Meet Brittany Beckwith-Martinez, stylist and the creator of Olive French, a curated boutique shop for women. I had the honor of meeting Brittany at a recent live event in our home state. She’s one of those souls who just glows and beams with positivity, confidence, and effortless beauty.

I interviewed Brittany to get to know her a little better, learn about her business, and soak up any advice she has for other female entrepreneurs.

Let’s have fun

How do you take your coffee? I’m always curious about this because everyone has their thing!

I take my coffee (EVERY DAY) with milk or unsweetened almond milk. ALWAYS ICED, no matter the time of year.

What do you do for fun? 

Right now I don’t have many non work activities as I work two full-time jobs! I was a competitive horseback rider from middle school to college. I love going to restaurants, and traveling when I can. My next stop is Medellin, Colombia.  

My husband is Dominican. I love going places where I can speak Spanish and learn about the culture firsthand. Brian and I got married two years ago in Oahu, HI. (JUST US!). We didn’t elope per se, we planned it and our family had to get on board, but in the end it was the best decision for us and something we will never forget. 

My favorite event that I attended recently, if we’re talking about music, then that would be the Drake & Migos concert last August at Madison Square Garden. I am Drake obsessed and have seen him at least 8 times in concert. My first concert of his was at Toads Place in New Haven before he was signed. FANGIRL ALERT. 

Brittany’s Start in Fashion

Tell me about yourself!

I am a UConn graduate from the Individualized major program. I majored in Culture, Fashion & Merchandising. I took my fashion courses at the London College of Fashion. I worked at Free People in college, then when I graduated I moved to NYC to work for Elite Model Management NYC.  

I’ve also been working as a waitress since high school at New York Pickle Deli in Rocky Hill. Even when I lived in CT, I would waitress on the weekends to be able to afford to live in the city!

I opened Olive French after moving home to CT, rebuilding a 1926 farmhouse that I bought with my husband in Glastonbury, and getting married. We have a French Bulldog named Olive. She is my world. Hence the name, “Olive French”. 

Olive French

Boutique Shop for Women

Tell me about Olive French - what inspired you and how did you get your start? 

My favorite course at the London College of Fashion was fashion public relations. This involved press events, styling, photography, etc.  I grew my love of styling after I started to dress some of the models at Elite for special events, like the Victoria’s Secret Show afterparty, or Sports illustrated press events, or galas.

I started my boutique because I wanted to create something all my own. After a little pushing from my husband, (he had been telling me for a while that I should open my own store), I finally just did it.

I was home one day and bought the LLC. And it all went from there. I wanted to share my love of styling and what I had learned in school and in the work force, put it into action, and use my brain! I can definitely say I’ve been doing all of that since I opened.

It has been a whirlwind, and I’m learning as I go, but I love every minute of it. Even though the nerves of carrying a business on your back can get to you sometimes.

Connection

What was the best live, in=person event that you attended recently?

Honey Hangs was a great event. I met YOU, plus so many other ladies that I connected with on all different levels. Being a woman, talking to other women can be intimidating.

Thank goodness that, now being almost 30, I have broken out of that shell and realized that I have no one to impress. I mean of course, I get self-conscious like everyone else, but I do actively try to put myself out there more.

What impact did the event have on you and your business? 

Honestly every positive thing that has happened to me in my business has been from networking.

I went to my first networking event after being introduced to HerSpace a month after I opened my store. I made so many great connections through that event including both, business mentors, and other small business owners.

That’s what lead me to go to the Honey Hangs event. I knew that meeting new women would be great for me one way or the other. It opens a lot of doors that I didn’t even know were there to be opened. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with other small business owners who were going through some of the same things I was.

It was inspiring and great to bounce ideas off other strong women. It’s also much easier to just go out and meet people face to face than to chase connections through emails.

I’ve learned that going to live events is the best way to make real life connections that aren’t forced in any way. 

Stay in touch

I’m grateful to Brittany for taking the time to share her story with the Founders in Real Life community. So many of us can relate to that feeling of intimidation when we walk into a room of female business owners. But, those connections are the catalysts that will help grow our businesses. I hope that Brittany’s story helps MORE women shake off the fear, show up authentically, and take the leap to make those strong and inspiring connections.

If you’d like to get in touch with Brittany, you can reach her through email at Olive@OliveFrench.com or check to see if she has a local pop-up event near you! Check her new Autumn 2019 lineup at OliveFrench.com