Meet Sora Miller-Carlos | Small Business Owner-Owner/Founder, Alpaca Picnic and Events

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sora Miller-Carlos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sora, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in South Korea and came to the US when I was just 7 years old. When I think back about my childhood, I feel tremendously blessed to have had so many wonderful memories growing up here, and the life that I’ve been fortunate to live with a small group of family and friends who have supported me with unwavering love as I navigated through life’s ups and downs.

Although we didn’t have much growing up in terms of financial wealth, my parents worked hard to make sure that my brother and I always had opportunities that they didn’t necessarily have when they were growing up. My dad came from a family with 8 siblings and grew up on a farm in Oregon and my mom came from a family with 7 siblings and also grew up on a farm in South Korea. They lived in a generation where it was vital to help on the farm at a very young age and attending school to get basic education was a privilege. My mom had frostbite on her toes because she used to walk more than 5 miles each way in the snow everyday as a child to get to school and back.

For all of my life, I have watched my parents work hard to provide for their families and I firmly believe that their selfless acts of service and love has helped shape me into the woman that I am today as a daughter, a friend, a wife and now a small business owner. I’ve always felt compassion and empathy towards helping others and it’s no surprise that I found fulfillment and joy in starting a business that serves others and helps bring people together.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the owner and founder of Alpaca Picnic and Events, where we help our clients plan and set up luxurious picnics and intimate events throughout Los Angeles. We strive to provide a service of the highest caliber of professionalism and luxury which I make sure to cater to all types of clients no matter what the occasion may be.

Before I started my own business, I acquired over a decade of work experiences in Operations and Business Management. I obtained my B.A. in Liberal Studies with a minor in Business Management from Cal State University Northridge. When I was just 19 years old, I was one of the youngest General Managers in Southern California for a large fitness facility and always knew that I thrived in client services.

Starting a business was not difficult because I had successfully managed businesses for my previous employers and have experience in creating and implementing business procedures and practices and also have experience in Human Resources as a HR Coordinator and Generalist. I knew what was required to start a business, but my greatest challenge was overcoming my own anxiety and fear of failure as a perfectionist that I honestly still struggle with today while having managed Alpaca Picnic and Events for a year now. I find that making time for self care (whether it’s unplugging from social media or spending the day with your family and friends, etc…) is essential to balancing your work and personal life. There is no 9-5 or clocking out when you own your own business but you also have full control of your work schedule, so reserving time out for yourself is vital not just for your own wellbeing but very important to prevent burnouts that will help you sustain your business in the long run.

I am most proud of the dedication and effort that I put into my work to ensure that my clients receive the absolute best in quality and service. We frequently receive messages from people asking where we purchase our materials and most of our items are handmade and/or sourced after many hours of research and looking to match a particular aesthetic and style that I want for my setups. I always consider the quality and attention to details all while trying to use items that are more sustainable for the environment.

It has taken me years of developing my own taste and preferences in terms of style and aesthetic which I feel has helped me develop my brand for Alpaca Picnic and Events. I do have a certain aesthetic that does come from my own personal style, but I love planning with my clients and finding creative ways to bring their vision to life! It really is such a surreal and humbling experience to gain the trust and confidence that my clients have for me and my work. I have so much gratitude for every single one of my clients and they are the reason why I do what I do. I love that even in my 30’s, I am constantly learning something new through about myself as a woman and I hope to continue serving others and growing as a business owner.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First things first, we are fortunate enough to live in a city with some of the best weather and food! Some of my favorite things to do involve hiking, brunch, shopping, beaches and sunsets. So let’s break these activities down one by one:

Hiking: If you are a first time visitor, there are certain spots that are a must! Runyon Canyon and Escondido Falls are good places to start! Always check the weather before you head out and bring sunscreen and a hydroflask to keep yourself hydrated. I love to hike with my husband and our pom, Kobe in the morning to relax and work up an appetite for some delicious brunch!

