Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Hodson.
Hi Alyssa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I moved to LA over five years ago, I always heard that LA either welcomes you or it spits you out. And it welcomed me into a tumultuous season. My career turned upside down and I kept restarting at the bottom. Failure felt like a part of my daily life, and life gut-punching felt normal. My identity was so tied to what I was doing so of course life was fun. I had always loved helping people do what they are passionate about, but I soon realized that work had become attached to who I was. I was working four jobs, and I was completely exhausted.
Then the pandemic hit and everything shut down. I finally received a much-needed reset on life. I got my life back and I relearned who I was/am.
I know this article is supposed to be on how I started and how I got here today, but I wanted to start off saying that you’re so much more than what you do. What you do is just an opportunity to use your gifts to love on and serve those around you.
Who you are matters more.
Do you know who you are? Often, we let the world define that for us but I believe it’s important to let the One who created us define us. It honestly lifts a weight off. You don’t have this pressure of performance, which is especially strong in the city of LA. It feels as though perfect is a prerequisite for living here.
For me, my faith is everything. Having a relationship with God brings joy in my life and helps me navigate life on the daily. Because He first loved me, I get to love on other people.
Because of my faith, my heart to encourage others, and a love for fashion, over the years I’ve worked to find a way to blend them. I launched my first clothing line in 2018, did a clothing collaboration during the pandemic to bring hope to people, and last year officially launched my clothing brand, Olea Collective. This clothing company is near and dear to my heart, as it’s tied to my story.
Olea is Latin for Olive tree and I feel that represents the beauty in overcoming hard seasons of life. In order to have oil, an olive has to be crushed. Similar to life, when we have hard seasons they help us grow and actually sustain what we’re given. Our character is refined. We learn. We gain experience. We can use it all to love people better.
Each piece in my first collection tells a story; my hope is to encourage you in whatever season you find yourself in. Whether it’s persevering in the crushing, that there’s land in sight in the ocean, you find yourself in, and/or that you have a Fresh Wind over this next season. I hope that there’s a piece in this collection that encourages you where you’re at and that you can walk confidently in the season that you’re navigating. You got this.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If it was a smooth road – Not at all! Haha. Would be nice. I think nothing really going according to the way I thought it would. And also learning that although it may not be the way I initially thought success would be, that if one person is encouraged is most important and that I get to learn more about myself and grow is also huge.
My encouragement: Not letting comparison get in the way. I think it’s so important to seek wisdom and meet other people running businesses and at the same time remaining confident that it’s okay and GOOD where you’re at and if it takes longer that’s okay too. Everyone’s journey is unique and that’s the sweet part about it.
Not giving up. It can get discouraging when you’re casting the net (trying lots of things) and nothing seems to be catching. I often think about how Thomas Edison said found all the ways to not make a bulb. Keep casting the net! And continue exploring. Start small and see what catches. I have big visions and often like to go big in the beginning, but there is a goodness in starting small and seeing what works and grow it over time.
As you know, we’re big fans of Olea Collective. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Olea Collective is a Premium and Ethical clothing brand that is determined to bring hope and encouragement. Each piece has a story weaved into it that hopefully can bring encouragement to where you’re at in life so that when you wear it, you have a sweet reminder. 10% of profits go to an organization called A21.
We also do custom merch for creatives. We work with carefully chosen producers, source the best clothing to fit your needs and create custom merch for you that wow your audience and grows your business.
What sets us apart is our intentionality. We really take into consideration what our customers and clients need holistically to deliver the best product and service.
What I’m really proud of is our purpose in what we do. To encourage people and help them thrive in life and business. I love hearing people’s stories and how a piece encouraged them and working with other businesses to bring their merch to life that they’re excited and proud of and promote their business.
If you’re looking for some encouragement and/or needing custom merch (or know someone that does) reach out! We’d love to help.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Perseverance. Continually casting a net/stewarding what I currently have over time.
Integrity.
Intentionality.
Community centered.
Pricing:
- Clothing ranges from $30-$68
Contact Info:
- Website: oleacollective.co
- Instagram: @olea.collective and @alyssabrookecreative
Image Credits
Photographer: Madelinejmmain Tote Bag: Custom Merch for Brooke Sierra and photo by Brooke Sierra
