We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Wickstrom and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Don’t be afraid to reach out, introduce yourself, and ask for something. Creating 805 is built on partnerships and collaborations, and many of them were developed through cold outreach via email, phone, and social media. I’m shocked at how many relationships have formed from a simple email outlining my vision and ideas. If you’re passionate about something, people will be able to tell, and they’ll want to help you bring that vision to life. It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know, and building that network is a lot easier than you think.

What should our readers know about your business?
Creating 805 is a community for creative entrepreneurs on California’s Central Coast. We host monthly speaker series and have a monthly membership, giving local entrepreneurs opportunities to connect and collaborate, online and off.

Our speaker series take place once a month in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. At each of these speaking events I take the stage with a local entrepreneur for a discussion around their small business journey, followed by an audience Q&A. Speakers we’ve hosted include Mike Durighello, CEO/Founder of Whalebird Kombucha; Jaime Holm, Co-Founder of Tinker Tin; Martha Van Inwegen, Founder of Life Elements; Traci Hozie, Co-Founder of Brown Butter Cookie Company; and Hamish Marshall, Founder of Slo Brew.

Our membership is a space to find connection and support among local entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners. The Creating 805 Membership includes monthly happy hour events, an exclusive digital library, free postings on our community board, and a private online community. We’re one of the only creative/entrepreneurial communities here on the Central Coast, and perhaps the only one connecting business owners across the entire 805 area code- from San Luis Obispo to Ventura.

Building something from the ground up and breaking into new communities has been challenging. It’s taken a lot of time, dedication, and patience to build awareness and excitement around our events and membership. But we’re growing, slowly but surely. The trials, frustrations, and setbacks are all worth it when I see fellow entrepreneurs walk away from our events with excitement, hope, and the strength to get up and try again, one day at a time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Having friends and family visit the Central Coast is SUCH a treat. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. If I told you everything I wanted to pack into a week, this answer may never end, so I’ll give you the itinerary for a day:

1. Grab coffee and a pastry from Scout Coffee Downtown SLO.
2. Take a drive up north to San Simeon/Cambria exploring all of the beaches, highway one trails, and antique stores along the way.
3. Hit Montana De Pro State Park for an afternoon hike.
4. Grab burritos to-go from Tacos De Mexico in Morro Bay.
5. Enjoy burritos and the sunset on Black Hill.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My love for entrepreneurship came from my first “real” job out of college. I was hired to be a Community Manager at a coworking space in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not only was the space itself innovative, the small business owners and entrepreneurs that called it their office were dreamers and doers. Showing up to a workplace every day where people were living out their dreams and passions was SO motivating. I craved the life that they lived- one of courage and creativity, not to mention flexibility. The fact that they could pick up and work any time, anywhere was so appealing to me. I was determined to build a life like the ones I saw there.

Website: https://creating805.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creating805/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creating-805

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creating805

Image Credits
Poppy & Vine

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