Brunches: You absolutely cannot NOT go to brunch if you want the full Los Angeles experience. That consists of waiting at least an hour in line and ordering more than your stomach can handle and that one item that the restaurant is famously known for (could be their avocado toast, crab eggs benedict or their matcha green pancakes). Some of my favorite brunch spots are Cici’s Cafe and Blu Jam Cafe. Yes, the wait is ridiculously long on the weekends especially on Sundays because there is such thing as “Sunday Brunch”, but at least you’ll be very hungry by the time you are seated and their pancakes really are worth the wait (in my opinion).

Shopping: Where do I even begin…there is the iconic Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Promenade and my personal favorite, the Century City mall where I can grab lunch, shop, grab a drink, watch a movie and have dessert all in one beautiful outdoor mall. Please do not be shocked by the parking fees (I’ve paid $30 multiple times for being there easily for more than 5 hours) and confusing parking structures… it is just part of the Los Angeles experience.

Beaches: There are so many beautiful beaches to visit here along the Pacific Coastline and some of my favorite spots are Leo Carrillo State Beach (northside) and Lechuza County Beach in the city of Malibu. We could grab dinner and drinks at Geoffrey’s in Malibu and then stop by one of the beaches to catch the sunset.

Famous Attractions: Part of me considers the 405 freeway a famous attraction here in Los Angeles and I surely don’t miss sitting in traffic to commute, but we can head out early to beat traffic and go to see some famous attractions like Hollywood Blvd, check out the Downtown LA skyline through a glass in OUE Skyspace LA or maybe spend the entire day at a theme park like Universal Studios or Disneyland.

I would also highly recommend venturing outside of Los Angeles for one of the days and if the weather permits it, go down to Newport Beach and go kayaking or stand up paddle boarding.

I would say that the BEST part of Los Angeles are the restaurants and all of the various types of foods that you can eat from morning until night. We have lots of fine dining options (some even come with beautiful views of the ocean), lots of mom-and-pop food restaurants, spots with authentic cultural foods or with instagram worthy and new fusions foods, and food trucks that are just as good if not better than some of our Michelin star restaurants. Food is the universal love language and it makes me so proud to live in a city that thrives on cultural diversity!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a small business owner, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed and feel burnt out. Nowadays, owning a small business is not just about your products and services, but the constant struggle of marketing and creating content on social media on a daily basis while managing various parts of your business alone all while trying to find a balance in your personal life is not an easy task to say the least.

Now more than ever, I recognize the power of being part of a community of small business owners who share the same struggles and can fully understand the why and how we do what we do. Through my business platform, I have been blessed to have met (virtually and in real life) strong women who have taken strides to run and manage their small businesses and have given me encouragement and support whenever I need it myself that I feel such gratitude and this sense of community and sisterhood is truly unlike anything I’ve had working for corporations and employers in the past.

If I could give just ONE shoutout, it would be for the women and the interns (aka our husbands and boyfriends) in the entire Luxury Picnic Company community. From investing our money into this business and afraid of failing, suddenly having to now become content creators, constantly purchasing inventory and making DIY projects, giving up space in our homes that is now overtaken by those inventories and DIY projects, hauling furniture and boxes each way, cleaning after every event, spending more money that we should because we struggle to say “no” to ourselves and our clients, feeling the pressure and self doubt that creep in time to time and just the physical and mental toll everything can take should life decide to throw a curveball in your personal life…we do this not just because it is a source of income for ourselves and our families, but because it brings us all equally that much joy in seeing the reactions and knowing we were able to provide a service that makes our clients and their guests happy.

I wish I could give every single one of these hard working individuals a GREAT BIG HUG and thank them for inspiring me and being such an awesome support system for me when I have my self doubts and feel burnt out.

Website: alpacapicnicandevents.com

Instagram: @alpacapicnicandevents

Image Credits
Summit and Sur Photography, Yen Photography, and Annabel Hannah