Why can’t we have both? The question which sparked Emily Soloby’s zig-zag journey to discover her true calling. Emily is the legendary founder and CEO of Juno Jones Shoes, the work boot which demands that safety should not have to be compromised for style. Since becoming a beacon of inspiration for women in the transportation and construction industry, Emily also launched the ‘Hazard Girls Podcast’. Her interviews with other trail-blazing females in male-dominated industries, not only give a platform for these women to be recognized, but to open the gates for more women to follow in their path.
Her story begins generations before her birth, with her great-great-grandfather who was a shoe maker in Italy. Emily’s boot obsession began in childhood and only strengthened as she reached her teenage years. “Everyone knew me for my boots in high school,” she reminisces. During college, Emily travelled to Mexico to learn shoemaking. It would be the first of many lessons in learning to make shoes by hand.
Always having a strong affiliation for fighting for female rights, Emily began her career practicing women's rights law focusing on domestic violence advocacy and non-profit law. As life in the corporate world often does, she found herself burnt out and needed to take a break from the fast-paced life of law. She returned to graduate school, where as fate would have it, she met her husband. Like a row of dominoes falling, a knock-on series of events found Emily purchasing a family Trucking business alongside her husband. She dived head-first into the world of transportation as her and her husband expanded the trucking operations from Harrisburg to Philadelphia.
It was during her time working in the transportation industry that Emily stumbled across a giant problem. The work boots she was required to wear for her own protection, simply didn’t fit the bill in terms of comfort or style. Safety boots were made by men, for men. The idea to make a safety boot for a woman’s foot shape shouldn’t be revolutionary, but at the time, it was. Thanks to Emily’s vision and determination, it’s now a reality. Earlier this year, Emily launched her kickstarter campaign which was funded within an incredible 29 hours. This is a testament to how much this product is not just wanted, but needed.
As her transportation business flourished, she continued to chase her first-love by taking shoe-making classes in Brooklyn, NY. When Emily realized she could solve a problem faced by almost every woman in the construction industry whilst simultaneously having the opportunity to work on the craft she loves, the decision to launch Juno Jones Shoes was a no-brainer. “When I realized that everything that I had worked on my entire life fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces, I realized I’m not crazy! This makes total sense.”
Since their launch, what has followed has been a wave of support and the building of an online community. Emily’s Facebook Group ‘Hazard Girls’ offers a space for women in the construction and transportation industry to connect with each other. At almost 1000 members-strong, the group has been a supportive platform to bounce ideas off real-life customers, gain invaluable feedback and to stand as a leader in a community that she loves.
“I truly feel like these are my people”. Moving beyond the social realm of social media, the Facebook group also offers a Mentorship program. Mentors in Chemistry, Biology, Construction, Real Estate Development, Forensics, Corporate Leadership, the Energy Industry and more, are paired with the next generation of movers and shakers who are just beginning their careers. The support network that Emily has created for women in construction spans far beyond comfortable, safe and stylish work boots. Her belief in community and mentorship is paving the way for other strong females to follow in her footsteps.
When your successful business collides with your life-long passion, magic ensues. Cheldin Barlatt Rumor eloquently sums up The Juno Jones Meti Boot "to be safe is one thing, to be stylish is another- the combination is perfection." Emily has seamlessly managed to merge the two together, whilst uplifting so many other women along the way. You can follow along her journey here and here. We can’t wait to see the positive impact that she will continue to have on women in the construction and transport industry.
All photos courtesy of Emily Soloby
.jpg)
