S8, Ep2 – In conversation with Rosie Fortescue
17 September 2026
Welcome back to Life & Smile with Dr Reena! For our second episode of Season 8, Dr Reena is joined by Rosie Fortescue – entrepreneur, creative director and Founder of Rosie Fortescue Jewellery. First known to many through Made in Chelsea, Rosie has since built a successful global jewellery brand centred around timeless design and modern luxury, alongside launching Bag’d with her twin sister. From entrepreneurship and creativity to morning rituals, reading and staying firmly in your own lane, Rosie shares what life and success really look like behind the scenes.
Conversation Show Notes – The Recap
The conversation begins with Rosie’s entrepreneurial journey and the early signs that running her own business was always going to suit her. Hyper-organised from a young age and obsessed with jewellery for as long as she can remember, Rosie spotted an opportunity to create pieces at an accessible price point, including smaller sizes that she struggled to find herself. Despite having no formal design experience, she built Rosie Fortescue Jewellery around her own instincts, determination and willingness to find solutions.
Rosie explains that she never set out to build the jewellery brand for investment or rapid growth. Retaining control and creating a business she genuinely enjoys working on have always been priorities. That contrasts with BAGD, the handbag-insert business she launched with her twin sister, which has been built with growth firmly in mind. Rosie shares some of the realities behind both businesses, from managing stock and selling out of popular products to navigating rising gold and silver prices and losing a significant portion of her customer base following Brexit.
The conversation turns to creativity and the evolution of Rosie’s jewellery. Her approach is refreshingly simple: she designs pieces she would want to wear herself. Over time, she has also learnt to balance creativity with what her customer actually wants, testing new designs before expanding into different colours and variations. For Rosie, quality remains key, particularly in an increasingly competitive market filled with bold product claims.
Behind the brands is an incredibly structured working style. Rosie is in the office most days and thrives on organisation, lists and dedicated blocks of focused time. She and Dr Reena also discuss AI and its potential to make everyday work more efficient, while agreeing on the importance of not becoming overly reliant on it – particularly in creative industries.
Rosie’s morning routine is equally considered. She gets straight out of bed rather than scrolling, prepares her workout the night before and aims for 25–30 minutes of Pilates five times a week. Coffee, podcasts, body brushing, lymphatic drainage and, more recently, walking to the office all form part of a routine that sets her up for the day. For Rosie, small changes are easier to maintain when they naturally fit together – including a recent addition from Dr Reena: tongue scraping!
The episode also explores what sits behind Rosie’s public profile. Rather than spending energy on other people’s opinions, she focuses on the people closest to her and the things that matter to her. Whether it is work, friendships or family, Rosie describes herself as someone who puts her whole heart into what she does.
Her definition of success reflects that mindset. It isn’t simply about business growth or external recognition; success is enjoying every day, having freedom over her time and genuinely loving what she does.
Episode Key Takeaways – The Best ideas
- “Stay in your lane.” Rosie’s advice is to focus on what you love rather than spending energy comparing yourself with other people or listening to outside opinions.
- Success is enjoying your everyday life. For Rosie, having freedom over her time, loving her work and waking up happy matter more than traditional measures of success.
- Organisation is an entrepreneurial superpower. From detailed daily lists to blocking out focused time, structure plays a huge part in how Rosie manages multiple businesses and projects.
- Build habits that are easy to follow. Preparing her Pilates workout the night before removes one more decision from Rosie’s morning and helps her stay consistent – small changes can add up to a routine that works.
- Quality still wins. In an increasingly competitive jewellery market, Rosie believes customers are more informed about the claims brands make and continue to value products that deliver genuine quality.
- Learn to pivot. Rising material costs, Brexit, changing consumer spending and stock challenges have all required Rosie to adapt rather than become fixed on one way of doing business.
- Less scrolling, more reading. Rosie reads around 60 books a year and always carries one with her, describing reading as something that has changed her “brain, life, everything.”
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