It’s been hailed as the most Instagrammable olive oil on the market but Brightland is so much more than just pretty packaging—it looks as good as it tastes. While producing top-quality olive oil was a priority for Iyer, so was the design. The white powder-coated bottles (designed by the Charleston-based graphic design firm Stitch Design) are essentially a free form of marketing with people choosing to share them on social media and displaying them on their open shelves at home. They’re also UV protected to ensure the oil stays fresh.
Good branding aside, however, they’re also filled with small-batch, hand-crafted extra virgin olive oil by California farmers on a single-estate farm. Now, that’s smart. But here’s the twist, Iyer’s background isn’t in the food industry. Her early years were spent at tech startups in New York. It wasn’t until she started researching olive oil companies in the U.S. (after a bout of stomach issues with the current brands) that she realized the industry was ripe for disruption, so she filled the gap.
Ahead, Iyer shares how she moved past the fear to start her own business, her strategies for shutting out the “inner critic,” and the secret to staying inspired and motivated on her most challenging days.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: You worked in public affairs at a finance startup called SecondMarket before working at ff Venture Capital. How did you make the pivot from the corporate world into entrepreneurship? How did you move past the fear to take the leap and start your own business? What was it like making the transition from tech to food?
AISHWARYA S. IYER: I’ve always broken barriers and was never afraid of life transitions. I went to college in Texas before transferring to NYU just because I wanted to be bold and experience the change of pace. While at NYU, I studied at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where you create your major from scratch. You are empowered to shape your own time at school as you see fit. When I began my career, I took with me this ethos of being bold and when I decided to launch Brightland, it gave me that same feeling of breaking through—there are not many women, let alone South Asian Americans, who are in the olive oil world, and I knew taking the risk and pursuing an entrepreneurial path in the food world was my purpose.
What drew you to olive oil? And why did you want to start your own olive oil company?
When my partner and I started cooking together years ago, we started getting a little nauseous after eating our home-cooked meals. After cutting out almost everything else to try and solve the problem, we were left with one constant—our olive oil. After discovering that most of the olive oil that Americans consume is rotten, rancid, and adulterated, I knew I needed to do something about it. Olive oil has been a foundation of wellness and nourishment for thousands of years. After moving to California a few years ago, it was time to start Brightland and champion American-made, beautiful, and elevated extra virgin olive oil.
“Shutting off my ‘inner critic’ has been an enormous challenge for me during every step of my career, and one that I still have to tackle every day.”
What were some of the early challenges you faced? What surprised you the most about being an entrepreneur that you didn't expect?
Life moves much faster in 2019 than it ever has and our attention span is much shorter than ever before. The week before launch, we found out the labels we were planning to use were actually defective, and we ended up on a wild goose chase to sort it out at the last minute. We ended up with an even better solution but sometimes it feels like we have to race before rest.
What's the most important thing you've learned in making a big change in your career/life?
I’ve learned to really lean into my discomfort. There will always be unanswered questions and many, many problems that need to be solved (plus, so many more that pop up every day).
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
Shutting off my "inner critic" has been an enormous challenge for me during every step of my career, and one that I still have to tackle every day. We all have an inner critic based on our past experiences and feedback that affects the way we view ourselves, make decisions, and sometimes sabotages our natural power. Over the past few years, I have done quite a bit of mental, emotional, and spiritual work in order to create space from my inner critic, helping me to unleash my own powerful qualities.
How did you maintain the confidence to successfully transition from the world of tech to the world of food?
Honestly, just putting my head down and doing the hard work. It has also helped me to apply lessons from my years at early-stage startups—be nimble, be adaptable to change, be resilient—and apply those lessons to building my company.
What are some mistakes you made along the way that ended up helping your success?
I would have never guessed 10 years ago that I would be where I am today. What has made me more flexible and, ultimately, better at my job, is admitting when I don’t have all the answers, having confidence in my path even though it’s trajectory has been anything but straight-and-narrow, and not attempting to predict the future. One step at a time is always the best way.
What advice do you have for women who haven’t found their path/passion yet? What steps can they take to get there?
Remember that all you need to do is take one step forward at a time—that will get you through any day.
The food industry is vast and incredibly saturated? How do you remain unique and find a white space? What is the secret to standing out?
The key to standing out is staying authentic to yourself. I broke into the crowded food space because I know that consumers deserve high-quality, honest, traceable olive oil made in the U.S. We all deserve to know where our food is coming from and who is making it from start to finish.
“I’ve learned to really lean into my discomfort. There will always be unanswered questions and many, many problems that need to be solved.”
With success comes opportunity but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
I really try to focus on living a life of joy which for me means always living with gratitude, being comfortable with discomfort, and finding charm in the tiniest of things. Remembering mortality helps me too—our time here on Earth is short, let’s make the most of it.
What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?
Embracing Your Inner Critic by Hal and Sidra Stone. It changed my life by helping me to overcome my own inner critic.
Photographer: Jenna Peffley
Hair: Styled by OGXpert & Celebrity Hairstylist Jillian Halouska
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