Meet Olivia Zell | Entrepreneur and Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Zell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, what do you attribute your success to?
Passion! All our lives we’re told “When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” While it sounds cliche, it really does have some truth to it. I have always loved making things with my hands, whether it’s sewing, knitting, crochet…all these things are such an outlet for me. I had been sewing pet bandanas for over a decade, and despite many friends and family members telling me to sell them, I had never considered sewing to be more than a hobby for me. When the pandemic began, amid all the uncertainty, anxiety and what really felt like chaos, sewing brought me calmness. While on furlough from my office job, I was able to reflect and decided to take the risk to make my hobby into a business. My true passion is bringing pets and their people together, and that’s my favorite part about selling handmade items for people and pets.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Like so many corporate employees, I found myself furloughed once the pandemic began. I was working at a corporate dining company, and I enjoyed my job and my team. Unfortunately, I was laid off after being furloughed for quite some time. While on furlough however, I began to get back into my creative hobbies, like music, sewing and knitting. I realized that I had not made much time for those things when I was working at my corporate job. It felt so fulfilling to get back into doing these things.

With my new free time, I decided to open an Etsy shop and sell the bandanas I had already been making for years. A family friend, a very talented graphic designer, made me a gorgeous logo and I took to the internet to learn all I could about starting an Etsy shop and business. Picking the name was easy, my childhood nickname has always been Saucey, so Saucey Scarves was born. The first product in my shop was over-collar pet bandanas, and I quickly added “human” products like masks, scrunchies and headbands. Of course, these other items are made with the same fabric as the bandanas, so you can match with your favorite furry friend. My shop now includes bow ties, and snap-on bandanas!

When I first started, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but thankfully there are so many resources online that I was able to learn the basics pretty quickly. I also learned such valuable information from other small business owners that were completely willing to help me and answer the many questions I had. At times, a year and a half later, I still feel as lost as when I first began. However, looking back, it really is astounding to reflect on how far I’ve come and all the lessons I’ve learned since starting out.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since starting my business, is to simply put myself out there. Whether it be asking another business owner a question, cold-emailing the director of a craft fair, you truly never know unless you try. This was never a strength of mine, I preferred to stay quiet and reserved, but realized quickly that behavior wouldn’t help my business grow. I’ve met so many wonderful people by asking a question or starting a conversation.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, so I would be so excited for a week-long trip there with my best friend! While it may be boring to some people, I am a total homebody. I would love to cook some fun meals at home and try some new recipes, and binge-watch some TV or have a movie night. My favorite thing to watch is The Office, not to brag, but my team and I won trivia at Dave and Busters. (Ok, I’m totally bragging, and I’m proud.)

One of my absolute favorite places is Devil’s Canyon, a local brewery in San Carlos. Their “Beer Friday’s” are so much fun! They bring in local food trucks, live music, and they have a wonderful outdoor area where you can bring your pups too. Their beers are so good, and you may even catch me there playing live music! Such a fun spot.

The Bay Area is such a great spot for food, you really can’t go wrong anywhere you go. But one of my favorites is a restaurant called “Sauced” in Livermore. They have awesome cocktails, tons of beers on draft, and the best burnt end nachos you will ever have.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is no way I would’ve been able to start my business without the help of my family and friends. Growing up, my parents always encouraged my brother and I to be creative. They have supported me so much along the way, helping me set-up and take-down at craft fairs, checking on me during late night sewing sessions, too many examples to count. I am so grateful for my wonderful parents, Diane and Steph, my brother Michael, and my boyfriend Reece.

My friends have also been such a wonderful support to me. They have supported me by buying my products, sharing social media posts, been a sounding board for ideas, as well as product testing and feedback. I truly could not have done it without you, Paige, Katie, and Allie. (And SO many more of my wonderful friends!)

Last but certainly not least, my partner in crime and my best buddy, Sadie Mae. Not only is she Saucey Scarves’ 4-legged model, but she has never failed to keep me company while I’m sewing for hours on end. She happily naps beside me and is always down for a french fry run to the drive-through when it’s time for a break.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SauceyScarvesCrafts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sauceyscarves/