Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Irick.
Hi Olivia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a basketball family where my dad, three siblings and I played basketball – mom was our cheerleader. Being immersed in basketball culture as a child led to my passion for sneaker culture. I was always inspired by Nike commercials. Every time I saw a campaign from Nike, it moved me and left me feeling inspired to take action – not just in sports, but the brand motivated me in many aspects of whatever I needed in the moment. The first time I saw the Nike Basketball freestyle rhythm commercial, I knew I wanted a career in Marketing. I continued basketball through college while studying Marketing & Business Management, graduated and took the first paid opportunity I got my hands on, which was accounting. I hated it, but it paid the bills.
After five years of a very “in the box” non-creative job, I finally took a leap of faith and left a full-time corporate job to go work part-time for the Nike retail store at Lenox Mall. I found a growing branding agency, “JStreet Branding,” and asked if they were looking for an intern. The owner said, “no, but why not.” During that time, I felt like I was all over the place and my family was worried about me being in Atlanta – a very fast-paced city compared to my hometown Columbia, SC, working 25 hours a week for $10/hr, working another 8-10 hours for free as a Brand intern, putting in another 10-15 hours with my church non-profit and probably 2 hours of sleep a day. I needed every bit of it, though, as I was shaping my passion for Brand Marketing, service to others, and finding purpose. Fast forward through picking up another side hustle of youth basketball training and a second part-time job as an operations supervisor at UPS, I’m now a full-time Brand Specialist in the Marketing department at UPS corporate office and own JUST LIV’N creative agency.
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?
I worked a ton of jobs and slept very little. At one point, I had four jobs, so social life was non-existent, and I took more naps in my car than I slept in my actual bed. I also took a huge pay cut after leaving the accounting job, so I drained my savings and had to cut back on spending significantly (hence my now good eye for great thrifts). This struggle period was me finding a true sense of self, and through it, I was able to see what it truly feels like to walk in my purpose. Struggles with the agency were growing pains. Sampling through to find quality merch vendors and people to work with that have the same level of ambition as me and good service were my biggest headaches. I learned early that money is not always a motivator. It wasn’t enough to just pay for a service, but getting your executors to believe in the vision and understand the milestones to get there are equally important as compensation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My team and I help develop and execute creative ideas for brands. Merch and apparel design, visual direction for photo and video shoots, promotional campaigns, events and activations are what we specialize in. I’m most proud of the partnerships JUST LIV’N has made through wholesales of the mini heat sneaker accessory. The smallest thing in our catalog has opened big doors for our company and projects soon to come. I’m also super proud of the activation we did with Atlanta’s Entertainment Basketball League (AEBL) for Sneakerball ATL, which was a tribute to victims of racist brutality. It was a huge platform that allowed us to do our part in community activism as well as be a part of a charitable event where proceeds went to youth programs in Metro Atlanta.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We enjoy connecting with other creatives and finding or developing opportunities that help fulfill the purpose of their brand. We’re open to collaborating with content creators and clothing brands to conceptualize and bring fun ideas, powerful messaging and/or impactful movements to life. If any individual or company is interested in collaborating, please email justlivnlifestyle@gmail.com. Or if you’re looking to support follow us on IG: @justliv.n and check out JUST LIV’N merch available for purchase at www.justlivnlifestyle.com.
Contact Info:
- Email: justlivnlifestyle@gmail.com
- Website: www.justlivnlifestyle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justliv.n/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JUSTLIVNLIFESTYLE
Image Credits
(@shotbyjayo); @shawnthe.trapographer; @toypooch; @dammitdre
