Previously known as “An Organic Kind of Love” on Instagram, Olivia and her boyfriend entered the platform in 2012, before it held the branding notoriety it does today. They began by creating Blogspot posts about their shared health/fitness journey and interests, mirroring the content on Instagram. As an early adopter of the social media platform, Olivia never really imagined the potential Instagram had for posting her journey for interested eyes. Soon after, Olivia noticed a shift in her mind… she wanted to make an individual blog dedicated to health. That idea bred the handle we know very well today: OrganicOlivia. “I grew up in Yonkers… it’s not quite fancy-shmancy, fairly close to the Bronx. But everyone was down to earth… and everyone was different. That helped me learn to get along with everyone.” Olivia’s upbringing set her on an innovative path. Since she didn’t always have everything at her fingertips, she often found herself coming up with alternatives. This became especially crucial when her health issues arose. “I didn’t really grow up with money, and when I had problems with my health, I started getting frustrated since I didn’t really have access to all the top help… Then I started researching other options. Natural remedies, you know, things they don’t really teach you or tell you about.” This quickly grew into a passion as Olivia found that she wanted to make peoples’ lives easier on a budget. Although she’s a prominent blogger and presence on social media, Olivia doesn’t consider herself “your usual content creator”; she hates calling her work “content,” doesn’t really plan posts, and certainly doesn’t work from a calendar. Get ready, her process is also quite interesting: she finds a topic that is personal to her (i.e. she experiences something, her friends are directly impacted, etc.) … and she lets the subject bubble up until she can’t hold it in and sits down to word vomit an entire post till it’s all out there. She feels that by doing so, she is at her most genuine. “I’m a Leo, so I’m very open with my thoughts… I also feel like what I have to say is important! But besides that, I honestly just got really fed up… and because of that, I really got comfortable with sharing the more vulnerable parts of my life.” Olivia’s long-form content lives both on her blog, as well as Instagram. Her YouTube channel also hosts a lot of her vlogging content, as well as videos in which she tackles health issues and different aspects of life that she’s had some sort of personal experience with. Obviously, Olivia’s struggle didn’t come from launching her blogging career; it did however, appear when people started to notice. “I had all these eyes on me all of a sudden, and with that came added pressure. Do I have to censor myself? Change myself to be more likeable? These were the questions I was beginning to ask.” This changed when Olivia realized that people are going to have different opinions, have their opinions regardless of her actions, and that all she needed was to find her groove and let her genuine-self show. Her career truly began to flourish once she realized that she didn’t have to be “scheme-y,” or anything of the sort; Olivia realized that she wanted to grow a business for people based on her passion, so that she’d be able to add products that she wanted to see in the market. Her website truly reflects that passion and her products revolve around researched and natural tinctures that assist in some aspect of one’s health. One of her favorite product lines is what Olivia calls, “Your Herbal First-Aid Kit,” which consists of some basic formulas that people should have at home: a blend that helps with digestion, an anxiety blend called “Peace Juice” (my personal favorite!), and many more, which you can check out on her website, organicolivia.com. “I also like to follow a wide-range of people… anything from beauty gurus, viners, money-motivational pages… it’s important and interesting to study others who are successful in their own niches, and see what works for them.” As for hindsight, Olivia mentioned there were a few areas in her career that she would’ve tackled differently. “I thought it was so noble that I was doing every part of the process myself in the beginning, but if I could do it differently, I would’ve delegated some of the process earlier than I did.” Following that would be being able to not take her image so seriously, and instead push through by being genuine, instead of second-guessing herself when the eyes and pressure mounted early on. Though if Olivia had opportunity to pursue another passion, “… Opera singer. I take lessons every week. Maybe in another life, though!” Altogether, Olivia recognized early on why what she does today would succeed, “Right now it’s not just this traditional publishing where you need a vehicle behind you. Because of social media, I can write something heartfelt and important to me, and people will see and resonate with it because it’s genuine.” She believes that if you are truly passionate about something and you put the effort in, your voice will find eyes and ears willing to listen. So let your heart speak your words or write them… let it play the melody, let it guide your camera… don’t second guess yourself in the face of a few squeaks of doubt, because ultimately, your creativity will shine best when it comes from your genuine passion. To Olivia, that’s always been a part of her journey. “Vulnerability is your superpower. That’s my motto for my life and what I do in business. Honestly, just don’t be afraid to open up and be true to your heart.” Enjoy the words from my mind's heart to yours; always remember to follow your passions. - Filip Tabak

New York is home to many talented creators, but what do they all have in common? Well… at one time or another they were definitely broke, hungry for success, and in need of some cheap delicious food options. So in hopes of reaching and aiding the brave young creators of New York City, here are $10 Food Options for Broke Creators in Manhattan. #1 Halal Guys Location: 702 Amsterdam Ave, W 53rd St, 307 E 14th St. - The Halal Guys, what is there to say. This time honored classic feeds New Yorkers on every street corner the eye can see. There’s a reason the first halal cart on 53rd street in 1990 grew to be the international restaurant chain it is today. #2 Dollar Pizza Location: Everywhere - There’s an old saying in New York… It goes, “Live and die, by the dollar slice. Live and die, for the dollar pie” Just kidding, no one says that. But they do eat a lot pizza. So much so that over 500,000 No matter where you are, you’re never more than a stone's throw away from that heavenly thin crust, burning hot masterpiece that is. $1 pizza. #3 Vanessa’s Dumpling House