On the sidelines of the prestigious Cannes Lions festival, Erin Oles, Executive Vice President of Salesforce, sat down for an intimate conversation with actress, producer, and investor Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

In this interview, Chopra shares her journey of global transformation — from conquering Bollywood to starting from scratch in Hollywood. Yet, instead of offering a classic, idealized success story, Priyanka emphasizes what usually goes on behind the scenes: the paramount importance of being honest with oneself.

She speaks candidly about why iron discipline and consistency fail to work without the ability to timely “go into a rabbit hole,” process one’s failures under a blanket with a pint of ice cream, and allow oneself space to recover between successive climbs to the top.

Read our feature to discover her insights on the power of multitasking so often attributed to women in business, returning to the “original script” of one’s own life, and why philanthropy is both a privilege and a duty.

This is your first trip to Cannes Lions, right? What has surprised or interested you most so far?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: It is my first trip, yes. And honestly, all of it is surprising. There are so many people, so many meetings, so many connections being made. You really feel this confluence of culture and business — everyone trying to hustle, to create something, to make something happen. It is exciting.

I think we are living in a wonderful time, where there is a kind of democratization of opportunity. When I started, about 25 years ago, it felt like everyone had a lane. Once you picked your lane, you were expected to stay in it. But now, if something interests you, or if you have an idea, you can move into a different space, monetize it, build a career around it, and even make it part of your identity.

That is one of the reasons I wanted to come here: to learn, to listen, to meet people, and to understand where culture is going next. I feel that this is really what is happening here. I have met some amazing people, had conversations about incredible opportunities, and it has been fun.

You were already at the top of Indian cinema, and then you decided to build a career in Hollywood. Was that a conscious decision, or did it happen more organically?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: A little bit of both. I felt that I wanted to expand creatively. I had done some amazing work in Indian cinema and had worked with incredible filmmakers, but I also felt that I wanted more from myself.

I had lived in the States before, so it was not as if I was moving to a country I did not know at all. But I did have to wrap my head around one thing: I had a 15-year, very successful career in India, and that comes with a lot of bells and whistles. Then you walk into a room in a new country and realize that all those bells and whistles have to stay outside. You have to introduce yourself again.

I remember going into a meeting with a magazine whose cover I had been on six times in India — and in the US, I did not get a meeting with the team. I got a meeting with an intern in the cafeteria. You have to understand that, accept it, and say: all right, I have not made a name for myself in this new place yet. So I am going to put my head down and do the work.

And I did the work. Now, hopefully, I am in a wonderful position where I can choose projects and do the work I want to do in two of the largest film industries in the world. That is a very privileged position.

What surprised you most about the American market?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: It is one of the hardest places in the world to stay relevant, because there is so much diversity of information, talent, content, and attention.

What surprised me — or maybe it did not surprise me, because deep down I always knew it was true — was seeing how consistency works. When you put your head down and keep working at something, something comes out of it. Discipline, dedication, and commitment really do matter. And I think that applies to almost anything. If you have a goal and you are committed to it consistently, it helps. Seeing that happen in my own second chapter was powerful.

What keeps you focused when things are difficult, especially when you feel you are working hard but nothing is happening yet?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas:  It is not easy. It is not easy for anyone. We all have moments when we think: I have been driven for so long, I have been working so hard, and nothing is happening.

And I think it is important to allow yourself to feel that. Many of us try so hard to be strong that we do not allow ourselves to feel disappointment, or mourn a missed opportunity, or process a job we did not get, or a deal that fell through.

It is okay to feel bad about it for a couple of days. But what you do after failure is what really defines you. I try to feel my failure. Cry about it. Eat a tub of ice cream, or whatever you need to do. Watch movies, be in a bad mood for the weekend. But then, on Monday morning, put your head down and think of a new idea.

You have managed to keep authentic connections with audiences in both India and the US, which is critical for personal and brand growth. You have often said that the best brands do not just sell a product — they sell a feeling or a belief. How do you identify whether a brand is creating that kind of authentic customer connection?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas:  First of all, I like associating with market leaders. If I associate with a brand, I want to know that it has a trajectory, a plan, an idea for the emerging market, and a strong position.

I am fortunate now to be able to choose and align myself with brands that I genuinely feel good about. But when it comes to storytelling and feeling, I think that is true for anything we consume — whether it is a movie, a watch, a car, or any other product. It is not only about craftsmanship. It is about how you feel when you wear it, drive it, or walk out of the cinema after watching it.

I do not think people like being told what to do, what to consume, what to buy, or what is on trend anymore. People want to decide for themselves. So as a brand, you need the confidence to give your consumer that trust, to understand who they are, and to shape the brand around that relationship. That is what makes it authentic.

