We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Boonlorn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My father is my hero. My father risked everything to come to the United States from Thailand, to put himself through the rigorous Masters of Architecture program at PRATT University. My father came with no emotional or financial support from his family back in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My grandmother was the personal chef to the Queen of Thailand, and there were rumors that my grandfather was part of the Thai Mafia. So when my father took off to the States, it was without their blessing or funds.

My dad beamed with pride at what he accomplished during his time in Manhattan. He lived with a plethora of roommates and worked a plethora of jobs in order to put himself through PRATT University. Over the years my father would drill into my head that you can lose everything, however, you can never lose your education. That comment has been seared into my psyche. The books you read, the degrees you obtain, the wisdom you gain, none of that can be erased or stripped away.

My father was the emblem of tenacity, grit and determination. Being a commercial architect during Phoenix’s boom & bust periods in the 1980’s, meant that my father experienced multiple layoffs. Our family, however, always had food on the table and we were always able to stay in our family home, because my father did everything in his power to take on freelance work and find odd jobs. He literally would clean toilets at Dillards at the crack of dawn, then come home, put on his Armani suit (he was obsessed with his Armani suits), grab his portfolio and be at every available interview for architecture positions. Giving up was never an option and he always found a way.

My love of fashion and design stem from my parents. My father would take my sister and I to Last Chance, Nordstrom’s clearance store, so we could dig for designer clothes at discounted prices. He was a sharp dresser and an even sharper discount shopper. He got such a thrill from asking people, in his very thick Thai accent, “How much!? How much, you think I pay?” He would giggle with pride at finding designer clothing at extremely cheap prices.

My father would save his leftover change in a gigantic coffee tin, and when it was full, he would go and buy my mother a Louis Vuitton bag, or the latest SWATCH watch for my sister and I.

I lost my father while a college student. My entire family was traveling home from Tucson, when our SUV had a tire blow that resulted in a roll over accident. My mother died instantly, and my father had to be pried from the wreckage, only to die in the operating room. My sister and I crawled out of the upside down SUV, with no physical injuries, but the whiplash left a permanent mark across our souls.

Although my parents are no longer with me, their lessons, their examples, and the way they lived their life, those are the standards upon which I hold myself to, and the foundation upon which I have shaped my own life.

Moments before our SUV rolled over, my mother had turned around to me and said “Where do you want to go….?” She never got to fully complete her question, and I never fully got to answer her. This question, nonetheless, has been a driving force in my life, and when I get still, and listen quietly to what my soul wants, over what the world wants from me, I find that my answer means going towards a life that represents integrity, truth, love, creativity, collaboration and kindness.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

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 to life in my manufacturing facilities in Mexico.

I am a graduate of the W.P. Carey School of Business with a Bachelors in marketing, as well as being 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.

Last December ASU| FIDM asked if I would teach two merchandising classes. I loved teaching fashion students why business principles matter, and how those business principles directly relate to creativity and design. My aim was to expand the student’s perspective on what is possible, and to inspire and spark curiosity within them. I brought in guest speakers from the industry, and I helped several students secure summer internships. Assisting the students with networking made my heart soar. I had several very stoic students, who never participated in class, and then I would bring in a guest speaker (Tess Loo from My Sister’s Closet, Jane Spicer from Daphne’s Headcovers, or the retail director from The Beverly Hills Hotel) & all of a sudden these students, became engaged and curious. Afterwards the students would thank me, ask if they could connect directly with the speaker, and they would tell me my class was their favorite. Those moments were pure magic!

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 and to be super connected to this institution. 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 parent’s legacy – The Paisan and Joyce Boonlorn Memorial Scholarship.

You can find more about me at www.soulcarrier.com

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Essentialism is a topic that resonates deep within my soul. I absolutely loved Greg McKeown’s book on Essentialism so much that I named my current collection of bags after the concept of Essentialism.

Essentialism, as defined by New York Times Best Selling Author, Greg McKeown, “is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.” Greg goes on to explain that as humans we can do ANYTHING we set our minds to, however we cannot DO EVERYTHING all at once.

Essentialism parallels perfectly with the concepts of having a true north, the concept I named my last collection after.

Having a true north is all about having an over arching goal, destination, vision or value that you are moving towards in life, and then squaring every choose, decision, and request with that true north. As choices and forks in the road are presented to you, you ask is this going to move me closer to my true north, or take me away from where I want to go? And in that moment, you begin to gain clarity as to how to proceed.

And of course both of those concepts align perfectly with questions I have built my brand around, the last question my mother would ever ask of me “Where Do You Want To Go!?”

The way I see it is that you ask yourself the question “Where Do You Want To Go!?”, your soul’s answer is your TRUE NORTH, and then you eliminate everything that is not aligned with that true north. And in the process of pursuing your true north you creating lasting impact and leave a legacy.

I love the quote below that captures the very essence of everything I just said:

“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

There is so much amazing content out there that has shaped my entrepreneur journey and helped “mentor” me. Here are some of my favorites:

Anything Brene Brown or Glennon Doyle puts out into, I will consume! The same goes for Greg McKeown and Liz Gilbert. I listen religiously to the podcast “How I Built This” and I start to cry – it is like watching your favorite athlete win a gold medal or the championship game, you know it took a a mammoth amount of sacrifice and hardship to arrive at that winning moment. Listening to stories of the grueling-grinding-climb in order to bring a vision to fruition, fills with so much pride and joy for those businesses and brands – their journeys always resonate with me.

