At first glance, Skyler Mapes seems like she’s been living in a storybook. From meeting her husband/business partner on a serendipitous trip to Rome, to trading her unfulfilling architecture career for an international entrepreneurship path, to co-founding Exau Olive Oil and turning it into a viral sensation during a global pandemic, Skyler has a captivating and unique story to tell. But the road from farm to fame was anything but a fairytale.

In this conversation with Phoebe Sherman, Skyler shares her harrowing journey as a small business owner who relentlessly made the most out of unimaginable physical and cultural challenges to create a brand with a soul. She shares her strategies for finding market fit in challenging times, obtaining coveted earned media features, and building a brand that does not rely on social media, and exploring one of her true loves (writing) throughout the process.