Life & Work with Tanna Harris of Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanna Harris.

Tanna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a native Texan, I made Los Angeles my home in 1986 to 2016, and for 30 years learned to creatively cook & experiment, with olive oil a major ingredient in my exploration. I returned to Houston for 8 years to care for my elderly parents and be with them both through peaceful passings, and throughout those 8 years of working in the veteran non-profit space, I would constantly say to friends, “one day when I have my little olive oil store…” So, I moved home to LA, specifically Santa Monica, focused on taking a chance on myself with no Plan B. Being near the ocean feeds my soul and is endlessly inspirational; so as I starting putting the pieces of the puzzle together to realize this dream, I was insulated from self-doubt and the possibility of this dream not coming together. Initially through the process, I was constantly surprised by how many large & small details were working out perfectly, but a dear friend and very successful entrepreneur gave it to me straight: she said I had been manifesting and visualizing for so long what I was now creating, but there were too many responsibilities and too much standing in the way of fulfillment. Until now.

I’ve have extraordinary support, help, cheerleading, guidance, devil’s advocates, and direct participation from so many loved ones I have the privilege of loving. I am often asked how I came about opening O&V CA, and I had been saying, “others open stores and are successful, why can’t I try? This is me trying.” Until recently. Now I say, “this is me doing it!”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Wow, a complicated question. The road to having the confidence to try something like starting a business, especially in our very spendy beachside town on Montana Avenue, has been decades in the making. I could never have dreamed of this for myself at any other age, really, and certainly would not have had the wisdom or maturity that comes from examining one’s mortality.

Actual struggles have been fairly few, and although the midst of a problem feels enormous, I told myself repeatedly that just a few months down the road, problems would be a mere hiccups. I am a meticulous planner with loads of contingency options, and although I had no Plan B in place for the success of O&V CA, I am pretty adept at reading the greens before I take a shot.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My parents were both very artistic and creative, although neither utilized those talents in their professional lives. I have a keen eye for all things extraordinary, unique, and I am a stickler for finding perfection in the imperfect, imagined, and special. I have a gift for making unexpected choices that are pleasing and inspirational to others. O&V CA is the best example of drawing on what I love to create a soothing, serene environment that is beautiful, minimal while thoroughly stocked, uncomplicated. At least once a day a visitor to O&V CA tells us how gorgeous our space is and how calming it is to be here.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I am a typical small-town kid, terrific parents married 67 years, and a solid foundation. It was a fantastic way to grow up, feeling safe, secure, kind of encapsulated in a small-town bubble. Somewhere along the way, I outgrew those boundaries and headed to Los Angeles at 24 with no plan, no job, no place to live, knowing no one, and never even visited LA. I think I was testing my resilience and exploring what was outside my small world. Turns out, I liked it, all of it, and have never regretted even one day of the single best decision I have ever made.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oandvcalifornia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oandvcalifornia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578887537797