Exploring Life & Business with Olivia Citak of Alive! Events & Marketing

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

Hi Olivia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my career in nonprofit event planning right out of college. I’ve always had a knack for organizing and bringing people together, so it felt like a natural fit. As I grew in my career and expanded into marketing, I noticed a common pain point among small businesses and nonprofits: they needed expertise in events and marketing, but it didn’t make financial sense to hire a full-time person for the role. That often left a development manager or shift manager stepping in to fill the gap.

That’s where the idea for Alive began.

My business took off more quickly than most people tell you to expect, and I attribute that early momentum and continued growth to a few key factors.

First, I built the business around an existing need I saw going unmet. Rather than trying to find an audience to buy a service, I created something people were already looking for.

Second, networking was critical. My earliest and longest-term clients all came from strong referrals.

As the business continues to grow, I follow the same approach: identify needs that already exist, then build solutions around them. It’s a simple approach, but it’s what has allowed us to grow alongside our clients and work with them more like team members than outside consultants.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been fortunate to start this business with a strong support system of mentors and people who believed in my work early on. That said, no business is without its challenges.

The biggest hurdle has been learning how to actually run a business. I don’t have an MBA or a formal background in entrepreneurship. Like many entrepreneurs, I started this company because I saw a gap and wanted to do work that didn’t exist in the way I thought it should. Then I had to figure out everything that comes with actually running a business.

One of the most valuable things I’ve done is consistently reach out to mentors and people I respect to ask for advice. People are often more willing to help than you expect, especially when you approach them with intention.

I’ve also leaned on AI to pressure-test decisions and build systems faster, especially in areas where I didn’t have formal training. It’s helped me make more strategic choices without slowing momentum.

My hot take: you don’t need an MBA to run a business. You need resourcefulness, the humility to ask questions, and a willingness to learn through mistakes.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Alive Events & Marketing is built to support nonprofits and small businesses that need high-quality strategy and execution, but don’t have the need or budget for a full in-house team.

Our work ranges from planning and producing large-scale events to managing ongoing marketing efforts like social media, email campaigns, and paid advertising. What ties it all together is a strong emphasis on strategy. We’re not just asking what looks good or what’s trending, we’re asking what actually moves the needle for that specific organization.

What sets us apart is that we operate like an extension of our clients’ teams. We’re not a traditional agency that hands off deliverables and moves on. We’re involved in the day-to-day, thinking through decisions, solving problems, and adjusting in real time as things evolve.

We’re also very focused on practicality. Small businesses and nonprofits have limited time and resources, so everything we recommend has to be realistic to execute and sustainable long-term.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the trust we’ve built. Many of our clients have been with us for years, and a large portion of our business continues to come from referrals. That speaks to the relationships we’ve built and the consistency of the work.

At the end of the day, we’re here to make things work better. Whether that’s an event, a marketing strategy, or the systems behind the scenes, the goal is always the same: create something that is thoughtful, effective, and built to last.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People may be surprised to know that I’m primarily an organizer at heart, not a creative. While events and marketing do require creativity, I approach them with a practical, strategic mindset.

Where a typical event planner might present a vision board for a decor plan, I’m more likely to show a spreadsheet with everything mapped out in columns & rows. Where a social media manager might focus on a perfectly curated grid, I’m looking at performance data and building strategy around what’s driving results.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alive-events-marketing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alivebyolivia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alivebyolivia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviacitak/