WHEN: Today, Thursday, September 10th
WHERE: CNBC's "Closing Bell"
In a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview Jessica Simpson speaks with CNBC's Kelly Evans on "Closing Bell" (M-F, 3PM-5PM ET) today. Following is a link to the video on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000419507
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
KELLY EVANS: SHE'S A POP STAR TURNED POWER MOGUL. JESSICA SIMPSON HAS TAKEN HER JESSICA SIMPSON BRAND AND TURNED IT INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS. WHAT IS THE KEY TO HER SUCCESS? JESSICA SAT DOWN WITH ME FOR THAT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
JESSICA SIMPSON: I'M DEFINITELY A PERSON THAT IS ALL ABOUT TAKING A RISK, AND EVERYTHING TO ME IS KIND OF A WHY NOT? I TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY BY THE REIGNS AND JUST GO FOR IT. SO WHEN WE STARTED, IT WAS ONLY SHOES AND NOW IT'S GROWN SO BIG. I'M JUST COUNTING MY BLESSINGS.
EVANS: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WANT TODAY WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE ALMOST MORE INTERESTED IN MOBILE PHONES THAN MAYBE WHAT THEY ARE WEARING.
SIMPSON: HOPEFULLY THEY ARE SHOPPING ON THEIR PHONE.
EVANS: YEAH, I MEAN ARE PEOPLE SHOPPING ON THEIR PHONES?
SIMPSON: I THINK SO. I SHOP ON MY PHONE. BUT NO, I THINK THAT I REALLY JUST KNOW HOW TO EMBRACE AND UNDERSTAND A WOMAN. I KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. I KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO LOOK LIKE.
EVANS: WEARABLES IS A CATEGORY NOW THAT PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO PLAY AROUND WITH AND JUST THINK WHAT IF I STARTED, I KNOW YOU MIGHT HAVE ACTIVE WEAR COMING OUT. SO IS THAT GOING TO BE ACTIVE WEAR THAT EMBEDS TECHNOLOGY THE WAY THAT UNDER ARMOUR, SOME OF THESE OTHER BIG BRANDS ARE TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU THINKING AT ALL THROUGH THAT? OR WHEN YOU WORK OUT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ATTRACTIVE TO YOU AT ALL?
SIMPSON: WE ARE DEFINITELY THINKING ALL OF THAT THROUGH. I MEAN, THERE'S – EVEN WITH THE ZIPPER POCKETS AND EVERYTHING. WE ARE DEFINITELY THINKING ALL OF THAT THROUGH.
EVANS: SO THAT'S ALL STILL TO BE DECIDED, THOUGH?
SIMPSON: YEAH, I MEAN IN OUR FIRST LAUNCH, WE HAVE STUFF LIKE THAT BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL – WE DON'T HAVE AN APPLE WATCH YET.
EVANS: DO YOU WEAR AN APPLE WATCH?
SIMPSON: NO.
EVANS: OR A FITBIT?
SIMPSON: I USED TO WEAR A FITBIT, BUT NOW I KNOW HOW MANY MILES IT TAKES TO BURN THE CALORIES.
EVANS: ESPECIALLY IN THE SHOES IT CAN REALLY, REALLY ADD UP. I WONDERED ALSO HOW YOU CAN TRUST IN YOUR PARTNERS. YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF LICENSING AGREEMENTS. YOU'VE HAD SOME GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH OVER THE YEARS. YOU HAVE SEQUENTIAL NOW INVOLVED WITH THE BRAND AND THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN GROW IN A VERY BIG WAY.
SIMPSON: THEY ARE MAKING EVERYTHING GROW VERY LARGE.
EVANS: BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW? HOW DO YOU TRUST THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WHEN YOU ARE IN BUSINESS AND THE STAKES ARE SO HIGH?
SIMPSON: I KEEP MY BUSINESS FAMILY. EVERYBODY THAT WORKS ON THE COLLECTION, THERE'S NOT REALLY A BOSS. WE ALL ARE IN IT TOGETHER, AND WE'VE CREATED IT TOGETHER AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE BIGGEST KEY TO SUCCESS IS, YOU KNOW, IS LOVING EVERYBODY THAT YOU HAVE AROUND YOU AND TRUSTING IN THEM AND KNOWING THAT I DEFINITELY COULD NEVER DO THIS ON MY OWN, SO IT'S TEAM WORK ALL THE WAY.
EVANS: WHAT ABOUT WITH YOUR FINANCES? THAT'S AN AREA WHERE LOYALTY AND TRUST MATTER THE MOST. AND AS YOU'RE BECOMING MORE SUCCESSFUL, WHO HANDLES ALL OF THAT?
SIMPSON: MY BUSINESS MANAGER DAVID LEVIN. WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 16 YEARS NOW. HE'S ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT I MET COMING INTO NEW YORK CITY, AND I TRUST HIM WITH EVERYTHING. WE'VE MADE REALLY GREAT INVESTMENTS, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD MANY MISTAKES.
EVANS: WHAT KINDS OF INVESTMENTS?
SIMPSON: WHAT KIND? I DON'T – CAN'T REALLY.
EVANS: DO YOU TALK ABOUT SORT OF –
SIMPSON: I TRUST HIM WITH ALL THAT.
EVANS: DOES HE TALK TO YOU AND SAY LOOK, YOUR MONEY IS ALL IN THE STOCK MARKET OR IT'S INVESTED? DO YOU GET REALLY SPECIFIC ABOUT IT?
SIMPSON: I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHERE ALL OF MY MONEY IS, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I LOVE THAT KNOW WHERE ALL MY MONEY IS.
EVANS: AND YOU KNOW WHERE THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS.
SIMPSON: YES, I KNOW WHERE THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT.
EVANS: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST MONEY MISTAKES YOU HAVE MADE? WHETHER PERSONALLY OR WITH THE BUSINESS THAT HAVE HELPED YOU GROW?
SIMPSON: THE BIGGEST MONEY MISTAKES? I DON'T KNOW. FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT OF MY FIRST MARRIAGE.
EVANS: THAT'S ACTUALLY A COMMON ANSWER BELIEVE IT OR NOT. ARE YOU GUYS A CORD CUTTING FAMILY? DO YOU WATCH A LOT OF NETFLIX? DO YOU WATCH A LOT OF TV?
SIMPSON: OH YEAH. WE DEFINITELY – I'M A COUCH POTATO WHEN I CAN BE. SO I'M ALWAYS ON NETFLIX OR APPLE TV. I HAVE MY SHOWS.
EVANS: WHAT ARE THOSE SHOWS?
SIMPSON: THE WEIRD THING IS I ACTUALLY DON'T WATCH COMEDY AND I FEEL LIKE I COULD STAR IN A COMEDY BUT I'M MORE OF – I LIKE THE INTENSE TYPE OF SHOWS.
EVANS: REALLY? SUCH AS?
SIMPSON: I'M A BIG "SCANDAL" FAN. I'M A "WALKING DEAD" FAN. I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ZOMBIES BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
EVANS: WHERE DO YOU THINK OR HOPE TO BE IN THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS?
SIMPSON: I ALWAYS SAY I'M READY FOR ANOTHER BILLION.
EVANS: WHO ISN'T? MY THANKS TO JESSICA SIMPSON. SO INTERESTING, GUYS, I LOVE WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT FITBIT, THAT SHE WORE ONE UNTIL SHE REALIZED ALRIGHT THAT'S WHAT 10,000 STEPS AMOUNTS TO.
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