Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Clark and Brandon Means.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We started OLIO about a year and a half ago (Summer 2017). We both love to create and began mixing both of our passions (photography-Brandon/art & design-Melissa) at a local laundry mat. We printed out some of our favorite photographs that Brandon took around San Diego and throughout our travels and I (Melissa) started to take paint pens to draw funky designs on top of each photograph. It later on progressed by ditching the paint pens and evolved into a digital artistic collaboration. We really loved what we were creating and wanted to find a way that we could use our artwork to benefit local charities. We chose to apply our artwork on everyday products such as phone cases, towels, tote bags, travel mugs, etc. and sold our products at the Ocean Beach Farmers Market. The OB Farmers Market and the community helped us support our first local charity, called Ride4Water, who provides clean drinking water to a small town in El Salvador called, Palmercito.
In February 2018, OLIO hosted a month-long art gallery at Culture Brewing in Ocean Beach where a portion of the proceeds went towards Ride4Water. We hosted a small pop-up shop for OLIO gear and a skateboard/surfboard drive every Friday night. We wanted to give back to an orphanage in Tijuana that we had previously volunteered at and were so fortunate to see how much support we received from the community. We also received media attention from KUSI Good Morning San Diego and local radio stations, which was pretty exciting. It has been amazing to look back on our journey from where we started to where we are now. Flash forward to today, we are currently working with another orphanage in Tijuana called, Siempre Para Los Ninos. Through OLIO fundraisers, we were able to build a mini ramp in the beginning of December 2018 for the children at the orphanage to enjoy.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a business is never a smooth road. There will be bumps along the way with some challenges and complications, but in the end, there will always be something greater at the end of the road. We’re always going to be trying to find ways to improve how we run and how we can support local causes the best and most efficient way possible. Since OLIO is a passion project of ours vs. a “for-profit” business, one of our challenges is finding ways that we can consistently sustain OLIO while we support local these charities. We have stumbled across a handful of situations where things didn’t turn out as we had planned, but that’s just natural when you’re starting a brand like this. There will be bumps along the way, but the final results are so much sweeter.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with OLIO Artistry – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
OLIO combines both of our artistic passions to help others. Our business motto is “Be inspired by what surrounds you.” We host pop-up shops and art galleries where we hold fundraisers and donation drives. Our mission at each one is to benefit a cause that we are passionate about and to inspire others to do good in the community. Each project is unique and special in their own ways. Our proudest accomplishment is being able to get the community together and share these experiences with them.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
After our two board drives for the orphanages and the construction of the mini ramp, we really want to continue missions like Boards Across Borders. Boards Across Borders is the name that we use to organize fundraisers to support orphanages with needed materials. In the near future, we hope to organize more board drives and build more skate ramps down south!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.olioartistry.com
- Email: info@olioartistry.com
- Instagram: @olioartistry
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/olioartistry
Image Credit:
OLIO Artistry
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