Exploring Life & Business with Olivia Symone of Gypsy Lab Sessions/ Saged and Sold by Symone

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Symone.

Hi Olivia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My unique upbringing has had a heavy hand in where I am today! Unlike your typical childhoods with a familiar family homes that hosted lots of holidays and celebrations, I grew up inside a coffee shop, The Gypsy House Cafe. I was 6 years old when my mom opened this colorful eclectic place. I was constantly surrounded by talented creative beings who gave me so much insight on expressing myself and holding true to my individuality. From Poets to Psychics I was emersed in different cultures, beliefs, and art! The cafe hosted varieties of events like slam poetry, hip-hop parties, belly dancing, and of course my birthday parties! I had a front row seat to the in depth meaning of community and I met different people from different tribes! This felt like home!

My mother was the driving force behind my entrepreneurial spirit, always urging me to carve out my own path and build something of my own. Every summer I would have a new business from lemonade stands to hand made jewelry. In 2016 we were forced to close our doors and I had to say good bye to my safe haven of 13 years.

To my surprise, in 2019 I learned Gypsy House was set to return to my native city, bringing community and culture back into my world! This Gypsy was different though- I was experiencing it as an adult and lacked the freeness to be present there like I use to! From relationships to work, I was starting to loose my creative spontaneity and getting inhaled in the corporate world. 2023 I decided to bring back that sense of community by hosting a music based event every month. I worked with an amazing team to bring this event together, featuring local artist in Denver. I was starting to feel that creative fire again and began analyzing the vast opportunities of life I had forgotten existed! That next year i decided to quit my corporate job as a Loan Officer and leap into a more lively direction! I decided to get my real estate license and work full time at Gypsy. With this change I felt the event I was hosting needed a bit of a makeover as well. August 2024, I, alongside my best friend Rebellious and long time family friend Michael Acuna, launched Gypsy Lab Sessions- an intimate concert series.

When coming up with the concept of Gypsy Lab Sessions we wanted to design an event that put the spotlight on local artist and their genius. Denver produces a plethora of talented individuals, but within that community, there isn’t enough space to showcase individual creativity. Sessions is a platform to inspire, highlight, and give praise to artist who are putting energy into their craft wanting to rid the feeling of being unseen or unheard. While Sessions is a live intimate concert series, we also upload all content to our YouTube channel, thanks to Rebellious’ talented videography skills! Now artist of all unique styles can have a platform that appreciates their artistry and perform alongside our amazingly talented live band!

Sessions started in the basement of Gypsy House but has grown rapidly, causing us to branch out to different venues to accommodate our supportive Sessions guest! It was nerve recking the thought of moving Sessions from home base but Denver has welcomed us with open arms and we are set to host Gypsy Lab Sessions at Beacon Rhino May 3!

I feel grateful for all of the endings I endured because they lead me to establish a musical safe space for talented people who get a little lost! I hope Sessions reminds people who have gotten swept too deep into life’s vigorous journey to take a pause, and do something creative. Art allows you to reconnect to who you really are!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Since changing the concept from my previous live music event to Gypsy Lab Sessions it has been a relatively smooth transition. It’s always difficult starting a business independently without funding, but we are still making great strides. In the beginning we struggled with the YouTube portion due to the lack of a sound engineer, we persevered and hired a driven sound engineer igniting our YouTube channel. I feel our biggest challenge now would be booking Denver’s biggest landmarks like the Art Hotel and adding to our team of production and possibly our band.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Apart from being the owner of Gypsy Lab Sessions I am also a Realtor. After passing exams in December I was able to hang my license at Invalesco Real Estate, the top firm on my list while I was looking. Real Estate is a lucrative field to be in, but takes dedication and lots of marketing. Since getting my license I’ve been forced to figure out the type of Agent i want to be and how to align the professional version of myself with my creative spiritual side ! I struggled in the beginning with blending both parts of myself. Thanks to the help of my successful mentor she inspired me to be true to myself and add personality to my reality business. As Saged and Sold by Symone continues, my goal is to help lively creative people find their safe space while being mindful of their vision for designing the space. I want to guide people into a home that gave them the very feeling i was able to experience from Gypsy House. Leading someone into the doors of a home that instantly inspires their creative genius while settling peace in their hearts is how i lead my business. Buying a home can seem like the most stressful process but with my knowledge of lending and knowledge of real estate, i help my clients to focus less on the idea of this being a big purchase and more on the gratitude of their ability to invest in themselves and their future!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I feel society has became focused on pushing a “self” narrative. To only rely on yourself and love yourself, which these statements are true. However, we need each other and in order to be successful you have to network and ask for help! Finding mentors doesn’t have to be a far search- there’s probably one person in your sphere who’s guided you more than others with out you realizing! I do feel when starting something new it is important to check in with yourself and make sure your accomplishments are still aligned with your goals and self. But it is equally important to have someone you can bounce ideas off of and reflect with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://calendly.com/oliviasymone430/30min
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gypsylabsessions?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GypsyLabSessions