Community Highlights: Meet Michelle Deuink of Olive Street Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Deuink.

Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been creating for basically my whole life and it’s really the core of who I am as a person. It started with arts and crafts—acrylic paint, glitter, all of it. I remember that there was this time in elementary school where I got in trouble for cutting up my friend’s curtains to make a dress for my American Girl doll, which is an infamous story in my family! Over time I got into more serious stuff like charcoal and pen and ink, especially in high school when I was applying for college scholarships. These days, my tools are a little more digital with mostly my iPad and Apple Pencil when I’m designing stickers and prints for my Etsy shop.

I ended up studying art in college because honestly, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I tried out a bunch of different mediums and was able to really explore creatively. But like a lot of people, after graduation I found myself in the corporate world. I was working for various e-commerce startups. I learned a lot doing that, especially on the business development side, but I definitely felt like I was helping build someone else’s dream while putting mine on the back burner.

Eventually I just hit this point where I was burnt out and hadn’t used the creative part of my brain in years, and I could tell it was time for a change. So I took the leap and started a small business called Olive Street Collective. I mostly sell a mix of snarky, silly stickers, and fun art prints on Etsy. Now I’m combining everything I’ve learned—business development, customer relations, marketing, all of it—to grow something that’s actually mine. Honestly, I’m just really excited to see where it all goes and I’m having the time of my life figuring it out.

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?
The transition from my corporate job to becoming a small business owner was pretty smooth. It was something that I had dreamed of doing for a long time, so as soon as I had the chance to do it, I did, and I hit the ground running FAST. My husband helped me so much with all of the logistics and paperwork behind the scenes, like officially starting an LLC and getting all of the accounting in order, and that had a huge impact on how quickly I got my footing and was actually able to start selling what I was creating. There was a lot to learn because I was starting this whole thing from scratch, but I saw it all as more of a challenge instead of a struggle!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Olive Street Collective?
I sell my products on Etsy, and my goal is to help people feel represented and “seen” with my art! I started designing stickers because I would come across a snarky, sarcastic, relatable phrase that I loved but then couldn’t find any stickers, t-shirts, or prints that said it. So I made them myself! People started asking me where I got my stickers, and getting to say “oh I made them!” was the first step towards turning my hobby into a business.

I also design prints, which are personally my favorite part of my Etsy shop. My sports stadium prints are my bestsellers, but I also sell colorful, girly prints and aesthetic kitchen and bar art. My t-shirts and sweatshirts are customer favorites too, because witty phrases are just as much fun to wear as they are to have on a sticker. I sell a wide variety of products with the hope that everyone coming across my Etsy shop can find something they love that speaks to them.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I’ve learned that the most important part of successfully creating is to design things that are authentic to me—what I find funny, a t-shirt I would wear, or a sticker I would buy even if no one else I know would. Coming up with a design that I hope someone else will love but that I don’t really relate to doesn’t work for me, and I can see that reflected in how well something I create sells (or doesn’t sell). I’m learning as I go, but I’m absolutely loving the adventure!

Pricing:

• My stickers are each $5
• My prints start at $19
• My t-shirts are each $32
• My printed sweatshirts are each $38
• My embroidered sweatshirts are each $44

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/OliveStCollective
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivestreetcollective/