Audrey Frydenlund has always had something of an entrepreneurial spirit.

She was among the first to sell handmade jewelry on the online marketplace Etsy in the late 2000s — and as fate would have it, looking for a brick-and-mortar place to sell her jewelry on Hawaii’s Big Island would put her on the path to building a wildly successful retail franchise.

After opening her first store with her mom in the tiny town of Hawi, which mostly offered jewelry designs, Frydenlund met another local woman who made and sold bath and body products.

From there, an idea was born: to create a curated retail space that featured locally made products of all kinds.

The idea became Olivia Clare, a boutique offering curated clothing, jewelry, and bath and body products from local artisans and vendors.

After her mom retired, Frydenlund made the decision to open a second Olivia Clare in Waikoloa, which she calls “a huge leap of faith.”

Even so, she knew it was the right thing for her growing business.

“I loved the little town of Hawi, but it was very small,” Frydenlund said. “I had it in my heart to grow.”

The Waikoloa location was the first of many such leaps of faith: eventually, Frydenlund opened yet another Olivia Clare inside a former warehouse in an up-and-coming area of Kailua-Kona.

“My friends and family thought I was a little crazy for that one,” she recalled.

The location became the biggest buildout for Olivia Clare and also became home to a community flex-space called Kona Loft, which is used for pop-up shops, classroom space, workshops, and meetings by others in the community.

“I saw and felt the vision,” Frydenlund said.

Over time, a luxury consignment store called Olivia’s Closet was also added to the Olivia Clare lineup, in addition to an online shopping option.

But for Frydenlund, success has never been measured by number of storefronts, but by her ability to uplift other women in business by carrying their products.

“The more successful I am, the more successful they are,” she said, adding that consistency and professionalism with the artisans and vendors she works with has always been her focus.

What’s more, Frydenlund understands on a personal level the difficulties that women can face when breaking into the business world.

“It’s kind of a ‘room full of suits’ thing,” she said. “I’ve had moments of being discounted or underestimated ... especially when signing big leases.”

She’s found that women often share a sense of camaraderie due to these shared experiences.

“For most powerful, successful women, it motivates us to work harder,” Frydenlund said.

Though still a force with Olivia Clare, Frydenlund recently embarked on a new chapter after moving to north Idaho.

She and her sister, Adrienne Overstreet, opened Bird and Lily Boutique in downtown Coeur d’Alene this summer.

Bird and Lily offers clothing, accessories, wellness products and other locally made goods— as with Olivia Clare, the inventory is curated to put the spotlight on local artisans and vendors.

So far, Bird and Lily carries products from over twenty local sources.

To check out Bird and Lily, visit their store at 503 E. Sherman Avenue or at www.birdandlilyboutique.com. To shop Olivia Clare, visit www.oliviaclareboutique.com.  

    Audrey Frydenlund in one of her Olivia Clare Boutique locations on Hawaii's Big Island.
  

    Olivia Clare Boutique sells goods from over 100 local vendors on Hawaii's Big Island.
  

    Audrey Frydenlund (left) recently opened Bird and Lily Boutique with Adrienne Overstreet.
  

    The light-and-bright interior of Bird and Lily Boutique, which opened this summer at 503 E. Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.