Posted on April 04 2019
At Olives & Grace we like to support other small businesses and we LOVE to support women. The Young Rebel’s Studio founded by Jill Knox Powell, is just that, a small woman run business with a great mission.
Before starting her own business, Jill earned an MFA from Brown University in theater arts and got a job teaching acting to high school students. “I liked it but not enough to make it a career,” Jill states. While she was still a teacher, Jill and her husband decided they wanted to start trying for children of their own. She remembers that they “tried, and tried it with no luck. It was a very challenging time.” During this difficult time she turned four drawings into a coasters. Jill knew that they were cool, but wasn’t sure what she could do with them. A friend of hers championed the coasters and gave Jill the confidence to build on the project. And thus, The Young Rebel’s Studio was born.
It’s been five years since Jill ventured out to start her own business, and had no idea how successful she’d be. Although it was not an easy road to get to where she is today, she now has a “thriving business and a daughter,” giving her exactly what she hoped to have in life.
With that success, comes a higher demand than she'd experienced before. This is the one aspect of The Young Rebel’s Studio that Jill's finds to be the most difficult.
Since her business has grown so has Jill’s product line. The Young Rebel's Studio now features hand painted shoes, prayer candles, jackets, and more. When making her products, Jill’s mind is focused on people that are creating a home and states that she “wanted to make art that was functional, size appropriate, and affordable, while still packing a punch in whatever-sized home they went to.”
You can find her products on The Young Rebel’s Studio website or in stores throughout the U.S. including our little maker shop, Olives and Grace. Jill chooses all of the stores she wants her products to sell in, saying that she “gravitate[s] towards stores with a little edge.”
So what’s next for Jill and The Young Rebel’s Studio?
We’re inspired by Jill’s hard work and determination. It’s why we love featuring her prayer candles in our brick and mortar store and on our online shop. We think that they are the perfect gift to inspire your creative friend, or as a small housewarming gift.
Be sure to check out more of Jill’s products on her website and Instagram.
With Gratitude,
Sarah & the OG Team