Meet Taylor Johnson | CEO and Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, how do you think about risk?
I think taking risk is a must when you own your own business. I was terrified to take the risk of starting Hazel and Olive but am so thankful that I took that risk! I was broke as could be and saved up $300 to start my business. At the time that was a huge amount of money to me so it felt very risky! To this day I continue to take risk to grow my business and feel that without taking those it would not be the multi million dollar company that it is now.

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I have always tried to keep Hazel and Olive ahead of trends. I always want to be one step ahead in the fashion industry and have unique pieces that you can’t find just anywhere. Doing this has helped us remain a front runner in the online boutique industry even though it is getting more competitive by the day. We were one of the first to the online boutique industry and work hard to stay at the top! Being ahead of trends is how we have remained there. A hard lesson to learn has been realizing that a lot of people want to copy your ideas when your business is successful. Some have gone so far as to steal our pictures and website design. Hazel & Olive is named after my great grandmother Hazel Olive. Grandma Hazel taught me everything about fashion and passed down her love of sewing to me! I started this business in my tiny apartment in 2012 with $300. I was determined to provide the best customer service, low pricing and great quality. We strive to have the most trendy boutique items at prices that can’t be beat! Today we are proud to continue providing our customers with those standards and more. We are committed to giving back with our H&O foundation we are able to give back to organizations locally and worldwide! We love our customers so much that if you ever have any problems, feel free to reach me directly at taylor@hazelandolive.com

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Entertaining friends in the Dallas area is always a blast! I would start with the city our HQ and storefront are located in, Rockwall. We have the cutest downtown square with tons of shopping and the best food ever. I would take them for a glass of wine at our local wine spot Downing Bottles and Bites, do some shopping around the square, have my favorite meal ever at Bin 303, followed by desert and more wine at Zanata. The next day we would hit Dallas where we would start with a spin class at Zyn 22 (the best workout ever!), then go to brunch at The Henry, go to the spa and sip some cocktails poolside at The Joule then go to XOXO dining room for dinner followed by cocktails in XOXO social!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My boss babe staff deserves all the credit for the success of Hazel and Olive. My team of women work hard day in and day out to make H&O better and better each day.

Website: https://www.hazelandolive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazelandolive_/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hazel_and_Olive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HazelandOliveBoutique/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hazel-and-olive-rockwall-2
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTEJXuHKwIiaxPxCwVov9ew