In putting together its second annual list of the top Celebrity Entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry, The Hollywood Reporter surveyed some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez and Ellen DeGeneres, about why they decided to branch out from acting and singing to also launch brands.

Everyone from Dwayne Johnson, Drew Barrymore and Selena Gomez to power couples Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade shared their insights and thoughts with THR on a range of questions. We asked these celebs not only about who they call for business advice and which social posts have have garnered the most engagement for their companies (see: Aaron Paul being pushed on a luggage cart by Bryan Cranston), but also about a different side of themselves they get to explore as a brand builder.

Seth Rogen, Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Bell shared which products (not their own) they wish they had dreamt up (guess who picked the Ember mug?). And — as the number of celebrity-led brands continues to grow across such categories as spirits, apparel, food and beauty — we asked stars including Lizzo, Shay Mitchell, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria and Michael Strahan to tell us how they see consumer patterns shifting this year.

Read on for more answers from Jessica Biel, Vanessa Hudgens, Katy Perry, Jesse Bongiovi, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Sofia Vergara, and Ciara and Russell Wilson as they take the 2022 Entrepreneurs Survey.

RYAN REYNOLDS (AVIATION GIN, MAXIMUM EFFORT MARKETING, MINT MOBILE, WREXHAM AFC) “Necessity is the mother of invention. When given less, you’re forced to replace spectacle with character. Character is always more memorable.”

SETH ROGEN (HOUSEPLANT) “Shit, am I supposed to have one of those? What’s Ryan Reynolds’? I’ll take his.”

SNOOP DOGG (SNAZZLE O’S, BROADUS FOODS, INDOGGO, 19 CRIMES) “To be open to new ideas, keep learning from others and at the end of the day, do things that are authentic to me, my vision … and bring love and joy while I’m doing it.”

RUSSELL WILSON (GOOD MAN BRAND, HOUSE OF LR&C, HUMAN NATION) “Only do things that are meaningful and authentic to you.”

CIARA (LITA BY CIARA, OAM, TEN TO ONE) “When you get a chance to introduce your brand for the first time, swing big!”

ISSA RAE (HILLTOP COFFEE, SIENNA NATURALS) “How can I make this better?”

MICHAEL STRAHAN (MICHAEL STRAHAN APPAREL LINES, MICHAEL STRAHAN DAILY DEFENSE) “Hustle like you’re broke.”

MICHELLE PFEIFFER (HENRY ROSE) “Never compromise on your vision.”  

JENNIFER LOPEZ (JLO BEAUTY, JLO JENNIFER LOPEZ FOR DSW) “You are only limited by what you believe about yourself.”

MACHINE GUN KELLY (UN/DR LAQR) “If ‘money is the motive,’ you won’t make any.”

SHAY MITCHELL (BÉIS, ONDA) “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I remind myself of this when I see other companies taking inspiration from the innovative styles and features that we’ve become known for.”

KATY PERRY (DE SOI, KATY PERRY COLLECTIONS) “Stay true to yourself. If you can’t talk about it authentically, the consumer always knows.”

EVA LONGORIA (CASA DEL SOL, RISA) “Because of the industry I’m in, my motto is, ‘Produce with purpose.’ With whatever I’m doing, I’m producing with purpose because then I know I’m never wasting my time on it.”

DWAYNE JOHNSON (TEREMANA, ZOA, XFL) “Always take care of the audience, the consumer, the people. Always take care of them and always send them home happy. That’s the motto I live by in all my businesses.”

LIZZO (YITTY) “Know who you’re working with and share the same values as the people you’re working with.”

BLAKE LIVELY (BETTY BUZZ) “Be kind. You can be exacting, you can be demanding, you can be boundaried, but without kindness and respect, you lose people. I’ve been on the other side of that far too often. It’s the people ultimately that make or break your business, no matter the product, so take care of them. That means your team, your consumers, your partners, everyone.”

