We recently connected with Olivia Hensal and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Looking back on childhood, I think many people can say there have been defining moments or experiences for them that have shaped them into who they are. Experiences, whether good or bad, that have helped define their core belief system. It’s interesting to think about how early childhood experiences can have such a huge impact on us in adulthood, whether we realize it or not.

Growing up, my mom worked a lot. She was a single mother for the majority of my formative years, and usually gone 12+ hours a day. When she was home, she was always busy. If she wasn’t working at her physical job, she’d be home cleaning the house, doing laundry, yard work, cooking, or maintaining our home in one way or another. As you can imagine, she didn’t have much time to spare. And what this meant for me and my siblings is that we had to take on more responsibility than most kids our age. By the age of 15, I was working part-time while maintaining my grades and extracurriculars, doing my own laundry, cleaning my room (and taking my turn cleaning other parts of the house), and even making my own doctors appointments. In my world at the time, this was obviously less than ideal as a teenager who just wanted to hang out with friends and focus on having fun.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that this added responsibility my mom put on me would help me become a successful, independent, and driven adult. The older I get, the more thankful I am that this was my experience. I’m thankful that I learned to do things for myself at a young age. It’s helped me thrive in chaotic work environments as an adult, and has sharpened my time managements skills so much that I was able to start and grow a business from the ground up at the age of 26 while working full time and supporting myself. This is an invaluable skill that my mom (maybe inadvertently) taught me and that she “did right” as a mother.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Functional Certified Nutrition Specialist and entrepreneur in the clean beauty space. I work to help women remove physical blocks that keep them from reaching their highest potential through in-depth testing, supplement and nutrition recommendations, and lifestyle interventions. I also own a clean, herbal body, hair, and skincare brand, Olea Herbals. Olea Herbals was born from the belief that for every toxic substance used in personal care products, there’s a natural and more gentle alternative. We create clean body, hair, and skincare products that are rich in therapeutic herbs. Through our newsletter and social media channels, we provide education on wellness, nontoxic living, nature therapy, and more.

At my core, my mission here on Earth is to make our world a healthier and happier place.

I first became interested in health and nutrition while I was studying pharmacy in my undergrad at The Ohio State University. And I know, pharmacy is almost the exact opposite of what I’m doing now. I was a different person at 18 ha! In between my freshman and sophomore years, my mom gifted me this book by holistic nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. This book quite literally changed the trajectory of my entire life. It helped me realize my innate passion for nutrition and wellness. I immediately went back to school and change my major to nutritional sciences.

After undergrad, I took a year off and moved home — back to Akron, OH where I taught yoga and worked at various gyms and restaurants, still unclear on how I wanted to use my degree. I eventually landed on enrolling in grad school to get my Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition and to move to NYC. At the ripe age of 23, I barely had any idea what I was getting myself into, but looking back, these two major life decisions ended up becoming some of the greatest decisions I ever made.

In graduate school, I took a class on clinical herbalism, which awakened a deep love for plant medicine within me. Learning about the medicinal properties of plants lit a fire inside me and I realized I needed to somehow weave this into my career. And that’s how Olea was born. I began to study and learn how there were many harmful preservatives and chemicals commonly used in personal care products. I thought, the world needs less toxic skincare products and more therapeutic skincare products infused with herbs, botanicals, and nutrients. I then began making products in my own home, using the knowledge I gained while studying in grad school, and began selling them to people I worked with. It then spiraled into a full-fledged business with now 5 products, selling in store fronts, and at big markets.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Connecting with people IRL is invaluable, especially in this technology-driven world… and especially if you run an e-commerce brand (like mine). One of the most effective way to build clientele, that I have found, is getting out and connecting with real people, real potential customers, in the real world. Since the inception of my business, I have been doing markets at various pop-up events, collaborating with stores to reach their clientele, and connecting with people through various events in person. I have found this to be so successful in building and maintaining clientele. You get to meet your customers in real life and they get to know the real person behind the brand, which builds brand loyalty and trust. When I was living in New York City, I would reach out to local stores in my area and ask to do a pop-up shop in front of their store on a busy Saturday. This gave me the chance to build rapport with customers in real life, many of whom have been repeat customers. This also gave them a more personal opportunity to stay in touch. Many were then interested in signing up for my newsletter, following along on social, and staying connected.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Resilience and trust. Being an entrepreneur is not a walk in the park, and it’s not for the faint of heart. But having resilience, never giving up, and having trust in yourself that you’re going to make this work no matter what is key. This very trust I’ve developed in myself, in my abilities, and in God/Spirit and trust that this is all apart of a bigger plan is what has kept me going during long days and when things get really tough. This isn’t something that can be taught in schools, rather it has to come from within. There will always be hardships, especially while trying to grow a business, and you cannot expect to succeed if you want to throw in the towel when inconveniences or roadblocks arise. Have trust that you’re on the right path and that you will succeed, no matter what.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oliviahensal.com. www.oleaherbals.com
• Instagram: @oliviahensal. @oleaherbals
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myolea.wellness/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-hensal/