Life & Work with Kimberly Brown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Brown. 

Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello. My name is Kimberly Brown and I’m the owner, creator, and out-of-the-box thinker at Oliver&Co. A handmade company that’s creates fun, festive, and unique collars and accessories for your pets. I started my journey in the small business world by receiving the cutest sausage dog puppy in the world. Having no children of my own, I knew I wanted him to best dressed and sassy always. I had a hard time finding exactly what I was looking for and thus Oliver&Co. was born. It started with collars and bow ties that easily attach to any collar or harness and quickly morphed into over-the-collar bandanas and flowers plus the bow ties and collars I was already making. 

I started just part-time and online, still working as an event coordinator but picking up local markets or festivals when I had time. People seemed to be really loving what I was creating… ‘these are amazing, so funny’. And online reviews seemed just as great! I didn’t quite give up my full-time gig working events but started to work less and less. In 2019 I applied to the Charleston Night Market within the Charleston City Market and was accepted. Yay! That year was a year of huge growth, really figuring out what customers are looking for, figuring out how to display products appropriately, and balancing time between, creating, working a market, and work. And boom! COVID hit and my job working events was canceled until further notice. I really said to myself … ‘well it’s now or never and if I put all this into, I should get it back’ and did I ever! Even with restrictions and COVID, 2020 was my best year yet. I worked a lot on my online presence during quarantine and once the market opened back up, I was out working markets again. 

Fast forward to 2021 and it’s been busier than ever! The holidays are some of my craziest times of the year. And this one has not disappointed. Who knew the love of a little four-legged sausage dog could turn into such an amazing business. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s not always a smooth road. Finding more time in a day is always a struggle. Between online sales, keeping up with inventory for markets, finding time for family, and really finding time for me to stay happy and healthy. Just a balance – I’ve joined a local Barre studio, updated my equipment so it cuts down on some time, and scheduled time away and out of my office has helped. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make and create pet products – adjustable collars, over-the-collar bandanas and flowers, and bow ties that will attach to any collar or harness (doesn’t have to be mine). My bandanas are some of my best sellers. I’ve got a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor and that overflows into what I create. I imagine a dog refusing to come when called or walk with its owners out in public as a two-year-old throwing a tantrum in a department store. I think to myself … ‘what would that owner or dog like to say’ … ‘what saying or words would make this situation more lighthearted and funny’. And that is what I put on bandanas. 

If your local and shop in-person, I can also add your pets name or a funny saying that fits you to any bandana I make. It takes less than ten minutes and is done while you shop. It adds a personal touch to that Holiday photo or family vacation souvenir. Customers have the ability to choose font style, placement, and color right there at the market. 

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I LOVE the sense of community and family that Charleston brings. Our city has so many great small businesses and locals love to shop them. 

I work in downtown Charleston quite frequently and I don’t like the emptiness downtown has since COVID. Like most cities we’ve lost a lot of business, corporate and small, during 2020 and I’d like to see it come back and fill the streets again. 

Contact Info:

• Email: oliverandcogourmet@gmail.com
• Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/oliverandcogourmet
• Instagram:@oliverandcogourmet
• Facebook: @oliverandcogourmet

Image Credits
Hannah Ruth Photography