Today we’d like to introduce you to Seneca Connor.
Hi Seneca, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Bakersfield, CA. My childhood was filled with a mix of sports, reading lots of books, traveling, etiquette classes, church, and big dreams. As a small-town girl, I knew I wanted to experience more of the world. After high school, I was on the first thing smoking out of Bakersfield and to Los Angeles, where I started my undergraduate career at UCLA. I guess this is when my love affair with Los Angeles began.
I went on to attend Loyola Law School in Downtown Los Angeles and then started my career as a Deputy Public Defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. I loved my role in defending indigent people throughout LA County and ensuring their constitutional rights were protected.
Today, I focus on corporate immigration law and global mobility with a Fortune 15 company. But my passion has become my business, The Bag Icon. I started this business In October 2022 to provide fellow handbag lovers with affordable, high-quality bags in iconic styles. With quiet luxury at the forefront right now, my handbags offer an on-trend look without breaking the bank.
My newest project is a handbag I designed in honor of my mother. My bags are named after iconic, strong women throughout history. I always knew I would have a bag named for MY icon, my mother. She was the picture of beauty, elegance, class, humor, generosity, forgiveness and love. So now I have designed a very special handbag (THE SHARON CLAUDIA). My mother passed away suddenly this year on Mother’s Day after suffering from frontal temporal lobe dementia. I’m donating proceeds from the sale of the handbag to the Dementia Society of America in Mom’s honor. There are so many people whose loved ones are suffering with this horrible disease, and the fight for a cure is very important to me (especially as a black woman- who studies show have higher rates of dementia).
On top of this, I am a wife and a mommy to a three-year-old little boy named Ronan. He’s the cutest, funniest little character and the light of my life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a child and probably like most children, I thought my life would go in a straight line. I’d go to college, go to graduate school, get a great job, getting married, and have kids. I can tell you that almost none of these things happened the way I thought they would or when I thought they would. Every step has had many challenges, but I’ve overcome them. I put myself through UCLA, working and with financial aid. It was hard, and sometimes I was faced with having to work to pay my way or go to class. It took me five years, but I finished. And through that experience, I learned that I could make my own way and I can rely on myself.
I didn’t go to law school right away. Without financial help, it seemed a far-off dream. But after a few years, I decided to find a way. So, I looked at law schools that offered an evening program where I could work to support myself and attend class in the evening. That is what led me to Loyola Law School. I worked full-time during law school and went to class four nights a week. I studied on the weekends. It was very hard, but I completed a 4-year program in 3.5 years. In addition, I had my first bought of anxiety while in law school. Having never experienced anxiety like that, it was incredibly challenging. But I got the help I needed and preserved.
I finished law school at 32. I thought I would have been married by then, but no such luck. I got married at 36, and we started trying for a baby right away. Our quest to have a child was complicated by the extremely painful endometriosis. The endometriosis meant that I would need IVF to get pregnant. After five full rounds of IVF over the course of three years, I finally got pregnant and had our son, Ronan, in November 2019.
My life has never been easy. Nothing has ever come easily to me. I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve accomplished. But it doesn’t make me sad or bitter. The accomplishments are that much sweeter because I know what it took to get there.
We’ve been impressed with The Bag Icon, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
“Affordable Luxury Iconic Handbags”. That’s what The Bag Icon offers you. We want our customers and their bank accounts to look amazing! The Bag Icon offers high-quality leather bags in iconic styles to the conscious customer who wants the look and feel of luxury without the high price tag. Labels are great, but the ability to have a similar high-quality look while keeping your coins is a real vibe! We want our customers to look amazing and keep their coins to invest, save, or pursue their dreams- become an Icon! The Bag Icon is here to help them look great along the way!
The names of our handbag collections are inspired by iconic women throughout history. These women broke barriers, fought for social equality, and lived fiercely. Their lives and achievements serve as sources of inspiration for us all. Each handbag features a link for customers to learn more about these amazing women.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work, preparation, operating in excellence and prayer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebagicon.com
- Instagram: @thebagicon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebagicon
