Jessica Alba reveals impostor syndrome struggle while building ‘The Honest Company’

Alba recalled personally testing product packaging and handling customer service during the early days

Jessica Alba has opened up about the self-doubt and challenges she faced while building The Honest Company, admitting that she experienced major impostor syndrome when she entered the business world.

The actress discussed her entrepreneurial journey during an event hosted by U.S. Bank and Visa in Hollywood on October 29, 2026. Speaking with Courtney Kelso, senior executive vice president at U.S. Bank, Alba reflected on creating a consumer brand from the ground up despite having no traditional business background.

Alba revealed that she was nine months pregnant and dealing with significant stress and an allergic reaction to laundry detergent when she decided to pursue the idea. Her determination to develop safer products for families eventually led to The Honest Company, which launched its retail business in 2012.

The company went public in 2021, marking a major achievement for Alba, who became one of the relatively few Latina founders to take a business through an initial public offering.

However, the journey involved plenty of practical difficulties. Alba recalled learning about operations, supply chains, shipping and packaging while working closely with her early business partners. They even tested detergent packaging by throwing products from the backs of cars to check whether the containers would survive rough handling.

The early website also launched in beta, and technical problems meant the team occasionally had to contact customers after products had been delivered because their credit cards had not been charged.

Alba admitted that entering a business environment filled with experienced investors made her question whether she was qualified to lead a company.

“I had a major impostor syndrome about whether I was even worthy of running a business,” she said.

She encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to remain resourceful and determined, particularly when turning a personal passion into a full time venture.