Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Crane.
Hi Brittany, 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 used to think life wasn’t worth living. I went through a serious bout of postpartum depression after having my third baby. I thought the world would be better without me because I felt so broken. After fighting on my own for a while my husband urged me to get therapy. With the help of an amazing counselor, I fought my way out of a dark place and found healing.
Shortly after I felt better I found out that I was pregnant with baby number 4. I cried for two months. Not because I didn’t want to have a baby but because I was terrified to go back to the dark place of depression. After crying for a couple of months I surrendered my fear and knew I was better equipped this time around to fight depression.
Three weeks after my baby was born I told my husband I wanted to go to Moab as a family. He was a little taken aback but was up for the adventure. While I was there I experienced a moment that changed my life. Through a spiritual prompting, I was told to get out and play. I had one life and I needed to live it.
Ever since that moment I put myself back on the priority list and started doing more things that made me feel alive and happy. The last six years have been some of the happiest of my life. I am thriving. Not because my circumstances have changed but because I see my needs as well as my family’s. By taking care of me I have found that I am better able to take care of my family. Everyone benefits
After my experience several years ago I started spending more time outside. I would put a Facebook post inviting friends to join me and people would come. Turns out other women were looking for opportunities to get outside as well. I started inviting friends to join me, those friends invited their friends and soon I had total strangers asking to come on these adventures with me.
I started hosting weekend adventure retreats and have had wild success. Women need 3 things: Connection, Compassion, and Nature. Every retreat I hold includes those three things. It has been amazing to be a part of and to witness. I love my life! I love inspiring women to take charge and make things happen, get outside, and do things they love.
I’ve always said that the mountains and the mall were my two favorite places. I love being outside and I love clothes. With all the time I have spent outdoors, I have seen and experienced firsthand how women’s outdoor clothing falls short. Last year I started designing clothes that were functional, fashionable, and comfortable.
This year I launched my new company OLLI (One Life Live It) and have been thrilled with the results. I have created clothes that I wear every day both on and off the mountain, outside and inside. They are truly amazing and women love them! I am proud of the products Olli sells. I am still at the beginning of this new adventure and I’m excited to see it grow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve found that life as an entrepreneur is not smooth. It’s always uphill and there are always unexpected challenges. There is also the side of being a woman in business and that adds a whole new dynamic. The demand for what I do has increased and I have struggled to keep up with my home life and work life.
What started as a hobby for me has turned into a business. I love what I do and I see the demand for it increasing every day. Women need connection and nature. I have big dreams! I just need more time and/or more money to hire more help so I can do more. I ended up having a fifth miracle baby last year who has turned my world upside down.
She is such a blessing to me and I thank God for her every day. I wouldn’t call it a struggle at all but it did make things tricky for me. I had a really hard pregnancy and my hormones have been extremely imbalanced. It’s challenging running a business when you don’t feel well.
I’ve had to make my health a priority this past year and that includes a time and money investment. I’m happy to report I have been able to find the help I needed for my hormones and I am feeling great. The biggest struggle I currently have is balancing work life and home life. I have 5 kids and I’ve been a sahm for the last 15 years.
Now I am trying to balance my husband’s busy workload, grow my own business, and raise a big family. My priority is making sure my kids have my love and attention. I love being home with them and I don’t want to work full time and miss them being little. However, the truth is I also love working. I have found a passion that lights a fire in me. I struggle with getting it all done. I feel like my to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer.
When I check one thing off three more things take its place. I have days where I let the overwhelm affect me and I doubt how I’m going to make it all work. Then I have days where I feel like I’m on fire and get so much done and spend quality time with my kids. I know it’s possible to do both. I’m currently learning how.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I created Get Out There Girl to share three things that were key for my healing from postpartum depression: Adventure, Self-compassion, and connecting with others. Those three things I could shout from the rooftops! My goal is to inspire women to live their best life. To know that a truly remarkable life is possible and the power is in them to create it. I offer free monthly local adventures (hikes etc) as well as 3-4 paid adventure retreats a year.
The aspect I’m most proud of about GOTG is seeing women change their lives because of their experience on one of my retreats. I get to witness women waking up and coming alive on these adventure retreats. I get to see them make new friends, show some vulnerability, learn new self-help tools/skills, and have the adventure of a lifetime. Every time I get to be with women at one of my events I am blown away by how amazing women are. I feel lucky I get to witness transformations and see them blossom.
I created Olli because I found how inadequate women’s outdoor clothing is. Olli stands for One Life Live It. I was given the opportunity to collaborate with great partners who helped me design and manufacture a line of women’s clothing made of bamboo. We currently sell 5 items. Joggers, shorts, 2 different tank tops, and a T-shirt.
What sets Olli apart from others is the fabric! It is made tough for the outdoors but it is comfortable enough to wear lounging around the house. Function and fashion come together in these clothes. They are cute, comfortable, and tough.
I’m proud of how amazing the clothes turned out. We nailed it! I took 22 women to southern Utah last month and we tested the clothes for 3 days. We took them canyoneering, biking, and hiking. Every single woman was obsessed with the clothes. The clothes are exactly what we aimed to do.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
For me, it’s belief in what I do. I have a strong WHY that motivates me. I know getting outdoors can change the mental health game for women. I also know that I’ve created some of the best clothes on the market for getting outdoors. When things are hard, which let’s be honest they usually are, I always go back to my WHY and it keeps me going.
Pricing:
- $44.99
- $74.99
- $54.99
Contact Info:
- Website: ollistyle.com
- Instagram: @get_out_there_girl and @olli_adventure
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094066073947 and https://www.facebook.com/getouttheregirl
Image Credits
Arika (@zionadventurephotog) and Jill (@jillcollierphotography)
