BABE #353: BRIANNA KILCULLEN - Founder, Anact
When Brianna realized there was a huge disconnect between the people who make clothes and the people who wear them, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Coupling her extensive travel log and supply chain experience, Brianna founded ANACT, through which she provides sustainable, hemp-based towels both online and in select Florida, California and Arizona locations. Two years and a whole lot of hard work later, Brianna’s celebrating a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign and hopes to disrupt the textile industry to show producers and consumers alike that sustainability is accessible, achievable and always an option.
The Basics:
Hometown: Born in South Bend, Indiana but raised in Jacksonville, FL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL (downtown)
Alma mater: George Washington University
Degree: B.S., International Business
Very first job: After college I spent 6 months in Uganda doing a fellowship and then landed my first job at Under Armour in their supply chain department
Hustle: Founder, Anact
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
AOC. I love how she uses opportunities that people would define as weaknesses to shed light on issues that matter such as fair wages for waitressing/serving.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
I really enjoyed my time living in East Africa and I have good friends in Nairobi, so probably there.
Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
I hardly drink coffee (I’m a tea + green juice or water + lemon type of girl) and I try to keep the alcoholic beverages at a minimum, but if pressed, I would go for a sparkling rose or old fashioned.
Current power anthem?
Really feeling Dermot Kennedy’s Outnumbered.
What would you eat for your very last meal?
I really love my mom’s mashed potatoes.
Are you an early bird or night owl?
Early bird!
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Martin Luther King, Jr. I want to learn how he was able to build a movement in lieu of social media, and gather the strength to lead it.
What’s something most don’t know about you?
I really want to practice law one day.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle, providing an overview of your job and roles.
I’m the founder of Anact. Short for “an act,” it’s a hemp-based towel that is good for ALL people and the planet. I wear every hat right now… finance, product development, marketing, event planning etc., there is not a role that I don’t play at this stage in the company. I would say that my passions skew towards community engagement and getting to educate others on the textile industry.
What does your typical workday look like? What are the various ‘hats’ you wear throughout the day?
I usually wake up around 6:30 - 7 a.m. and I try to meditate and do yoga or go for a run. From there, it’s usually catching up on emails, preparing for and having sales meetings, packaging orders, communicating with China before they go to sleep (there is a 12-hour time difference), creating social media posts etc., I also do a lot of pop-ups and Jacksonville-based events to get out into the community.
What inspired Anact? What has the evolution of the business been like since you created it, and what was the most important piece of your vision for it?
Several factors inspired Anact. The 2016 election, my experience working in the textile supply chain seeing the disconnect between the people who make our clothes and the people who wear them, and the way that I was raised (my mom always told me that you go learn on someone else’s dime and then you break out on your own and make the system better). The main reason that I started Anact was because I felt like if someone didn’t do it then it wouldn’t get done, and the role that the textile industry plays in climate change wouldn’t be fixed. I had the idea for Anact in August of 2017 and now 2.5 years later, we are celebrating the success of our Kickstarter campaign. In addition to selling online, we are in several specialty retail stores in California, Arizona and Florida. We also have wholesale channels in Jacksonville: Titanium Yoga, Hotel Palms with plans to expand in the community and nationally. We are constantly evolving! The most important piece of the vision is to educate and inspire everyone who uses our towels to make a difference and to know what is in their products and the impact they have. We are here to disrupt and to make a difference.
Have you always had an entrepreneurial spirit? When and why did you decide to pursue your own business, and what ‘void’ in your industry are you hoping to fill with Anact?
I have always hustled. I grew up playing on all-boys basketball teams because my dad was a college basketball coach, so I was used to having to work harder to keep up. There are several entrepreneurs in my extended family but I wasn’t raised to be an entrepreneur, per se. My dad always wanted me to have a corporate job and get a good 401(k) + health insurance because that was what was considered successful in the eyes of his dad. It really took me realizing that I wanted to be my own boss and work for myself through lots of tense moments working in corporate for me to make the jump. Now I realize that is who I was all along—I just didn’t connect the dots while I was growing up. The void we are filling in the textile industry is bringing transparency to the way our products are made. We are providing a market for farmers to invest in growing hemp here in the United States and we are making a product that people can feel good about that works better than what is currently on the market.
How do you decide where to source your textiles/products?
We decided based off of where the supply exists and who would work with us. I tried to utilize the US (but the infrastructure didn’t exist) and moved east from there until we found great partners in China. I personally visited the entire supply chain and I know all of the people who make our towels and tote bags. I value transparency, authenticity, patience, cooperation, quality and reliability.
