Meet Jen Smith | Skateboard Store Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jen Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen, how does your business help the community?
Our business helps the community and the world in a few ways. For one, we are an establishment and we have had our doors open for 28 years. At this point we have dads and moms who shopped with us as kids and young teenagers back in the 90’s bringing their kids into the shop to buy them their first skateboards. The generational connection is really neat to witness. I can’t take credit for this though, my dad started selling skateboards in the 70’s at the swapmeet and opened Soul Grind in 1993 when I was 7 years old. I have been in and out of the shop since then and I only started running the place in early 2020. We are a family owned and operated store which I also believe gives people some kind of hope in life. That might sound cheesy but its one of those things that might look like an ideal life. Father and daughter working together. The truth is that it is an ideal life! Its not perfect or easy but its real. I feel good at the end of the day knowing that I am able to support someone like my dad who has given me so much support in life.

Our business is selling skateboards. Skateboarding makes people happy. Social interaction makes people happy. At a time like this 2020/2021, people are looking for healthy outdoor activities and we are able to supply them with the means to do that. Our business is 99% in person at our brick and mortar store. People can walk in the shop and speak to a real person and touch and feel the product as they are picking out parts for their boards. Its like going back in time when you walk into our store. The nostalgia of the old boards in our museum collection and the whole process of picking out parts and watching us build skateboards as the customer looks on is a special thing and I can tell that we make social connections with our customers all the time. When people have a good experience with us, they tend to come back, we make unintentional friends all the time in the shop.

Lastly, our store is a place that doesn’t have a “cool guy” factor or feeling. My dad has set the bar in this department, giving time and energy to anyone who walks in the door without judgment. I’ve heard the word “safe space” enough recently to actually feel like our shop is just that for the skateboarding community. I see people from all walks of life walk through the door, sometimes I can tell they are nervous and uncomfortable or just feeling out of their element. Its pretty cool to see people get stoked in the shop and help them find a board or build them a custom board when they have walked in the door not knowing what they need or being to nervous to really know where to start. We welcome anyone, no matter what, as long as they are interested in skateboarding.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Soul Grind Skate Shop is a skateboard store in Pacific Beach, San Diego. It was established in 1993 when my dad went from selling skateboards at the swap meet to opening his first retail store. We specialize in all things skate and we sell a lot of Cruiser Boards and Longboards. We do a lot of Custom Built boards and 99% of our business right now is out of the brick and mortar store which is a novelty in this day and age. We are located near the beach and we are surfers, which is why we sell so many cruisers and surfy skateboards. Keeping any business alive for 28 years is no easy task. My dad has had a lot of good help over the years and I know that his ability and willingness to talk to anyone has contributed.
I found myself running the shop in early 2020 by a series of events which were out of my control. First my sister resigned, then the pandemic hit and the bakery I had been working at closed its doors for about a month and a half. I never really asked for the job, I just sort of landed here, running the store during a time when the industry was spiking and product was hard to get. I was handed an established store to run with no experience in ordering, inventory or seasonal changes. Its been a real challenging time for me. Learning to take on these challenges has been fun, anxiety-filled, exhausting, and fulfilling. Ive had to roll with the punches since the pandemic hit. What I have learned is that taking time to rest is soooo important. Having love in your life and being there for friends and family is very important. Taking a little time to step back from your daily grind and relax and just be is key to being your best version of you. Taking advice from friens, family and people who are experts in certain areas, such as digital marketing where I have no experience, has helped me a lot too.

Building skateboards is by far the best part of this job, which is all I used to do before I was running the shop. I have so many more responsibilities to handle before I even think about actually building a board. Now its almost like a kind of therapy to come in and build a compete for the rack when I get to work or if I have some free time during the day and we need boards for the wall.

One thing that I love about the skate shop are the stories that come out when I’m here. Whether its my dad telling me stories from back in the day or a customer telling a story, I really feel that listening and telling stories is one of the best ways to connect with people. You can talk to someone all day about products or whats new on the market, but once the stories come out, that’s when the real connections are made.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Easy, provided that they surf…. I would take them to get a coffee on our way to the beach at a spot called Coffee Cycle. Then we would go check out the ocean in PB either at the pier or Tourmaline. We would probably surf Tourmo and then go get a pastry, another coffee or a sandwhich at Wayfarer in Birdrock. If PB cove was breaking and the wind wasn’t too strong I would try to get back out there on some gliders. I would probably take them to Soul Grind to check out the shop. If we had time I would take them to Bird’s Surf Shed to look at boards and hopefully catch up with Bird. I’m a big fan of an afternoon beer so either a backyard beer or at a friend’s house would be ideal. If Cass Street Bar and Grill were open that would be on the list.
If we were a weekend I would take them up to Moonage Food Co. in Leucadia to get some tacos and listen to some music.
Depending on how fancy we are feeling we might have to go to the Fisher on Cass st in PB for a cocktail and some food.
Baloboa park is usually on the agenda for out of towners to walk and look at the gardens. If I’m in that area Saiko Sushi is ususally on my radar for sushi and sake.
I love skating the baordwalk too so depending on energy and skill level would probably do a boardwalk cruise from PB to the rollercoaster and back after dark when all the people had cleared off. Another fun skate mission is the pumptrack in Carmel Valley. I wish we had one closer to PB!
I think that’s about all the activities I have in mind for San Diego in a day or two.
I’m always looking for an excuse to go to Mexico so if there is time and everyone is down I’d take them across the border for the day and surf and eat tacos!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe the most credit to my Dad, Pablo Smith. He set the bar as far as business goes. He has stuck to his guns for decades and has kept Soul Grind Skate Shop in business through all the waves of the skateboarding industry. He has taught me plenty of other things in life as well, including how to surf! He supported my dream of becoming a professional longboarder and winning a world title which I achieved in 2007 and 2009. He set the example of sticking with it and not deviating from your path. Pick one thing and do it, and do it well.

Also, my sister Marianne, she used to run the store before her own business Mary’s Heirloom Seeds took off. She set the bar for me as far as showing up, working hard and making the most out of the space we have her in the retail store. I remember when the shop moved locations and I came into the store to say hi when I was working as a cook. I walked in and the store was looking better than it ever had and I knew it was because she was running the place and had set up the new store. She’s a hard worker and I still have a lot to look up to her for.

Of course I have a list of people who have helped me throughout my journey from young dreamer to professional surfer to cook to retail store manager and now looking at starting my own skateboard brand. To list a few, Bird from Birds Surf Shed, Kassia Meador from Kassia Surf, Erin Ashly, and firstly My Mom who actually told me I could do anything I wanted in life and I actually believed it and have done such.

Website: www.soulgrind.com

Instagram: @soulgrindskateshop

Facebook: soulgrindskateshop

Yelp: soul grind skate shop

Image Credits
Kim Kirch, Jon Slavin,