Author: icedteaandtopknots

“The ultimate goal in life is not to be successful or loved, but to become the truest expression of ourselves, to live into authentic selfhood, to honor our birthright gifts and callings, and to be of service to humanity and our world” … Frederix Laloux

I recently did an interview with my amazing friend Jenn about her being the owner and founder of the amazing luxury brand Soul Carrier and how she is jumping into action to help with COVID-19 relief. Here is my amazing interview with Jenn!

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Jennifer Paige Boonlorn and I am the owner and founder of Soul Carrier, which is a women’s fashion brand that designs leather handbags. 

My mission with Soul Carrier is to inspire everyone to come within and ask themselves “Where do I want to go?” and to then encourage everyone to listen to their soul for the ultimate answer. There is so much “noise” that constantly bombards everyone, I want to  be a light and say “No, listen to your heart above all the noise, tune out all the “should’s” and all the “advice” that is not a direct fit for your own soul. 

That question “Where do you want to go!?…”  stems from the last question my mama would ever ask of me. My junior year of college at Arizona State University, my entire family was involved in a car accident – my mother turned and asked my sister that question moments before my father’s SUV turned and flipped, taking the lives of both my parents. 

Moreover, I am very passionate about having people find their true north (their own personal values, vision or destination they want to move towards) and then encouraging them to align everything with that true north as requests, decisions, and forks in the road of life are presented to them. 

In regards to the brand Soul Carrier, it is a collection of artisanal made leather handbags which I design and then have assembled by artisans in Leon, Mexico. 

SoulCarrier is currently sold online and at high end resorts such as Four Seasons, Eau Spa Palm Beach, The Estate Yountville, Silver Oak Winery, Marriott gift shops, Hyatt gift shops, etc. 

How did you decide to start Soul Carrier? 

In 2009, I moved home back home to Phoenix from NYC. I lived in NYC for four years, graduated from Parsons, worked at the Conde Nast publication Women’s Wear Daily, interned for Oscar de la Renta (they would give me his credit card and send me to Grand Central Station to buy clam chowder for the entire office, or they would put me in a town car and send me to JFK to make sure dresses and furs got on the right plane to Europe, there was also the times I got to dress models back stage during New York Fashion Week), I also worked in the product development department at American Eagle for their lounge wear line Aerie. 

When I got back to Phoenix, there was an event to honor the grand opening of Barneys at our local mall Scottsdale Fashion Square. Local residents were asked to take blank mannequins and turn them into art, the event was called “The Mannequin Is Our Muse”. I collaborated with my friend Bob, who is an architect. Bob and I found these vibrant rag rugs at the Dollar Store, and covered the mannequin creating this avant garde statute covered in recycled rag rugs. Bob encouraged me to do something with the beautiful rag rugs, and thus out of a recycled rug from the Dollar Store, Soul Carrier was born – my very-very first collection of bags were made from those rag rugs. 

What is your favorite inspiring quote

What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten

Growing up my mom used to say to me “I don’t want you to know everything, instead I want you to be a problem solver and have the skills set to understand where and who to turn to, when you do hit a snag in the road”. That advice has served me so incredibly throughout life. I don’t need to know how to do everything I just need to have the perspective of knowing my skill sets and then outsourcing and collaborating with others when something is not in my wheelhouse. 

Knowing that I am BIGGER than any tragedy or disaster that could ever cross my path. Knowing that I wasn’t taken on that fateful day 20 years ago when my parents were killed in a car accident – I still have a mission and a purpose to fulfill. Knowing that the fires  have arrived on multiple occasions, my parent’s car accident, my best friend’s suicide, another friend’s suicide last week, this global pandemic, and yet through out it all, I don’t ask why it is happening, I instead ask what I can learn from it, and what pain is trying to teach me. I try to stay grounded in the moment, to NOT hope that the moment was different, but instead to accept it fully and understand that all of it, even the yucky pain is being used for our greater purpose. There is a golden gift that comes with knowing you can walk straight through the fire and not get burned. In the words of Glennon Doyle, it is because we are all fire proof – we just have to let our hearts and minds KNOW THAT! 

What are you excited about most for Soul Carrier and just life in general to come next?

When the pandemic passes, I want to continue to grow my wholesale businesses at high end resorts and I am excited to offer new products and designs. At some point, I would love to attend the EDM concert Tommorrowland in the Netherlands – I am a huge EDM fan. The dj’s Kygo, Martin Garrixx and Avicii (RIP) are my biggest muses 🙂 And attending EDM concerts absolutely lights me up – it is like sugary-candy-coated synergistic glitter falls through the air when I hear those djs play.

How Soul Carrier Is Helping The Relief of COVID-19

One of the many things I love about Jenn is the love and empowerment behind everything she does. I knew when this all hit that Jenn would be one to jump into action and that she did. Jenn and Soul Carrier are doing their part with the creating Soul Carrier Cloud Covering Face Masks to help protect communities during this time.

Here is more information below on The Cloud Covering Face Mask:

SPREADING THE LOVE – HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Made in the USA 

These are not medical grade masks. Let’s save those for the front line responders and healthcare workers. In fact, healthcare workers are currently using these exact masks over their N95 masks to help preserve them. 

They are donating masks to Child Crisis Nursery and to other shelters and facilities where communal living is unavoidable. By supporting them, you are helping them to support those in need. 

Can’t wait to get mine!

Here’s to doing things that enrich our soul and to help those in need!

~Iced Tea and Top Knots

P.S. What is enriching your soul right now while you are at home? For me that means, styling my favorite pieces including my gorgeous Soul Carrier Connection Clutch.