Meghan Sussex Talks to Kadi Lee About Building Highbrow Hippie

In the latest podcast episode of Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan Sussex sits down with hair colorist and entrepreneur Kadi Lee for a candid conversation about what it takes to build something from the ground up—especially as a Black woman in a predominantly white industry. Lee, co-founder of the Los Angeles salon and lifestyle brand Highbrow Hippie, shares the personal and professional moments that defined her path. Together, the two women explore how community, clarity, and courage kept Lee’s business alive through one of the most disruptive times in recent memory.

As Meghan points out, starting a business is often a leap of faith. But for Kadi Lee, that leap landed in the middle of a pandemic. What followed was a lesson in survival, self-reliance, and staying rooted in purpose.

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Holding A Vision Through Uncertainty

Kadi Lee opened Highbrow Hippie just months before COVID-19 brought the beauty industry to a halt. The salon’s early success quickly collided with lockdowns, safety fears, and the emotional toll of racial unrest. Lee recalls the whiplash of shutting down after finally reaching a long-awaited milestone. Rent was due. Clients disappeared. Her team faced deep uncertainty.

But she didn’t fold. Instead, Lee adapted. She drove across Los Angeles in full protective gear, delivering custom hair color kits to clients. Her commitment helped cover rent and ensured her staff had income. Some clients paid for services a year in advance so Lee could support her team. The crisis revealed the strength of the community she had built—and how deeply that trust ran.

These moments weren’t just about commerce. They were about connection. Lee’s story speaks to the reality of female entrepreneurship, especially for women of color, who often operate without a safety net. She made a way out of no way, not by waiting for help, but by showing up—consistently, creatively, and with care.

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Meghan Explains The Meaning Behind As ever

During the episode, Meghan opens up about the evolution of her brand and why she chose to rename it As ever. The decision, she explains, came from a desire to root her creative and entrepreneurial work in a tone of intention, sincerity, and timeless connection.

She describes As ever as a phrase she often uses to close letters—a small but meaningful signature that conveys consistency and care. For Meghan, those two words reflect the values she hopes to carry through every project: thoughtful storytelling, enduring relationships, and a deep respect for her audience.

“It felt warm. It felt human. And it felt like me,” she shares. “I wanted the name to reflect not just what I’m doing, but how I want to show up in the world.”

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Meghan Backs Highbrow Hippie With Investment And Intention

Meghan’s support for Kadi goes beyond friendship. She recently invested in Highbrow Hippie, the haircare and wellness brand Lee co-founded. “Kadi has a mastery of hair health,” Meghan said. “I’m so proud to invest in her as a friend and as a female founder.”

This investment matters. Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., yet they receive less than 1% of venture capital funding, according to ProjectDiane and Crunchbase. Meghan’s decision to back Highbrow Hippie challenges that imbalance by channeling capital into a brand built on resilience, not celebrity hype.

Kadi’s business, which began as a blog, has grown into a trusted name with products that consistently sell out. With Meghan’s support, Highbrow Hippie has the potential to expand while staying grounded in its values of community, wellness, and inclusion.

In a market that often sidelines Black women until their ideas are co-opted, this investment marks a meaningful step toward equity. It’s a personal move—but one with powerful implications.

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joins Serge Normant, Kadi Lee, and Myka Harris at the Highbrow Hippie Haircare & Wellness launch in Venice, California in 2024.

Creating A Salon Space For Truth And Transformation

When Highbrow Hippie reopened, the emotional landscape had shifted. Clients returned not only with grown-out roots, but with questions and feelings about race, identity, and privilege. Many had never confronted these issues before. Lee, a Black woman serving a diverse but mostly non-Black clientele, found herself navigating beauty services and difficult conversations at the same time.

She didn’t shy away from it. Alongside her co-founder Micah, Lee launched “patio chats” at their Venice location—open discussions on race, feminism, and intersectionality. These weren’t brand-building gimmicks. They were community forums built on trust and truth. The pair had already begun this work before the pandemic, but the events of 2020 added urgency. What emerged was a salon rooted not only in aesthetics but in authenticity.

Meghan praised Lee’s courage in addressing what others might avoid. The episode doesn’t romanticize the struggle. It honors the weight of leading while being expected to serve, especially when emotional labor isn’t part of the price tag. Lee speaks honestly about exhaustion, loneliness, and the effort it took to keep going when it felt like everything was falling apart.

But she also shares the joy. The brand that began as a blog now includes a product line that’s sold out more than once. Highbrow Hippie’s growth reflects steady, thoughtful decisions rather than sudden hype or fleeting trends.