Still Building America: Emily Soloby, an advocate for women in manufacturing

In the latest edition of Still Building America, we talk to Emily Soloby about her impressive resume as a women’s rights advocate, lawyer, trucking company co-owner, bootmaker at Juno Jones safety boot company, advocate for women in nontraditional jobs, “Hazard Girls” podcaster, wife, and mother. All photos provided by Emily Soloby/Juno Jones

As a women’s rights advocate, lawyer, trucking company co-owner, bootmaker, advocate for women in nontraditional jobs, wife, and mother, Emily Soloby is a real-life wonder woman.

Launching a Kickstarter campaign for the Juno Jones boot company on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2020, Soloby and her team saw the campaign 100% funded in just 29 hours. By the end of the campaign, they were 310% funded and ready to fill a need for women in multiple industries. Emily recently received the Empowering Woman of the Year Award from the Empowering Women in Industry organization.

Darla Welton: I have been following Juno Jones safety boot company and the “Hazard Girls” podcast on social media for a couple of years now and I’m inspired! Where did this journey start, and how did you land where you are now?

Emily Soloby: When people hear about my background, they often say, “Well, that’s so random - law, trucking, boots?” But it’s actually not random. I feel that it all aligned to create this perfect moment. I’ve always been interested in women’s rights, even when I was a little kid. I didn’t grow up in a super-feminist family, but I always noticed when things weren’t fair or equal. I would get mad about it.

Somehow I knew that my career focus would be advocating for women, I just wasn’t sure how. I’ve always been an advocate. I stick up for myself, I stick up for others, so my family and I thought I would be a lawyer. That made sense, so I decided to become a lawyer and go to Washington, D.C., and argue for women’s rights. And that’s exactly what I did. I went to law school, then landed in D.C. and worked for the National Organization for Women. Then I worked at Legal Services doing domestic violence victim advocacy, but it wasn’t really meant for me. It’s a lot of confrontation. It’s a lot of heated arguing, and that’s not really my personality. I’m a creative person, and although I was all about fairness, I needed to try something else.

So, I went back to grad school and there I met my husband. Eventually, together, we took over his uncle’s trucking industry business. It was quite a career jump! But, of course, I end up advocating for women wherever I go. We had been running the trucking school for 10 years and I continued to advocate for women there. I noticed there wasn’t enough proper gear for women in the industry. For me, as a lifelong boot lover, the footwear was really lacking. There were no steel-toe boots that fit right and looked good. So, I decided to fill that market gap and start the Juno Jones boot company.

DW: It’s amazing to see how all of your passions came together to create something new. Share a little more about how you started making boots.

ES: I don’t have a background in the fashion industry, but I love fashion and developing my personal style. I’ve always been known for my shoes. In my high school yearbook, there is a photo of me from the knees down and it says, “Guess who?” Everyone knew it was me! “Emily and her boots!”

In college, I spent a semester studying Spanish in Mexico. While there I took a shoemaking course, so that was my introduction to bootmaking. (Little did I know that one day I would be producing Juno Jones boots in Mexico!) I also studied shoemaking at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and my great-grandfather was a shoemaker in Italy. I never knew him, but I have a portrait of him. So, it wasn't a trade that was passed down, but it must be in the DNA.

DW: That is So. Cool. Did you make the first pair of Juno Jones by yourself?

Emily Soloby

ES: I actually worked very closely with our designer and with the production team. However, the first prototype is pretty close to what we actually landed on in our final Meti boot design.

DW: What inspired that specific design?

ES: I had started the “Hazard Girls” Facebook group to connect with women in nontraditional industries. It’s a fun and active group. We’ve held panel discussions and Zoom calls, so I went to women in the group, sent out surveys, and received hundreds back from women who were excited about the boots and wanted to give their input. So really, it is a crowdsourced design.

DW: I love the final design. I see how it meets the needs and wants of so many women in these industries who need a good steel toe, but also enjoy a fashionable boot. Where did the name Juno Jones come from?

ES: I worked really hard on that name! I wanted to find a name that was fun, easy to say, and represented the modern woman, but also someone who is a modern-day superhero! She is someone fearless and adventurous who will try anything new.

DW: As an artist and a bit of a risk-taker myself, I relate to Juno Jones. Your mission to advocate for and empower women working in nontraditional industries is clear through the boot company and through the “Hazard Girls” podcast. Why is it so important to you personally?

ES: There are so many levels of why it’s important, but directly in my life, I have a daughter (8) and a son (11). Even though I’m a feminist mom and do my best to raise them equally, I still see the difference in their perceptions of themselves based on media exposure and what they experience in school, and I never want my daughter to feel that something isn’t within her reach.

DW: How do you keep that balance in your work and home life?

ES: It’s hard, but my husband is super-supportive, and we are equals in everything we do. We split the work and the child care. It would be very hard without him, so I always credit him equally.

DW: Share a little bit about what you do as co-owner of the AAA School of Trucking in Philadelphia alongside your husband, Ryan.

Emily Soloby displaying her line of Juno Jones Safety Boots.

ES: Since Ryan and I bought the business from his uncle, we’ve opened a new branch and expanded to working with the military and large trucking companies around the country. I bring legal experience to the table, so we are able to work with government contracts and I consult on larger issues.

I also work with the Women in Trucking (WIT), a nonprofit organization with the mission to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles women face in the industry. Be on the lookout for the WIT(ney) trailer, which started touring the country in November. And, of course, there will be Juno Jones shoes in the trailer.

DW: What does the future of Juno Jones look like?

ES: We currently have two more designs in the process, including the Serpentine— The Juno Jones Steel Toe Lace-up. The goal is to create a large footwear company that evolves with women’s needs. We want to support women by creating comfortable and stylish shoes for multiple industries.

On Instagram, keep up with Emily Soloby, her shoe company Juno Jones, and the “Hazard Girls” podcast.

Order up a pair of Juno Jones Safety Boots for yourself or as a knockout gift for a woman that you admire in the industry. Each boot is made with beautiful, locally sourced, environmentally certified leather that has been treated to be waterproof and chemical-resistant. I own a pair and love wearing them out in the Brown Dog Welding shop.

Emily Soloby, owner and founder of Juno Jones Safety Boots.