Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaclynn Brennan.
Hi Jaclynn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started in a small town in New Jersey, 15 minutes outside of Manhattan, where everyone knows each (and their personal business) and is somehow related or cousins. I grew up going to catholic school (even though I’m not a catholic) and was constantly told that my dreams were “too big” or that I was a “space cadet” by my peers. I was always a dreamer and found myself in my own world. No matter what anyone said, I knew I was going to do something big and bold with my life. I always had that self-confidence and resiliency built into my daily self-talk, and that paired with a killer work ethic beats everything.
My parents worked hard, taught me the value of money, and also grilled in my head that if you want something in life, you have to go out there and get it. My father traveled a lot for work when I was growing up, so I did have a privilege of experiencing different cultures and getting to be around businesses-minded executives. My mother was always wildly independent, supported my family after my father had a massive heart attack, and was a true example and role model of what a strong leader should look like.
I started taking Summer courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology my senior year in high school and KNEW FROM THE MOMENT I WAS 5 YEARS OLD that I wanted to be a designer. I couldn’t sew, I didn’t have the innate ability for draping/sketching, and I certainly didn’t look like your typical fashion student. I was curvy, had a wild sense of style, and still was confident in my ability to spot trends and design + create whatever I wanted in my life. The moment I stepped into my first digital design class at The Art Institute, it was like magic came through my fingertips and it all makes sense with every click of my mouse. Digital design classes + peer to peer mentorship by my dear friend and the most talented graphic designer I know helped me create and execute.
College life was very untraditional for me. My college bestie and I started a PR/Marketing & Runway Production company in Miami. I would walk into my classes and turn in all of the work in the syllabus within two weeks so I didn’t have to physically sit and attend, and then I met a mentor who took me under her wing from the fashion/pr world. I had A LOT of first-hand experience in marketing, event production, design, and PR. I winded up completing my BA in 3 years and graduating Magna Cum Laude & Highest Achievement Overall.
….then I crashed. Complete burnout. I crashed so badly that I could barely get out of bed and talk. That was the first time I experienced the effects of not taking care of myself properly (mentally and physically) and it took me a good year to fully recover and get back on track. I felt defeated, I felt my confidence slip away, I felt like everything I worked for was now gone. I went back home to live with my parents in NJ and with the love and support of my family and very close friends, I started getting back on my feet.
Now here comes the grit. In Miami, I was a big fish in a small pond, but in New York – I was a GUPPY in an ocean. It was a very humbling time in my life. I did about four unpaid fashion internships and barely had enough money to take the path train from NJ to NYC to get to work. I got coffees, made copies, did a million post office runs, helped open a pop up, learned the ins and outs of production through another great mentor- and then it started to click.
I told myself that NO MATTER WHAT, I was not going to give up on my dream. I wasn’t the prettiest, I didn’t come from a wealthy family who had a bunch of connections, I didn’t have a rich uncle bankrolling me, BUT I had the most intense work ethic of someone you would ever meet. I could outwork anyone, and my word was my social currency. If I told you I was going to do something, I always did it. I would put in 150% into ANYTHING I did and give it my all.
People in the industry started to take notice. I worked my way up to a Creative Director position in a jewelry company. I was able to expand their company from just jewelry to handbags and eyewear around 26 years old. Through my connections and hustle in manufacturing, we started to produce samples that eventually department stores picked up. It felt really darn good to see your ideas come to life in such a beautiful way.
Then my life change, one of the most predominant jewelry designers in the industry called me to meet in person over breakfast. She offered me my dream job on the spot, she believed in me, she empowered me, and she gave me the tools to be a leader. These were some of the best and most challenging times of my life in my late 20’s. I worked seven days a week, met MANY amazing people, built my network, and gained valuable experience. After years of working alongside this great mentor, I had the chance to design jewelry, ready to wear and even produce a documentary film series on women’s empowerment. It was my first taste In the female empowerment space and it felt really good. I thought I was ready to go off on my own, but again life humbles you at different moments.