These books have had a profound impact on my life and business journey:

Essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less by Greg McKeown

Rework by Jason Fried

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Find Your Why by Carla Fiorina

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Braving The Wilderness by Brene Brown

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Rising Strong by by Brene Brown

Carry On Warrior by Glennon Doyle

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Thrive by Arianna Huffington

The Third Instinct by Arianna Huffington

Aging or Ageless by Ron Zeller

Outwitting The Devil by Napolean Hill

Three Feet From Gold by Dan Jonh Miller and Sharon Lechter

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

By Invitation Only by Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

Everything is F*cked. A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*cked by Mark Manson

Let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard

Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey

Creativity Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmall

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I handed over my American Express business card and recoiled as I signed on the dotted line.
White feathers floated through the air, shedding from the dress I was sporting. I steadied myself on the 6 inch stilettos I was rocking, trying not to let the champagne go to my head.

The night had not gone as planed. And the torrential rain was symbolic of how I felt in inside.

The bouncers briskly urged me to pull down my Soul Carrier step and repeat, and I rolled my eyes, annoyed that I had just paid a lot of money to host a huge party, and they couldn’t even give me a few minutes to wrap up. The intention of the night was to invite the whole valley and sell lots and lots of bags! That didn’t happen. Instead, I went home with 3 sales and a credit card bill I wanted to vomit over.

I look back at certain Soul Carrier moments, and I shake my head, hard, and I laugh at how off-course I wondered. The party, I am referencing, was an event I threw at a Scottsdale night club to debut a new collection of handbags.

There were so many things that we’re out of alignment with that party. There were so many things that were NOT authentic, to what I want Soul Carrier to stand for.

On the surface, we shimmered and shined. We looked like we had rolled out of a scene from a Bravo reality show. Hair blown out. Makeup professionally done. A step and repeat, a bunch of film interns following me with cameras, as if I really did have a reality show. It was ALL the glamour, or what I like to call, lots of frosting, and hardly any cake.

Family members and friends approached me with their concerns, and I snapped at their comments. I had worked hard for this night, or so I thought, and I was agitated by their apprehensions. But my soul knew they were hitting on the truth, and I realized I needed to pause and reevaluate.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party, hosting, entertaining, and a life that is slightly dusted in luxury.

At its core, though, I want Soul Carrier to stand for authenticity, getting people to soulfully answer the question “Where do you want to go!?”, and to being an example of showing up even when the fire of life burns incredibly bright. That party had all the elements of looking incredible, without having a foundation, to actually back it up.

We live in a world that places so much value on surface appearances and aesthetics, while skipping over integrity, character, and solid foundations. And I got distracted, and fell prey to placing more weight on “image” over a solid business plan.

When I threw that event, I was in no place to be hosting a glitzy party! I had only days earlier found my first manufacturer in Leon. I had just pulled together my new website, and I was still going through the growing pains of building a team and finding my way around managing all that.

But throw a party I did! And after the champagne wore off, the heels were put aside, and it was time to face what I had just done, I realized where I had strayed.

I wasn’t being genuine to where Soul Carrier actually was in its business cycle. I was ignoring my intuition, and the gut feeling that I should not be throwing a lavish party. I was diluting the greater vision I had for Soul Carrier, for a weak moment of frivolous extravaganza. I was wanting the brand to “appear” larger than it actually was.

EVERY.SINGLE.TIME, I get off course with building my brand, it is because I FAIL to align my values and vision, with my own internal compass, or what I like to call my true north. True North, is ultimately, your soul leading the way from the inside – it is the values, vision, and life destinations you want to move towards. When I detour away from my soul, from my intuition, from my own personal values, the outside noise will always start to entice me, and I end up caving to all that glitters, versus leaning on all that is grounded.

Since that extravagant party, I have been presented with creating a bag for one of P-Diddy’s brands, sending a bag to Julia Roberts, and collaborating with someone I met at Sundance Film Festival. Each one of those situations glimmered with potential, and initially I got caught up in the inertia of thinking this could be the wave that propelled Soul Carrier to the next level. However, when I took the time to pause and contemplate, I heard my intuition screaming to turn the other way and say Thank you, but I need to graciously bow out.

It’s hard for me to turn down an opportunity that glitters and glows, and yet, I know that my true north, my intuition, my gut, has to matter more than saying yes to something that is out of alignment with what my soul is ultimately telling me to do.

And so as I move forward in building my business, I must constantly ask myself:

– [ ] Is this moving me closer to my true north, or taking me on a detour?
– [ ] Is this something I genuinely want, or I am being distracted by shiny bright lights?
– [ ] Is this opportunity grounded with a solid plan and actionable steps? Or is it dripping with “promises of grandeur” and yet has no true strategy?
– [ ] Why am I saying yes to this?
– [ ] Is there alignment with the people I am about to partner/collaborate with? Alignment with those I partner with, MUST OUTSHINE all else – even if the other person is famous, immensely talented, or very well connected. None of that matters, if alignment and shared values are not in sync.

I encourage you the next time you are presented with an opportunity to take time to pause, reflect, and really listen to your soul. The answers you are seeking, are already inside your soul. Shiny objects can be beautiful, but nothing is more beautiful, than letting your soul shine, as it leads you to YOUR own personal true north.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soulcarrier.com
• Instagram: Soul Carrier
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulCarrierHandbags/
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-paige-boonlorn-16092b2b

Image Credits
Jessica Van of Copper Collective and Shay Studios