Our goal for our Shop Talk series is to highlight different makers & crafters, incredible small-shops, inspiring entrepreneurs, and motivational individuals or families!
There couldn't be a better time than this as supporting local and small shops during these stressful times will make a MASSIVE, positive impact on makers' personal and family lives.
We're thrilled to host Daniella from Olive Eve & Co on our Shop Talk today. She runs an awesome small business selling a range of vibrant and tactile baby products, celebrating how colourful childhood is! Her vision, resourcefulness and passion for her business is inspiring - let's settle in and hear her story!
(Be sure to pop over to her website and instagram page! Fair warning, you may end up with a cart full of goodies! ;) )
Thanks again to Cara, Sarah and the whole team for reaching out to me!
I started Olive Eve & Co in February of 2019, after unsuccessfully trying to source baby products for my previous business, a subscription box for new parents. While there were many choices on the market, I was having a hard time finding brands that really resonated with or celebrated new parents and their little loves. I know we’re trying to keep things simple and neutral out there, but childhood is colorful. Motherhood is colorful. And I needed to celebrate that.
I decided to start making my own teething goods and went down the rabbit hole to collect feedback, do extensive research, design trials and safety testing. 3 years later, OE & Co continues to grow, adding other products from tutus to nursery décor and more recently, a sensory play line for kids called Love, Olive Play.
Being resourceful is my greatest superpower. If I don’t know how, I learn and that has definitely helped me in this changing global landscape and with creating new products that are functional and purposeful. Kids are at home and as a mom of 2 myself, I knew I wanted to deliver a product line that was going to help other moms keep their kiddos occupied (who doesn’t need a hot coffee?), foster independent play and continue their sensory development. Love, Olive play has been a great addition to the line up adding sensory play kits, resin letters and play dough to my product assortment. It was also important for me to give parents, especially past customers, a chance to repurpose their teething toys into something new and functional for their child's age. Silicone teething pendants have made a great addition to our sensory bins at home, and I love showing my customers how to incorporate them into themed sensory play with their older children. Our silicone turtles, for example, have made their way into a few water and animal theme play bins already!
Owning a small business isn’t easy, but besides Motherhood, it has been the most rewarding challenge of my life. Being a part of this community that has rallied around this business and my family has been amazing and so inspirational. I found my voice in motherhood and my purpose in this small shop of mine. I feel incredibly fortunate as I get to connect with so many Mamas, like myself, who are all navigating motherhood and life together.
At Olive Eve & Co, the mission is simple: empower Mamas by answering the need for cute, functional and purposeful baby and children’s goods. I did the work so that I could deliver and curate a product other moms wouldn’t have to worry about, hopefully, giving them more freedom to embrace their superpowers (or a nap) by taking the worry out of their purchase. But it’s more than just the products for me. It’s about reminding mamas of how awesome they are and the fire we have within us, before we became snack wenches to tiny humans.
I’m excited to see where my ever-growing little shop takes me and I’m enjoying every step along the way!
Danniella,
Olive Eve & Co.