Q:What was your primary motivation to become a Brand Strategist?
When I was at CU Boulder, I started an internship at a company that primarily focused on brand positioning. Which is concept I hadn’t learnt from college at that time (now these cool degrees are available), it was a new concept to me. I worked at that company after I graduated and was there on and off for 10 years. I started to really get the understanding of importance the of brand positioning. And how do you set up a brand up against other brands. Then over the years I had a family and commuting from Boulder to Aurora became too much. So I started my own consultancy firm, took the skills I learnt, from working with big brands like Pepsi, Starbucks, Dominos Pizza etc.. and applied that to entrepreneurs, momprenuers. Then I started branding the person instead of the product. Because the person was the intellectual property, because of the expertise they had and knowledge they were selling.
Q:What is a habit you have changed or developed since staying at home?
I was home before COVID, working virtually, but my kids weren’t home. So the habit which I have adopted is the “Golden Hour”. This is a time when you are at your best the most clear, most motivated, most energy, for me 6am is when my “Golden Hour” starts. At about noon my productivity its start dropping, I am productive just not as focused. By 3pm, kids are doing their thing around so I am most distracted. So getting up earlier and scheduling work in the morning and meetings later on in the afternoon, when I am still present and can take notes.
Q:What’s your tip for staying connected with family and friends?
My greatest tip is to pace yourself and be kind to yourself. So instead of beating yourself up for all the connections you haven’t made. The worst thing I can do is shame myself. There is no right way in terms of frequency, do what feels right and don’t feel bad for not always reaching out.
Q:Tell me about a novel you would recommend I read?
I have a lot of friends who read lots of books, who are like ” Oh I have read 5 books this year” I have a hard time starting and completing novels. But I have one book I managed to start and complete, which I thought was life changing. It’s called The Compound Effect. It basically talks about how we sometimes set these enormous goals for ourselves, then we actually set ourselves up for failure. The Compound Effects talks about, making itty bitty tiny changes that are consistent over time. These will make a bigger impact over time.
Q:What is the best piece of advice you have received?
When I was deciding to leave the marketing company, to improve my family life. I was getting really nervous whether I was making the right decision. I was even having dreams about it. I spoke to my manager at the time and he said:
“Olivia you can’t make a decision right now that will ruin your life there is always time to course correct.”
This statement has stayed with me all my life and allowed me to make decisions that I think are right for the moment and if not its ok, there is always time to course correct.
Q:What do you love about your Lisbeth Joe shoes?
I love the combination style and comfort. We just talked about making decisions, this is one decision I do not want to make, my shoes should have both comfort and style. I remember a time when I was rushing to get an award, I was in hurry and ran from the parking garage to the building. When my name was called to receive the award, my knees felt like they were shaking and I was in pain. Since then I decided heels were no longer for me, it was scary. I consider myself a stylish person and I want to stay that way. When I am comfortable and not in pain I perform better and speak better. I consider myself a stylish person and I want to stay that way, so Lisbeth Joe meet both style and comfort.
Olivia is also a published author , please take some time to read Beautifully Branded, it has some great tips on how to build your personal brand.
