Meet Jacqui McMahon | Founder & CEO BRNG Bag

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqui McMahon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqui, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My life didn’t always revolve around making bags. In fact, my career was just the opposite. Born and raised in Essex, England. I worked in finance for many years at Goldman Sachs. What I loved most about my time there is that I was constantly challenged and always finding new ways to be more productive. I loved my job so much because I had a real purpose there. It’s also the place where I met my wonderful husband Ryan. Fast forward 10 years and three kids later, I decided to leave my career at Goldman to focus on raising my kids — a decision that did not come easy.

While this was one of the most difficult things I ever did, I am so grateful to have been with my children during these crucial years of their lives. But as the kids got older, my desire to do something meaningful with my days grew simultaneously. It was then I knew I needed to create something for me.

I’ve always been an incredibly ambitious, organized, and efficient person. I always like to get the hard stuff done first so that I can move straight to the fun. So, when I couldn’t find a functional yet stylish everyday bag that allowed me to pack all the things for my family in all our daily excursions, I decided to make one myself!

Designing, creating, and building the BRNG brand has been my most fulfilling career challenge to date. From carrying pizza boxes onto a plane to going from one dance recital to the next, I am constantly inspired by the different ways everyone uses their BRNG bag. At the end of the day, not only do I want people to stay organized, but I also want to help them show up on time and look their best – so they can have fun, make memories, and always feel confident doing it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

What sets us apart – The BRNG Bag isn’t a bag you use every once in a while… It’s your everyday companion that helps keep you organized and make life on the go easier. Our bags are lightweight, durable and have a large capacity to fit all your essentials for whatever the occasion. This superior functionality coupled with our stylish prints, makes the BRNG Bag the perfect everyday bag that our customers love.

I’m most proud of never giving up on the end goal. There’s been times where have doubted my ability and have allowed imposter syndrome to take over. Starting a business and having a young family is hard as you are always pulled in so many directions and it’s a challenge to keep everything afloat, I think allowing myself the grace to know things don’t have to always be perfect. I have allowed progress over perfection which is where I have seen things go from just an idea to having the end product.

·How did you get to where you are today business-wise? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?

o It’s been an exciting journey creating BRNG Bag with many peaks and valleys along the way. Starting and growing a brand requires you to learn a broad range of skills from product design, working with suppliers, sales and marketing and list goes on! Breaking down each part of the business and making steady and consistent progress towards our goals has been key. We have been thrilled with our success so far and even more excited to continue to grow our brand and product lineup in the years to come.

What do we want people to know about our brand story:

As previously said not only do I want people to stay organized, but I also want to help them show up on time and look their best – so they can have fun, make memories, and always feel confident doing it. I really feel like we have accomplished this with our everyday BRNG bags!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I never thought I would live in Salt Lake City Utah of all places; I’m 12 years deep now though and I can truly say I love it.

I’m always up for exploring the mountains in any season.
In Summer, I would take them to Sundance Mountain resort for some fresh mountain air. We would take a horse ride through the mountains to Stewart falls followed by lunch at the foundry grill and if we are there late enough to the owl bar for some delicious cocktails.

In winter we would ski at any number of the ski resorts close by, a favorite of mine being Brighton for some night skiing

After all that activity time I would need a spa treatment. The Japanese spa The Kura Door in the avenues is a must followed by a stroll around city creek shopping center for some retail therapy.

Then to wrap up this whirlwind we would head down to southern Utah to visit Bryce Canyon which is my absolute favorite. The hiking is breathtaking and really a must see.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Goldman career allowed me to meet and stay connected to so many amazing talented and driven people. They are always raising the bar and pushing me to achieve more. Also, my husband is my biggest cheerleader and supporter, he just told me to go for it. He has always pushed me to be my best self and I appreciate his continuing support.