We were lucky to catch up with Emily/Lisa Somers/Ball recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emily/Lisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Just over a year ago, we came across a handmade clay bead that completely captivated us. It was beautiful, unique, and felt like it carried a story. We were so drawn to it that we spent hours researching where it came from—and what we discovered changed everything.
The bead was handcrafted by women in Haiti, many of whom were creating them as a way to support their families. The deeper story was heartbreaking and powerful: many of these women were mothers who, due to poverty, had placed their children in orphanages—not because they didn’t love them, but because they couldn’t afford to provide for them. This moved us deeply, and we knew we wanted to help create change.
That’s how Soulful Bracelets was born. We started with the goal of sharing these meaningful pieces while supporting the women behind them. But our inspiration didn’t stop there. By last January, we knew we wanted to expand our product offerings, so we evolved our brand into Soulful Accessories Co.
For us, the clay beads from Haiti will always be the closest to our hearts.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Lisa: I had retired early after 30 years in trucking sales, a career that taught me how to connect with people, solve problems, and work hard.
15 years ago, a customer invited me to join her at open bead night at Bead world. I instantly fell in love with jewelry making, creating pieces for friends, family, and gifts.
Nine months into working at Bead World, I shared a collection of handcrafted beads from Haiti with Emily. She loved them as much as I did. Knowing she once ran her own jewelry business, I encouraged her to take the beads and run with them. By the end of the day, she turned to me and said something that changed everything:
“Why don’t we build a business together?”
That moment marked the start of something exciting—two creative minds, two different journeys, and one shared vision. Making beuatiful jewelry!
Emily: I began creating jewelry in 2003 after a breast cancer diagnosis as a way to channel my health anxiety into something creative and productive. I eventually sold my line through sales reps and shipped orders across the country. I did this for ten years and when I began to feel burned out on the industry I pursued becoming a yoga instructor. I began feeling inspired again to create jewelry, especially with a yoga and meditation influence. All the while I worked full time at Bead World, a beading supply store, where I met my amazing partner Lisa!
After working on the clay bracelets for months we organically began coming up with other designs together and separately. As Soulful Accessories Co. we now offer several styles of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, and even eyeglass holders!
We feel we set ourselves apart by making each and every piece by hand and painstakingly choosing the highest quality beads and findings. If we feel something is not working we troubleshoot the issue together until we find a solution. We take pride in offering a high-quality, timeless product designed with everyone in mind.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Emily:
I had gone all-in with my first jewelry business by 2008 when the economic crisis hit. Suddenly no one was buying jewelry anymore and my road reps struggled to keep accounts. I decided to re-imagine my designs to include smaller, simpler, more affordable pieces. It turned out to be a more successful line and I continued selling it for years.
Lisa:
In the beginning, we discovered we had two options: purchase completed bracelets ready to sell or make them ourselves from scratch. We chose the hands-on route — we wanted full control over the quality and design. Once the beads arrived, we spent countless hours testing different spacer beads to find one that worked seamlessly with the varying sizes of clay beads. After a month of testing, we noticed that the coating on the spacer beads was wearing off due to friction with the clay. It was disheartening — we had put so much into it and thought we had found the right solution. But instead of settling, we went back to the drawing board and searched extensively. Finally, we found the perfect spacer bead — one that not only complemented the design but also held up under wear and tear. It was a frustrating process, but it taught us a lot about perseverance and the importance of never compromising on quality.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soulfulaccessories.com
- Instagram: @soulfulaccessoriesco
Image Credits
Krystal Hall