MyIntent is an organization that makes wearable accessories that describes themselves as “a catalyst for meaningful conversations and positive energy” founded by Chris Pan, a former Facebook executive. The wearers can choose any word up to 12 letters as their ‘MyIntent Word’ that represents the challenge they want to overcome or what they believe in. We reached out to the MyIntent team and had the opportunity to interview Julianne (Jules) Grant, the MyIntent Events Manager, to find out the story behind these inspirational accessories. She gave us the inside on what MyIntent is all about and why is it such a powerful passion project that everyone should know about.
They are not a jewelry company – they are an intentions project.
When did you fall in love with your mission?
I fell in love with our mission at the first event I worked. This past fall at the Bulletproof conference, I had the opportunity to see the MyIntent project in action. To be able to talk to people face to face and hear their stories was so moving. I also loved watching and hearing the chatter of others connect throughout the weekend due to the bracelets! Our mission statement, “We are a catalyst for meaningful conversation and positive energy in the world” truly came to life.
How many years have you been in business?
Two years – MyIntent was founded in 2014.
What inspired the name of your business?
The founder of MyIntent, Chris Pan, had started making these bracelets for fun at the events he threw at his house. They started calling them “Intention” bracelets because that’s what they are! They’re a tool to physicalize your intention so you can be reminded of it on a daily basis. The common phrase used at gatherings was, “What’s your intent?”
The response was, “My intent is…” thus, MyIntent was born.
How did you get into your line of work? And what is your favorite part?
I was a friend of Chris Pan’s for some time and had watched the company grow. I wanted to be a part of the mission, so I started helping out with events here and there. Working on MyIntent is addicting, you get a bracelet, meet more and more people, and before you know it, you’re partnering with them in some way or another. I began working as an engraver, and then assisted managing events. After a lot of fun, hard work, I was given the title of Events Manager. My favorite part of my work is that every day, I interact with so many people from different walks of life, and the company I work for is responsible for helping bringing them together.
What challenges have you met along the way? What inspires you to keep going?
The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far is trying to keep up with our demand when we have a huge influx in orders. As stressful as it sometimes is, we’re always grateful at the end of the day because we know it’s not a bad problem to have. Every single day, I can say without doubt that what inspires me is hearing/seeing/experience the impact that our brand has in people’s lives; whether they share the emotional story behind their WORD on a customer order or on social media, it’s reading those stories that really puts the work MyIntent does into perspective and motivates me.
At what point did you see a bigger picture and knew your bracelets would be successful?
For me, I’ve always had this gut feeling that we were going to be successful, it was just a matter of time and people sharing. Last December, we were featured on the TODAY show ( if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is bit.ly/myintent_today). Our reach had doubled in one day and just kept rising. For me, it was that moment when it all became a reality.
What was your reaction when you started to work with celebrities?
We’ve been fortunate that the mission of the project resonates and attracts a lot of celebrities and influencers. It’s always exciting when you see a celebrity that you recently watched on a sitcom or at an awards show, or one that you saw perform live at a concert, and then you’re sitting next to them, engraving a bracelet, talking to them about something personal and then tying the bracelet on their wrist. No matter where they came from, or perhaps how “famous” they are, the act of having that conversation about their intention, hearing their personal story, it’s humbling because you realize they are actually a lot like you and me: they face the same challenges, they’re passionate about issues, and they want to affect change.
What is the first thing that come to mind about Washington, D.C.? Also do you plan to visit or hold an event here?
First thing that comes to mind is “I wonder if the president has a bracelet?” We have big plans for the summer that we’ll be announcing soon and Washington, D.C. is definitely on our list!
Where can our readers find your products?
Readers can visit www.myintent.org and under the CREATE tab they can make their own intention bracelet. For inspiration and to connect with others around the world involve din the project, they can follow us on Instagram at @MyIntent.
