Meghan Markle mocked for turning inspiring interview into a self-help pep talk
The episode opens with Meghan Markle recalling her first meeting with Saujani at Kensington Palace in 2018
Meghan Markle’s latest podcast episode is drawing criticism for being out of touch with the realities of entrepreneurship, with some listeners saying the Duchess appears “detached from the business world” and overly focused on self-affirming praise.
Episode two of Confessions of a Female Founder, released on April 15, features Indian-American activist and Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani. The conversation, however, left many underwhelmed.
One listener shared their reaction online: “I was excited for this podcast. I wanted to learn something about entrepreneurship and business in the digital age. Instead, I got girl-gushing, generic soundbites, and another Meghan Markle pep talk.”
The episode opens with Meghan recalling her first meeting with Saujani at Kensington Palace in 2018.
Saujani responds with: “Because you’re an amazing human…” — a moment that critics say reinforces Meghan’s tendency to focus more on flattery than substance.
But it was Saujani’s own story that brought depth to the episode. She reflected on how her parents, Ugandan refugees of Indian descent, were taken in by a Catholic church in America.
However, Meghan’s reaction — calling Saujani’s empathy “confounding” — sparked backlash, with listeners questioning why a statement of gratitude was met with confusion.
Saujani calmly explained that despite her own hardships, she chose unity over resentment: “I didn’t feel any hate. I wanted to teach people about difference.”
Yet, throughout the episode, Meghan’s input was described by critics as “empty” and “wordy.”
Reshma Saujani's impact on girls' education
Saujani’s story of perseverance — from a failed congressional run to building one of the most impactful STEM education nonprofits in the US — offered powerful insight.
Girls Who Code has now trained over 670,000 girls, women, and nonbinary individuals, with support from names like Jack Dorsey and companies including Microsoft.
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