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Interview: Brianna Kilcullen, Founder, ANACT & Sustainability & Supply Chain Expert

This week, I chat with Brianna Kilcullen, sustainability & supply chain expert and the founder of the brand, Anact; as in the act of kindness and an act of goodwill. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Brianna believes in simple acts, and she’ll tell you that her simple act was starting this company, but the journey has been anything but simple. Anact was founded to create a sustainable towel made of hemp and organic cotton that is better for ALL people and the planet. But it’s more than that. It’s an activist brand and - as she’ll tell you - an aspiring supply network. Maybe that’s why, in 2019, she helped legalize hemp in Florida while launching the brand.

Prior to starting Anact, she worked in the apparel industry for prAna, a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear, and the multi-billion $ powerhouse, Under Armour. She has traveled to over 40+ countries and has worked in factories on almost every continent. She was Under Armour’s first-ever full-time sustainability employee. But before that, she spent time in the public sector and in government work - talk about a winding career path… Did I mention she’s only 34?

While Anact’s beautiful hemp towels were launched with a successful Kickstarter, and have been featured in Oprah Magazine and on the Good Morning America show, you can tell, she’s just getting started.

We talk about the power of networking, building a career/resume, saying yes to opportunities, learning on the job, playing to your strengths, founding a company, working with investors, the state of sustainability, staying scrappy, and that, ultimately, you’ve got to TRUST the process.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. So many great takeaways, but here are some of the Key Takeaways you’ll appreciate:

  • Recognize opportunities when they present themselves
  • Take advantage of your network
  • Become the expert when others see it in you
  • Learn the business; it’s just as important as the sustainability
  • There’s a big difference between sustainability engrained and not
  • Know when you’re in the right place at the right time and run with it
  • Start small, stay scrappy
  • Find the thing that will “put you on the map”
  • Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart
  • Learning to interact with investors
  • Add value to everything you do
  • Play to your strengths
  • Be resilient and resourceful
  • There’s hope for US industrialized hemp

SDG Alignment: #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, #10 Reduced Inequalities, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #15 Life on Land, #16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, #17 Partnerships for the Goals

Links: 

Also:

Be sure to check out our conversation with Ryan Black, Social Entrepreneur, CEO at SAMBAZON at https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2147987945

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Looking for more structured sustainability learning? Check out our School of Understanding. Link here: https://www.theunderswell.com/pkgs

PS: Recorded on RIverside FM - Interested? Do us both a favor: Click here (https://riverside.fm/pricing?via=derek-sabori ) to create your account. You’ll be impressed, and we’ll be rewarded.

#sustainability #triplebottomline #socialentrepreneur #hemp #businesswithpurpose #careers #towels #keeplearning #CEO #leadership #careers #careerjourney #entrepreneur #womeninbusiness #leadership #venturecapital #textileindustry #womenfounders

Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.

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