Instagram was my first foray into any form of social media in my whole life. My kids set it up for me only because we made a bet (more on that in another post). I harassed them day and night, threatening to get out of it when maneuvering instagram became challenging.
Only fooling myself in the process because we all knew, I was hooked. They, on the other hand would’ve probably been overjoyed because my constant questions and lessons from them would finally stop. To this day, they call me a newb. A newb is a newbie (new in technology, read:low tech). I’ve made many new friends since instagram and have discovered so many things in the process. I like how positive the community is, save for some occasional pests, it’s actually a nice zone for me. Which brings me to the point of this post! I met a great lady named Julia Morales because I immediately took a liking to her items.
Simple instagram comments turned into text messaging, turned into lunch, turned into cocktails, turned into serious life changing moments— and a friendship was born. We had the same values and the same interest in home ware. I interviewed her for this feature, just so you could all get to know her better…
Nicole: How or why did you get into O&M?
J: O&M started out as a hobby in early 2013. My sister was on summer break from college and I was still working in a law firm, waiting for the results of the bar exams. I don’t really know how it came about, because it wasn’t something we took seriously but one day, we just decided that we would offer a small selection of beautifully monogrammed items to our friends and interested buyers. We weren’t planning to make a real business out of it initially. As they say, the best things in life are the “unplanned”.
N: What were you planning to do or be?
J: What I am doing now is so different from what I originally thought my life would be. I took up law in the Ateneo School of Law and finished in Arellano Law School with a Bachelors of Law. Because I did not pass the bar exams, after the results came out last year, I decided to do something easy and something which came naturally for me that didn’t require studying or too much effort. My options were to continue working in the law office as a legal assistant, to work for my family or to make a real business out of Oliver and Maude. I chose the latter because I thought it would be more fun and a breeze to do.
N: How did you expand and grow?
J: Little did I know that putting up my own business was going to be its own rollercoaster ride as well. I’ve had so many challenges, from training my staff to dealing with suppliers and impossible clients. But I have a sense of accomplishment that no one can ever take away from me. I put up O&M all by myself, without the help of my parents or any investors. In fact, they only found out about it one month after it was running already. Right now, I am really enjoying having my own business because I have my own time and I can really do things the way I want to, without having to consult with any partners or having to answer to a boss. But I purposely keep it “small” and manageable so that I don’t end up hating and at the same time, I can still pursue my other interests and businesses.
N: Is this truly your passion and what you love to do?
J: Yes it is truly one of my passions. I love anything beautiful and I love anything monogrammed. I was really lucky because I had O&M when things did not work out for me as a lawyer. Although I still love the law and want to help other people by being a lawyer, perhaps it isn’t my time just yet. I really enjoy everything about O&M from product development to working with all these talented designers who have shared their expertise with O&M. I truly feel so so blessed because there is never a shortage of people who offer to share their talent to create beautiful products for the brand.
In another post, I’m showcasing some of the items Julia has made for me.
For more info, please go to: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn0grptumdz6k5f/Catalogue.pdf?dl=0
Instagram: instagram.com/oliverandmaude