We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Olivia Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

2024 was a thrilling year of strategic risks. It was a time to buckle-up, step on the gas, and enjoy the ride. At the age of 23, I bought my first house, solo-raised the first year of my puppy, and launched a travel, fitness, wellness blog called gainsandglow.com. Did I tackle a lot? Sure did, but ‘grit and grace’ were my motto and I ran with it.

Taking risks are opportunities to grow through what you go through, and to give them everything you’ve got. I love embarking on new challenges and problem solving by sheer: persistence, curiosity, and determination. I had to learn to train myself to develop such a growth mindset at an early phase of life, at around adolescence. The cards I was dealt in life were not necessarily a catalyst for growth, nor a launching pad for success. But, you have to learn to make the most of what you have, with where you are.

Jesus teaches us that our brokenness is welcome and that we can bring it to Him. He is perfect, and we are not. We will always fall short. Although my upbringing was from a broken-home; my parents divorced when I was 10 years old, me being an only child, and I lived with my mother who worked several jobs. I do not let my upbringing define who I am, it is just a part of my success story.

Knowing how someone was raised reveals a glimpse of their character, who they are as a person, and how an individual has learned to take the driver seat of their own life, regardless of their childhood. For me, I don’t come from a family that prioritized college or having a successful career as a female. I had to get comfortable by being uncomfortable in the unknown. Early on, I had to learn to become a pseudo-adult by taking action, working hard, and figuring out who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. At 24, I can speak with confidence that I know what I bring to the table and that I have the ability to change the trajectory of my life by sound risk-taking and a strong work ethic.

My greatest leap of faith was going to college and pursuing an engineering degree in 3.5 years. And boy, it took resiliency and tenacity to keep going until the finish line. I was the first female in my family to obtain a college degree, and I graduated from NC State University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. Go Wolfpack!

I am a highly ambitious individual. I think ambition and hard work are amazing tools to have in your toolbelt. I had to learn to provide for myself and my future—college, travels, life—and I had my first job at the age of 15. Hard work is a skill that is developed over time, you must learn to go all-in and strengthen that muscle daily. At the end of the day, your life consists of outcomes of the decisions you make—big or small. Learn to fearlessly take risks, and never look back. Life is going to be ‘one step forward, two steps back.’ But, think about it, you are making movement either way. Keep Going.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

After I graduated college, I solo traveled for 3-months to Hawaii, California, and Nashville. I captured all my adventures, foodie eats, and travel guides in my personal notes. I have always had a true passion for travel, fitness, and wellness. While I was in Hawaii, one afternoon, I had the idea for a blog built on: travel, fitness, and wellness—and that is where GAINS AND GLOW (gainsandglow.com) was born!

GAINS AND GLOW is an all-in travel. fitness. wellness. platform that inspires others to become their potential. Our motto is to SAVOR. SWEAT. SLAY. at anything and everywhere. You are capable of anything that you put your mind to. Travel, fitness, and wellness have changed my life, and I hope to inspire you through my content to adventure the world, try new wellness foods, and create optimal habits to slay the day.

GAINS AND GLOW offers monthly blog posts: from travel blogs, to wellness recipes, to lifestyle recommendations—especially for my dog lovers out there, I have an Australian Shepherd. All GG content is built on the foundation that travel, fitness, and wellness are all interconnected, so why not become our best in all facets?! Check out gainsandglow.com and @gainsandglow on Instagram to learn more and join the community :)

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love reading and listening to podcasts. Being able to learn from others and have their wisdom poured into us is the gift of technology. One amazing piece of advice I have ever been given in life is “to be a sponge.” My favorite podcast that analyzes history’s greatest entrepreneurs is called ‘Founders’. Additionally, I absolutely love the ‘Huberman Lab Podcast’ and ‘Nick Bare Podcast’ that teach upon foundational aspects of living a healthy lifestyle rooted in science and wellness. A book that I particularly enjoyed reading on time management is called, ‘The Power of Habit.’ It was so interesting to learn about the timespan of habit adoption and how habits are built overtime.

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

Curiosity is such a vital skill that everyone should strive to strengthen in as they age, rather than letting it diminish over time. At the end of the day, qualifications are typically defined. But, in a candidate pool, what differentiates individuals is their innate desire to learn more and seek more beyond the initial layer of something. Whether that be a product market fit, root-cause analysis, or customer requirements, you have learn to create a unique angles for problem solving and establish your own personal brand to stand out from the rest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gainsandglow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsoliviamartin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsoliviamartin/