Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Boonlorn.
Hi Jennifer, 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.
My name is Jennifer Paige Boonlorn & I am the owner and founder of Soul Carrier. Soul Carrier is an accessories brand that is proud to call Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Hyatt, and other luxury resort brands as some of our clients. I design and do all my product development here in Phoenix, and then the handbags come together in a small leather workshop in Scottsdale, Arizona.
I am a graduate of the W.P. Carey School of Business with a Bachelor’s in marketing, as well as a graduate of Parsons The New School For Design in NYC. My time in NYC led me to opportunities at WWD, Oscar de la Renta, American Eagle, and NYC Fashion Week. I even created a collection of hair accessories called Jennifer Paige Designs Headware and Accessories For The Posh Prepster that Henri Bendel purchased and featured in their windows along Fifth Avenue. When Barneys opened at Scottsdale Fashion Square, I was part of an art event, and that project was the catalyst behind the creation of Soul Carrier.
In the spring of 2023, I started teaching fashion classes at ASU| FIDM. I teach merchandising and fashion entrepreneurship classes. Getting to inspire and impact the students has been incredibly rewarding, and it also helps me stay current and fresh on all that is going on in fashion.
I have also been asked to sit on an honors thesis committee for one of our fashion design students. Mentoring students and helping them connect the dots to all that is possible truly fills my soul with so much joy! I have a wide and very deep range of global contacts. Both my professional and personal contacts refer to me as a “connector” as well as their “biggest cheerleader.” My mind sees patterns, and I delight in making sure my circle and community have a bridge to the other worlds I dance in.
I am very proud to call ASU my Alma Mater. Most of my dearest friends, as well as some of my favorite Soul Carrier collaborators, have all stemmed from my time as a student at ASU. Furthermore, over the years, I have brought on ASU interns. At one point, I even used ASU film students to help create video content and create a YouTube series around Soul Carrier. I also have a scholarship at the W.P.Carey School of Business in my parents’ legacy – The Paisan and Joyce Boonlorn Memorial Scholarship.
You can find out more about me at www.soulcarrier.com. As well as on my LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-paige-boonlorn-16092b2b/
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?
I am a big fan of the saying, “Life is NOT linear.” There will be crazy pivots, as well as forks in the road, that break your heart and shatter your soul. Nevertheless, I have come to realize that what gets humans in trouble is when we are cemented to the idea that life was “supposed” to unfold in a neat-tidy manner with zero pain and zero hiccups. Pain and heartache are merely the price we pay for being human. Additional suffering always occurs when we are unwilling to accept that life ended up turning out differently than the visions we held in our heads.
There is a soothing inner-soul balm when you learn to let go and when you learn to accept the present moment exactly as it is shaping up. A best friend would often say “This IS it”, meaning this moment, with all its annoyances, pain, and glitches is the only moment we have and it is perfect in all its imperfections.
Rarely does life stack up in a perfect line; we often have to experience wild-life-altering events before arriving at our destination – the journey is full of twists and turns, some more painful than others, but those twists and turns are what make life super dynamic, and they are also what makes us human.
When I was a junior in college, my entire family was involved in a fatal accident. The tires on my father’s SUV blew out, causing the car to flip over multiple times before careening into the base of a concrete billboard. My mother was killed instantly; they then had to use the jaws of life to pry my father from the mangled car, only for him to die on the operating table. My sister and I crawled out from the upside-down car with no physical injuries; however, the whiplash cut deep into our souls and permanently scarred our memories.
Years later, I would once again face excruciating pain. I had two beautiful friends who meant the world to me – friends who helped shape my brand and my journey and who were true soul mates in the most platonic manner. Oddly enough, both of these friends ended their lives in the month of March; the anniversary of their deaths are ten days and four years apart. All three of those incidents have taken me to my knees. They cracked me wide open and they forced me to pull on an inner strength and tenacity that I did not know I had until faced with those life-altering moments.
I now hold dearly onto the concept that it is not the fire that matters, but how we move through the fire, and how we learn to get back up that counts. I am a huge fan of Glennon Doyle and I love her quotes on pain, one of them is “Pain is mandatory for all of us. It’s what teaches us. Suffering is what is optional. That’s what happens when we skip over the pain.” The other Doyle quote that brings me solace is, “I see your pain, and it’s big. I also see your courage, and it’s BIGGER. You can do hard things.”
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I wear many hats. I am a designer, an entrepreneur, a fashion educator, and a connector. I love all things related to creativity, design, architecture, and self-development. I am a podcast junkie, and my hunger for self-development and improvement is a thirst I hope I never quench.
I am the founder of Soul Carrier, an accessories brand sold at luxury resorts and spas across the nation – Four Seasons, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Fairmont Princess, Silver Oak Winery, etc. Soul Carrier specializes in small-batch production that is made in Arizona. We seek to use unique textiles to create accessories that will make our customers feel empowered, bold, stylish, and, most importantly, courageous. We want to inspire our customers to ask themselves the question, “Where Do You Want To Go?” and then encourage them to use their souls to find the answer.
I also teach fashion classes at Arizona State University. Teaching not only keeps me fresh and current, but it also fills me with so much joy and delight. Witnessing students master concepts and then seeing them light up with encouragement when they realize the vast sea of possibilities that await them is one of the most soulfully rewarding activities I have ever experienced! I have a lot of hope for the next generation.
One of my students recently asked me to be an advisor on her honors thesis defense. Her request made me think of the late Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, and his concept around “Ripple of Impact”. I am super inspired knowing my time leading these students does have an impact, and the ripple effect is only just beginning.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why.
Creativity, connection, and the freedom to be my authentic self are what matter to me. I was born to create, to see patterns, to weave the dots together, and then to bring forth an idea, a project, a collaboration that wasn’t in motion until I set it in motion. Connection matters because, at the end of the day, people are what matter most, and the impact I have on people is what I want my legacy to be.
And lastly, authenticity is one of my core values because out of the freedom to be authentic, everything else flows into place. The following quote by Frederic Laloux sums it up perfectly: “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 be of service to humanity and our world”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soulcarrier.com
- Instagram: @soulcarrier
- Facebook: @SoulCarrierHandbags
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-paige-boonlorn-16092b2b/
Image Credits
Jessica Van
https://the-copper-collective.square.site/
