Meet Corey O’Loughlin Nina Vitalino | Co-Founders, Prep Obsessed

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corey O’Loughlin Nina Vitalino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corey O’Loughlin, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
At Prep Obsessed, our motto is “we rise by lifting others” and our number one focus is making women feel good about themselves through community. Now more than ever, finding a space that supports women can be difficult and our private Facebook group ‘Prep Obsessed Secret Shopping Society’ goes far beyond a normal shopping experience. Need a gift idea? We’ve got you. Need someone to cheer you up before your first chemo appointment? We’re here for you. And as the group of ladies (known as the “Girl Gang”) has grown, thousands of other women are here for you too. We feel a deep responsibility to our community and seek out more opportunities to make meaningful connections. Changing the trajectory of someone’s day for the better with one interaction is powerful, and it’s that foundation that has allowed us to work with our Girl Gang on charitable efforts. In 2019, we collected eight truckloads of supplies to the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, and this Christmas raised five thousand dollars for Place of Hope in Palm Beach Gardens. Our Girl Gang started with just Nina and myself and has now surpassed 20 thousand members. It reinforces the small actions we take every day that has the power to compound and amplify in much bigger ways.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Prep Obsessed started as an after-hours side-hustle designed to meet the needs of a very specific consumer base. After our first week we knew we we’re onto something. Within months we’re shipping hundreds of orders from our dining rooms and within two years we had both left our careers to chase our entrepreneurial dreams full time. Since day one our number one priority has been exceptional customer service and because of that customers who shopped with us that first week are still shopping with us nearly eight years later. When competing in the same market space as e-commerce giants like Amazon it is essential that we provide additional value and service to our customers that the mega-retailers cannot. We wrap each order with care, include handwritten notes and stickers with shipments, and through our customer community, create personal connections with our customers. What we do is not easy and can be both emotionally and physically draining, but that dedication to our customers is palpable and what sets us apart. The day we stop caring about every single order, every customer, every email is the day we lose our edge – we’re committed to maintaining our level of investment and care for as long as we own this business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’re OBSESSED with South Florida. Obsessed. Being transplants from the northeast we love being outdoors enjoying our incredible climate as much as possible. The Palm Beach region is our #1 and we love showing friends, family, and customers around! Juno Beach is our favorite weekend destination, the sun, the sand, and the DOGS make it the best possible place to relax and soak in that Florida goodness. Heading to Palm Beach is always on the itinerary for a historic walk down Flagler and maybe a cocktail at The Colony, Trolling around Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and West Palm (making a stop at our Flagship Store in PBG) never disappoints; we are so lucky to call South Florida home!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We’re so grateful for this recognition and want to dedicate it to the powerful and supportive women in our lives. First, to each other – working together daily (and nightly) for the past 8 years has been a gift and we feel so grateful that we’ve been on this journey together. Our amazing team of women at Prep Obsessed who hustle every day and create the ultimate customer experience, we are thankful for you each and every day To the PrepO Girl Gang, you continue to inspire us and fuel our passion for this business, we have the best community of any boutique and for that we are eternally grateful.

Website: www.prepobsessed.com

Instagram: PrepObsessed

Facebook: fb.com/prepobsessed and fb.com/groups/prepobsessed