Sheboygan January Meeting - "How Tragedy Sparked an Idea for a New Small Business"

Entrepreneur Caitlin Brotz, owner of Olivu, will share her story of taking a business from concept through reality of a successful company at the January 18 meeting of the Sheboygan Area Chapter of Women in Management, Inc. (WIMI).

Brotz became interested in natural, handmade beauty products in response to creating a lip balm from a recipe provided by a therapist when a close friend was badly burned and needed a product to promote healing. The initial batch yielded two quarts of lip balm so she went online to find tubes to give the product away to friends. When her friend then also needed a natural lotion for healing, Brotz researched a variety of oils and created whipped lotion.

After earning an entrepreneurship certificate from Collin County Community College in Texas, and a business degree from Lakeland College, Brotz founded Olivu in 2006. Brotz was recognized when she earned the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award.

She will speak to the WIMI group about the ups and downs of starting and growing a small business, the origins of the business name, and discuss the benefits of all natural, fresh ingredients as part of products in a beauty regime.

The meeting, at the Elks Lodge, 1943 Erie Avenue in Sheboygan, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Cost for the luncheon is $12 for members and $15 for guests. To attend, reservations must be made to Membership Chair Anne Harrington by Tuesday, January 10 at 5:00 p.m. to rsvpwim@gmail.com.

WIMI is a networking group for area business women who are managers, aspiring managers, business professionals, and business owners. The group has 86 members and growing and meets on the third Wednesday of each month, from noon to 1:30 p.m. For more information about Women in Management, Inc. contact Anne Harrington at 783-2429 or rsvpwim@gmail.com