I left my very stable, well-paid corporate-esq job to join a fashion tech start-up as a founding partner. I was completely outnumbered, unprepared for start-up life, and very naive. I learned many valuable lessons in this time period. It was almost like getting my MBA in life on the spot. From learning how to communicate to dealing with several partners who didn’t want to include the team in making decisions to fundraising – all important lessons, I needed to learn for the next phase of my life. During this time period, I also started my consulting business Creative Duality as a way to supplement income while being involved in a start-up. I found so much joy helping founders lean into their “purpose path” and was able to finally utilize my skill sets in business and branding. It was like a marriage of all my experience combined, and when I got to see my clients’ faces light up with happiness after I was able to translate their identity and messaging into something they loved, I knew that I myself was on the right path. Now here comes the turn of events that lead me into what I do today.
During that dark muddy time building the tech start-up, I felt really alone. I felt like my male partners did not hear me out or value my ideas or contributions. I felt “dumb” or had “imposter syndrome” because I didn’t understand all of the terminology and aspects of start-up life. I would go to work everyday at Soho House (in meatpacking) and sit with my now Co-Founder Summer YL (Yanyi Li). She was a bright ray of light for me, we would motivate and support each other and share resources and advice. We were both working on different things at the time but wanted to join a “master mind” group together! We literally couldn’t find the product we were looking for. YPO requires 2M in revenue, CHEIF was focused on C-Suite or Executive women, and The Wing was too young. What about female start up founders? We decided to create our own little thing – and called it “FYLI” which stands for tribe in Greek. To us, tribe meant family and community.
That little “passion project” is now a VERY FULL-TIME BUSINESS with a community of over 6,000 women and female founders around the world. Fylí is a female mastermind group that focuses on bringing together leaders. We are creating a tribe of diverse high-level dreamers, thinkers and doers. We help female leaders RISE (Renew, Inspire, Support, Empower) in all aspects of their lives. We focus on masterclasses, quarterly round tables + strategy sessions, accountability pairing, and networking.
Fyli currently has two different products, and we are raising our pre-seed of 2 Million to build out the tech component of Fyli and gear up for expansion into Shanghai, China. About a year ago, Summer and I onboarded one of my best friends, Catherine Sypert to lead our community and Operations as our first full-time employee. Since then, we have been growing and scaling together as a TRIBE. I was told over and over again not to work with your friends, but it is such a beautiful thing when you can TRUST your founding team and have such an unbreakable bond and connection.
In the midst of the pandemic, I felt like I had to get out of New York. In September 2020, I decided to move to Austin, Texas. It was supposed to be just for the winter months for a change of pace, but I wound up falling in love (with the city and my current partner who is the most supportive man in the world).
I wake up everyday getting to do what I love (well as a Founder, I wear a million different hats and some things I don’t enjoy, haha) but overall, I feel so extremely blessed. My WHY is because I never want another founder to feel defeated or alone. I want women to know that they are WORTHY AND CAPABLE, that there are resources out there for them to succeed. I want young women to DREAM SO BIG. I want to help empower the next generation of leaders and make a great impact in this world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Jaclynn Brennan is a Creative Executive that has redefined the term “Influencer” into “Role Model”. She has coined the term CREATIVE DUALITY-the ability to strategize and explore new frontiers using conceptual thinking, which allows her to embrace originality and make the connection between business and branding. Jaclynn is a trained Creative Director & Digital Designer with over 12 years of experience leading various luxury brands. She is also is the Co-Founder of Fyli, a female master-mind which launched in 2019 as a peer to peer mentorship and accountability group, which has grown into a global community of female entrepreneurs.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in “LUCK” – we create our own life. Everyone has the ability to dream, visualize, and manifest whatever they want in this world. We are the creators of our own lives.
Contact Info:
- Email: jaclynn@creativeduality.com
- Website: https://fylinyc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynnbrennan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaclynnbrennan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GsDKnWcBRUgYOU5-pXTQw
