We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tatum Ramsdell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tatum below.

Tatum , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my small business Olive’s Branch Co. came back in November 2019. I was in school studying Biology, working part time at Pressed Juicery and shadowing dentist and orthodontists during the week. During that time I remember experiencing burnout, stress and anxiety about my future. Only a few months later, I was laid off from my job during COVID and my grades began to plummet when classes switched online. About 2 months into online schooling, I dropped out and was in a very uncertain season of my life. During quarantine I began painting, drawing, making candles and making soaps as a creative outlet to cope with stress. What started out as a creative outlet became a hobby that I both enjoyed making and using in my self-care routines. At the time I was also in a small group with a few other young adults from my church and I mentioned an idea I had about starting my own self-care business and they encouraged and held me accountable to turning this vision into a reality. I launched my sustainable self-care business in December 2020 and we sold out launch weekend. That launch and the support from my small group gave me the courage to pursue this business full time.

Tatum , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always loved photography, painting, videography, art and creating. It’s always just been a hobby for me so, I originally never imagined turning any of into in business. When I first began making candles, I learned quickly that not all candles are created equally. If I was going to create in an already saturated market, I wanted to offer something that was actually good for the consumer and the environment. We did a lot of research to create products that are sustainable / eco-friendly and our goal is to educate our customers and applaud them for making a positive environmental impact.

We are most proud of our partnership with local non-profit, Break the Gap. Break the Gap is the creator of the most unique outreach program in Sacramento, CA. Their mission is to break the social impact on poverty and homelessness through art, creative outreach, and resource allocation to reshape a city of connection. 7% of every purchase at Olive’s Branch Co. goes towards their outreach initiatives!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We don’t have a huge audience on social media but our audience is consistent because we saw the value in creating community instead of viral moments. As of recently we’ve been gaining a larger audience due to consistency. My biggest advice for building your social media is to be authentic, stay consistent and always engage with your audience! People want to feel connected to people and when they know you’re a real person with real struggles and a real desire to grow in your business they are more likely to want to support because they see your authenticity.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My best advice for managing a team is investing in leadership coaching for yourself (even if you already a great leader). Not all managers are great leaders and I believe if you truly want to have a great team, you have to be a great leader. Part of being a great leader for your team is valuing your team, constantly pouring into them through one on ones, rewarding them for taking initiative and correcting when it is appropriate/ necessary. No one likes a hovering manager or someone who is constantly correcting them/ making them feel like they aren’t capable of doing their job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.olivesbranchco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivesbranchco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olivesbranchco
• Other: www.pinterest.com/olivesbranchco
  www.tiktok.com/olivesbranchco

Image Credits

Photography for last 3 photos: Lizeth Zapp (First 3 product photos are by me).