JESSICA BIEL (KINDERFARMS) “When people show you who they are, believe them.”

KRISTEN BELL (HELLO BELLO) “People over process.”

ELLEN DEGENERES (ED ELLEN DEGENERES, KIND SCIENCE) “Invest in things you love and believe in.”

GAL GADOT (GOODLES) “Surround yourself with extremely talented people who put the work in like you do. Our team at Goodles is incredible, each and every one of them. Jennifer Zeszut, our CEO, managed to curate such a fantastic group of people. It’s all about the people you work with. It matters. A LOT!”

SELENA GOMEZ (RARE BEAUTY, SERENDIPITY, WONDERMIND) “Only do things that are authentic to who you are.”

JENNIFER ANISTON (LOLAVIE) “It’s OK to be tough — but also kind and fair. So many people only focus on being cutthroat and I think that doesn’t always serve you in the end.”

DREW BARRYMORE (BEAUTIFUL, FLOWER BEAUTY, FLOWER HOME) “Find what’s not out there and do that.”

JESSE BONGIOVI (HAMPTON WATER) “Win or lose, we still booze.”

BRYAN CRANSTON (DOS HOMBRES) “Being successful in business, and being good stewards of the earth, are not mutually exclusive.”

AARON PAUL (DOS HOMBRES) “The harder you work, the luckier you become.”

KATE HUDSON (FABLETICS, KING ST. VODKA, INBLOOM) “I guess it’s ‘what’s your why.’ What’s your purpose and what drives you to build a business or whatever you may be doing, whether it be movies, or products or fashion, tech — what drives you and what is it about the business that moves you to want be a part of it and connected to it and how does it give back. That, to me, is always my motto — move with purpose.”

VANESSA HUDGENS (CALIWATER, THOMAS ASHBOURNE) “Authenticity is everything. Consumers can tell when something feels forced. Your business has to feel like an extension of you.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON (THE OUTSET, SNOW DAYS) “With every gain, there’s a loss and with every loss, there’s a gain.”

PAUL WESLEY (BROTHER’S BOND) “People always joke that I am glass half empty and [business partner] Ian [Somerhalder] is glass half full. I tend to focus on consistently improving rather than celebrating any success. I am grateful I have people on my team who balance me out so that I can take a step back and enjoy the wins.”

IAN SOMERHALDER (BROTHER’S BOND) “Honestly I have two: Building on truly purpose-driven foundational pillars of story, quality and authenticity, you can do well and do good at the same time.”

GABRIELLE UNION (BITSY’S, FITON, FLAWLESS BY GABRIELLE UNION, PROUDLY) “There are a million ways to solves problems — there is always an answer, just maybe not the one your ego and pride suggest first.”

ELLEN DEGENERES “How to spell entrepreneur.”

MICHELLE PFEIFFER “Instead of giving up or compromising my vision, I used every ‘no’ I was met with for over a decade to fuel my motivation. I’m incredibly proud of the new precedent Henry Rose has set for safety, transparency and quality in fragrance.” 

GABRIELLE UNION “Be prepared for success. We didn’t anticipate the demand and it actually set us back. Being out of stock sounds like high-class problems but is terrible for a new business.”

SOFIA VERGARA (FOSTER GRANT, ROOMS TO GO, WALMART PARTNERSHIP) “My customers are intelligent and know what they want. They appreciate good quality and good value, so it is important to listen to them and only provide them with things I believe in and would use myself.”

RUSSELL WILSON “Never give up. To do anything great, there will be highs and lows and peaks and valleys. Just keep climbing.”

MICHAEL STRAHAN “Never stop believing in yourself. I live by my dad’s motto, ‘Not if, but when’ it will happen. Having that mindset in every entrepreneurial decision is crucial. ‘Failures’ or ‘nos’ are just redirections to something bigger and better. I accept failure as part of the journey and figure out another way to make it happen.”

SETH ROGEN “There is a direct correlation between scale and quality. At Houseplant, quality is our main focus, both with weed and our home goods. And learning how to maintain the level of quality that is imperative to us while still growing our company has been wildly beneficial.”

SNOOP DOGG “Acknowledge my mistakes, study why it happened and then learn from there on how to be greater.”

LIZZO “The biggest lesson I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is to provide a service you actually care about. Don’t say yes to an enterprising idea only because it will bring you a profit. If you don’t actually care about the product, consumers can tell nowadays … especially because of social media.”

KATY PERRY “Creating a business plan and having a board creates a roadmap to success.”

RYAN REYNOLDS (AVIATION GIN, MAXIMUM EFFORT MARKETING, MINT MOBILE, WREXHAM AFC) “Resist the urge to win in favor of learning. Seeking to learn from someone you disagree with is often more valuable than ‘winning.’”

BLAKE LIVELY “Follow your convictions.”

EVA LONGORIA “There are no such things as mistakes, only new ways on how not to do it.”

MACHINE GUN KELLY “Big risk, big reward.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON “The importance of being flexible.”

JENNIFER GARNER (ONCE UPON A FARM) “All I do is learn lessons. I am the student here surrounded by experts. Learning every single thing from scratch is the gift in itself.”

SELENA GOMEZ “I am the first one to say I do not have all of the answers and am a strong believer in collaboration. When I founded Rare Beauty, I had never started a company from the ground up and was aware I had to surround myself with people that had more experience than me. I needed true partners who could help execute my vision.“

ELTON JOHN (ELTON JOHN EYEWEAR) “Be bold. Take risks. Be prepared to fail. Success is never straightforward trajectory. You’re going to make mistakes. Learn from them and adjust your course accordingly.”

KATE HUDSON “That’s a difficult question because there are so many things happening so frequently that you’re constantly learning. I guess that’s the answer. You never stop learning and growing and understanding the business landscape, because the landscape is always changing.”

GAL GADOT “It takes time. You need to be patient, keep pushing forward, not lose your passion and never stop believing in it.”

JENNIFER ANISTON “To always trust your gut. When something doesn’t feel right, there’s probably a good reason.”

JESSICA BIEL “That there will be failures. So, keep expectations leveled and be able to accept that not all endeavors will be successful, but the profound amount of learning and personal growth within the failure is worth the entire experience.”

KRISTEN BELL “Run your idea by someone who will challenge you or give you an opposing view. For me, this is my husband. And every time I run things by him, I’m able to see my blind spots, and the idea becomes better because of it.”

DREW BARRYMORE “Fight for your gut instincts. There’s a reason you’re there and not someone else. That said, be a good collaborator.”

BRYAN CRANSTON “It’s OK not to know something. But it’s not OK to remain ignorant. Learn your business.”

AARON PAUL “Trust your gut and run with it. Remember, falling down is all part of the process. You must fall down so you can grow. It’s important to fall down. Dust yourself off and keep going. If you don’t, then someone else will.”

JESSE BONGIOVI  “The Snuggie. My whole family had their own growing up. It’s just a robe on backwards that was also highly flammable but, wow, was that genius.”

BLAKE LIVELY “Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops. I had no idea what that meant. But I tried them when I spent three days at Disneyland in 100-degree temperatures, wearing full surfers zinc sunscreen and a mask and hat. My face should’ve looked like a pubescent boy after all that. Not a single breakout. I’m convinced it’s witchcraft.” 

KATE HUDSON “There are so many! But I wish that I had dreamt up the Oura Ring.”

DWYANE WADE (JEETER, PROUDLY, WADE CELLARS, WAY OF WADE) “I can’t believing I’m saying this but … AirPods. I was resisting the AirPod wave for a while, but now I always have mine with me.”

SHAY MITCHELL “The entire Frida company.”

ISSA RAE “Salt Spray’s Whipped Body Butter Sunrise Mimosa smells amazing and makes my skin feel moisturized and glowy. I got [it] as a gift in Bermuda and had to re-up. Now I want to try their other flavors.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON “La Croix.”

KRISTEN BELL “The Ember mug. It’s genius.”

PAUL WESLEY “Apple AirTags! Lost my luggage a few times this year and was able to locate it immediately. Getting it back is another story, though.”

JENNIFER ANISTON “Oh, I don’t know … maybe the iPhone.”

DREW BARRYMORE “I’m going to be in love with whomever reinvents how we get rid of plastics in takeout food.”

SETH ROGEN “You seen these fucking iPhones??”

ELTON JOHN “Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. What their family created with Newman’s Own foods was truly groundbreaking and changed the lives of so many.”

DWYANE WADE “I have always been inspired by Magic Johnson and the work that he has done both in business and the community. As an athlete, he has dispelled any limit to our success and set the bar high for my generation and those to come.”

RUSSELL WILSON “Ciara, my wife. Watching her run our fashion house, the House of LR&C and create businesses like OAM skincare and invest in up-and-coming brands like Ten to One Rum has been super inspiring, not to mention her being a world-class entertainer, amazing mother, wife and best friend. Baby girl can do it all!”

SOFIA VERGARA “There are so many, but I’ve always been inspired by Oprah, Martha Stewart and Jennifer Lopez. They do so many different things and are constantly evolving their businesses. I admire them a lot.”

SNOOP DOGG “Master P, he’s set a blueprint for us on ownership and partnership, while continuing to innovate on new levels.”

RYAN REYNOLDS “Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Their brand was an authentic extension and expression of who they were as people.” 

ISSA RAE “Diddy aka ‘Love’ has been influential since I was in middle school, does everything I want to do, owns most of what he does and seems to have the best time doing it.”

SHAY MITCHELL “I think you have to give credit where it is due, and Jessica Simpson was really the first celebrity brand that became a cultural sensation.”

BLAKE LIVELY “Rihanna. You don’t have enough room on the page to fit all the reasons why I think she’s one of the most impactful and inspiring artists, business leaders and generational icons we’ll ever witness. She’s paved the way for entrepreneurs across a multitude of categories and experience.”

JESSE BONGIOVI “I’d say Ryan Reynolds because it’s not fair to be so successful, talented and handsome.”

PAUL WESLEY “My friends Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have done a tremendous job with their mezcal, and it’s been great to see two really good people succeed as well as they have. They love their product as much as we love our product, and that enthusiasm is inspiring to see.”

BRYAN CRANSTON “The ones who do it right and put in the work: Ryan’s gin, Dwayne’s tequila, Ian and Paul’s bourbon, and others.”

AARON PAUL “Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds are blinding examples of how a business can and should be run. They run their enterprises with true grit and incredible humor. They both are salt of the earth men that I really look up to, and it’s impossible not to root for them.”

GAL GADOT “Ryan Reynolds. He shared his experience with me and what it takes to bring a brand to life. I love the way he communicates his brand to the world as they are always fun, original and very Ryan. You gotta make sure the brand is in your voice with your spirit.”

JENNIFER GARNER “John Foraker may not be a celebrity to The Hollywood Reporter, but he is in the world of CPG CEOs. He is endlessly patient, thoughtful and honest — I think it is fair of me to speak for everyone at OFARM [Once Upon a Farm] — we feel so lucky to be led by John.”

KATE HUDSON “I can’t ever really answer this question without talking about Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth and I have known one another for a very long time, and I remember when she started Goop. I remember when she was even just thinking about starting Goop. I remember having a conversation with her which must have been in 2009 or 2010 — and she was talking about how she wanted to be trusted with the things that she really loves. And what she was talking about at that time, among other things, was her cooking. She has always been one of the better chefs that I’ve ever experienced. I was just so lucky to have a friend who could cook for me like that. But it was really important to her that she did the work and immersed herself, because she wanted to share it with people and she wanted to do it right. I watched her really involve herself in so many different things, including the landscape of understanding business, how to grow a business and what inevitably ended up becoming Goop. So, I would say that Gwyneth’s follow-through and her dedication from the whispers of wanting to start Goop to where it is today was incredibly motivating to me because she walks that walk. She’s immersed in her business every day of her life. I find that kind of follow-through really inspiring.”

