Five Olive Leaves: Rooted in Nature, Grown with Heart
“Your passions do not disappear in motherhood, career shifts, or busy seasons; they wait patiently for you to honour them. Sometimes the greatest growth comes from daring to teach yourself along the way.”
Words By Nabila, Founder of Five Olive Leaves
With a background in biodiversity conservation and a lifelong love of nature, starting a creative venture inspired by the natural world had always been a dream of mine.
Even during the busy years of raising a family, my connection to creativity continued to grow. I found myself drawn to creating pieces inspired by florals, nature, and sustainable living. Five Olive Leaves was born from that place, bringing together my love of design, the natural world, and motherhood.
The name holds special meaning. The number five has always been significant to me, olive symbolizes new beginnings, and leaves reflect our environmentally conscious values. When I brought the three words together, I fell in love with the delicate sound of Five Olive Leaves, and the name simply felt right.
What I love most about this work is the opportunity to combine creativity, nature, and giving back into something I truly believe in.
Building a business from the ground up as a one woman operation has been one of my greatest challenges. As a self taught felt florist, I manage every aspect of the brand, from creating products and photographing collections to marketing and packaging. It can be demanding, but I have learned to focus on one step at a time rather than trying to do everything at once.
One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been teaching myself along the way. Learning new skills, solving problems, and growing through experience has given me confidence I never expected to find.
I also love connecting directly with customers. In person markets have become one of my favourite parts of running the business. They provide an opportunity to share my work, hear people's stories, and build genuine connections.
If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be this: start with what you love and allow yourself to learn as you go. Your passions do not disappear during motherhood, career changes, or busy seasons of life. They wait patiently for you to honour them. Sometimes the greatest growth comes from having the courage to teach yourself along the way.
My petite joys are often the simplest ones. A walk in nature, decorating my home, flipping through childhood photo albums, and most of all, spending time with my two boys. They are my daily inspiration and my greatest joy.
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Five Olive Leaves creates earth-friendly décor, keepsakes, and accessories from sustainable wool blend felt. Each piece is handcrafted in a Calgary home studio with care, quality, and attention to reducing environmental impact.
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