You may know Jessica Alba as a Hollywood starlet, but her nine to five job is to run her successful environmentally-friendly baby and home brand The Honest Company.

The business, which she launched in 2012 with environmental-health expert Christopher Gavigan, is now worth almost $1 billion (£650 million), employs 338 people at its office in Santa Monica, California, and sells 117 products and counting.

While Alba often gives her Instagram followers a glimpse into her office life, we know little about what kind of boss she is, until now. In a new interview with More magazine, Alba reveals she's often a blunt and ruthless manager.

“Sometimes I'm a little more iron fist than velvet glove,” says the 34-year-old. “I'm straight to the point. I've made people cry. I have to say, 'This isn't personal. This is what needs to get done, and it's just as simple as that. And... we're not crying anymore.' I'm learning to tone myself down.”

Alba says her mother Catherine Jensen calls her “a workaholic control freak”.

The Golden Globe-nominated actress has starred in blockbusters such as Fantastic Four and Sin City as well as television hits Dark Angel and Entourage, and says her career in entertainment is far easier than the one she's carved out for herself in retail.

“Being an actress is like a vacation; business is relentless,” she says. “People work hard here. It's nice to be around people who are so committed.”

‘I've made people cry’; Jessica Alba on being a tough boss at The Honest Company