MACHINE GUN KELLY “Robert De Niro, because he got in business with Chef Nobu and made one of the most amazing upper-echelon sushi restaurants, which expanded to becoming its own hotel [brand].”

KATY PERRY “Kim Kardashian. You can see her dedication and passion. She’s a day-in, day-out person with her businesses, and she has a great support system.”

ISSA RAE “A video of me and our founder, Hannah Diop, sipping and answering hair and lifestyle preference questions.”

MICHAEL STRAHAN “A then and now photo with a suit from the past and a current suit from my line.”

CIARA “Announcing The House of LR&C. We had over 500 million impressions the first day.”

MICHELLE PFEIFFER “Reels! Everyone seems to love when I share what scents I’m currently layering.”

JESSE BONGIOVI “We have had a handful of pretty successful TikToks over the last few years but my favorite was the Thanksgiving one.”

LIZZO “Not sure on most engaged, but my favorite post from this past year was when I was announced that I was doing shapewear with the Yitty ass tattoo. People were really excited about it.”

KATY PERRY “Me in my hamburger costume from the Met 2019 alongside a special blinged-out version of the hamburger shoes we made for Katy Perry Collections.”

DREW BARRYMORE “[This] TikTok.”

GAL GADOT “One of the first ones when I announced Goodles.”

PAUL WESLEY “Any time I post a photo with Ian, it’s a smash hit. Must be those baby blue eyes.”

BRYAN CRANSTON “Our recent Halloween video was a lot of fun and garnered a massive number of views.”

AARON PAUL “Bryan Cranston pushing me on a luggage cart full of Dos Hombres through a hotel hallway. It was something we already were doing and I said, ‘We should maybe film this.’”

JENNIFER ANISTON “The LolaVie 2 Step in my bathroom where I am applying my LolaVie Glossing Detangler and then my Perfecting Leave-In.”

VANESSA HUDGENS “The posts about my brands that have been the most successful are organic placements. Living life to the fullest and having my product in hand. I authentically use my products so it’s never a forced thing.”

ELTON JOHN “A post on National HIV Testing Day about Elton John Eyewear and EJAF’s partnership with Walmart in June focused on breaking down barriers to HIV awareness and care in the United States.”

SETH ROGEN “The side that loves design. Houseplant allows me to really focus on things like graphic design, interior design, product design. It’s incredibly gratifying to work not only on the aesthetics and function of the product, but to also be in control of exactly how the product is presented to the world. Maybe that’s something I feel I’m missing from my other job …”

DWYANE WADE “I get the opportunity to stay curious as I enter new industries as an entrepreneur. I was intimidated by the wine industry at first and was not educated on the culture and community of wine. Over the years, my curiosity is what motivated me to educate myself about everything in the industry from technical wine production to higher education access for minority students passionate about winemaking.”

JENNIFER LOPEZ “Creating more seats at the tables of opportunity in a different sector than entertainment.”

ELLEN DEGENERES “I get to express my creative passions in a way that is different from being an entertainer.”

KATY PERRY “Honestly, I think I live a lot of my life with an entrepreneur mindset — what’s the risk vs. the reward, what’s the balance between unfiltered creativity and consumer-friendly. … I love learning the nuts and bolts of how to run a CPG business.”

MICHELLE PFEIFFER “As an actor, I’ve had agents, lawyers, managers, etc., to have all of the difficult conversations for me. Now, as a leader, I have had to learn to have those conversations. Your baggage and hang-ups that mess you up in life will also bleed into your leadership. So, it’s been a deeper dive into myself.”

BLAKE LIVELY “Product development. It taps into my inner childhood dreams of being an inventor. Maybe I just watched Flubber too many times.” 

