Olivia Martin

Olivia Martin

Founder, Gains and Glow
  • Olivia Martin is a Senior Analyst and founder of GAINS AND GLOW blog.
  • GAINS AND GLOW focuses on travel, fitness, and wellness content for personal growth.
  • Olivia emphasizes self-motivation, hard work, and faith in overcoming life’s challenges.
  • Current goals include expanding content and launching empowering fitness gear for women.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hi! I'm Olivia Martin! I’ll coin myself as your self-made girl boss bestie. Full-time, I am a Senior Analyst in the financial industry at Fidelity Investments. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from NC State College of Engineering in 3.5 years. Go Wolfpack! I have been an Entrepreneur ever since I was little. I was always tinkering and creating mini businesses to solve the needs around me.

From being the top seller of girl scout cookies, having a homemade organic dog treats brand, hosting a business advice podcast, to running a photography business—I have always had a passion for bridging creativity with my entrepreneurial vision(s). Currently, my latest venture that I have been building is my travel. fitness. wellness. blog: GAINS AND GLOW.

GAINS AND GLOW is a brand that inspires you to become your potential, while sparking a curiosity for adventure. I am a traveler, lover of Jesus, hybrid trainer: runner + lifter, foodie, and dog mom—to my sweet girl Aussie, Oakley. I like to think that my drive, passion, and zest for life are some of my strengths ッ

What did it take/how did you get started?

Since I was a freshman in high school, I have always had dreams to run a blog. I started several blogs, but I never ran with any of them and shared my ideas with the world. Right after I graduated college, I solo traveled for 3-months to Hawaii, California, and Nashville. And, I knew this was the liftoff I needed for my idea. The idea of GAINS AND GLOW was established!

GAINS AND GLOW is an all-in travel. fitness. wellness. platform that inspires others to become their potential. Our motto is to SAVOR. SWEAT. SLAY. at anything and everywhere. You are capable of anything that you put your mind to. Travel fitness, and wellness have changed my life over the past 9 years. GAINS AND GLOW offers monthly blog posts: from travel blogs, to wellness recipes, to fitness product curated recommendations. Travel, fitness, and wellness are all interconnected, so why not become our best in all facets?!

What does the future look like for you and your business?

I started working on the first travel blog post of, GAINS AND GLOW, while I was in Hawaii February 2023. A year later, I released my website to the world: gainsandglow.com in April 2024. My focus of the brand has been to release a monthly travel blog post that shares travel tips, foodie recommendations that focus on wellness, and living out an active lifestyle.

My hopes for the rest of 2024 into 2025, will be to expand my blog content to the other brand values of “wellness” and “fitness.” Eventually, I would LOVE to release trucker hats that are functional for running and lifting, but that empower women to feel slay and like a girl boss!

What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?

I am a highly ambitious individual. My biggest motivator in life stems from the fact that I have never had anything handed to me—financially, career, travel, college. I’ll coin myself as a self-made girl boss because it’s true! Everything in my name, what I have accomplished, and what I own, has been from the result of my hard work! I am the first female in my family to graduate college, the first engineer in my family, and I am a first generation college student. Since graduating, I have worked towards and obtained a senior level position in my career at 23.

Growing up with a single mom, I had the bare necessities given to me. I truly had to look within and coach myself to where I wanted to go. From the result of such hurdles early on, I knew that the only way to be where I want to be, and that is CEO someday, is going to be from the pure resiliency and sweat of my efforts. I live by the quotes “Never Give Up” and “Keep Going.”

I got my first job at the age of 15, and in some capacity I have been working since then! My drive to keep going is strongly built on my faith. Daily, I run to Jesus. His plans are always far greater than mine and for His good. My rock verses are Proverbs 3:5-6 and 2 Timothy 1:7. Hard work will always speak the loudest in the room. Keep Going! No matter what life throws at you. One step in front of the other.

What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?

My best piece of advice would be to always stay curious. Knowledge is so powerful! Surround yourself with like-minded individuals, but also with people that are where you want to go next! Read, focus on fitness, dial in on nutrition, enrich yourself in podcasts. Always stay learning!

What has been the hardest part of your business journey?

Definitely getting boots on the ground, and believing in my idea/brand even if I am the only one who does! As an Entrepreneur, you have to get comfortable with rejection and ideas failing. But, you have to learn to stay the course and to keep going!

How have you managed burnout thus far?

Learning to prioritize breaks and to focus on taking care of the system within. You can’t pour from an empty glass. So, you have to make sure that you have healthy habits in place that you can implement into your routines, so that you can be successful in promoting your brand’s goals.

What are a few resources that you'd recommend?

I LOVE the Huberman Lab podcast. I listen to it everyday because I am a science junkie! I also love the Nick Bare podcast, who is an absolute legend at nutrition and fitness. I love the book of Proverbs for wisdom to grow in my faith.

The STATS

List the founders
Olivia Martin

How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
5-10 hours

# of Employees?
1


When did you start?
July 2022

How much did it cost to launch?
A few hundred dollars for the website hosting

What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?

Self-Funded

Annual revenue?
Not provided.

Projected revenue?

Not provided.

What's the #1 thing you need right now?
Exposure! So individuals interested in gainsandglow.com know it exists!