ICYMI (and shame on you if you did) but our founder, Kell, turned 31 this month! She’s the queen of content and all things aesthetics, easy on the eyes, funny, hell of a beer drinker, and quite possibly the most loving and genuine person I know. 

We couldn’t wait to sit down with her, chat and absorb all the goodness she brings to a room, and what better way than 31 questions for 31 🙂

happy birthday, baby! 

(in no particular order)

q: how are you actually feeling about turning 31?

a: I’m super excited, I feel like 30 was such a transition year and 31 is my time to really lock into who I am and what I am becoming. 

q: favorite thing about Harrison??

a: his heart<3 he is the calmest human I have ever met and nothing seems to bother him which is so admirable. I strive to be like him every day

q: let’s refresh our fans, who is Harrison???

a: Harrison is my partner, I call him Harrison because he is Australian and I didn’t realize until I moved to Australia that (we) Americans say Harry like ‘Hairy’… so Harrison will do haha

q: What’s your favorite time of day?

a: right before dusk when the sun is still in the sky but the light is soft and touches your skin for that camera ready glow

q: What’s the best lesson you learned during “30”?

a: ooft, there are a lot of lessons that I have learned during 30, but I would say one of the main ones, controlling your stress level…and always having a plan B. I’m a plan ahead-er and sort of an organizational freak. So when it comes to being prepared I have learned that to keep my stress levels down, I need a plan B. 

q: Biggest weakness/strength?

a: If this is a job interview, no weaknesses. lol, but for real, my weakness is not being able to let go, and not in a petty way; rather, I’m realizing that (for stress reasons) I like being in control, and sometimes that always isn’t an option. I’m working on it! My strength is being resourceful, and I’m proud of that. I can always figure out how to make something work without getting into a negative headspace. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I will figure it out! 

q: what are you most excited about these days?

a: I know my engagement is coming soon [hint hint Harrison] — maybe by the time this is posted… but we are planning to have a wedding tour. We have worked so hard this past year saving; I want this tour to be the most epic experience and content-driven event ever.

q: when are you the most inspired?

a: in the morning when I’m caffeinated and brainstorming with someone who is on the same wave frequency as me.

q: sweet or savory?

a: savory, if you don’t love salt, we cannot go to dinner together…period. 

q: what’s one thing people might not know about you?

a: I had my bobbbbiessss done hehe some of my best friends didn’t even know, even though they’ve seen me naked — and that isn’t because I hide them; I just assume people know. I’m also not about to scream at the top of my lungs on a roof that I got them done. If you ask, I will tell you all that I have had done, but my goal in life is to only enhance with a natural twist.

q: wine or beer?

a: beer is my favorite soda

q: heels, sneakers, or barefoot?

a: wait that is a hard one. Honestly, I am barefoot most of the time, even though I hate dirty feet and it also really depends on my outfits. I drool over sexy heels but love wearing sneakers for the casual comfort vibe. Did i answer that?

q: what are three things you can’t live without?

a: Harrison, soft materials, creativity 

q: When do you feel the most like yourself?

a: at a festival, period. 

q: Window or aisle seat (when traveling)?

a: aisle, 100%. DO NOT lock me into a row with strangers and make it impossible to escape. 

q: Leather or lace?

a: LEATHER, if you follow me on IG that is an obvious one.

q: Define yourself in three words.

a: aesthetic, honest, resourceful

q: Favorite fashion trend right now?

a: I don’t even know what the trends are at the moment. But I am so glad that baggy is back! I look back at photos of when I was wearing skinny jeans and quite literally want to sue my friends for never telling me how horrible I looked in them.

q: most adventurous or spontaneous things you’ve done?

a: probably not the MOST adventurous, but drove three hours to meet Harrison when I had never met him before in my life…may be a creep, but it was worth it

q: what’s inspiring you in life right now?

a: old vintage photo editing

q: best piece of advice you’ve gotten in business?

a: failing is one step closer to your success

q: your number one, pro tip, when starting a business?

a: you don’t need to know everything, but make sure you have a checklist of everything you need to know

q: biggest regret? do you have any?

a: I don’t have any regrets, I don’t believe in mistakes or regrets because they make us who we are. If you learn from them, you should never regret anything.

q: what makes you feel accomplished?

a: ticking off a task I have been working on for a long time

q: how do you start your day? and, what is your ideal morning?

a: coffee coffee coffee. My ideal morning is anything that keeps my routine consistent; waking up, getting ready, and feeling put together is huge. then enjoying another coffee and beginning my work day. 

q: what’s one piece of life advice you wish you learned before graduation?

a: to all the boys…your loss

q: finish the sentence — I can never leave the house without…..

a: my phone, a water bottle, and a lippy — kinda obvious but so necessary.

q: How do you deal with stress?

a: unfortunately I deal with it internally, but I am working on it.

q: What’s one superpower you wish you had?

a: I’m already a wonder woman.

q: the best thing that happened to you this year?

a: starting soigne’

q: what are you most excited about for “31”?

a: that I am no longer 30 lol. I spent the whole year accepting I was 30 and that was hard. It kinda felt like I was 16 again and going through puberty — just a weird, answerless, and “lost” time, ya know? Your friends are getting married, having kids, buying houses… having to ask yourself: what if I wanted to do it differently? Breaking that social thread is so difficult. I am excited to feel a little more myself, a little more in the present, and a little more wild! I feel like once you go from 30 to 31 you start to age backward; just with more experience.

q: What’s something you don’t want to be doing in 10 years?

a: looking at the price of flights home to America, crying and stressing lol – but really, I don’t wanna be in financial hardship. that scares me, i just want to be able to book without a budgeting mindset.

q: where do you see yourself in 5 years?

a: I guess I haven’t really thought about it in depth. I’ll be 35, almost 36, which is confronting haha. But ideally (in a perfect world) I’ll be happily married to Harrison and we will continue to live our lives together between California and Australia. Safia, his band, will be huge in the US|touring and Soigne will be 50x bigger than it is now, my goal is to obtain our own creative agency space. I’ll leave the rest up to the universe to decide. 

q: what’s one thing you had to learn the hard way?

a: to not have any expectations, but it takes a lot of hard work and shitty experiences to get to that realization

q: content creations trend you love?

a: the glitchy video content is a vibe

q: (content creation) or trends you wanna see leave?

a: trending audio, like get some of your own style/ideas.

q: The thing you’re most proud of?

a: my resourcefulness — if I didn’t have that I wouldn’t have started over 10 businesses and realized that trial and error is so important when finding your passion and turning it into a business

What We Have Learned

Birthdays are special and memorable events in our lives. They are opportunities to reflect on our past, celebrate our achievements and look forward to the future. Whether we celebrate with a big party or a quiet gathering with loved ones, birthdays allow us to connect with others and create meaningful memories.

Remember, birthdays are a time to celebrate who you are and the journey you have taken so far. So, embrace your special day, make it memorable, and never stop dreaming!

With Love Soigne