Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahna Abuvala.
Hi Ahna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Hi friends! My name is Ahna Abuvala and I am the founder + creative director of a boutique marketing agency called Olive & Bee Creative. Although I’m now partial to Nashville after 5 years of living here locally (I think I have 5 more to go before I can say I’m a local) I’m originally from a little town in the panhandle of Florida many here known as 30A.
Since I was a little girl, I’ve had an innate desire to bring humans together. Whether that be as simple as meeting at the beach to just play in the sun, having an extravagant dinner party, or everything in between. I love curating experiences that foster a sense of community. I started working when I was 13. I’ve worked in retail, event production, and every avenue of the hospitality industry, and for the last ten years, I focused on marketing. My family/my work experience taught me how to host with a certain finesse, to serve others with kindness & to remain calm in chaos.
In the past five years, I’ve had the opportunity to pair my creative ideas in the digital world, with something I’m so very passionate about, the hospitality world. Working in the hospitality industry has always come naturally to me, as I grew up in a family of culinary geniuses. I moved to Nashville jobless in October of 2018, craving like-minded people, culture, and community. I so craved being in an environment that excited me and surrounded me with people who were dynamic and thought-provoking. Although the beach will forever be home, I knew I needed to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Shortly after moving, I interviewed at Char in Green Hills for a serving position to get some income flowing as I interviewed for marketing jobs. Little did I know, my resume caught the marketing director’s eye and my serving career quickly came to a halt. They weren’t hiring for my position at the time but knew they were rapidly expanding and needed assistance.
My time as a marketing manager at 4Top Hospitality was a significant stepping stone in my career. In under four years, I gained invaluable experience, mastering the art of multitasking, handling multiple PR crises, navigating through a pandemic, crafting impactful community messaging, and successfully overseeing the online presence of 16 restaurants.
While I cherished my time there, being raised in an entrepreneurial family fueled my desire to venture out on my own. In February 2022, I took a bold step and resigned from my 9-5 job, once again without a secured job or income. Thus commenced my journey with Olive & Bee Creative. Today, I proudly serve several marketing clients in the hospitality and event industry.
I spent the majority of my life in the kitchen, behind the bar, bussing tables, planning events, you name it. On the other side of the client experience. I’m extremely thankful to bring these two worlds that I love, together in my business and my life. Olive & Bee Creative is a culmination of a certain finesse, to serve others with kindness and to remain calm in the chaos.
And let me tell you, being your boss, can be quite chaotic at times. I’ve built a business around the foundation that your brand is represented in the most beautiful, intentional, and impactful ways. It’s a digital world where community is at the forefront. Without community, life is not as meaningful.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
To be honest, it hasn’t been as scary as I thought it would be. I grew up in an environment that taught me how to navigate quickly, and how to survive when crises come knocking on your door, and have always been extremely motivated to never give up. Does that mean that the past two years have been smooth sailing? Not exactly.
Have I had days where I feel extremely defeated? Struggle with imposter syndrome? Lack confidence? Oh absolutely. Starting a business with no financial investors, partners to rely on or any money set aside to kick off on my own presented me with plenty of challenges along the way. But with the support system I have with my close friends who also run small businesses (including my two brothers), nothing feels impossible to me. My advice would be just to start. You’ll figure it out along the way.
We’ve been impressed with Olive & Bee Creative, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I serve as both the creative director and founder of Olive & Bee Creative, an exclusive marketing agency specializing in luxury brands within the digital realm. Drawing from my diverse background in event production, hospitality, and digital marketing, I established O&B in early 2022 to embody innovation and originality in the ever-changing digital landscape.
My vision for this company was to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, where people would find a realm teeming with endless opportunities for collaboration and connection. Much like the way I host dinner parties, I’m deeply committed to nurturing authentic human experiences that set us apart from the competition. I firmly believe that marketing is more than just promoting products or services; it’s about forging meaningful bonds between brands and their audiences.
My mission is to curate a digital haven, a space where ideas thrive, connections flourish, and dreams are nurtured. I allow for a space where brands can reveal their unique personality to the world. Olive & Bee develops unique marketing experiences, brand strategy, and website design for a variety of clients. Our current clients are restaurants, interior designers, florists, caterers, wedding & event planners, retailers, photographers, and champagne importers.
You’ll find that Olive & Bee often partners with brands that we are passionate about ourselves. I could never see myself working with a brand that I didn’t align with because I would never want to showcase something I wasn’t obsessed with. I genuinely adore the clients I work with, fully support their businesses, and truly love watching their brands evolve.
Something I pride myself on is how quickly I can dissect a brand a learn its brand voice. My favorite experiences with clients are ones where they originally hired me for branding and website design and then chose to continue the partnership with digital marketing since they love the work we’ve built together.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Growing up at the beach was quite the experience in itself. Although I can’t pinpoint one exact moment, my favorite memories are honestly spending every waking second that I wasn’t learning or practicing sports, at the beach.
It was and remains a haven to me and I instantly feel calmer when I have some sand under my toes and sun on my skin. The beach was always the place where I met so many new friends who were traveling for the summer or spring break and made so many special memories with my local friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oliveandbeecreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliveandbeecreative/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oliveandbeecreative
Image Credits
Jessica Steddom Photography
