Why Samantha Ruth Prabhu Stopped Believing "Love Your Job, Never Work A Day" | Masoom Minawala

What does it take to go from being the face of a brand to building one yourself? And how much do we really know about the products we use every day? On this episode of The Masoom Minawala Show, I sit down with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, actor and co-founder of Secret Alchemist, and Ankita Thadani, co-founder of Secret Alchemist, to talk about building a clean fragrance brand, challenging conventional ideas about celebrity entrepreneurship, and what it takes to turn a personal conviction into a business. Samantha shares how she went two years without wearing perfume, what led her to explore clean perfumery, and how a cold DM to Ankita eventually became a business partnership. Ankita brings her expertise in aromatherapy and fragrance to a conversation about ingredients, transparency and the decisions behind building a fragrance brand. We also get into the realities of entrepreneurship, why being a celebrity doesn't automatically make someone a good business owner, and why women need to think more seriously about ownership, equity and financial independence. IN THIS EPISODE: Why Samantha Ruth Prabhu stopped wearing perfume for two years What is clean fragrance, and why does ingredient transparency matter? How Samantha and Ankita built Secret Alchemist The difference between being a celebrity brand ambassador and a brand owner What makes a celebrity-founded brand credible? How to take the leap into entrepreneurship before you feel ready Why failure can be one of the most valuable business lessons Women, wealth creation and the importance of financial independence How empathy can become a competitive advantage in business Why Indian beauty brands have the potential to build global businesses If you're interested in clean beauty, fragrance, entrepreneurship, women-led businesses, celebrity brands, financial independence and building a business from the ground up, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to The Masoom Minawala Show for conversations with women who are changing the way we think about ambition, business, money and influence. Watch more episodes of The Masoom Minawala Show on YouTube and listen on Spotify. Timestamps: 00:00 - Precap 1:35 - Introduction 2:39 - How did the trajectory of SA change with Samantha? 4:52 - Ankita being a scent wizard 5:13 - What made you switch to clean perfumes? 7:40 - Why are traditional perfumes bad? 9:30 - There has been no transparency around perfumes 10:54 - An American lady who sued the duty free department 11:40 - What are these perfumes doing to our body? 13:22 - We wait to get sick to act on our body 14:18 - Women are so much aware of health 15:12 - Choosing ownership v/s choosing fame 17:18 - Only endorsing products she believes in - Samantha 18:00 - Is Samantha sacrificing something to manage both acting and entrepreneurship? 19:25 - Samantha have had hard days 20:17 - How is Samantha managing her day? 22:47 - How to beat fear and act on things you want to do? 25:29 - Is Samantha an impulsive business person? 27:04 - Any mistakes Ankita or Samantha made? 29:01 - Samantha’s first partnership failed 30:33 - Rebuilding yourself. Starting something after something ended 33:08 - What is needed to succeed? 38:17 - We are never trying to copy anyone 38:42 - Women need to prove profitability versus men need to prove possibility 40:43 - Financial independence for women 42:41 - Does Samantha manage her own money? 44:15 - Women delegating financial decisions 45:50 - Why will I sell something which I don’t believe in? 48:59 - What are celebrity brands doing wrong today? 50:17 - Having disagreements with each other 51:18 - BOF Awards 52:32 - Samantha had no godfather in the film industry 56:07 - What is Masoom doing differently? 59:46 - What is the world getting wrong about Indian brands? 1:01:40 - Aspirations for Secret Alchemist Social Media: My Instagram:   / masoomminawala   My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masoommin... About Me: Masoom Minawala is the Founder and Creative Director of MSF Media, a women-focused media company built around one conviction: India's women are the largest underserved media audience in the world. She hosts The Masoom Minawala Show, a long-form podcast for ambitious women, and is an angel investor backing women founders across lifestyle, fashion, and digital media. A Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 honouree and pioneer of the #SupportIndianDesigners movement, Masoom has spent over a decade bringing Indian fashion, craft, and culture to global audiences. #MasoomMinawala