From Accountant to Island Designer Brand
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How did Erika Preuss transition from accounting to fashion design?
when you stop all the noise and you just like are present in you know kind of serenity and you start to find yourself again erica pruse is a creative visionary and detail-driven entrepreneur and the founder of olakala bags drawing from her background in luxury design and a transformative journey into island living she blends craftsmanship and coastal inspiration to create pieces that reflect freedom artistry and a life lived on her own terms
I love the fact that each piece of the bag comes from a different part of your story, your adventures, your travel, or the poetry of the day.
all of my bags kind of combine my journeys the inside of the bags have an interior they have a nautical map as a reminder for people to kind of look within right and take note of the course you're on and have the confidence and courage to change that course if you're not on the one you want what does it mean to be a woman in power to be a woman in power is to inspire women to really Just realize that it's never too late to start over at any age, and there's really nothing you can't do.
It spans the globe like a super high pole internet. Elvis, ready. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. It's not over until I win. The Living Your Legacy podcast. For those who live to leave a legacy.
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Welcome to another episode of the Living Your Legacy podcast, the Women in Power edition. For Inside Success, I am Ray Gutierrez. Joining me today is a unique, powerful woman. I like to call her a mermaid, if you will. A mermaid that is the founder of Ola Kala Bags. Kala meaning all as well, correct?
Yep. Ola Kala is Greek and means all as well.
I was paying attention.
Good job.
Welcome to the show. Who are you? What brings you here?
My name is Erica, and I'm the founder and designer of Ola Kala Bags.
Right on.
I started it April of 2024. Wow. That's when I launched the company.
Right on. How's the last year been?
It's been good. It's been a big learning curve, but it's going well. Yeah.
We just literally finished filming your episode. Give us a small preview. What are we going to learn about you?
My episode is really an inspiring story that it's never too late to reinvent yourself at any age.
I'm kind of curious, where should we begin? Your adventures and your story begin kind of like in a traditional way with your family. Let's start there. Where did you begin? Let's start with your entrepreneurial journey, your first nail to hammer.
All right. So I grew up in a family business in Colorado. We did high-end custom cabinetry, millwork, and doors. Right on. Four high-end residences in Vail and Aspen and high-end hotels. We actually did the one South Beach down here. Oh, wow. Yeah. But that's where I grew up. It was where I spent my 30-year career working in the business. Well, I started as a young kid in the shop.
What personal experiences led to Erika's reinvention?
And then I actually got fired from the shop floor because I drilled a bunch of doors as lefts instead of rights or rights in front of whatever. Anyway, that got me an office job. I became an accountant after that. Took over my mom's role and worked there 30 years. 30 years. And was just, I guess, doing the comfortable route.
Yeah.
But that was never my dream. And I always wanted something of my own and something different. I went on a... Do you want me to go into that now?
Go ahead. Sure. I was just going to say, I'm just picturing you in a very loud factory in a tiny office, like tinkering away for 30 years.
30 years doing the same thing. Yeah.
That's like a lifetime in an entrepreneur. That's like a life and death, life and death.
If I had a work, you know, and a government job, I'd have been retired by now, right?
Oh, for sure. But I mean, like, wow, good for you for just kind of like staying on the wagon, man.
Yeah. Right on. I mean, I plugged away, but yeah, it was probably... Never my ultimate job. Sure, sure. What I wanted to do, I guess, with my life.
In 30 years, did the numbers change?
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
How did Erika Preuss transition from accounting to fashion design?
0:00–3:36
2
What personal experiences led to Erika's reinvention?
3:36–6:17
3
How did a sailing trip inspire a new business venture?
6:17–9:25
4
What unique design process did Erika use for her handbags?
9:25–13:20
5
What challenges did Erika face while launching her brand?
13:20–16:30
6
How does Erika incorporate her story into her handbag designs?
16:30–16:44