

Kit Hoover:

Look, female Rambo could do whatever the heck she wants right now. I want more of the action buddy thing for you, right?

Jessica Alba:

Oh my God, that would be so fun.

Kit Hoover:

Yeah, so that's what I want you to produce and direct. Okay,

Jessica Alba:

So put that out there and put that

Kit Hoover:

Out there.

Jessica Alba:

Let's do I want to

Kit Hoover:

Be your funny sidekick. We'll do something fun. I'm telling you that would be so good.

Jessica Alba:

I do love action and I do love comedy, so that would be so fun to do.

Kit Hoover:

By the way, let's tell our listeners that Trigger warning is number one on Netflix. Let's hear the co. Unbelievable. But of course everything you do, nothing is half-ass, as I said, and it's all out there including your marriage. So you met Cash on the set, was it Fantastic? Four?

Jessica Alba:

Yep. I met him on the set of Fantastic Four.

Kit Hoover:

Did he write you a note? Is this a true story?

Jessica Alba:

He did write me a note. He did.

Kit Hoover:

And what did it say? I think you're really, really great or something. I'm trying to remember what it said. We spoke. Remember, I

Jessica Alba:

Really, really like you. And then just like a dollar sign.

Kit Hoover:

Wait, the dollar sign listeners. His name is Cash by the way. That's the greatest name ever. Just cash. Your name is just cash money. If you can do your name and assemble.

Jessica Alba:

I know.

Kit Hoover:

Oh my gosh, I love it. That

Jessica Alba:

Guy.

Kit Hoover:

That guy. And then I was thinking Jessica, you or the original Sarah, Jessica Parker. Carrie Bradshaw, you eloped in the courthouse and then went for waffles. You set the scene for what she did with Mr. Big.

Jessica Alba:

She stole it from you. That's so funny. Oh my God, that's amazing. I don't think she was nine and a half months pregnant though.

Kit Hoover:

Oh my God, that's even better. What do you remember about that day or that night or what did you wear?

Jessica Alba:

I wore whatever fit. It was like the nicest dress I could find that I could, I think I went to Barney's and I got this. It was beautiful. I still have it. It's like an Indian designer, a Navy one. I just looked at it today actually in my archive. I think the biggest thing is I wanted to have something because I'd been in the public eye for so long and I felt like so much of my life I kind of lived in a fishbowl because back then celebrity and fame, it was really overwhelming for me and it felt really invasive and it made me anxious and angry and I felt very uncomfortable with it. And so for me to be able to have something that was mine and having a last name, having Jessica Warren and having something that I could share with my baby and she was going to be a warren and we could just be our little family and it was ours and it was private and it wasn't for everyone.

Kit Hoover:

I love. That

Jessica Alba:

To me was really special. But we wanted to tell our parents and we didn't get to tell our parents because it got out.

Kit Hoover:

How did that go down? What did your mom and dad say? They

Jessica Alba:

Were bummed out because they got called by a magazine called 'em and said, stinky, would you like to comment on the marriage of dumb? Yeah, it was kind of a bummer. We wanted to tell our parents, take them out to dinner and have a whole thing, but it is what it is. In hindsight, it's a blip. At the time it felt really emotional and it was really sad. And my parents were, especially my mom,

Kit Hoover:

It was all beautiful in, I loved in the end,

Jessica Alba:

It's fine. It's all silly stuff and it doesn't really matter.

Kit Hoover:

Oh, there is one other quote I want to read you that I love. You said this quote recently. Remember who stood by your side as you rebuilt yourself. Those are your people. You and I are similar in so many ways. So what was the rebuilt was this leaving the Honest Company. And I like that you keep your people close.

Jessica Alba:

I think we go through death and rebirth many times, especially if you're evolving. And I think we all should look back five years ago I was different and things that I cared about or things that I was so attached to are different than where I am today. And I think as we sort of shed that old skin and we move into ourselves and we stay true to evolving people who allow you to grow and don't keep you so attached to who you used to be or their idea of who they want you to be and really give you the wings and allow your wings to spread. And I think that that's in friendship. I think that's in your family relationships. And I hope to create that environment for my kids too. I don't want to clip their wings. I don't want to keep them small. And I also know that there's times where they're going to be cocoons and there's times where they're going to be big butterflies and they're allowed to go through those stages. Normal.

Kit Hoover:

You're so thoughtful. Jessica. You're one of the most thoughtful people I've interviewed literally with everything. I really love the way your brain works. And when I think about your children, you talked about going to therapy with them. Why didn't I think of that, Jessica now, especially the ones that are out of the house, I know it's not too late, but one too late of the beautiful, it's never too late. Where have you been all my life? What did you get from that? What did you learn about yourself or from them through that? I just think that is the coolest thing.

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, it's such an amazing tool, I would say, to be able to give your kid, I think the independence and the stage for them to speak their truth at an age where they feel really caught between being little kids and being sort of wannabe adults. That preteen age when the hormones come in and they have all of these changes are happening and everything is impossible and they want to individuate from their parents and everything you do is dumb and they rebel against all of it and it's all normal. This is all normal behavior. And so for me, it gave me peace of mind that this is actually normal behavior and don't take it personally when they push you away. And then when they go through the hot cold of, I want nothing to do with you, and then can we cuddle and can you rub my head and can I tell you all about my friends and my day? And then when I ask them a question, they're like radio silence. And they're like, are you really talking to me right now? Oh my God. And I'm like, oh yeah, who do I have? Who do I have today? Because one minute we're best friends and you need me and the next minute you're pushing me away. So

Kit Hoover:

That push

Jessica Alba:

Pull, yeah, it helped me. And then I would say for them, it allowed them to really, I think speak their truth. And for me to have an understanding that wasn't just through the lens of parenting, it forced me to really have empathy for where they're at in their life and their thoughts and their ideas and how they feel and to give them space for that. And it was humbling because I am sitting here, I know everything and I'm doing all of this, but that's not always what they need from you. Sometimes they just need a hug. They don't always need you to be right.

Kit Hoover:

I just think that's, yeah, because I'm always like mom's, right? But I see your point of view. Mom's always right, we're always

Jessica Alba:

Right, but sometimes they just don't even need to hear that something. They just want the hug. They just want you to be there when they push you away and know that you're not going anywhere. And sometimes it's that

Kit Hoover:

Interesting. That's so beautiful. But tell me what's going on with season two because we had you and your best friend on.

Jessica Alba:

Yeah, we're on season two and Honest Renovations is another sort of an idea I had about how can you take the values, the brand values of a brand, but then create a show that's kind of completely different than the brand and is there a way to marry the two and what does the next stage of branded content look like? And this was kind of an experiment that I had. And so that's honest renovation since it's basically my friend Lizzie and I, we get to go in and help people solve their parenting issues through home design because often the issues they're going through in their life have to do with the fact that their home just isn't growing, but their family is consistently aging out of their home space. And so we get to be these fairy godmothers and come in and update rooms in their home to alleviate some of the stress and pressure.

They went from one kid to three kids a short period of time and their house was only really fit for the one kid, but now it's a family of five. Now what? Or someone is sick and the only place that they can have a retreat is in their room and in their bathroom, but they made their whole life about the kids. How can we make them feel held and create a safe healing space for them? And so we have these incredible families and season two is really emotional. I never knew I would cry hysterically on set before and not to put anyone off, but we really get to meet people where they're at. And this one single mom just was in such a state of grief and I had lost my grandfather not too long ago and Lizzie had lost her mom not too long ago. And so we're all just holding space for each other and just, it just felt good to cry, but then it was like, okay, game plan. We're going to get through this together. We're going to make this home yours and we're going to create new memories in this space for you. It was a really beautiful season. I'm so excited for people to see

Kit Hoover:

It. Is it on Roku?

Jessica Alba:

It's on Roku, yeah, it's on Roku. So it was a huge hit on Roku first originals program that they did.

Kit Hoover:

And I want to tell our listeners, because season one and Jessica touched on it, but first of all, you get in there and get dirty too. You're doing a lot of the renovations, but the part that I love, again, it's who you are. It's such a thoughtful show. You really are present with these people and it's emotional and you're changing and enhancing their lives. If you love renovation work mixed with heartfelt stories, it's the one for you. So, oh, I can't wait for season two. Oh god. But here quickly, let's get random. Here we go. Oh, I love that you're a trained stunt person and we were laughing here at the coop. Have you ever just karate chopped someone because

Jessica Alba:

In real

Kit Hoover:

Life been at a party and been like, I can just go do a triple flip and take that mop out of your hand.

Jessica Alba:

I can't do a triple flip, but I'm ready. I'm ready. I don't know if it's real life, but in my mind I can

Kit Hoover:

Take someone out. I'm come to your house and we're going to do some tricks. I would be doing that all over. Secret. Guilty pleasure.

Jessica Alba:

Secret guilty. I love sleeping in the morning. This is my new thing. I didn't sleep a lot for most of my,

Kit Hoover:

I would think you're an early morning person. I don't know why. Maybe because you're so driven.

Jessica Alba:

Most of my life I didn't sleep. I spent a lot of time with insomnia. I would say my childhood, I was on so much medication and it was very speedy. And then when I was stressed, I was very stressed in my twenties and thirties and I just had a lot of anxiety and I just didn't sleep. And I would say the last little bit I've learned how to sleep in. My best sleep is 4:00 AM till eight 30 and it's just so greedy. It's a greedy sleep and it's fantastic.

Kit Hoover:

Do you have to take any sleep aids or can you just sleep?

Jessica Alba:

No, I can't. I'm so paranoid. For me, a sleep aid is like chamomile tea and magnesium at night. Same my magnesium,

Kit Hoover:

I do the same at night. I can't take anything. I love a great night's sleep.

Jessica Alba:

It's really kind of life changing. It just sets up the day. Then I'm like, have my coffee. I do my meditation in bed and then I'm like, okay, now I can go. And I don't always sleep in until it's a guilty pleasure. I probably start working out at eight, but still that's not bad.

Kit Hoover:

Okay. What's your workout these days?

Jessica Alba:

I do lift weights. I do the treadmill. I walk a hill. I have a weighted vest. I do spinning. I'm just trying to keep up my bone density girl. Whatever I can do to make these bones not get brittle.

Kit Hoover:

It's working.

Jessica Alba:

It's like we're in survival mode at this.

Kit Hoover:

Listen, I got 10 years on you keep at it. I'm telling you, keep it going. By the way, you're going to love your forties. They're so great. And I'm loving my fifties. I'm telling you, Jessica, now that we're new friends, I can't wait to watch everything you have coming for you. It's like, thank you. You sort of feel everything aligning. That's what I feel like it all comes together. What's in your bedside drawer?

Jessica Alba:

My what is it? Power store.

Kit Hoover:

What are you doing?

Jessica Alba:

Because

Kit Hoover:

This nurse, she just made a weird with her hand.

Jessica Alba:

I have a thing with seeing electronics out and so I have a strip and I had it through the back of my thing and it's on the bottom. I've had it at hotels, and so I have my power strip on the bottom shelf and I have a lot of books that I plan to get to. And I have a sleep mask and I have Toms because sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn. That's very not cute. I've headphones. I've headphones in my drawer. A little journal.

Kit Hoover:

Last question for you. My love. What makes you happy?

Jessica Alba:

My family and being present and whatever that is. I think when I'm just totally present in the moment, no matter what I'm doing, I can do absolutely nothing. Just sitting in the yard and watching the sunset or playing a silly car game with my son or water coloring or just chatting with my girls while they're downloading on their day. Just being present is usually when I'm happiest.

Kit Hoover:

Jessica, that is the ultimate success. Thank you for spending this time with us. Sorry we went over the time, but I mean, I feel like we could just go on forever. Big love to you. Thank you. I'm so happy. I want to say proud of you. I sound like the dorky older aunt, but I'm just so effing proud of you, everything you've done, and I cannot wait to see what's coming. So work on that buddy action movie. Awesome. That's next.

Jessica Alba:

Jess? Yes, we're putting that out into the ether.

Kit Hoover:

We're putting out in the universe. Alright, sweet girl. Have a great night.

Jessica Alba:

Thank you.

Kit Hoover:

Okay. Bye Dawn.

Jessica Alba:

Bye. Oh my God, I love her.