MICHAEL STRAHAN “My creative side. For instance, I have always loved fashion and have been able to lean into my creativity and curiosity to learn the business and produce items that not only make me feel good and confident, but the consumer feels their best too. The entrepreneur in me was able to make a business out of that passion.”

LIZZO “I love the back end and creation process. I love talking about fabrics and design. It’s really exciting. Being able to give people something more than music has been really fulfilling.”

AARON PAUL “Many people see me as Pinkman and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I love that I get to use my mind, my heart and my passion for design in everything that I decide to create.”

DREW BARRYMORE “My love of homemaking. My obsession with spaces. My passion for design.”

SELENA GOMEZ “What I love about acting, singing/songwriting and producing is exploring my creative side. When it comes to my business interests, there is still an element of creativity, but what I truly love is the strategy behind the decisions we are making.”

KATE HUDSON “That I’m quite linear! And that I get to use the other side of my brain. I’m very right-brain oriented, but I also have this administrative brain that I actually like to work. … For someone like me who gets bored very easily, it keeps me sharp and keeps me on my toes. I also like understanding our economic landscape, which is an interest I really didn’t have before I started working in business. You really see economics from a very different point of view when you’re working in consumer goods and you see how many people are affected by what you do. You really do feel a part of the pulse of life and how important it is keep people working and keep our economy thriving. Being an entertainer can make you feel as if you’re in a little creative bubble that can shut that part of life out sometimes. But when you’re working in business and you have to face certain economic hard truths, you feel very much a part of wanting to figure out how to create growth for everyone.”

VANESSA HUDGENS “Being a businesswoman in general. I didn’t go to school for business, so I’ve really had to ask a lot of questions along the way. From how to build relationships with buyers to business lingo. I’m constantly interrupting our quarterlies, but it’s a whole new world, and I want to be as informed as possible.”

EVA LONGORIA “My business acumen. I use different tools in my brain when I’m in entrepreneurial businesswoman mode, as opposed to actor-director mode, which is more creative. It’s the practical, logical, reasoning side of my brain, more than the creative side.”

SHAY MITCHELL “During COVID, we saw a consumer migration towards our bags intended for more day-to-day use, or quick jaunts. Now that the world is opening back up, we see our roller inventory flying out the doors (in addition to the day-to-day bags). I think part of this is our high customer return rate … once you see how great our bags are, it’s hard to stop.”

JENNIFER GARNER “There has been a huge shift from the straight to DTC model — it’s omni-channel or bust.”

DWYANE WADE “A good product is not enough. Consumers continue to have an increased value in brand purpose and how a brand values today’s progressive society. Consumer want to be in businesses with brands that center their voices and values.”

VANESSA HUDGENS “Consumers more than ever want transparency. To easily know exactly what is it that they are buying. Having all the information allows a deeper connection between consumer and product.”

LIZZO “The idea of influence is changing and who we are getting that influence from is changing. Everything has been so overly branded and marketed, and now organic marketing and genuine word of mouth is what’s moving consumers, and that comes from a good product. You can’t fake that.”

EVA LONGORIA “I think people are very aware of where their products come from and who makes them. Who makes your clothing, who picks your food, are there fair labor standards behind it, is it environmentally and ecologically made? I think that’s what’s changing now. Nobody wants fast fashion. Everyone wants organic avocados.”

RUSSELL WILSON “1) If you don’t have a direct path to the consumer, aka DTC, you’re losing. 2) People want to wear, breathe and root for brands that have purpose.”

IAN SOMERHALDER “I was involved in a very humbling and tough business deal that my wife actually helped me navigate using her amazing business prowess. She called in a mentor and dear friend of ours, a well-known investor named Lyndon Lea, to bestow some important business advice. He said, ‘Ian, business is not about WHAT you see. It’s about what you DON’T see…’ I’ve never looked at a situation or a deal the same again.”

SETH ROGEN “Be focused.”

