Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy McBrien.
Hi Joy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started Fair Anita in 2015 after 7 years of working with artisans, learning from existing fair trade enterprises, and being inspired with ideas of what more ethical supply chains could look like.
Ultimately, I was drawn to start Fair Anita because of my own history of trauma, experiences with rape and sexual violence, that led to ongoing challenges with depression and anxiety. I felt like I needed a community, a community of change-making women, likely women with similar traumatic histories, to learn and grow with. I wanted a community of women who were determined to overcome together, to celebrate and support one another, because our world so often felt like women were only taught to compete with and criticize one another. I wanted to take action on violence against women to try to regain some of the agency that I had felt was stolen from me in these violent acts against me.
Now, we work with 19 cooperatives in 9 different countries: women in Chile, Peru, Mexico, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cambodia, Vietnam, and India. Our partners pay artisans 2-4x local minimum wage, plus health insurance and educational scholarships. Together, we challenge each other to create sustainable supply chains, always trying to evolve and improve. Most of our products with Fair Anita are made from sustainable or recycled materials.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I first started Fair Anita, I was 25, and I had a pretty hard time getting people to take me seriously. I was regularly told that I should get a “regular job” and start this “big idea” when I was older and had more experience. I understand the sentiment here, but I’ll never understand why people try to shut down young people with passion and zeal and motivation to make the world a better place.
We’ve also struggled with cash flow as a growing social enterprise. We pay our artisan partners 50-100% upfront (when we submit an order), as opposed to after receiving the products like most retail businesses, so managing cash on hand can be quite tricky!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started my first jewelry company when I was 15, selling jewelry I made myself, so jewelry-making and design was a strength that I could bring to this collaborative supply chain. But ultimately, I’ve always thought of Fair Anita as more of a women’s rights organization than a retail business– we’re working towards creating a world where all women feel safe, valued, and respected, and we get to partner with thousands of change-making women in that process. We’re known for creating cute + ethical + affordable gifts and accessories, all from recycled or sustainable materials. Our average product price is just $18, so we’re trying to bring the mainstream public into the fair trade world: purchasing in line with your values doesn’t have to be more expensive!
Honestly, I’m most proud of the resilience I see in the amazing women we work with around the world. I see that in myself, too: while I have a history of sexual violence, I’m proud that I’ve used this as a motivator to connect with changemaking women with similar histories. The resilience that our artisan partners showed through the pandemic is nothing short of exceptional, too: using their profits to buy food/medicine/cleaning supplies for the most vulnerable members of their community. We donate 100% of the sales of our face masks, so we’ve been able to donate $117k since the beginning of the pandemic to support the charitable work of our artisan partners abroad.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Best: People in the Twin Cities are sustainably-minded and community-oriented, and they’re always willing to lend a hand.
Least: The cold, though it provides opportunities for residents to help each other out of snowbanks. Also, structures that reinforce systematic racism (though that’s not just happening here!).
Contact Info:
- Email: info@fairanita.com
- Website: www.fairanita.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fair.anita/
- Facebook: facebook.com/shopfairanita
- Twitter: twitter.com/fair_anita
