Meet Olivia Starling | Founder & CEO of Starlette Galleria

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

Hi Olivia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’m a really big fan of taking risks. If you aren’t willing to bet on yourself, then who else will? Not every risk you take will work out. If you take risks, you will experience failure, but the ability to pivot and learn from mistakes is what makes every risk worth it. It is not easy being brave with your life. You will receive criticism and experience pain. But the reward waiting on the other side is worth it.

I had what most people would call a very “safe” corporate job in events marketing. I had amazing benefits, a healthy retirement, and the ability to work from home. In 2019, the little online business I had created out of my basement with $300 of inventory, 0 followers, and 0 emails was blowing up, and I wanted to go full-time with my dream. When I let friends and family know, many of them thought I was making a huge mistake. I knew in my gut that it was time to quit my job.

6 months later, the pandemic hit, and I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life by quitting my job. That month online sales skyrocketed and we were busier than ever. My job in events marketing no longer exists because, in 2020, events were all canceled. I learned that what most people see as a risk can actually be the safest thing you ever do when you truly believe in yourself. I will never stop taking the risks, learning the lessons, and pivoting when things don’t go according to plan.

What should our readers know about your business?
3 years ago, I started a business out of my basement with 0 followers, 0 emails, and $300 in inventory. I knew I wanted to start an e-commerce business, but I didn’t know what to sell. I went on Aliexpress and bought samples of everything I could get my hands on. All of the samples came in, and one stood out to me. It was a really pretty fake engagement ring. I looked at it and thought “what if it was made of better quality metal so my finger won’t turn green” and “what if the stone looked a little more like a real diamond”. I knew I would wear a quality ring like this, so I found a manufacturer and we built it. The first few prototypes had minor hiccups like stones coming out, plating wearing off, and other things that left me feeling discouraged. I stayed my course, refined the process, and today we have an amazing product available to all women.

Absolutely nothing about starting a brand has been easy. When I first started my business, I was working full-time and a mother to a toddler. I remember on several occasions, setting an alarm from 3 in the morning so I could wake up to approve invoices from China, I would start a pot of coffee, and sometime around 8 am, I would switch to my corporate job and work a full day. I have had many days, weeks, and years fueled by coffee and determination. I will never regret making that decision.

I’ve learned that mindset is one of the most important things for an entrepreneur to be conscious of. To build something great, you need a strong foundation and that foundation starts with you. When you are starting a business, it can be a lonely start with a lot of ups and downs. Having the ability to recognize your emotions, fears, and insecurities can help an entrepreneur to detach from feelings and sit in reality when making important decisions. I have been able to take risks, put myself out there, and publicly build my brand because of my mental aptitude and resilience. It is not natural for humans to have a positive outlook on life, but it can be learned.

This year I wanted to get more “balance” in my life and I learned to stop striving for balance. True harmony in life is when you accept that your life will always have seasons. In some seasons, work might take a stronger priority, and in other seasons, you might find yourself diving deeper into personal relationships. Every season will impose new challenges and all seasons are important in the story of your life. Don’t discount the “less productive” seasons as unimportant. Embrace all of the ways that your life is out of balance and you will find more peace in the season you are currently in. Forgive yourself for working too much, don’t stress about what you “should have done”. True balance happens when you embrace that life is always going to be out of balance.

This year I launched a second business where I coach and lead women to learn how to make money online. It has been incredibly fulfilling to receive success messages and build my tribe on Instagram. I fought through so much imposter syndrome to get here, but the greatest success in life is on the other side of fear.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely love having friends visit me in Colorado Springs because there are so many fun things we can do, depending on which friends are in town. A hidden treasure is the penny arcade in Manitou Springs. Grab all of your quarters and spend a night playing Pac-Man, ski ball, or any other old-school arcade game. For more adventurous friends, I like to take them to the terror dactyl at Cave of the Winds. The terror dactyl is a swing that drops off the edge of a 200-foot cliff. It is by far the most terrifying ride I have been on, but the views are worth it. When I have a more athletic friend in town, I like to take them to hike up the Manitou Incline. It’s basically a staircase up a mountain that gains 2,000 feet in elevation. It is a very extreme hike, but once you make it to the top, you will feel incredibly satisfied. For a great brewery, I love going to Bristol Brewing Company. It is inside of an old elementary school and they kept a lot of the old-school charm to it. In the summertime, their patio is the best in Colorado Springs. For a nicer dinner, I would take my friends to Marigolds. Enjoy good wine, great food, and of course the best desserts in town. It’s definitely a hidden gem in Colorado Springs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Alison J Prince changed my life with her online course where she taught me how to create my online business. Since being involved with her course, I have been able to create my dream life. She is an incredible teacher, businesswoman, and person. I would not be here today if it weren’t for her support these last 3 years.

Website: https://www.oliviaisnotaninfluencer.com/

Instagram: @oliviaisnotaninfluencer

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviastarlingwyo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviaisnotaninfluencer

Image Credits
Thomas Cooper