Passion project: Opal x June a dream come true for Lexy Carlson
By Amy Rognlie | Photos by Becky Stinehour
Lexy Carlson of Opal x June is not your average businesswoman. This fourth generation Temple native recently moved back to town with her family — and a huge dream.
“I came back home with this really big longing to do something in my own community…to be a part of it in a way that I wasn’t when I was growing up.”
Handmade, customized jewelry is not a new thing, but to Lexy, the jewelry itself is not the goal.
“Opal x June was created with the intention of being a space where individuals can come and create meaningful custom jewelry,” Carlson says.
She savors the process of having a one-on-one conversation with each of her clients, helping them design and create anything they are envisioning.
“My clients are the designers; they’re just using my hands,” she says. “I love building a relationship with each client and learning their story — the meaning behind their jewelry. It is a very special experience, and I’m so grateful for that!”
Carlson is no stranger to the business world, graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in multimedia journalism, serving as an associate producer in TV production at ESPN for five years and co-owning a gym with her husband prior to starting Opal x June.
Doing something entrepreneurial in the creative space has been a dream of hers for several years, but it didn’t seem to be the right time until now.
“I started making jewelry for friends and family and everyone loved it,” Carlson says.
She describes her jewelry as dainty yet durable enough for everyday wear, made with sterling silver and 14k gold. While her main clientele are females between the ages of 20 and 35, she also regularly makes custom pieces for children and babies.
However, Carlson has a higher ambition.
“I knew from the beginning that I wanted to attach Opal x June as a brand to other trustworthy and supported brands in the community,” she says. “I also wanted to collaborate and use my jewelry as a means to support and provide other brands with marketing materials for their customers.”
Since April, Carlson has done collaborations with small businesses in the area and several across the country, including New York and California, creating custom jewelry for their brands.
“As I began collaborating with other small business owners, I realized the huge need for female business owners, especially, to feel loved and encouraged. Genuine support is important.”
So important, in fact, that Carlson and some fellow Central Texas businesswomen have recently created their own community group, affectionately dubbed Boss Babes. It began as an Instagram group chat and has grown to include a monthly in-person get-together and a growing Facebook page with over 200 local small businesses represented.
“You have all these women in small-owned businesses who don’t see each other as competition, but are supportive of each other,” she says. “We are hoping to create a movement — a backbone — for small businesses in our community. All of us genuinely want to see these business flourish and to help strengthen each other, especially during hard times.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Carlson, along with Temple’s Mary Senese of Dough-Re-Mi, recently launched “Beyond the Boss,” a podcast designed to help small-business owners connect with each other both professionally and personally.
“We want the podcast to feel casual and natural…a supportive place where we can all share advice and gain wisdom from each other,” Carlson says. “We want other business owners to know that there’s room for everyone at the table.”
Opal x June
Instagram: @opalxjune_originals
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opal-x-June-104709338430252/
Email: opalxjune@gmail.com
Beyond The Boss Podcast
Instagram: @beyondthebosspodcast