RUSSELL WILSON “Dream big! When people tell you no, all that means is just keep going.”

DWYANE WADE “You have to believe in the people more than you believe in the business. Whether it’s building your team or entering a new business partnership, it’s important to work with individuals who align with your mission and values.”

RYAN REYNOLDS “Lose the layers. Do things yourself. Be on calls. Meet in person. Everything changes for the better when face-to-face.” 

KATY PERRY “No risk, no reward. And always get a comparable.”

JENNIFER LOPEZ “Warren Buffet said ‘A brand is a promise’ and ‘Do what you love with people you love.’”

MICHAEL STRAHAN “Always treat people with respect regardless of position and never burning bridges.”

MACHINE GUN KELLY “Don’t fuck this up.”

MICHELLE PFEIFFER “Never get too comfortable or start to believe you know everything. Trust in your strengths and more importantly know your weaknesses and surround yourself with people smarter than you.”

SELENA GOMEZ “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes we are scared to admit we don’t know something, and I always want to learn more.”

KATE HUDSON “Know when to pivot. I actually read that in an article where someone else was being interviewed about their own business. She said there was a moment when she had to pivot and if she hadn’t made that decision, she wouldn’t have succeeded. And that pivot was a real factor in the company’s growth and success. I think that’s a really important thing to remember. Sometimes people can be stubborn about thinking and insisting that something has to go one way, which is exactly what can prevent anything from growing.”

KRISTEN BELL “Surround yourself with people smarter than you at all times.”

JESSICA BIEL “Bank on authenticity and transparency. If you love your products, believe in them and trust your company and partners implicitly, then so will your consumers.”

ELLEN DEGENERES “Buy high and sell higher.”

JESSE BONGIOVI “Our No. 1 employee, my dad!”

LIZZO “My manager, Kevin Beisler.”

RYAN REYNOLDS “George Dewey and James Toney III. Thankfully they’re my partners.” 

GABRIELLE UNION “First person I call for business advise is Deirdre Maloney. She’s an amazing businesswoman and entrepreneur and co-founder of Afternoon Light.”

EVA LONGORIA “[Makeup artist and entrepreneur] Huda Kattan. She is such an amazing businesswoman and a great friend, so she gives balanced advice.”

CIARA “A team of advisory board members that we have built over the years with a diverse group of trusted advisors from various fields of business such as Christine Day, David Adelman, Greg Williams and Mark Rodgers.”

IAN SOMERHALDER “Adam Lilling at Plus Capital. He and his team are my powerhouse of information at lightning speed and efficiency.”

KATY PERRY “My manager, Steve Jensen, and one of my best friends, Michael Kives.”

BLAKE LIVELY “My husband.”

ELTON JOHN “My most trusted confidante is my husband, David Furnish. He is the CEO of Rocket Entertainment and the chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.”

JESSICA BIEL “My husband.”

GAL GADOT “Jaron, my husband — he’s brilliant and has the ability to both focus and analyze the small details but also see everything from a bird’s eye view. He has creative ideas and is fun to work with as he always dreams big!”

JENNIFER LOPEZ “My husband.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON “My husband and also my business manager, Harley Neuman and my attorney, Kevin Yorn.”

JENNIFER GARNER  “[My manager] Nicole King, but then she’s my first call for everything.”

ELLEN DEGENERES “So many people telling me to launch a business.”

JESSE BONGIOVI “Always running out of rosé.”

CIARA “The belief in what we’ve created and the confidence we have in our team.”

SOFIA VERGARA “My family and my fans.”

MICHAEL STRAHAN “My business partner and longtime friend, Constance Schwartz-Morini, and my team at SMAC Entertainment, who have turned my lifestyle brand into something I’ve never imagined. Teamwork really does make the dream work.”

RYAN REYNOLDS “I needed to market [Aviation Gin] more thoughtfully. So I started Maximum Effort Marketing.” 

MICHELLE PFEIFFER “Becoming a mom and paying closer attention to how harmful the ingredients of products we are exposed to every day can be.”

SHAY MITCHELL “The gaping white space and the incessant itch that told me I could do it better.”

KATY PERRY “The team I have around me, who help support with all the balls I get to juggle.”

JENNIFER LOPEZ “My fans. This is an amazing community that has followed me through all kinds of adventures.”

BLAKE LIVELY “My detailed and sometimes critical nature, which I’ve spent most of my life trying to suppress, until I surrounded myself with people who saw value in my push for quality instead of shaming me into staying in my lane.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON “My passion for skin care and my desire to control my own narrative.”

KATE HUDSON “Probably my parents, who had a very different way of looking at being in business. My Pa [Kurt Russell] once said something to me when I was younger that I always remembered — ‘If I have to take a chance betting on someone else or betting on myself, I’ll bet on myself.’ And what he meant by that is he knew that when it came down to it, what he could build or what he could grow or put forward, would be something he could trust … I think that’s probably where my business mindset came from — my Dad’s philosophy.”

JENNIFER GARNER “Mark Shriver [of Save the Children] and me noticing and obsessing over the shift in philanthropy from foundations to corporations — business is leading social change? Count me in.”

KRISTEN BELL “The confidence that I can make for profit businesses for good.”

JESSICA BIEL “A personal need I had as a mom for alternative options in the health care space for kids and an obvious need in the marketplace.”

DREW BARRYMORE “Having kids. It made me want to find other avenues of work so that I could be home with them.”

AARON PAUL “The struggles I have had in my life. I needed the lows to push myself for the highs. I had a taste of success early on in my career and then things slowed down for a minute. Made me truly understand what I wanted out of this short life we all are blessed with.”

JENNIFER LOPEZ “I’ll see it in the next generation of entrepreneurs that we inspire and help open doors for.”

MACHINE GUN KELLY “Part of the culture’s subconscious of what you associate with beauty upkeep.”

JENNIFER ANISTON “My hope is that I get to explore many other business categories beyond beauty. I would love to be exploring more in the pet and tech spaces.”

GABRIELLE UNION “I see my businesses expanding, leading in development of new products, technology and delivery methods.”

MICHAEL STRAHAN “Ever since I retired from the NFL, my life has been a series of improbable decisions and not being afraid to try new things. So, with my clothing and skin lines, I see us expanding into more categories that may be a bit unexpected, but still organic to my lifestyle.”

RUSSELL WILSON “Good Man Brand, my clothing brand, being one of the largest, most well-respected and well-known brands in the men’s lifestyle space. In addition to that, West2East Empire becoming one of the most impactful brand management and production companies in entertainment. I would also love to own an NFL team in 15 years.”

DREW BARRYMORE “I don’t. I have no board vision. I do what I’m really passionate about at that time.”

IAN SOMERHALDER “I see our business being one of the most inspiring, purpose-driven, sought-after and successful brands in any product category globally by bringing people together and inspiring bonding. Building a 50-generation legacy brand setting in motion enormous biosequestration of carbon dioxide by using regenerative farming practices ultimately changing the way grains are grown at scale in the spirits category in the United States. I believe with steadfast conviction this will happen.”

KATE HUDSON “I probably just see more businesses in my future! I never really fancied myself being a CEO or a singular in anything. I’m constantly wanting to do different things, and so where I see my business in 10 years is, I think, bigger than maybe one business. But as a whole, I hope to see that what I do continues to inspire people. My purpose personally is to hopefully help motivate people to live healthier lives that makes them feel good inside of themselves and maybe find joy. That’s the part that I hope continues to grow, inspire and motivate.”

EVA LONGORIA “I see my business contributing to the rainbow of diversity that our world is and contributing to the landscape of what TV and film should look like. I see my business in 10 years making a huge difference in supplying a diverse pipeline of talent to an industry that currently needs it.”

A version of this story first appeared in the Nov. 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.