How a love of llamas turned into a business

How a love of llamas turned into a business

Hannah Olson’s business Happy Jolly Llamas can “llamatize” any event.

Olson brings her two-year old llamas, Dill and Pickle, to private parties, business events, weddings and community festivals, among other places. Customers can even send someone a surprise “llama gram” featuring a 30-minute visit with Dill and Pickle at their doorstep.

“The llamas bring everybody so much joy,” she said.

Olson, of Richfield, founded the company after participating in the 2024 CEO Start group-learning opportunity, hosted in in Bloomington. Part of Elevate Hennepin’s CEO Growth Series, CEO Start is an 11-week group-learning opportunity that offers entrepreneurs a safe space to test and validate their business ideas with a network of peers and learn business fundamentals necessary to launch their business sustainably.

It’s based on the CO.STARTERS curriculum, a nationally recognized approach to community-based economic development that has served thousands of entrepreneurs across the county.

Olson said gaining confidence in her business idea from people outside of her immediate family and friends was one of the most valuable takeaways from her CEO Start experience.

“That peer support and confidence was really what I needed to keep going,” she said.

Through the training, she also learned about other offerings from Elevate Hennepin – customized, professional resources that support business owners in every stage of development. 

“CEO Start opened up the world of Elevate Hennepin, which is just amazing that they have all of these dedicated professionals at a click of a button,” she said. “To have that access and at no cost. Honestly, it's life changing for a small business. It saved me so much stress and time to not have to figure out that stuff on my own.”

Barb Wolff, Assistant Port Authority Administrator for the City of Bloomington, said Olson’s business is a “testament to resilience, determination, and the power of bold steps.”

“[Olson] transformed a dream into a thriving business, one step at a time—from registering her business to purchasing llamas, a trailer, and a truck,” Wolff said. “Her story is a beautiful reminder that no dream is too big when you have the courage to take the next step.”

The spark for Olson’s llama business idea came while she was commuting to her social worker job in Carver County. She was facing a challenging time in her career, coping with burnout following the pandemic.

She drove past a Waconia llama farm and curiosity led her to stop one day and meet Rick Carlson, owner of Carlson’s Lovable Llamas.

“I started listening to the advice we give our clients – the importance of finding a hobby.  Doing something that brings you joy. Not having work be your whole life,” she said.

She started volunteering at the llama farm, which led to a side job helping run tours and attending events with the affable animals. “The obsession kept growing,” she said.

She purchased Dill and Pickle from Carlson and they continue to live at the Waconia farm. With the help of CEO Start and other Elevate Hennepin resources, her business has flourished.

Happy Jolly Llamas officially became a business Feb. 13, 2024 and she attended her first community event with Dill and Pickle on June 1. All told, she attended 26 events with the llamas in 2024.

In 2025 she will focus on starting the certification process for Dill and Pickle to become therapy llamas. She will also train them to carry packs. “If they learn to carry packs, we hope to bring them to more hiking areas as they can carry supplies for hikers and even bring them to events carrying coolers to serve drinks,” she said.

Olson continues to work as a social worker, too, and credits the llama business for helping her find balance.

“Having my own llama business allows me to share the happiness they bring to others, and it has brought more enjoyment into my personal life,” she said. “It makes for a busy schedule, but I feel like I have a better work/life balance now that I can continue my career with a refreshed passion, and on my time off, I hang out with llamas and meet wonderful people in the community. It's really the best business I could have.”

Check out a video of Happy Jolly Llamas below: