International Women's Day is a great reminder to pause and think about all our accomplishments as women throughout the years. I'm thankful for all the strong women who have come before me to help fight gender discrimination - especially fair wages in the workplace. It's the one thing I'm adamant about teaching my daughter - Know your worth.
Tell us a little about yourself and your business. What inspired you to start the business?
I was born and raised in Mississippi, and you don't grow up in the South without a monogrammed outfit, backpack, etc. I always loved how hand embroidered shirts looked over a monogram machine and started hand embroidering pieces as gifts for friends. I think of Sweet Olive Street as a modern take on personalized pieces.
Truly the encouragement of my friends is why I started the company. Everyone always said "You should sell these!". After toying with the idea for three (yes, three whole years!) I finally took the plunge into being a small business owner.
Who is a woman who has made a positive impact on your career?
I’ve been very lucky to almost always had a female boss and mentor. I would have to say my last boss Deborah has been beyond helpful with helping me grow Sweet Olive Street. She’s the owner of Submarine Swim, a successful swim brand, and always finds time to help me. From client recommendations, tips on finding pattern makers, pricing out photoshoots, she’s an endless source of knowledge. You can see that she loves supporting women and is a natural mentor at heart.
Share your best piece of advice for women looking to start their own business.
Just do it! I can’t begin to explain all the time I wasted wanting everything to be perfect. I had a million excuses why NOT to start then finally I just made an Etsy shop, posted a picture on Instagram (that I painfully over thought for days) and started reaching out to stores that I thought would like my style. There’s going to be a lot of mistakes, but you learn and grow from them and that's what helps you become successful.
What’s next for Sweet Olive Street?
We are focusing on specific brand partnerships and exclusive retail collabs. A big effort for the year is growing our wholesale business so hopefully more people will begin to see Sweet Olive Street in stores near them!