Kit Hoover:

Wow, wow, wow. Let me bring in my producer, Harper McDonald Harper. We were so excited about Jessica Alba. What are your

Harper McDonald:

Thoughts? Well, the fact is she's in her early forties and what she has accomplished in this amount of time is so beyond me. I mean, let's just first talk about at 17 years old, being the dark angel and having a seat at the table and finding that seat after never having done this before. Really prior to that,

Kit Hoover:

I didn't even know about her childhood illness. I didn't know how debilitating that was and how alone she felt. A lot of time, ton of time at the hospital and everybody likes to talk about people getting things handed to them, Hollywood stars. She created all of this by herself

Harper McDonald:

And every dollar she made, she handed back to her family. I mean, it was mean clearly an old soul and having to get through some major hurdles from a health perspective and then also to then build a career as an actress and then go on at some point in time once she becomes a mom to create the honest company. Yeah.

Kit Hoover:

Okay. Wait, before we get into her gazillion dollar company that she created by herself, the honest company that was, can we just talk so ahead of the curve? Nobody was doing that back then and it's the greatest thing. I

Harper McDonald:

Remember when it was on the shelf when we had babies. I remember it and I remember thinking like, oh, that's so cool. That's so cool. That's so

Kit Hoover:

Smart. So smart. And the way she single handedly did that and created team as just remarkable. Before we get into that, how about her as a mom? I feel like I learned so much stuff. Therapy with your kids. Why didn't I think of that? Harper?

Harper McDonald:

I know. Well, it's never too late. Never

Kit Hoover:

Too late. She told

Harper McDonald:

Me. But I loved the one thing that she just said at the end where she was talking about that. Yes, you and I, we've been through a thing or two and we've learned a lot, but it's most important to give our kids the space to be exactly who they are in this moment, experiencing the things that they're experiencing. And we don't have to put our stuff on them, but sometimes they just need us to actually sit there and give them the space and not try to solve it.

Kit Hoover:

Not the I'm a solver. She said that. She's like, you don't always have to be right. And I was writing that down in my head. Good note. Are my three kids listening to

Harper McDonald:

Her? No, I thought that was, and again, she did that. I don't remember anyone going to therapy with their kids when they were younger. And I mean, all it

Kit Hoover:

Also, it seems like she's trying to think about, reflect on her childhood and add the things that she wanted to do better. And I always just so respect people like that, that are sort of learning and moving forward. We keep using this word with everybody in the coop, but God, she really represents this evolving. I cannot wait to see what she does next. I know it's

Harper McDonald:

Incredible.

Kit Hoover:

Constant motion of evolution. She really is. And those are the game changer people. Those are the ones that really make a

Harper McDonald:

Difference. Well, as you said, she does everything a hundred thousand percent all in or not at all. And that's truly proved to be a huge piece of her success.

Kit Hoover:

And total side note, did I cast myself and her next Buddy Cop movie?

Harper McDonald:

I can't imagine which one you'd beat Of the two characters. Which one might she be

Kit Hoover:

Cute. That was so great, Jessica, thank you so much for coming on the coop.

Harper McDonald:

Super psyched for trigger warning, all that she has happening with her. And then the other one, honest renovations,

Kit Hoover:

By the way, greatest show. You got to watch out for the new season. It will move you to tears. Maybe she'll come renovate the coop offices.

Harper McDonald:

We, we've got a lot of work through

Kit Hoover:

Internally work in motion

Harper McDonald:

Externally. That would be amazing. That would be great. It's incredible things happening and what a joy to have her on and yeah.

Kit Hoover:

Alright, by Little Coopers, we hope you liked that. See you next time. Thank you for joining us, my Chickens. If you liked this episode, please give us a five star rating, drop in a great review and tag us at the coop with Kit Hoover as well. You can follow us on social media at the CO with Kit Hoover for behind the scenes content and updates. We will see you next time in the coop. And remember, as my mom bug always says, life is not a dress rehearsal. Make it count. Today's episode was produced by me, kit Hoover and Harper McDonald. Our technical producer is Christian Brown, and today's episode was edited by Christian Brown, business Development by Casey Lad. And a special thank you to all of our sponsors.