Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Eddings.
Megan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I love getting this question because I feel like “starting my own company” found me. It is important for everyone, whether they are thinking of starting their own company (or not) to be truly open to what is going on around them. Sometimes a new, more exciting/fulfilling life is staring us right in the face.
I moved to Houston, TX in 2004 when I started working for Siemens Medical. I was a Medical Sales Account Executive for some of the biggest hospitals. I loved my job, but I always knew that something was missing. I wasn’t completely fulfilled. It wasn’t until 2012, when I had a jolt of reality, that I truly questioned what I was dedicating so many hours of my day doing. My Father suddenly passed away at 58 years young while doing yard work with my brother. I was absolutely devastated and found myself standing on the altar giving his eulogy only a few days later.
Dad was my financial advisor, dating coach, sounding board, etc., but most of all, he was one of my best friends. A couple of weeks after my Dad’s funeral, this feeling came over me that really made me think about is a eulogy. Dad worked for the same company for over 30 years and I never once brought it up. I focused on how he made people feel and what he did for them. Upon my realization, I knew that my career and my passions in life were not in line. I absolutely love fitness, fashion, science and giving back. I was working way more than 40 hours a week in a job that did not fulfill my hunger for life, push me outside my comfort zone and truly change the world.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later that Accel Lifestyle was born. The idea didn’t come to me overnight, but when I knew, it was like a lightbulb went off and I just went for it! Kyle, my husband, used to do CrossFit super early in the morning. I would wash his workout clothes (specifically his shirts) and there was this funky smell that I could not wash out. I added extra-scented pods, washed the clothes in multiple hot cycles… and nothing worked. With my love for science (majored in chemistry) and understanding of bacteria, I realized the bacteria and smell were basically trapped in the clothes, “Gross!!”.
I began asking friends and family about this funky smell and they all experienced the same thing! This was back in 2015 and I thought to myself, “with all of the advancements in technology, putting multiple people on the moon, and having the resources to cure diseases… we should be able to have fresh-smelling gym clothes, right?”. It sounds like a “duh” thought, but the more research I did, the more I realized there weren’t any great solutions (yet… wink wink). That is when I decided to start Accel Lifestyle. Using my science background, it has taken me about 2 years to design the fabric.
Accel Lifestyle is way more than just the fabric, it is socially conscious and fashionable fitness apparel that keeps people feeling fresh and fabulous even after a workout. From fiber to finished garment, Accel Lifestyle is transparent and I have personally visited every mill and cut and sew factory. When you wear Accel Lifestyle, you know that everyone who made that garment was paid and treated fairly. When I started researching other fitness apparel brands, I was shocked at the sweatshops that are being used and how the people who make our clothes are treated.
Accel Lifestyle is also about “wearing your values”, empowering others and feeling fashionable all at the same time. Launching in 2018, Accel Lifestyle has a lofty, but sustainable goal: to create fashionable fitness apparel that keeps you smelling fresh- all while being socially conscious and empowering the world around you.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting Accel Lifestyle has been filled with many challenging hurdles, but this journey and hustle always feels right.
I never would have thought it would take me 2 years to design the fabric. Also, Finding the right team to partner with here in the USA took longer than I expected. This is because the textile and manufacturing industries are primarily overseas. Because being socially conscious/made in the USA is important to me, I quickly learned that finding domestic partners would be challenging. I am happy to say that, after many meetings, conversations and introductions, I am now working with an incredible team.
Because I am a single founder without a business background, I have had to learn a great deal about starting a company and some of the potential issues, challenges and setbacks. For example, I filed for a couple of trademarks last year and just received an official legal opposition to one of them. I did not expect that to happen, but I’ve learned that you have to be ready for anything when you start a company and just address everything head-on.
The biggest challenge for me is probably that nothing happens as quickly as I would like it to. The great news is that while I am waiting for one thing to happen/get approved/get made, there are a million other things I can be doing for Accel Lifestyle like building the brand, working on my crowdfunding campaign, researching packaging, etc.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I want to change the world through fashion. A company can be so much more than the actual product it sells. The fitness apparel market is expected to reach 200 billion dollars in sales by 2020. I know Accel Lifestyle entered into a large and competitive market, but I created Accel Lifestyle to not only provide fashionable and fresh-smelling fitness apparel but also to raise awareness about the people who make our clothes, empower people who wear our clothes and also to motivate and inspire everyone around us.
Some of the Accel Lifestyle shirts will have quotes that directly speak to and bring joy to the people reading the shirts. I had a tank top on a couple of years ago that said: “I Love Jesus … but I cuss a little”. The reaction that shirt received from complete strangers really opened my eyes to how powerful words on a shirt can actually be. It was then that I decided to put quotes on my shirts that really provide encouragement and motivation.
“Actually… You Can”, “You Do You” and “You Are Enough” are a few of the quotes I have chosen and they have been getting awesome and positive reviews. Finally, I have been following other fitness apparel companies and their marketing for years. I am tired of seeing all of the models “look the same”. I want to send a clear message that Accel Lifestyle is for everyone, regardless of your race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Rhode Island with two loving parents and two awesome brothers. I’ve always been extremely outgoing and inquisitive. I also have always loved new experiences and meeting people from different backgrounds and different interests. I loved basically anything active: soccer, dance, softball, cheerleading, etc. However, I also loved building a community (I was the class president all 4 years in high school), volunteered at local nursing homes and was on the math team.
As I sit here and reflect on my childhood, I’m realizing not much has changed with my personality. I have always loved a good challenge, immensely enjoy bringing a smile to people’s faces, and have been a believer of fitness and a healthy lifestyle and the physical/mental benefits of both.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.AccelLifestyle.com
- Phone: 832-980-0875
- Email: megane@accellifestyle.com
- Instagram: @megand1431 @accellifestyle
- Facebook: @AccelLifestyle
- Twitter: @accel_lifestyle
Image Credit:
Christian Pena, Hernando Martinez
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