Inspiring Conversations with Olivia Chadwick of Olivia Jeane Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Chadwick.  

Hi Olivia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never had a clear idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was personable and made friends with everyone around me but that never translated to a future career. I watched my sister fly through schooling with As in every class, a clear path ahead of her, while I struggled in most areas of school. My defining traits always being outgoing and creative but with little direction. 

During my last year of college, a friend had mentioned to me out of the blue that I would be really great at wedding planning. Not knowing much about it, I reached out to a women in the local wedding planning industry that was doing beautiful work, and I asked to be her assistant. From there, I started to learn what the behind-the-scenes world of event planning/wedding planning looked like. It was fast-paced, I was able to be personable with clients, there was room for creativity, and I finally felt like I was able to be myself while working in a professional setting. 

Flash forward to a time after working as a wedding planning assistant, an event venue event planner, and then as the Events and Marketing Director for a local distillery, I was let go during the pandemic due to our establishment not knowing the future of our in-person events. After this low point of being let go, I was determined to finally do what I had always wanted to do, start my own event planning business. I had struggled for a few years prior on choosing a business name, but one day it became clear – Olivia Jeane (my first and middle name) Creative, the full acronym being my initials. 

I am still learning every day. I work in all areas of event planning with clients ranging from couples getting married to men that climb and take care of trees (seriously!). 

I don’t think I would be where I am today, doing what I love every day, if I hadn’t listed to my inner voice telling me to do things that make me nervous and that were outside of my comfort zone on a regular basis. I am really proud of my journey. 

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 touched on some of these points in my last answer, but here are a few: 

~ Schooling being difficult for me growing up 

~ Not having a lot of career direction growing up 

~ Finding the right role once I did find my career direction (I bopped around a bit!) 

~ Getting let go during the pandemic 

~ Being nervous to take on new challenges but taking them on anyway. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Olivia Jeane Creative. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Olivia Jeane Creative is an event planning company in Southeast Michigan. We support in wedding planning, private event planning, and community event planning. 

I am the owner and lead event producer for OJC. We specialize in being personable with our clients – I like to let clients know in the initial consultation that I am there for them not only to keep their planning organized but to be an ear with they need a second opinion, thought partner, or just someone to be on their team. I think this personalization can’t be taught or created inorganically, so I only hire assistants for events that I feel fit with the client and vibe of the event itself. It is truly our number one goal to make it feel like you’re really organized friend set up your event for success, and you as the client get to enjoy every minute of it. 

Another big thing for me is connection. I have a large collection of vendors resources that I will refer to clients based on what I think would be a good match and create a good connection. I never refer vendors that I don’t think align well with my client’s values and vision. 

I am proud of how at ease we make feel clients while we deal with stressful planning details; we like to make it fun! 

What were you like growing up?
~ Outgoing 

~ Goofy 

~ Adventurous 

~ Kind 

~ I’ve always been determined; I just didn’t know what I was determined for when I was younger. 

~ Didn’t have a lot of direction. 

~ Creative and artistic

– always making a collage for my room or friendship bracelets for my friends, among other things. 

I really enjoyed being outside. I would take long walks around the city and surrounding areas to see what or who I bumped into. 

Contact Info:

• Website: oliviajeanecreative.com
• Instagram: oliviajeanecreative

Image Credits
Kari Paine Photography
Nicole Haley Photography