In the month of November, we had the opportunity to learn more about Lexus, the Jefa over at Soulita, an award-winning holistic self care essentials. ✨📣
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business/ What is the inspiration behind your business and doing what you love?
Hello Jefas!
My name is Lexus Rayven Silva Fernandez! I am an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and artist. I love studying neuroscience for fun, only like to watch documentaries, and I can drink only tea for the rest of my life (if I had to). I am the Co-Founder of Soulita, an award-winning self-care essentials e-commerce business. In 2018, I had a ruptured brain aneurysm as soon as I turned 20 years old. I spent a long time in the hospital and in recovery. Through rehabilitation, I started creating personal skin products and after a year of testing, I decided to create a website. Once I met my partner we relaunched Soulita and that’s when the success started pouring in.
2. Both of us (Val & Gelly) was born in Providence - Can you share with us a bit about your relationship with the city?
I was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. Went to school in Providence, worked in Providence, and run my business in Providence. I have so much pride and respect for this city. No matter where I go and whatever city I raise my family in, I will always rep 401. When gaining success and capital, I plan to give back to the city that made me who I am today before giving out to the world.
Hello Jefas!
My name is Lexus Rayven Silva Fernandez! I am an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and artist. I love studying neuroscience for fun, only like to watch documentaries, and I can drink only tea for the rest of my life (if I had to). I am the Co-Founder of Soulita, an award-winning self-care essentials e-commerce business. In 2018, I had a ruptured brain aneurysm as soon as I turned 20 years old. I spent a long time in the hospital and in recovery. Through rehabilitation, I started creating personal skin products and after a year of testing, I decided to create a website. Once I met my partner we relaunched Soulita and that’s when the success started pouring in.
2. Both of us (Val & Gelly) was born in Providence - Can you share with us a bit about your relationship with the city?
I was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. Went to school in Providence, worked in Providence, and run my business in Providence. I have so much pride and respect for this city. No matter where I go and whatever city I raise my family in, I will always rep 401. When gaining success and capital, I plan to give back to the city that made me who I am today before giving out to the world.
3. What does self-care mean to you?
Self care, or soul care I like to call it, is the reason I am here today. Meditation, smudging practices, and praying took me off the ledge of suicidal thoughts when going through mental pain from a brain injury. Self-care is the quality time I spend with my body and my soul. Nowadays, I recharge by going to sleep because there are times where I don’t get enough by staying up all night working. I also stay consistent with my skincare and gym routine and it makes me so proud of myself.
4. Can you share with us a tip or 2 about running a business with your
partner/significant other?
Evan Delpeche is my life and business partner. Building a business with my partner is better than doing it by myself or doing it with someone else. Together we have a force. Of course, there are times where we go head-to-head with making tough business decisions but through adversity, we just grow stronger. I joke all the time and tell people once we are paying ourselves a “comfortable” amount of money and have our own home that’s when I want to make all the babies. Together we are building the foundation of our generation’s wealth, something we both were not born into.
One tip I can share is in times of romantic hardship, remind yourself that you both are working on something greater than yourselves.
5. What's one lesson you have learned as an entrepreneur which you believe is essential to all of us?
As a Latina, mixed woman, I believe it was very hard to delegate any work to anyone else. Independence is something I worked hard by myself to be where I am today. Sharing my ideas and trusting another was difficult but I learned that I could not do it by myself. You must need a team in order to grow a business.
6. What is one goal you hope to accomplish in the next year?
Our goal for next year is to employ people from our community to work with us in our warehouse. Right now it is pretty difficult moving to the next level in business while 2 people are working jobs of 20. We also want to drop a full Skincare routine line including a cleanser, moisturizer, toners, and more.
7. How can we best support you and your business?
You can support our business by spreading the word. Our story is inspirational of how a young woman can go from nothing to something with no education, capital, nor network in the middle of recovering from a traumatic injury. I went having brain surgery twice, relearning English, dropping out of college, mental and physical pain to having an award-winning business with my partner with 10+ retail partners and a 3,000 sq. ft warehouse. Our story shows how if you believe in yourself and never give up, the universe will send opportunities beyond your wildest dreams.
Follow this Jefa along her journey!
Instagram: @shopsoulita | Website: linktr.ee/shopSoulita