Amy McGuire spent much of her life praying for an opportunity to uplift others. When she thinks about that now, she laughs.
In 2024, she founded the Modern Bra Company, a bra-buying “experience” that McGuire BSFCS ’16 equates to shoe shopping. Each fitting varies by the individual, as she focuses less on aesthetics and frills, and more on custom, comfortable garments tailored to each body that you can’t find in most chains.
Her friendly demeanor and unparalleled knowledge made her business a success, and so the Modern Bra Company quickly outgrew its small storefront in a Buford salon suite after only a year in business. Now located in the Mall of Georgia, McGuire’s bright boutique captures her personalized approach. Every curtain, display, and decoration has been carefully chosen by McGuire to create a welcoming atmosphere. Shoppers aren’t surrounded by unrealistic imagery or the pressure to be glamorous. Instead, the focus is on comfort and encouragement.
“If you try a shoe that doesn’t fit, you try a different size shoe. But if a woman buys a bra that doesn’t fit, she immediately starts criticizing herself,” McGuire says. “I really wanted to teach people to see themselves the way that I see them and show them that it doesn’t matter what size they are. They’re beautiful.”
It’s not just about body positivity but giving women the chance to reclaim normalcy. Those diagnosed with or recovering from breast cancer often experience physical changes every few months, from weight fluctuations to mastectomies and reconstructive surgeries.McGuire has welcomed some women back multiple times throughout the course of their treatment, making personalized care all the more crucial during a challenging time.
“While some women choose to change their bodies, when a woman has had this type of reconstruction, she was dealt a hand,” she says. “What I realized was that I was reintroducing women to themselves. I get choked up when I talk about it.”
McGuire graduated high school ready to help others. After working as a medical assistant, surgical supplies sales associate, and nurse, she paused to raise two children. Twelve years later, she returned to the workforce but struggled to find the right fit.
“I really wanted to teach people to see themselves the way that I see them and show them that it doesn’t matter what size they are. They’re beautiful.”
– AMY McGUIRE, FOUNDER, MODERN BRA COMPANY
She started a program at the University of North Georgia to become a midwife, but her mentors and bosses encouraged her to pursue a future in business. An academic adviser said UGA had exactly what she needed: a degree in consumer economics.
At age 40, McGuire became a Bulldog and loved every second of it.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “My whole family roots for the Dawgs, and they got to root for me too.”
Surrounded by college-aged kids who often mistook her for the professor (and then looked to her for life advice), she hunkered down and earned a degree from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, as well as an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship certificate.
That training became useful much sooner than she expected. When her favorite bra shop closed, McGuire couldn’t find another. So she opened her own with the help of the UGA Small Business Development Center. The center worked with her to develop the concept, calculate the overhead costs, and set a plan for growth.
And there is a big plan for growth. With the assistance of a creative engineer and new ownership partner, McGuire hopes to expand Modern Bra Company into swimsuits and eventually franchise the company.
“I’m a dreamer. I’m always looking 100 yards past where I am,” she says.
No matter how wide her venture expands, McGuire plans to never lose the one-on-one aspect that allows her to connect with people. From a breast cancer survivor who wants to move forward to a woman who blames herself, not the product, McGuire understands every interaction can be a gift. And an opportunity to make a difference.
