 His brother, Roderick Stephens, was also a partner in the yacht-designing and yacht brokerage firm Sparkman & Stephens, specializing in supervision and testing of yachts designed by the firm.Olin was working in the Nevins shipyard in 1928 as a draftsman when he first met yacht broker Drake Sparkman.They together set up an office next door to Nevins in 1929.