‘When you think you’re on top, guess what happens? You’ll get knocked down again’

Former supermodel, turned actress and producer Caprice Bourret has built a career defined by reinvention, ownership and commercial instinct. Through her production company JJLove Productions, she has executive produced and starred in a string of successful films — including a Channel 5 number one — while continuing to expand her entrepreneurial footprint.

Here she speaks to 9AM Business about momentum, resilience and why she is only just getting started.

Caprice, how are you? We’ve seen your rise to fame and so many successes over the years. Tell us what have you been up to recently?

Thank you so much. It is a pleasure as always – we’ve known each other for about ten thousand years! I am very keeping busy with the kids, my husband, and, of course, running my businesses. I started a production company a couple of years ago, JJLove Productions, and my movies have really taken off. I am the executive producer and the lead role in most of my films. My latest romcom movie was exclusive to Channel 5 in the UK and Amazon Prime in the USA. My movies sell in over 25 countries around the globe.

I would like to talk about your movies and production company but first can we start with business. You’ve built multiple companies over the years. What’s the mindset that’s driven your success?

I come from an entrepreneurial family. My mom instilled a strong work ethic in me from an early age. At 17, she was like, “OK Cap, off you go now, bye!” Through her instilling drive and independence in me during my younger years, I’ve been proud to be a driving force of independence. And you know what? I love making money – why do so many people feel afraid to say it? I love making money, and so should you.

Have you faced failures along the way?

Are you joking? Of course, I’ve had setbacks and failures! I have a saying: throw shit at the wall and see what sticks. Yes, sometimes businesses or brands fail, but what gets you through is knowing when it’s time to throw in the towel and move on. This is so crucial. If something isn’t working, just walk away – don’t waste years trying to fix it. Move on! You’re an entrepreneur – go and do it better next time. The delay just inevitably delays your success.

For me, it was hair straighteners. Back then, they were hot property, but I got the brand and marketing all wrong at the time. So, I dusted myself off and moved on to the next opportunity.

You’ve also been open about resilience – were there any difficult periods in business you faced?

Oh, absolutely. Let me tell you – in the 2008 recession, I lost over £1 million with currency exchange, literally overnight. I was devastated. I didn’t know if my business would survive. I cried in bed for days. Then my mom called me, and she was like, “Cap, what are you doing? Get out of bed, pick yourself up – you can do this.”

And that’s exactly what I did. I educated myself about hedging in the market so I’d never be in a position to lose that much money again. I think it’s important never to blame others or feel or act like a victim. I took ownership of my mistake – of not being more careful and prepared for a potential recession.

Now, I know everything you could think of about currency exchange. Many businesses have to exchange currency when dealing with factories and so on, but let me tell you: never again will I leave myself/my business so vulnerable.

Ultimately, learning from your mistakes is crucial so never feel down about the mistakes you might make along the way, they are all a learning curve.

We’ve also heard you’re expanding into the wellness space. What can you tell us about that?

Following a successful retreat a few years ago, I realised how powerful it was bringing like-minded people together in one space. I’m now launching Salud Wellness in Ibiza, which is going to be a game changer.

It’s not just a retreat — we’re launching a movement. We’ll be launching it soon and it’s all about educating people. I’ve put together a full programme and it’s going to be absolutely incredible, hosted at a premium luxury villa. For me, it’s about building communities, focusing on health, mindset and wellbeing, and creating something meaningful that people can take back into their everyday lives. It’s really, really important to me.

What is your advice to budding entrepreneurs in business?

Social media is free. Free! How amazing is that? We live in a time where you can get started in business from your phone. Use it to your advantage. So many people underestimate how powerful that is.

And have confidence — that’s huge. A lot of people aren’t confident talking about their ideas, so they keep them to themselves. But that’s a mistake. I once met a woman when I was headline speaker at an event who thought she had this amazing product idea. She didn’t tell friends or family. She didn’t test it. She just believed in it quietly and went all in — spent around £20,000 developing it before getting any feedback. It was essentially a bedsheet with a line down the middle — “this is your side, this is my side.”

I said, stop.

As much as we want to protect our ideas, talking to people around us is what really helps. Your friends, your network — they’re your first focus group. Get feedback before you go too deep into something that might not work. It doesn’t make you weak; it makes you smart.