Meet Ashley Olds | Online Thrift Store Owner

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

Hi Ashley, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Eva Mae Thrift was born from my love of thrifting and wearing something unique that no one else had. Growing up, my mom and I would shop at thrift stores and get up early on Saturdays to go hunting for yard sales. That’s one of the ways that we bonded and spent time together, even to this day. The name Eva Mae is inspired by my mom, Eva, for her love of fashion and thrifting, and my grandmother Bertha Mae, who was the neighborhood candy lady and just an all-around hustler. This is my way to honor both of them.

I sat on the idea for Eva Mae for awhile. But in 2020, I read a manifestation letter that I wrote to myself in 2019. In the letter, I stated that I wanted to bring Eva Mae to life because that’s where my passion was. In the letter to myself, I promised myself that I would “do it scared”. That was the confirmation that I needed to get to work on the idea. Like most people, the 2020 pandemic was also a huge catalyst for me to launch Eva Mae. After feeling the heaviness of COVID-19, and being mentally exhausted with my career in HR, I pushed myself to move forward with the idea to get back to thrifting and to create a business specifically for sustainable fashion.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What inspires me about Eva Mae is the idea that thrifting is literally making lemonade out of lemons. And I feel like that’s something that is ingrained in the black experience. To take what’s given to you, and make it 100 times better. We’ve always done that. That’s the essence of Eva Mae! Taking a garment, revamping it and making it your own, and creating new memories. I want everyone who owns a piece from Eva Mae to feel a connection to it, to feel confident in it, and make new memories wearing it!

What I am learning as I develop my business is that consistency is key! Especially when you add in the social media piece. It’s really a mental exercise to develop a schedule for posting content and stick to it. It’s really a job in itself, but it’s necessary to building a connection online. There are a lot of people who are new to thrifting who may have pre-concieved ideas about thrifting. So building a relationship and educating people through consistent posts is key to that connection. People can go to any thrift store, but with Eva Mae they get an experience and education on sustainable fashion.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So I currently live in Nashville, and outside of my fiance, all of my friends and family live out of state. So I am always excited when people come to visit because Nashville is a foodie city for sure! And there is plenty to do! My goal is take my friends and family to as many black owned spots as possible.

We would start the day with Grams Coffee for an iced Americano with oat milk and a delicious cinnamon roll for a quick breakfast. If brunch is what we’re going for, we would definitely go to Willie B’s for New Orleans inspired dishes including frog legs and my favorite, fish and grits. We can either go for mimosas or daiquiris! There’s usually a DJ or live band setting the vibe, so it’s always a good time!

After brunch, we can head over to the National Museum of African American Music to engulf ourselves in the history and excellence of black music. For lunch, we will got to Prince’s, the originator of hot chicken. Prince’s is so good, but the spice is NO joke, so tread lightly! To cool off, we will indulge in a rolled ice cream sandwich from Rolled 4 Ever ice cream. For dinner, we would head to Sinema for a nice dinner and well made cocktails. To end the night, we will head to PH Cocktail bar for crafted cocktails and a dope DJ to top the night off.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Eva Mae Thrift would not exist without my mom, Eva. We can do some serious shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, but it all comes back to the quality time, the memories we create together, and the lessons I learn from her. My mom has always been super fly, but loves a good deal. So I never felt ashamed of shopping at the thrift store. I really loved wearing something that no one else had. And my mom encouraged me to be unique and embrace looks that others may not have the confidence to wear.

I am inspired by my upbringing of being a military brat, who hopped between overseas bases in Germany and Japan, and living mostly in the south when stateside. Moving around every 2-3 years was challenging, but I learned to appreciate and respect different cultures, customs, and fashions. I feel like I can go anywhere in the world. I will adapt and find joy, as long as there is a market or somewhere to shop! I will adapt and bloom where I am planted, no matter where I am!

Website: evamaethrift.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evamaethrift

Image Credits
K. Renee Photography