Tell us about your Kickstarter campaign. What did you learn throughout the process, and how did it help ANACT grow? Any words of wisdom for fellow babes looking to take a similar route?
I learned so much. A week into it, I found out that most of your funds come from Facebook Ads—which I had never created before, and I did not have a budget for. That was really scary, but we made it through. We also learned that a lot of people do not know about what a Kickstarter is or how it works, so that took a lot of education. Best words of wisdom that I can provide is to calculate the money you need to raise and make sure you have enough backers in your network in advance to meet your goal ASAP and soar for the rest of the month. I picked up a stutter because of the stress of not hitting our goal until a week from our deadline. People can also change their backing before the deadline so you want to make sure you go as far over as possible. Kickstarter will also promote you more if you quickly hit your goal (which doesn’t make sense, but that is their methodology).
How have your past professional experiences prepared (+ not prepared) you for the work you do today?
I am a firm believer in connecting all of my previous experiences to my work. I believe having a background in international business, traveling the world and understanding supply chains are the most beneficial skillsets that I bring to Anact. I wish I knew how to code and that I knew more about the hospitality industry so that we can articulate Anact the way that I want to online, and penetrate the hotel industry the way that I want to—but we will get there. There are so many other little things that I was unprepared for (collecting 1099s from freelancers for taxes, obtaining a resale certificate etc.,) but I just take a deep breath and focus on what needs to get done and I don’t beat myself up.
Any advice for fellow babes at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey?
Solve problems. Don’t create stuff to create stuff. Surround yourself with a strong network, and be prepared for loneliness and to lose family and friends that might not be able to understand your journey.
What would you say is your biggest career milestone to date and why?
This is a hard one. I was really proud of myself for carving out a position at Under Armour to manage sustainability, and creating a role that wasn’t there before. For Anact, winning a pitch fest focused on businesses in the cannabis industry in October 2018 was a big deal to show the demand for Anact towels. And of course, the Kickstarter was huge and allowed us to go into production.
How would you say being a woman has affected your professional experience? What can we do to create more equal, uplifting (and well-paying!) spaces for women in your industry?
For me personally, it’s not about expecting anyone to give handouts and doing the research in advance to be confident going into the negotiation conversation. For me personally, I try to learn how I can show the value and impact that I will contribute and equate that with salary and benefits. This is something that I want to incorporate into Anact by making a hiring structure that is transparent, so that there are not major discrepancies.
What’s the gender ratio like in your industry? Do you see it evolving? Why or why not?
It’s funny. It’s mostly dominated by women yet led by men.
Are you involved with any other careers, side projects or organizations?
I consult on the side with mostly companies in the outdoor industry.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
Dolores Huerta because of her work as an activist and advocate on behalf of farm workers. I also look up to Livia Firth (Colin Firth’s wife) for being an active and strong voice in the fashion industry and calling companies (like H&M) out for their unethical business practices.
What does your approach to work/life balance look like? How do you unplug and unwind?
I don’t—but I am working to get better. I’m actually filling out this questionnaire while we drive to camp for the weekend so I can have a break. It’s hard though! It feels like I’m leaving my newborn alone without a babysitter!
What are your future plans for Anact? Where do you hope to see the business in five years?
I have so many plans. I want to make Anact a sustainable and profitable company, so we know that we are going to be able to hit payroll each month. Once we get there, I want to create a series of events called ACT UP where we profile subject matter experts in Jacksonville who are doing work that matters and that we need to talk about it i.e. immigration, education, racism, police brutality, healthcare, public transportation etc. In five years, I want to own my own factory and weave the towels in house, grow hemp for our product here in Florida, and create jobs in the community. I also want to tie all of our impact to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Career and/or life advice for other babes (both inside and outside of your industry?)
Trust your gut. If you piss someone off or get pushback, then it usually means that you should stay on the course. Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the journey! Not everyone has a chance to pursue their passions.
In partnership with: Anact
Short for "an act,” Anact believes in taking simple acts to use Earth's natural resources to make products that solve everyday problems. Offering one-of-a-kind hemp towels that do not exist anywhere else on the market, Anact believes that hemp has a pivotal role to play in removing carbon from the air and fighting climate change—one towel at a time. Learn more about Anact here and use code “ANACTBWH” for 20% off all purchases through the month of March!
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