Location: 220 E 14th St, 118 Eldridge Street - Delicious and inexpensive. Dumplings are a comfort food anyone can enjoy. However, all dumpling spots are not the same. There are some that truly stand out. Vanessa’s is one of those spots. #4 Lantern Thai Kitchen Location: 311 2nd Ave - Pad Thai lovers, listen up. Lantern Thai Kitchen is THE best pad thai in Manhattan. I’ve looked far and wide, putting my nose to the grindstone looking for the best pad thai. Lantern Thai has it all. Fresh, consistently delicious, vegetarian tofu option and a $10 price point. Can’t beat it. #5 Bo Ky Location: 80 Bayard St - Bo Ky doesn’t hold back. With flavors and influences from multiple chinese provinces including Chaosan and eastern Guangdong as well as Vietnam and Cambodia. Certainly no american-style takeout here. Experience Bo Ky with authenticity in mind and you won’t be disappointed. #6 Souvlaki Location: 116 E Stanton St, 162 W 56th St. - Souvlaki is Greek food heaven. Every classic dish you can think of. Hummus, tzatziki, spanakopita, and the crown jewel souvlaki itself. If you’ve never had Greek food, this is your friendly reminder. Get it done. #7 The Nugget Spot Location: 230 E. 14th St. - Late nights are nothing without a good late night snack. That’s where the Nugget Spot comes in. Open until 2am on the weekends this fried food haven services all of Union Square and the surrounding area. They have both meat and vegetarian options so everyone is invited, bring your friends and share some nuggs. #8 Dos Toros Location: Chain locations - Recently I found myself wanting an alternative to Chipotle. Well, ask and ye shall receive. Introducing, Dos Toros. Imagine everything great about chipotle, without the lines, noise and constant new customers in front of you who have no idea how to order. Seemingly everyone who goes to Dos Toros has been in the game long enough to know how to order 1 item at a time. Incredible! On top of that, the price point is low and the service is great. Try Dos Toros next time you’re feeling like a taco bowl. #9 Manousheh Location: 193 Bleecker St. - Ever been to Lebanon? Well if you haven’t you probably don’t know about Lebanon’s most popular street food. Manousheh is a breakfast or lunch flatbread. Traditionally served with olive oil, sesame seeds and dried thyme, this warm pastry will be one of your new favorites. #10 Bagel Boss Location: 263 1st Ave - It’s something in the water. It’s gotta be. Well whatever it is that makes New York bagels so damn good, I don’t care. I just need one right now, everything toasted with veggie cream cheese stat!

BTB, aka Zachary LaPeter, was born in Yonkers- the home of top-level rappers such as Jadakiss, DMX and many more - but quickly switched scenes to Greenburg - where he launched himself into the rap/hip-hop scene at a very young age. Since he was 12, Zach has been sharing his music with family, friends, and eventually, fans! From spitting over beats to recording his music at home - he developed a passion for rap that was not going away. The only question left at the time was how he was going to share his music. BTB was no shy teenager; growing up in Yonkers/Greenburgh, he learned to have thick skin, and not let other people knock him down. “It’s only hard when you let people try to take you down.” This pushed him to continuously promote himself, share his music, and even walk up to strangers to have them listen and check him out. However, BTB soon discovered there was a lot more to music than just lyrics and a beat. His world turned into a business as BTB had to develop into his own manager and swim through a plethora of deals, laws, and contracts. “I was so used to the creative side until I learned the industry was mainly business...I was almost ready to stop.” With the pressure of adjusting to a new mindset in his career, BTB struggled to identify if this redesigned path was the one he wanted to wander down. Until then, BTB was just a young kid trying to make it, but after learning about the importance of self-management & business - he turned into a rapper with a plan. BTB went on to pursue his dreams by working on his flow, image, and fanbase. The more he shared his music, the more his following grew. One of the pivotal moments in BTB’s music career was his performance at the Apollo theatre- one of the biggest stages to step onto. Apollo theatre hosts ‘amateur night’, where they bring on many talented musicians from all genres (Most of whom are NOT rappers). Pressure mounted as BTB heard song after song, one after another until it was finally his time to take the stage. However, he did not let the fact he stood out in the line-up bother him. Almost immediately, a crowd of 1,500 unsuspecting audience members rained hate down on BTB. Boo’s amplified by the architecture of the Apollo muffled out any support from family and friends. Still, BTB walked on and waited for his track to start. “It was the craziest thing, to have so many people booing me, but then I realized, they’re not booing me because of my music- I haven’t even started yet- they just wanted to boo.” It was with this realization that BTB gathered the courage to move forward with his song rather than turning around and walking offstage. “A whole crowd booing you is a lot to take - even for 15 seconds, imagine a 4-minute song!” BTB played his music, every breath aimed at quieting the haters and turning them into fans. The energy he projected settled a few of the loud ones and just like that, with the end of his set, came the beginning of a NEW BTB. “Seeing all the hate showed me I’m doing something right.” He came back from that night with a newfound desire to stand up against the hate and overcome it. His energy has motivated him to pursue more shows, gain more fans, and create better music. Recently, BTB finished a performance in California where he was on stage for Juneteenth. Flying coast to coast made him hungry for more, so BTB set out to release a complete tape. He is currently wrapping up the production of his debut project ‘Ravenous,’ the young rapper’s first studio project, set to launch in early Fall. With the rise of digital music, BTB remains true to his old-school mentality by preparing a physical copy to give away to lucky fans. He and his team are now set to hit the streets and become recognized as one of the forces in the Westchester Rapper scene worth looking out for. He understands the importance of patience with every move he makes and is willing to put in the work to get the results. BTB’s project ‘Ravenous’ will be the first of many. Like many around Westchester, we await the Yonker native’s project with high expectations and wish the best as he shapes his vision into music for us to experience. Written By: Max Civils