Monet Bush
Q What do you do?
“I’m the Founder and Creative Director at Earth and Olive, a Multidisciplinary Creative Agency for the wellness community.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Creativity has been knitted into my existence throughout my time on this planet. I grew up in a home that wasn't accepting of mental health treatment. So in early development, I was a neurodivergent brain on the loose, and art was where I'd go to return home to myself.
In childhood, I took on crafts, made them my own, and personalized each craft to gift. Growing up between the states and overseas really influenced the crafts I did and, at a young age, helped define my style even now. In High School, Art + Creative courses like Reading/Writing is where I naturally excelled. The moment I learned Creativity had a paid industry, my exact thoughts were: "You mean to tell me I could make a living doing something I'd do for free if money weren't for survival? I want in."
I signed up for my first AutoCad design class. While the course is generally intended for Interior Designers, it was all that was available. That was enough to see if I could hone in on my natural abilities and make this talent my livelihood. Spoiler Alert: I could!
I went to the Art Institutes to earn my BFA in Graphic Design and began to build my business simultaneously as a side hustle while I worked for various corporations, like IBM. I won "Best in Class" at Graduation for my portfolio and continued to network - taking work travel positions abroad in places like Switzerland. My side hustle turned into a full-time career. But, I realized my heart was on fire when working with clients who were changing the world positively vs. working with corporate clients who 9/10 didn't hold the same core values to put good into the world. Ergo, I found my niche. Magic happens when you mix something you love with your core values. We rebranded the firm and started building a team with people from various walks of life with aligned values.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
We are a team with corporate backgrounds. Our corporate experience sets us apart because our designs combine strategy and function, leading to more community and sales.
One thing you learn fast in corporate is the budget-to-success ratio. Nothing is "unsuccessful." You read what the data tells you and readjust. When you have a big budget to test for days, that's great and why many corporations with access to funds thrive. But, most budgets can be very lean when starting up without financial backers. So, we take our knowledge of many of the tools we use in corporate life and use them at a smaller scale, sometimes involving zero additional cost. Applying the tools we use for design response and our skillset to translate the data into actions that help brand decisions is what allows us to help our clients thrive.
Another way we shine is by integrating wellness into the fabric of our business model. When you work with us, you work with well-rested, well-traveled, fulfilled team members. Our method places the creative brain in a state of flow and ease, creating an environment for the best creative ideas. In extraneous working conditions, work is being churned out for demand vs. thriving and exploring new approaches and ideas.
Q What are you working on right now?
We are currently Rebranding a community-driven company that sends all the items you need to start a garden to your doorstep. Homegrown food in a way that's accessible whether you have access to land or not, is wellness at its finest.
Two:
Phase 1 of 4 in our "Do Good - Design Better Initiative." Our clients put a lot of good into the world. All that good is contagious. So, we're circulating some more good with Phase I of our initiative, where we will gift one Founder without financial backing a complete Brand, Re-brand, or Brand Expansion at a "pay-what-you-can-afford" rate.
Q What’s your style?
Less is more. My style is to deliver what you need that visually tells what you wish to convey. I will always focus on storytelling in a way that connects to your target audience with less noise and a more focused approach. Our team is not full of "yes" folks. We use real-time data merged with design skills to ensure you connect with your audience vs. design choices based solely on personal preference.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Visual Branding Projects will always take the cake!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
The general acceptance of a masculine 24-hour daily cycle and the dismissal of the feminine 28-day cycle grinds my gears. I don't mean masculine and feminine in any gender-assigning way since we all have feminine/masculine energy. I mean for those whose prominent energy is feminine or on a 28-day hormonal cycle.
Making space for those on a 28-day cycle is so beneficial. By honoring the 28-day cycle, I can execute things in mere days rather than burning out on the 24-h cycle and taking months. Normalizing harmony between both cycles vs. accepting one cycle as universal could benefit many people in various aspects of life.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would hire someone who specializes in Human Design to confirm or reassign our skillsets and understand each of my team members' Profile/Strategy/Authority and Definition in regard to life.
Knowing my HD and a few others on our team is helpful regarding placement and our working styles. Having someone who specializes in this department for weekly check-ins would be a *chef's kiss.*
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I'm in a season of practicing presence. Everything I didn't know brought me to people and experiences so I could learn, molding me into who I am today. I'd use the time machine to visit different time periods - dawn of time anyone?
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I'm currently working with a mentor who is an expert in securing funding for non-profits. We plan to add more non-profits to our clientele this year and want to help add often looked-over assets visuals for non-profit clients entering conversations for funding.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
If you are focused on
→ Sourcing Organically (Clothing, Products, etc.)
→ Holistic Healthcare
→ Holistic Nutrition
→ Whole Food Supplments
→ Sustainability
→ Mental Wellness/Social Justice
→ Slow-Living
→ Financial Literacy
→ Regenerative Farming
→ Products/Services for Overall Well-being & Health
→ Childhood Development
We can't wait to meet you.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Our ideal client has a strong vision that serves the community. They bring strong logisitcs to the table, while trusting us to merge their logistics with creativity to birth effective visual solutions.
Q What is your rate?
Our complete branding Services start at 12k and Re-Branding at 8k.
Most of our Maintience Packages start at 5k/month and are customizable based on deliverables.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me about your needs monet@earthandolive.co or fill out a project inquiry on the site earthandolive.co/talkearthytous
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Nature is the blueprint! Nature wins every time to get the wheels turning, from a simple walk to an extravagant camping trip.
This member profile was originally published in December 2022.