Meet Olivia Hamblin: Founder & Owner of Presence

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

Hi Olivia, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for my business came to me in a dream. The curious state between dreaming and waking up is a very sacred and creative space for me. It is almost as if my knowledge and intuition from reality meet up with the limitless potential and imagination from a dream. When they merge, I get a quick but potent glimpse of possibility. Over the years, I had been fortunate enough to meet many unique and heart-centered entrepreneurs in Colorado. And this particular dream awakened me to my own path of entrepreneurship. What if I were to build a collection of these entrepreneurs’ offerings in one online space? And not only as an e-commerce shop, but also as a gift registry! I could use the loving and cultural language of gifting to further share their talent with our community. Originally I imaged all kinds of tangible offerings, such as art and hand made items. However, I started remembering how much product and resources humans consume and how much this bothered me. In my heart, I knew I sustainability and minimalism were core personal values that I could not ignore within my business ventures. So I dove deeper and thought, “What if I only offered experiences? No products!” Quality, mindful experiences brought to you by small and local businesses. Experiences that fill your cup and realign you with the beauty of the present moment. Because after all, the best present is presence. And thus, Presence was born. 

What should our readers know about your business?
Presence is a Colorado-based online gift shop and gift registry that sells local experiences—not products. We partner with small, passionate businesses to provide you with an eye-opening selection of memorable experiences designed to draw the spirit into the present moment. Unbelievable and uncommon gifts sourced into one space so you can effortlessly celebrate your special occasions with something far more extraordinary than material objects. Our mission is to reduce waste within the tradition of gifting. We diverge from products to build more meaningful memories through thoughtfully curated local experiences that realign us with the present moment. By offering these experiences, we aim to foster a community of small Colorado businesses who provide extraordinary and meaningful services. Gift giving has always been one of my favorite ways to get creative and share love with others. I want to utilize Presence as a way to challenge what we give and ask for as gifts. I want to bring awareness, intention and soul to the act of gift giving, relying less on the planet for physical resources and more on our communities for energetic human resources. More simply put, there are people out there doing some really f-ing cool things that need to be shared. I am so sick of stuff and SO thirsty for life’s juicy moments. I noticed a lot of people feeling this way as well. Thus, I (with the help of so many wonderful people) created a platform to encourage gifts that take up space in our hearts, not in our homes. The journey hasn’t been easy. I still work a part-time job as I navigate the transition to entrepreneurship. Starting Presence has taken a noticeable investment that I am still working to make back, and I feel like I have to overcome imposter syndrome almost every day. But I’m following my heart and intuition, so it’s always worth it. The future feels abundant.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh, fun question! Our itinerary would, of course, consist of many experiences—and lots of food and drinks! In no particular order: cocktails and everything on the menu at Bruto in the Dairy Block, manis and pedis at Basecoat Nail Salon in The Stanley Marketplace, an intuitive eating picnic with Soshy Adelstein, lots of hikes (in Golden Gate State Park or a Goals Hike with Jacki Carr!), a show a Red Rocks no doubt, coffee and mocktails at Awake in Jefferson Park, hydration therapy and recovery at Hydrate IV Bar, hot springs hopping, playing in my garden…the list goes on. Denver is just the best.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are SO many people who have had a positive impact in my life and on my journey with Presence. Particularly other female entrepreneurs in Denver who have continued to root for me from idea to launch. But right now, Megan Schmer of Olive & Olde’s keeps coming to mind. Megan and I met through the Horseshoe Market circa 2017. I was helping the Horseshoe Market with operations and Megan was an OG vendor at their markets. To be honest, I can’t even remember exactly when we first met—it just feels like we’ve always known each other. Megan continued to pop up at markets and became a constant as my eyes were opened to the community of entrepreneurs in Colorado. I fell in love with Olive & Olde’s eco-friendly pillows and cushions and our friendship blossomed from there. Megan has always been here for me ever since. She has gone out of her way to raise me up and introduce me to many others who I now partner with for Presence and even call friends. Her continuous positivity, inspiration and advice have been stepping stones to where I am now. Thank you, Megan.

Website: askforpresence.com
Instagram: @askforpresence
Linkedin: n/a
Twitter: n/a
Facebook: Facebook.com/askforpresence
Yelp: n/a
Youtube: n/a

Image Credits
Josie V Photography