We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kerry Consentino-Vilorio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kerry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

With the name of the business still unknown, I was trying to think of a catchy phrase that incorporated the word Pebble, however nothing with sticking in my mind. One day over the summer of 2020, my son and I were visiting a Rhode Island beach called Conimicut Point with friends. While the boys were jumping the large rocks next to us, my friend and I were walking slowly along the edge of the water looking for any treasures mother nature was willing to offer us. To our complete surprise we came upon two gorgeous shaped Orange Jellyfish just hovering over rocks in the water right at the edge. They were quite large and were stagnant allowing the flow of the water to gently glide them up and down. We called the boys over so that they too could admire their serene beauty. We stood there for quite some time, as we have seen jellyfish before, however the vibrant color orange and the fact that two were present, really left us in awe. We took both video and pictures and eventually The Orange Jellyfish came to life as the new name of the business. On my very first business card I decided to use one of the pictures that I took that day for the design.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always had a deep love for the beach since I was a very small child. There is something therapeutic about the sound of the waves, the smell of the air, and the sand at your feet that is soothing for the mind, body & soul. I grew up spending my summers in York Beach, Maine with family for as long as I can remember. I loved arriving to the beach early and leaving later than most even stayed. I have vivid memories of filling my pail with rocks, shells, sand and any other findings that I felt were of interest. As I became older, I would collect different pieces of sea glass or rocks that I would randomly find. In the Winter of 2019, I was shopping at a local craft fair and purchased a simple, yet beautiful family piece of Pebble art from a participating vendor. I thought that this would be a wonderful crafting idea to do in the winter one evening with my son, and so my journey began.
My Etsy shop, The Orange Jellyfish was established in the summer of 2020. I collect the arts of the ocean and create original custom pieces representing one of a kind artistic design. Such materials that are used are, stones, pebbles, shells, sea glass, driftwood, coral and seaweed. For a few years my focus was participating in craft fairs and harvest festivals, displaying my art at various locations such as galleries, eateries or gift shops, however the focus was going to soon shift. After a conversation with a friend, she suggested that I teach classes as many people would certainly love to learn to create their very own piece. After giving this some thought for a while, I decided to follow through with this idea. I began contacting multiple types of places teaching smaller classes. I started with local libraries, nurseries, and gift shops. I soon added other locations such as wineries, breweries, eateries, art/crafting studios, senior centers and even host private parties in the comfort of ones own home. I have since been contacted by various organizations such as women’s groups, grieving organizations, therapeutic centers as well as others to teach a class at various centers as a form of therapy. What makes my designs unique is that I personally handpick and craft each piece using only materials that I have found off of mostly New England Sea Shores. Each piece is kept in its original organic state for use. I choose to not tumble or change shapes, color nor write on any of my designs. My preference is to keep everything completely natural I absolutely love being at the beach very early in the morning when I am the only one present. I watch the sunrise, the seagulls, and try to get a feeling of what part of the beach looks good for pickings! The warmth of the sun on my face is wonderful in the summer, however the work does not stop come Winter. Although bearing the cold wind and temperature in the cold months is not easy, the reward of watching the surf and listening to the waves crash while sifting at my own pace on a secluded beach is serene. My inspiration comes from my own different feelings, moments and life experiences. I enjoy receiving private requests all year round to fulfill a special sentiment for a loved one or just for someone’s own home décor. I create Christmas ornaments, designs on both rustic wood for hanging or within various sized glass frames. I have also been asked to create special designs with beach items that someone personally has given to me that holds special meaning to the family. Some of these items given to me were birchwood, specific shells, or river stone rocks. I have learned through various personal conversations that many times I am providing a service of deep solace to someone. Many times I am being asked to create such a sentimental piece for someone to give to a loved one. The gift could be for a very special event such as a birthday or anniversary, or this could be a gift for someone special is going through a hard time, or mourning a loss. I am most proud of and take great comfort in knowing that I was able to provide a piece that holds incredible meaning to both the one giving as well as the one receiving. I really want people to know that I create and teach with so much love. I want them to feel that excitement and joy whether purchasing a piece, or taking my class, knowing that my heart and soul went into finding the right items and offering them for purpose with an abundance of love and gratitude.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My best source of receiving new clientele whether it be to purchase a piece or teach a class is word of mouth for me. I have been blessed with many friends, acquaintances and social media followers, constantly spreading the word of my business both locally as well as long distance. Whether its sharing my business page, recommending me for a local cable television show, or magazine articles, I find that my recommendations come from both first hand experience from those who have either purchased a picture, attended a craft fair or class, or are based solely on my art work itself.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media can be so overwhelming. I was really focused on how I was going to obtain a decent amount of followers to my newly created business page. I first sent out an invite to all of my contacts on my personal page. once the ball was rolling I decided to post relevant information on a few group pages that I belong to that corresponded to my post. For instance, I belong to a Facebook group that was all about a certain beach area. Seeing that I would find and utilize material on that specific beach I would post some pictures of my designs. I would receive many likes and comments which would allow me to send an invite to each specific person. I would engage with the audience, always responding to every comment listed. I would do this on multiple group pages which overtime allowed me to grow my audience. I would follow other businesses and sometimes collaborate an event which would also bring new followers. As I also use Instagram, I would be sure to utilize the allotted amount of hashtags which also brought the opportunity for new followers to my page. I am thankful that when a person or business tags me in a photo or post, it allows the opportunity to click on my business name and it takes the person right to my page directly. If I could offer any advice it would be to understand that building a following takes time. Everyday I continue to grow my audience and research new ways to do this task.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: the.orange.jellyfish
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063868260752
• Other: Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/shop/theorangejellyfish