"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller
So glad to have you hear babe, my name is Sydney! I am 32 and married with two beautiful boys, Tristen Ryder (11), Adrian Kane (5). Some of my hobbies I would say are trying new makeup/techniques, cooking, merchandising, graphic design and practicing my barista skills. I am also a certified crime junkie and lover of coffee! My husband and I love to travel, discovering new towns and hole in the wall restaurants. Raised in Arkansas, I learned the value of hard work and family from my parents through their own businesses. My mother, a single mother of three, paved the way to an easier life for my siblings and I. She still to this day is the creative backbone behind our family businesses. My mom never working for anyone but herself & thriving in her endeavors really helped mold my decision to be an entrepreneur. My parents gave me a business sense that is constantly pushing me to achieve my goals. My husband.. constant encouragement and love.
I have taken several certification classes to help excel in my passions. Before I started Bellabird, my intentions for my career was to be in the beauty and wellness space. I am a certified Dinar Airbrush Makeup Tech, Certified Spray tan tech and started to attend cosmetology classes. I quickly realized, through my moms photography business, I truly enjoyed graphic design. The best lessons in life for me were always learned through experience, therefore I decided to throw myself into photography, social media & business. Working with the public and women really helped accelerate me into the fashion space, because to me, fashion is so much more than what you wear. It's how it makes you feel, how it helps you express yourself & that is my favorite thing about fashion. We don't sell clothing, we sell an experience.
Bellabird Clothing Co. was founded in 2012. Still to this day we treat the store as a new baby, because our platform is forever changing. Styles, trends, social media .. it is never the same year to year. One thing that always has been the same is our love and communication with our shopping friends, YOU, our customer (but lets be honest you are WAY more than that to us). Back in 2012 there was a huge void in the women's fashion market and we wanted to help fill that void. Boutiques were on the rise and Bellabird was right in there with so many other fashion lovin' babes. We wanted to create a space that really helped women with more than just finding an outfit. Giving the confidence for whatever is infront of her, giving the stay at home mom a reason to smile after that rare moment she treats herself, helping that lady in a pinch for a gift who might be stressed because she is so busy and forgot.. Sometimes all it takes is one fantastic new outfit to turn a bad day into a good day!
I listened and took notes on what my customers were looking for and wanted to see from us in our Brick & Mortar. We have always hunted for those things and tried our best to incorporate their wishes into our store. To ensure Bellabird was a place of inclusiveness and felt like it was just as much their store as it is ours.
My husband Bill, or as we like to call him “Mr. Bellabird”, has been in banking for 16 years. Bill is Vice President of Commercial Lending & Diversity Outreach at First Community Bank. With his skills he has helped propel and push Bellabird in many financial decisions that have help our stability & growth. He is truly a source of peace for me when entrepreneurship seems to hard.
Owning a small business is not an easy task, however it is so rewarding. We have (60-70 hour) work weeks, there is no security .. everything that happens in your business is a hustle only you can do.. but still at the end of the day, I am happy to be free. The happiness I have to be able to be with my kids when they need me, or take a trip with my husband is only made possible because you choose to support us. For that we are so thankful.
Here is to another year of the most challenging and fulfilling adventure of my life. Thank you for visiting our store.. we hope our soul shines through.
Much Love, Sydney Oliva