Meet Olivia Adriance (@olivia.adriance)!Whether you’ve been following her delicious creations from the start or are just discovering her now, we’re excited to introduce the creative genius behind our newest limited-edition flavor, Pumpkin Pie Nut Butter. Dive into the inspiration behind this autumnal treat, and get a glimpse into Olivia's world as a full-time content creator and recipe developer. Plus, she’s sharing some of her top tips for success in the kitchen and beyond!

Tell us a little about you!

We’ll get to the logistics and stats (where I’m from, age, where I went to school, yada yada) later but for now, some toxic traits! My toxic traits are that I have to have a little emotional support matcha in the afternoon regardless of whether I “need” it or not, I love lip products and am constantly trying new ones but I somehow lose all of them after about 5 wears (where do they go???), and I'm super particular about salt and even carry a salt tin with me —full of Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt—everywhere I go. 

I was born and raised in Oregon and am the second oldest of four kids. I have realized the older I’ve gotten that I definitely experience the world through the lens of the middle child—if you’re a middle child, you know ;) My mom Cris, and my little sister, Anna, are my two best friends! My mom inspires me to be grateful and generous and giving and my sister encourages me to play and laugh and not take life too seriously. 

I grew up loving to cook and developed an interest in healthy cooking specifically because I have always had very acne-prone skin. I learned to manage my breakouts through diet changes after using just about every ointment and pill out there and not seeing lasting results. I landed on a whole foods-focused diet that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. My “why” for sharing healthy recipes is rooted in the life-changing impact that a healthy diet has had on me, my skin, my gut, my mental clarity, my energy—everything! 

I moved to San Diego when I was eighteen to go to the University of San Diego, where I ran collegiate cross country and track for four years while getting an Accounting Degree. After college I went to work at PricewaterhouseCoppers, one of the “Big 4” accounting firms. I knew about two years into working there that it wasn’t going to be forever for me but we’ll get to those details later. 

In December 2019 I started dating my dream man. It was a whirlwind romance and the only time in my life I have truly felt no control over my emotions or the pace of a relationship. I fell HARD for him and told a coworker a few weeks into our relationship that I was either going to marry him or spend the rest of my life thinking about him. Thankfully it was the former! We married in a surprise backyard ceremony in July 2020. 

I started creating healthy recipe content in January of 2021 after quitting my corporate job at PwC while my husband and I started to pursue careers in real estate (house flipping specifically). It wasn’t until August of 2022 that I had my first big break and my account grew from 4k followers to 100k in a little over a month. Since then it’s been full steam ahead on my content business, which both my husband and I work full time on! 

We moved to Austin, TX in April of 2022 and have fallen completely in love with this city. We’re putting roots down here and hoping to start adding to our little fam of two. 

What was the inspiration for Pumpkin Pie?

My favorite recipes to create and cook are fall recipes so when Ground Up reached out about a potential partnership, I was eager to suggest a fall collaboration! Pumpkin Pie is a flavor I have historically wanted to see from them because it’s one of my all-time favorite flavors, so I was really excited when I pitched the flavor and they were just as excited! This little luxurious jar of goodness tastes like fall and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! 

What do you do for work? Tell us about your professional journey.

I am a full time content creator and recipe developer! It still feels like such a “pinch me” to be able to say that because it is my version of a dream job. My love for cooking, interest in media, and passion for nutrition all merged to create a career that is the best fit for my specific giftings.

My road to my dream job in a creative field was non-traditional. I started my professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating with an accounting degree. I realized a couple years in that it was not going to be a good fit for me long term but I at the time I attached so much of my identity to having a “good” job that was successful in the eyes of my peers that I was content to climb the corporate ladder. When my job went fully remote in 2020, I started to consider what it would be like to pursue a career more aligned with my unique gifting, which inspired my dream of being a food content creator! 

As I alluded to above, my growth on social media was very slow for the first year and a half. Coming very full circle here, I remember sending Ground Up a DM asking if I could create UGC content for them in exchange for their nut butters! I was often reaching out to brands in those early stages to pitch my video creation and editing skills. Many of those brands never responded (GU did! It was a “no” but I still appreciated the response) but I wasn’t worried about the rejections as my focus at the time was strengthening my resilience to “failure”. 

In January of 2024, the size of my IG community crossed over the 1 million mark, just 3 years after I shared my first reels. I am so grateful for the people who choose to follow me, make my recipes, and share my videos with their loved ones. 

How do you stay motivated?

The reality that I get to inspire people to make positive changes in their lives and equip them with the tools (recipes) to fuel themselves and their loved ones in a healthy way is something I am so proud of and it is not a responsibility I take lightly. I know that eating gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free is not a voluntary decision for a lot of people. I want my page to be a reminder that there is joy and abundance in this way of eating! It’s not about everything you can’t have, it’s about all the delicious foods and recipes you can enjoy while fueling your body to feel its best!

I love what I do and I feel incredibly grateful to have my dream job. On hard days and in chaotic seasons, my daily gratitude practice keeps me centered and provides me with perspective. I also live a very disciplined life and on the days that I don’t feel motivated, my discipline kicks in. 

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in starting a business/blog?

• Find your niche. This is often going to be associated with your “unfair advantage”, which is the area where you have expertise because of your background and experiences. My “unfair advantage” is that I have always had acne-prone skin and have had to learn how to fuel my body to support skin that is very reactive. I therefore have YEARS of experience making healthy food taste good and that is now an advantage for me. 
• Lead with value. Solve a problem for your consumer and deliver above and beyond. 
• Show up consistently. You have to teach people what to expect from you. 
• Don’t give up! 

What are your favorite ways to #spreadgood in your community?

Taking the time to support small creators/business owners and speak encouragement into others. I think one of the greatest gifts we can give people is a belief in their dream. Kindness is free and generosity can take on many forms. In the context of my own business, it meant so much to me when people would engage with my content and share my videos in the early days when it wasn’t cool. Doing the same for others is a small way that I like to #spreadgood.

Who is one person who inspires you and why?

My husband is such an inspiration to me. In my mind, he is fearless and I think fearlessness is one of the most inspiring things a person can be. There is nothing that he is afraid to tackle and no skill he doesn’t think he can master. I love his belief in himself and I’m so grateful for his belief in me even when my own self-confidence is faltering. He is a dreamer and is constantly inspiring me to dream bigger!

How do you work to stay centered and practice self-care in your busy day-to-day reality?

What do you like to do for fun, when you aren't working?

My husband and I are big college sports fans. We love to go to UT football, basketball and volleyball games. In the summers we love to wake surf! We enjoy eating out and trying new restaurants and we enjoy traveling. I love to read, go on walks with friends, and come up with new recipes—I know that’s kind of working but it’s truly one of my favorite things. 

What are some of your favorite recipes with Ground Up?

I am a notorious “spoon it straight out of the jar” girl but recently I’ve been loving GU nut butters as a cookie base! Recipes coming soon to my page ;)