Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel and Nicole Oliver. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Daniel and Nicole Oliver are best friends who have known each other since 6th grade and are the duo behind Oliver Cello Atelier and the not-yet-opened Socially Managed. They are located just outside Knoxville, TN, on the beautiful Melton Lake in Lenoir City.
Daniel is a self-proclaimed workaholic and nerd who loves anything about history or space. He loves working on cars and is known to fix all their friends and neighbors’ vehicles. He loves to kick back on the lake and fish when he isn’t working. Daniel is a well-respected and sought-after cellist and luthier who makes some of the most beautiful-looking and sounding violins, violas, and cellos sold in US shops. He specializes in tonal adjustments, instrument set-up, restorations, full-scale maintenance, repairs, commission builds, and instrument and bow sales.
Daniel and Nicole graduated from ORHS in 2003 and decided to continue their education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Daniel decided UTK wasn’t for him and went on to Juilliard before obtaining his master’s degree in music at one of the top music conservatories in Canada, the Royal Conservatory of Music. During his time there, Daniel played cello in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, leading to his musical gift being heard in big blockbuster movies. He says his love of music came from his Grandmother, who introduced him to the cello at 3 years old. He became burned out with playing since he had been doing it multiple hours daily, pretty much daily, since he was 3. Daniel returned to the United States, where he studied violin set-up and restoration with some of the best in Atlanta and Chicago. He worked in various well-known shops in both states before he started to miss the hills of Tennessee. Daniel moved back home and decided to try his hand at running his own business. He is the definition of building it from the ground up, as he started with just a few tools and a couple of broken instruments.
Once home, Daniel settled down with Nicole, who had just beaten her battle with breast cancer. Unlike Daniel, Nicole loved UTK and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. She’s a born and raised Tennessee girl. Nicole loves to travel, decorate for the holidays, stalk her “adult” kids, and relax on the lake. She is a Reba McEntire super fan, who told Daniel the song “Fancy” was based on her life. Spoiler alert: Nicole and Fancy’s lives were nothing alike, but it’s an ongoing joke with the couple. Nicole started her career as a fashion buyer for high-end children’s boutiques and went on to have a successful career in brand development and design in the cheerleading industry. Daniel and Nicole got married during the pandemic and shortly after became pregnant. Sadly, their son, Benny, passed away. After that, Nicole knew she needed a change and something new to focus on. She ended up leaving her career in cheer and spent the next little bit enjoying being a Momma to their two older kids, Mason and Emma.
Early on, Nicole realized Daniel’s strong suit needed more business and kept nagging him about the importance of a social media presence. He will tell you that he hates social media and doesn’t know how to use it to grow his business, but he knows that his wife does. His weaknesses were her strengths. This led to the idea of the two of them joining forces. Nicole began utilizing her skills as the Chief Marketing and Social Media Officer at Oliver Cello Atelier. She said she knew she always loved social media and brand development, but this position made her realize how essential they were to a business. Unlike with other positions in her past, she saw firsthand how much her work impacted her husband and the business. She decided she wanted to find a way to continue doing that but on a larger scale.
Socially, Managed was born after much research, prayers, and some not-so-gentle nudging by her husband. It’s on track to open in late Spring of 2024. Socially Managed is a social media management company that takes a personalized approach to each individual’s needs and goals. Nicole said her main goal with the company is to show brands that social media is more than a like; it’s 100% business critical. She believes brands need to stop trying to go viral and start building their brand instead. The couple truly enjoy traveling and working together and say the key to their happiness and success is mixing business with pleasure and knowing when to stay in their lane.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is it ever a smooth road when you have your own business? Lol! We assumed everyone’s road was filled with bumps, sharp turns, and massive potholes like ours. The biggest struggle for us is the pressure to succeed because our family is financially dependent on the business doing well. The business puts a roof over our heads and food on the table. Because of this, and our businesses are running out of our home, Daniel especially tends to feel he always needs to work. Unlike a job where you clock out at 5, owning your business feels like you never really clock out. It’s common for us to get calls or texts at 1 am. Unfortunately, COVID did a number on the strings community, and even years later, we are still seeing the effects it had.
As you know, we’re big fans of Oliver Cello Atelier and Socially Managed. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
Oliver Cello Atelier: Oliver Cello Atelier is a violin shop specializing in tonal adjustments, instrument set-up, restorations, full-scale maintenance, repairs, commission builds, and instrument and bow sales. With exquisite attention to detail, using the finest woods, and creating the perfect varnishes, Daniel Oliver is committed to the highest standard of artistry in instrument making. He prides himself on his uncanny ability to transform raw materials into the finest stringed instruments. He has exquisite craftsmanship and expert knowledge of stringed instruments as a luthier and a cellist. He is best known for the cello, and his cellos are what sells the most. Since Daniel has lived and worked in so many different places, he has business associates worldwide whom he utilizes to find the perfect instrument for his customers. So even if one of the instruments he made isn’t right for them, he can typically see one that is. He is also willing to work with customers financially by setting up payment plans if needed.
Socially Managed: Nicole knew she wanted to focus on helping mom-and-pop businesses grow by utilizing their social media correctly. These businesses often struggle to compete with big-box retailers, yet they are essential for the local economy and communities. Socially Managed is a social media management company. With the rise of social messaging, personal connections between people and the brands they love are being made. When you create a solid social media presence, brands can connect with potential and current customers in ways that weren’t previously possible. Nicole wants to teach brands how to use social media to stay relevant and be successful powerfully. Having the right social media manager is the best and brightest way to navigate the world of social media. She prides herself on figuring out a company’s brand voice and then using it to build a solid social media presence. Nicole believes that social media management is more than just a one-size-fits-all solution. She takes a personalized approach to each client’s needs and goals. This starts with knowing the target audience and demographic and who the competition is. She works closely with clients to develop customized strategies that help them reach their target audience and achieve their social media goals.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Daniel:
-Knowledge
-Craftmanship
-Hard Work
-Dedication
-Constantly Trying To Better Myself
-Continually Learning
Nicole:
-Industry Knowledge
-Hard Work
-Determination
-Admitting When Something Doesn’t Work
-Thick Skin
Contact Info:
- Website: https://olivercelloatelier.wixsite.com/olivercelloatelier
- Instagram: olivercelloatelier
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OliverCelloAtelier?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: O_CelloAtelier
- Youtube: Oliver Cello Atelier
- TikTok: OliverCelloAtelier
Image Credits
Nicole Oliver, Daniel Oliver
