Brittany Iseli - Owner, JOY FILL
Brittany is a Colorado native, mama to two littles and the owner of JOY FILL, a zero waste concept refill shop in Denver. After just three years in business, the shop is currently expanding to a new location, which will include more sustainable product and refill options in a larger space. An advocate for protecting the great outdoors, building community and supporting small business, JOY FILL is a pretty cool culmination of Brittany’s passions, all rolled into one.
The Basics:
Hometown: Fort Collins, CO
Current city: Denver, CO
Alma mater: Colorado State University
Degree: B.A., Journalism and Technical Communications
Very first job: Sales
Hustle: Owner, JOY FILL
The Interests:
Go-to coffee order?
Oat milk latte
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Beach in Maui
Biggest pet peeve at work (or in general)?
When an individual is unreliable
Do you have a favorite after-hours hobby?
Yoga and reading a good book
Favorite sustainable product at the moment?
Kooshoo plastic-free hair ties
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
Aside from being a wife, mama to my two-year-old little girl and soon-to-be baby boy, I have been running my small business since June 2018. JOY FILL is a zero waste concept refill shop in Denver, CO. We have a brick-and-mortar shop as well as an online shop. Between managing employees, purchasing inventory, discovering new eco-friendly brands and strategizing for marketing opportunities, I have my hands full. I love the flexibility of my job, and that I can have both a fulfilling career while raising my children at the same time.
What inspired JOY FILL? How long did it take to make your vision a reality?
I was in-between jobs and did some soul searching at the time. I wanted a career in something that I was passionate about, and protecting the environment was just that. My husband and I had been taking steps to reduce the waste in our household, but found it difficult to do given the limited resources in our city. This gave me the vision for JOY FILL, and I decided to open a refill shop in my neighborhood. My hope was that it would be a place for people to learn more about the benefits of refills, and be a resource for anything zero-waste related.
How long have you been interested in sustainability? Where do you think this stems from?
I have gotten more serious about sustainability over the years after seeing multiple documentaries and reading articles about climate change and the plastic that is polluting our earth. I grew up loving the outdoors, spending time in the water, skiing in the mountains, and just enjoying nature. This has helped me to appreciate our beautiful planet and has created a desire to do my part in protecting it for future generations—including my own children—to enjoy.
How do you decide where to source the products you sell? What do you value in the companies you choose to work with in your day-to-day?
I take a lot of suggestions from our current customers. When people find a brand/product that they love, they of course want to share their findings with others! I also spend a lot of time researching each brand, learning about how they source raw materials, whether they give back a portion of profits to charity, what their vision is for the future, and how willing they are to work with our requirements of zero-waste packaging and shipping. More than anything, I value the small companies that are doing things differently, whether it be paying a little more to ship in compostable packaging, or creating a closed-loop system for wholesalers so we can send back empty containers for them to refill again and again. It takes a lot of courage and innovation to do things differently, but when the outcome is better for the environment, I will always support this first and foremost.
Have you always had an entrepreneurial spirit? What are some things that have surprised you about starting and/or running your own business?
My dad is a small business owner, so I would say I was raised to appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to be an entrepreneur. There have been many challenges along the way, and I am sure there are even more to come, but I have always been humbled by our loyal following of customers. It warms my heart to read all the positive reviews and messages, and to know that my community appreciates what JOY FILL has been able to bring to the table.
How do you support your community through your business? Why is giving back important to you?
We donate to four nonprofits on a quarterly basis: Conservation Colorado, The Ocean Cleanup, Groundwork Denver, and Outdoor Afro. It’s an important part of our mission to support other like-minded organizations in doing good. We also give a discount to individuals who work in the neighborhood.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
While my degree in college was not directly related to environmental studies or sustainability, I did study business. This was impactful in that I had relevant experience through learning about finance, economics, business development and such. Outside of college, I worked in outside sales which I would compare to running my own small business. Through managing a quota, building relationships, and strategizing ways to close deals, this has also helped with the success I find today in JF.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I have never let my being a woman define what I could or couldn’t do with my life and my career. I am lucky to have grown up with a family that was always supportive, pushed me to be the best, and told me the sky's the limit. Thankfully, there are a plethora of other successful small businesses on Tennyson Street (where JOY FILL is located) that are women-owned, so this was a big inspiration and reason for me wanting to open a store in this specific neighborhood. I think it’s important to support other women entrepreneurs, whether it be with your dollar, your voice, or actions. I make a big effort to support other women-owned businesses by carrying their products/brands in my store.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I am proud to be expanding JOY FILL after 3 short years, and being able to offer more product and refill options in a larger space.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
Greta Thunberg (Environmental activist), Lauren Singer (Trash is For Tossers), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
What are some things we can do in our own lives to reduce plastic waste and live more sustainably?
Do not purchase something new that you truly do not need. Instead, think about whether you can find items thrifted, make it yourself, break it if it's reparable or borrow it from a friend for a short period of time. We have become a society that is so obsessed with consuming that we rarely think twice before making a purchase. I think we can all look at the bigger picture of where these material things will end up at their end of life, and think about what can be done differently.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Even if the timing never really feels right to make a big change, go for it anyway. I have learned that you’re doing yourself a disservice by waiting for the timing to be “right” before working towards that goal, changing careers, or picking up that new hobby. The timing will never feel perfectly right—there will always be hard decisions and late nights filled with stress. In the end though, you will be happy that you went for it—and that in itself is something to be proud of.
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