Has there ever been a moment when your instinct told you to say yes to something before the data proved it would work?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Bumble is a good example. I had this idea about taking Bumble to India because it is female-led, and I thought that in a country like India, giving women the opportunity to say yes or no first was such a powerful concept.

At that time, Bumble had not really expanded outside the US. I remember speaking to Whitney, and we aligned on the idea. I did not know exactly what it would become, but we took it to India, and it did incredibly well.

That was one of those moments where my gut said: this is interesting, and it could work really well in this market. It was a leap of faith. And my brother met his wife on Bumble, so there is also some customer satisfaction in my own family.

You have worked with brands across industries and have had the opportunity to choose the partnerships you want to be part of. When you consider saying yes to a brand, what do you look for?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas:  I think of it almost like a marriage or dating. You have to understand what you have in common. What is the brand ethic? Does it align with your own ethic?

No one is really looking for representation that just speaks for a brand anymore. We live in a world where social media gives us so much information and so many opinions from different people — including incredible content creators who can break things down for audiences in a very honest way.

So if you are trying to make a connection with a brand, it is important to understand where you align, and whether that alignment is real. Otherwise, it becomes inauthentic, and people can see through that very quickly.

What advice would you give to brands that are trying to build real, long-term relationships with their audiences?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Know your lane, but also build a community. Every successful brand or company I have seen has built trust with its customer. That means listening and keeping your ear to the ground.

Are people talking about your brand? Are they interested in it? Are they sending it to their friends? Are they forwarding the product? Is there conversation around it? And how can you create conversation around your brand in an authentic, word-of-mouth way?

When you create a strong community around a brand — whether the brand is large or small — it becomes much bigger when it is honest.

It is also important to listen to the people who are actually investing in your brand. What do they feel about it? And for those who do not know your brand yet, why should they be interested in you? Especially when you are a founder or a startup, really hearing your consumer is crucial.

How important is it to return to the original reason people connected with the brand in the first place?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: It is very important. In my work as an actor, we always say: go back to the original script. When you are working on a film and the script evolves, sometimes you move so far away from where you started that you lose the magic. So you have to go back to the first draft and remember: this is why I wanted to make this movie.

I think it is the same for any company. Sometimes there is so much noise that it is important to return to the original reason. Why did those first people support you? What did they love about you at the very beginning? You have to keep moving in that direction.

You have also dedicated a lot of time to philanthropy. You have been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for more than 15 years and are involved in work around type 1 diabetes awareness, especially in India. What does this work mean to you?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: I grew up in a military home. Both of my parents were in the military and both were doctors. Growing up in India, you see affluence and poverty living side by side in a way that can almost make you desensitized to it, because it simply exists around you. You can see high-rises and slums at the same time.

When I was very young, I remember noticing the disparity. I used to ask why my life was different from that of another girl who was probably my age. My parents talked to me about this a lot. They were always givers. As doctors, they gave free treatment; we went into villages; I saw them use their platform to give back.

I grew up in a home where you were not patted on the back for doing a good thing. It was considered your privilege and your duty. My parents always said: no matter how much you have or how little you have, someone will have less than you. So you have to look around and be aware of where you can be helpful.

That help does not always mean spending a lot of money. It starts with awareness: how can I be helpful to the people around me?

I remember my nanny’s daughter stopped going to school around the time I was going to boarding school. I was about 15 or 16, and it affected me deeply. It happened because of our socioeconomic differences. My family eventually helped take care of her education, but I remember thinking at 14 or 15: why did she have to make that choice, and I did not?

I realized that I had the privilege of parents who pushed me to have my own individuality and sense of self. Not everyone has that.

When I started working at 17 or 18, I won Miss World. Through that platform, I understood that when you have visibility, you can use it in many ways. The pageant was built around the idea of “beauty with a purpose,” and it taught me that philanthropy can be a natural part of privilege.

Throughout my career, that has remained very important to me. With UNICEF, children’s education has always been a major focus. I believe the future of the world depends on how many children are able to find their feet. Education and food for children should be rights, not privileges.

But beyond UNICEF, I think it starts with understanding your privilege and asking what you can do with it.

How has that philanthropic foundation shaped the way you approach business?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: No business is ever built alone. You build it with your partners, your team, and the people around you. So I think it is important to have an ethos — a sense of what your business stands for and how it gives back.

That does not have to be something huge. It can be giving back in your own way to your community, your consumers, the people buying your products, or anyone connected to your work. The question is: how do you create an experience that is not just transactional?

I try to bring that approach into my businesses as well. It should not just feel like: I pay you, and I buy a product. It should feel like something more — a feeling, a culture, an experience.