If you’ve ever been to a Create & Cultivate event then you’ll be very familiar with the work of Kelsea Olivia. Her sculptural floral arrangements adorn every single element of our conferences, summits, and parties to visually bring them to life. Founded in New York, East Olivia is a women-led creative agency that brings immersive installations, creative production, and styling to businesses and events across the U.S.
But turning her passion into profit took a lot of grit and hustle. Luckily, Olivia doesn't shy from hard work and just as well because she believes that it’s the key ingredient to building a successful small business. Read on to hear how she worked full-time at Anthropologie for almost three years while building East Olivia on the side, how she’s adapted to her new leadership role managing a team, and her biggest lessons along the way.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: As the founder of East Olivia, you create stunning floral and visual installations for some of the biggest brands in the beauty and lifestyle industry. Turning your creative passion into profit is everyone's dream but it's not an easy step to take. How did you create and cultivate the career of your dreams? What advice can you share for others who want to do it too but don't know where to start?
KELSEA OLIVIA: I worked on building East Olivia for nearly two and a half to three years before I considered stepping away from my full-time gig. I was truly passionate about the Anthropologie brand and felt in many ways that bringing my skillset to this company could be an exciting and lucrative career path for me. However, over time I realized that I only have so many hours in a day and so many possibilities as to how I can allocate the value that I bring to the table. Something that truly impacted me deeply was seeing the ability to create jobs for talented creatives, specifically in NY, at a living wage while providing health insurance.
The desire to do this, the drive to do this is not the norm. Many more fiscally successful businesses do not even offer these things but to me, it has been a non-negotiable from day one. I want my employees to see that we put our money where our mouth is. We are walking the talk, talking the walk, etc. There has yet to be a more proud day for me as the owner of EO as when our health insurance cards were delivered via snail mail. I opened up those envelopes and truly shed some joyous tears.
“It will be difficult but it will be worth it.”
You were freelance prop styling while working full-time for BHLDN/Anthropologie in NYC before launching East Olivia. How long did you freelance while you were building East Olivia? When did you know it was time to press go and leave your other jobs to do EO full time? Why?
I hired two full-time staff before I hired myself full-time. I did this because I wanted to minimize the amount of compromising I would need to do on the artistic side in order to make this work.
You now run a large team in NY and LA but you travel all over America. How have you handled the growth both personally and as a business? What has the hiring experience like? Can you share any hiring advice for those going through it right now?
Hiring is hard. Setting apart those who are excited to be apart of what you are doing versus those who really what to step up to the plate is extremely difficult. but if you can differentiate between the two of those you will have such a strong jumping-off point.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
I always start first with a trusted group of other business owners that I can ask for advice and insight. I cannot stress enough that we do not know what we don't know. If I cannot humble myself and ask for support I am stuck, stagnant and surrounded by fear. Admitting I don't know everything is the first step towards learning the insights and tools that will get me to the next level.
You are extremely popular which is great, but that also means you're very busy. What are your productivity hacks for getting it all done? What three apps or sites do you use every day that help keep you organized and on track?
My number one hack is to take the task you are avoiding the most and do it first. Such freedom is gained by getting that thing out of the way. Three apps I love are Planoly, Xero and Google calendar. I mean it’s basic but I truly live by my calendar now.
You've achieved so much success, but what do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you were first starting out? Why?
I truly don’t know if I wish I could tell myself anything except to accept what is and that thing will always turn out better than what you'd expect.
You've grown as a brand and as a person since the launch of East Olivia, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career and what have they taught you?
My biggest lessons have been that first impressions truly are not always what they seem and that there is no substitute for hard work and humility. Even when others around you may pressure you to take the easy road, pride in your work can only come by truly putting in the hard work.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who have an idea but don’t know where to start to execute it?
It will be difficult but it will be worth it.
What have been some of the hardest money lessons you've learned along the way? What is your #1 money tip for small business owners? Why?
My number one money tip is to remember that you do not know what you do not know. Be humble. Look for resources, seek out advice from those you trust. We're never too good to ask for support from those who know more than us.
Photographer: Jenna Peffley
Hair: Styled by OGXpert & Celebrity Hairstylist Jillian Halouska
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 SMALL BUSINESS LIST HERE.
