Interview with Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Olive + June Founder, On Nailing It In Business

Falling in love with a mani/Pedi from the Beverly Hills based, Instagram famous nail salon Olive+June is almost as easy as falling in love with the founder, Sarah Gibson Tuttle. 10 years into her finance career, Sarah decided to take a leap of faith to close a glaring gap in the nail salon industry. Since then, she has built Olive + June into a brand that inspires creativity in all mani-lovers, worldwide.  We interviewed Sarah about her jump from East Coast Career Woman to West Coast Entrepreneur, and what she’s learned along the way.

Photo by @oliveandjune

Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Co-Founder of Olive + June, in their Beverly HIlls location.

What inspired you to start Olive + June?

I have always felt the urge to be an entrepreneur, but I went back and forth on what exactly to do. While I was visiting LA, I realized it was missing a nail salon that really made getting a manicure an absolute delight. From that moment I started to concept Olive & June.

The Olive + June storefront

What were you doing before you started this?

Before Olive & June, I worked for ten years in finance at JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley as an Institutional Equity Sales Trader.

How did you get started?

I just started! Tons of due diligence (weekly manis, going to trade shows, completely immersing yourself in the business) and a real eagerness to learn about what you’re jumping into are both musts.

Frida Kahlo inspired nails by the Olive + June nail artists

What are some struggles that made it difficult to get from what you were doing before to this?

It’s hard to change industries – everything is basically different. Communication especially! I had to relearn how to communicate with my teammates but all of the learning has made me be a better friend, manager, and leader.

If you could break down how you got to where you are in 5-10 major steps from where you started to where you are now, what would those steps be?

Concepting, learning, action — really it’s three steps to GO time and then you repeat those steps every time you start something new within the business.

Photo by @oliveandjune

What was that moment that had to happen for you to get to where you are today?

It has definitely been a series of moments where I have been forced to learn from my mistakes. Going from knowing how to do a job well to starting a business in a new field is a very humbling experience — you learn that there are many, many things you don’t know. I now enjoy the learning process! We recently did a photoshoot that was pretty much a bust and it was almost entirely because of the way I organized it. In the past, I would have been super frustrated but this time I said: Wow, I just learned so much that I can apply to our next shoot!

Use the hashtag #OliveYourMani to find pictures of Olive + June inspired manicures!

What makes you different from the rest? What is one key factor of your business that makes you successful?

We care so much about the entire experience – from clients to our team and beyond. We care so deeply about every aspect of our offering.Did you always have a dream to become what you are now?

I love making people happy and Olive & June has been a great extension of that love.

How do you stay inspired?

My team inspires me daily!

Photo by @oliveandjune

Follow Olive + June on Instagram and Facebook or visit their website here.