Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Simone.
Olivia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had a passion for writing, which led me to start my blog, LIV in Style, while I was in high school. I took the project very seriously as a teenager. I organized photoshoots, wrote lengthy articles, had my mom copy edit each piece, and then published them on my website alongside a newsletter announcing my latest post.
At the time, most of my content focused on fashion, a passion that deeply influenced my undergraduate experience. During my four years at Michigan State University, I climbed through the ranks of VIM Magazine, the university’s fully student-run fashion and lifestyle publication. As a freshman, I became the youngest director in the organization’s history, serving as Co-Creative Beauty Director. I held that role for three years before becoming Co-Editor-in-Chief during my senior year.
By then, LIV in Style had evolved from a traditional blog into a social media brand on TikTok and Instagram. Although I still enjoyed writing, I quickly fell in love with filming, interviewing, and editing content. During my senior year, I launched a series documenting every single day of my final year of college. I hoped social media would take off before graduation, but that wasn’t in the cards for me at the time.
After posting every day for ten months, I decided to step away from content creation. LIV in Style slowly faded, and I eventually made my website private—a digital scrapbook where I could look back fondly on my writing and past projects.
My hiatus from social media coincided with a season of tremendous personal and professional growth. I moved to New York City, worked New York Fashion Week and the Met Gala, left New York to attend graduate school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and eventually found my way back home to Michigan, settling in Detroit.
Moving to Detroit marked a new chapter of adulthood for me. I had a great job, was back home near family and friends, and felt like I had finally found my footing. But something was missing: my creative spark had quietly been buried beneath all of life’s transitions.
To reignite that flame, I started posting on social media again and rebranded my platforms as Olivia Does Life & Things. While the name may be a little silly, I intentionally didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into one niche. “Life and things” leaves room for everything — from restaurants and travel to everyday moments and new adventures.
What began with a single restaurant review has turned into three months of consistent content creation, and I have been absolutely blown away by the support, engagement, and opportunities that have come my way in such a short time. Creating content has once again become one of my greatest passions, and I cannot wait to see where this next chapter takes me.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My senior year of college, from 2022 to 2023, was really the height of social media influencers taking off. Creators like Alix Earle and so many others my age were growing at an accelerated rate and setting a new standard for what social media success looked like. At the same time, I was posting every single day and trying to grow my own platforms.
Looking back, I wish I hadn’t stopped creating. But I’ve also learned that, like any other career, content creation takes time. Some people “make it big” or go viral quickly, while others build their platforms more gradually.
What I’ve come to appreciate most is the value of building a local community. I may not have millions of followers, but I have an incredible group of people who engage with my content, send me recommendations, and leave words of encouragement. The community I’m creating, and hope to continue building, means so much to me.
One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been being recognized around Detroit. I absolutely love when someone comes up to me and says they visited a restaurant because they saw one of my videos. Knowing that my content has encouraged people to explore the city and support local businesses is incredibly fulfilling. It’s surreal, and it’s a reminder that success isn’t always measured by numbers — sometimes it’s measured by the real connections you make along the way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I consider myself a Detroit-based content creator. My tagline is, “Hey, it’s Olivia. I just moved to Detroit, and the best way to get to know a city is to eat your way through it.”
While most of my content focuses on restaurant recommendations and food reviews, I also love highlighting events, hidden gems, and all the cool things happening around the city. My goal is to help people experience Detroit in a fun and approachable way while also shining a spotlight on the incredible local businesses that make this city so special.
I think what sets me apart is my tiny microphone and my conversational style of storytelling. Rather than relying solely on b-roll and voiceovers, I talk directly to the camera in almost all of my videos. It creates a more personal experience and has helped me build a genuine sense of community with my audience. The tiny mic has also become a fun way to interact with people and interview business owners, allowing me to share the stories behind the businesses I feature.
One of the things I’m most proud of is being able to support small businesses through my platform. I love knowing that a video can encourage someone to try a new restaurant, attend an event, or discover a place they may never have visited otherwise.
One of my favorite examples is a video I created about Daphne’s Bagels, a Saturday pop-up at Red Hook in Midtown. I had the opportunity to interview the husband-and-wife team behind the business and give viewers a more personal look at their story. The response was incredible — I received so many messages and comments from people excited to try their bagels for themselves. Knowing that my content can help connect people with local businesses and hopefully bring new customers through their doors is incredibly rewarding. As Daphne’s Bagels works toward opening a permanent storefront in Detroit, I’m excited to continue following and supporting their journey.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
My email is Oliviadoeslifeandthings@gmail.com, and I am @oliviadoeslifeandthings of Tik Tok and Instagram
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @oliviadoeslifeandthings
