An old job search suggestion says to do what you love. For Nicole Hughes and Anne Siegel, that was sound advice. “We are so lucky to live and work in beautiful Napa Valley. As we traveled around the valley, we saw that there was a need for an elevated, modern line of gifts for people who love wine and visit wineries,” says Nicole.
Today, that love has blossomed – as Nicole and Anne are the proud owners and designers of Olive and Poppy.
“We have expanded our line from jewelry to tote bags, sunglasses and wine club gifts. You can now find Olive and Poppy in wineries, spas and boutiques throughout California, Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia. Wherever there is a wine country, you will find Olive and Poppy,” says Nicole.


That’s where Xero helps
Anne can confirm, it’s a lot of work. “The most challenging thing is wearing so many hats in one day. When you run a small business, you may be the accountant in the morning, the sales person in the afternoon and the product designer until late in the evening.”
Fortunately for Nicole and Anne, they’ve used Xero since day one. Nicole explains why:
“We chose Xero because it was set up for small businesses like ours, and would grow with us as we got bigger. As non-accounting experts, we find Xero to be perfect for invoicing, tracking inventory and keeping tabs on our expenses.”
And when you’re just starting a business, flexibility and accessibility are extremely important. “We use the Xero app on the go when we are at events and on sales trips. And we have it open on our desktops all day as we process orders and track payments,” says Nicole.

Time to pay it forward
Anne has her own advice for budding entrepreneurs. “Know that making mistakes is part of the process and that learning from those mistakes makes you a better business person. Regularly take time to check in on your company mission and objectives – things change quickly and we have found that it’s easier to get back on track if you don’t stray too far.”
And in the spirit of wine country, Anne has an additional bit of wisdom:
“Celebrate your successes, especially the little ones. It’s hard to see how far you’ve come when your hard work pays off slowly and incrementally. I find that we, as entrepreneurs, always have our eyes on the next goal – so we toast to the little wins as often as possible.”