Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubry Casey.
Hi Aubry, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In college, I started getting really interested in sustainability. I’m not sure what exactly started it, but it probably was one of those super sad pictures of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose or a dolphin with the plastic ring stuck over its rostrum. More and more, I’d realize that we have an amazing planet who takes care of us…why would we not return the favor? I also really love making things by hand, so for the holidays, I made my friends reusable sandwich baggies. Everyone was obsessed with them and encouraged me to start selling them – which sprouted my former Etsy business: The Little Blue Stitch. The idea was that each reusable baggie would represent a little stitch that alone seemed small but together was strong! After a while, I noticed my passion wasn’t necessarily in making the bags themselves but educating others and inspiring people to see the seemingly insignificant moments in each day that show how anyone can be a steward of our earth (or what I call “little blue moments”). These are the moments where we feel the wind on our cheek, and our hairs stand up, or we look out the window and see a ray of sunshine pouring through the gap in buildings, or we wash the plastic sandwich bag to reuse it again. Seemingly insignificant, but they are the drops of water that become a ripple and, together with everyone else’s little blue moments, make a wave of change. So, I closed the Etsy shop and focused on spreading the message.
Along the way, I met the Founder of a nonprofit called Sea Hugger. Shell (the founder) and I met spontaneously at a turtle release ceremony on Oahu while she was visiting her niece, and I was living there at the time. The stars aligned, and I began working with the Sea Hugger team to create social media content and online ads to spread the mission of the organization: to protect and heal the marine environment from plastic pollution through action and education to drive systemic change that addresses the root cause of the issue. Four years later, I am now our Creative Marketing Director (or what we call our version of the Lorax). During that time, I also started illustrating more and have loved being able to work with small businesses on branding and logo design to writing and illustrating children’s books (in progress). I’m thankful that the work I do with Sea Hugger allows space for these side projects as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Finding myself diving deeper and deeper into caring for our planet has come with its fair share of eco-anxiety, burnout, and sometimes even doubts for our future. But with a solid community and genuine belief in the work I do, I know that each struggle is less of a roadblock and more of push for me to continue spreading the message and rallying our community to take action.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a part-time Creative Marketing Director running all of the marketing operations of Sea Hugger, including our social media outreach, email marketing, paid advertising, merchandising, and more. I am also a full-time mother to a toddler who shares my love for Mama Ocean and a part-time Illustrator/Graphic Designer.
The majority of what I have accomplished in my role within the marketing world is thanks to the guidance of my team at Sea Hugger when I started as a Digital Marketing Specialist and a lot of self-taught skills as I grew in my positions. I am most proud of the growth I’ve seen for myself, starting out of college as a misplaced public accountant – “misplaced” because I didn’t feel like the role was fulfilling for myself, and I was always looking for a creative outlet. What makes me different is my persistence for a positive outlook. Sea Hugger’s messaging is all positive, which is very similar to how I was approaching my messaging with little blue moments. We are all becoming increasingly more aware of the devastation related to climate change and plastic pollution, and my goal is to always be a refreshing source of positivity and hope for the world we can create if we all take those little blue moments to turn a ripple into a wave. As an Illustrator/Graphic Designer, I love hearing my clients’ stories to use as inspiration behind the end product, whether it is a full re-branding, simple logo update, or anything in between.
What matters most to you? Why?
Staying genuine is most important to me. We see time and again snippets of someone’s life, the curated images, and messages, which I can easily get caught up in, given my line of work. But staying real with how we share what we do helps continue genuine conversations in person that can lead to heartfelt action and real solutions (or simply just a great conversation in general).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aubrycasey.my.canva.site/
- Instagram: @littlebluemoments_
Image Credits
Aubry Casey
Kai Casey
