About Us

Hi there — Jill here!

My story into retail wasn’t exactly planned. For years I was a work-at-home mom, childcare provider, dog lover, creative thinker, outdoors enthusiast, and all-around free spirit. As I approached the big 4-0, my dad came to me with what felt like a wild idea at the time.

“Jill, how about we import Italian leather handbags and sell them in the U.S.?”

You see, my dad traveled to Italy every year for work and had completely fallen in love with their beautiful Italian leather goods. And honestly… can you blame him? They’re incredible.

My first thought was something like, “That sounds amazing, except I have absolutely no idea how to import anything.” (Unless you count the vanilla I once brought back from vacation!)

But I also realized something important: life is too short not to try.

That one conversation sparked months of research, learning, worrying, excitement, and determination. Before long, the idea became real — and Olita was born.

No, “Olita” isn’t an Italian word. It’s actually a combination of my kids’ names:
Olivia + Tayton = Olita.

As the business grew, the journey took a few unexpected turns. Unfortunately, international shipping costs eventually became so high that in 2023 I had to pause importing our Italian leather goods. My hope is to bring them back someday — even better than before!

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Fast forward to 2018.

I realized my youngest would soon graduate and I’d be an empty nester at just 43.
I started asking myself the big question:

What do I want to do next?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed about owning my own shop. The kind of place I loved visiting with my mom and later with my daughter — where you grab a cup of coffee, wander slowly through the store, and discover beautiful, unique, sometimes quirky items that make you smile.

In September of 2019, that dream finally became reality.

The timing felt right, so I took the leap. Just three weeks later, on October 17, 2019, Olita Gifts & Goods opened its doors — just in time for the holiday season.

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Running a small business has been everything you might imagine — learning curves, a few tears, lots of growth, and so much fun.

Today, Olita Gifts & Goods is a place where I get to share thoughtfully curated items that bring joy, celebrate creativity, and make great gifts for the people you love (including yourself!).

You can find us at our brick-and-mortar shop in Hutchinson, Minnesota at 3 Main Street.

I hope to see you in the shop sometime soon.

— Jill