Meet Chelsea Genduso of The Hoot and Howl in Downtown Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Genduso.

Chelsea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began making jewelry as a senior in high school. I worked at a tiny little bead store in Chandler Mall teaching beading classes and making jewelry for display in my spare time. That winter my mother passed away and I stopped making jewelry except for the occasional gift to a close friend or family member. 2019 proved to be a very trying year for me resulting in a tough battle with anxiety, depression, and isolation. I got a nudge to try things that once brought me joy and pulled out a very dusty box of tools and beads! I think that’s the long and short of it! I got a great deal on a watchmakers’ bench and began making jewelry day and night to occupy my hands and mind. So far I’ve been selling online and just began participating as a vendor in markets around downtown.

Has it been a smooth road?
Nope! All I had was tons of jewelry starting to take up space in my home. I didn’t know where to sell it, how to market myself, or how to make a logo. I guess I was what you could call the opposite of an entrepreneur coming from a 9-5 world of finance. I am still learning but I have so many successful and creative friends that have helped me and I’m so grateful to surround myself with people who want to lift me up. I’ve tried to get into local shops and been turned down because jewelry can become a saturated market pretty quick but I’m just happy to be here.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The name was inspired by a street sign my friend Hanna and I saw on San Juan Island. I loved it so much because of my affinity for owls and the desert. Once I opened the shop it just seemed like the perfect fit.

I make unique beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry primarily out of natural and semi-precious stones. I also make resin jewelry and sew scarves which I enjoy doing on my mother’s old machine. My most popular items are the semi-precious stone necklaces and sunglasses chains as well as the Creosote (Chaparral) bundles. The Creosote bundles are popular for hanging in the shower for the fresh scent of desert rain that lasts 6-8 weeks. People can’t get enough.

I am without a doubt most proud of donating a portion of my sales to Liberty Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation. I donate 10% of my sales to the center’s free flight department that I volunteer in to help care for some of my best buds: Cheese and Quackers-our Indian Runner Ducks, Funky- our seven month old Eurasian Eagle Owl, Jax- our Red Tail Hawk, and Azule- our talking and recycling Crow.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I primarily sell online so the good news is I can be successful or fail from anywhere! But something I love about downtown is the constant support of the arts. I truly feel that there is a community downtown that fosters entrepreneurship and creativity which is why I have chosen to live here since moving back from Tucson. I think if you are starting out it helps to be in an area of town that is urban and walkable, that provides markets for vendors to sell at, and is inviting to young artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheHootandHowl
• Email: thehootandhowl@gmail.com
• Facebook: Facebook.com/theHootandHowl

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