About the Founder
My passion for art and inspirational sayings began in childhood. Positive messages were a way of life at home as my mom, a single parent, relied upon them. These messages sourced my strength with her cancer diagnosis when I was 14. I wrote them all over my notebooks. At 15 my mom died so me and my brothers moved in with our grandmother. Within five years my older brother died tragically, and soon afterward I lost my grandmother too. To cope I placed positive affirmations all over my room and read Bible Scriptures daily. This inspired me to move on.
Later after getting married and having two girls, I painted murals of prayers, affirmations, and Bible Scriptures in their rooms. I’d read these to them at bedtime. Integrating positive expressions into my living environment brought me joy and peace.
*Research from Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University proves that our physical environment impacts our behavior. By surrounding ourselves with uplifting messages over time we can rewire our brains and strengthen our positivity. We can also improve biological functions and perform better under duress. Learning about this research compelled me to share these powerful practices with others.
Years later my husband stayed in Guatemala while I moved to the United States with our daughters. He traveled back and forth between the two countries yet within one year we separated. For Father’s Day our girls spent the day with their dad at a Florida beach. Without my knowledge or consent, he took them to Guatemala. This began a lengthy litigation process and battle for custody. For five years I didn't have any contact with my daughters. During the fifth year I found an opportunity to see them for two weeks. Altogether we were apart for six years before they moved back to live with me.
During the six most challenging years of my life, I again turned to uplifting messages, prayers, and affirmations to keep going. I wrote a prayer on the wall of my room which I read every day many times: “I refuse to go backwards. I’m going forward with God. I’m going to be the person he wants me to be. I’m going to fulfill my destiny.” This became my mantra which assured me my girls would return.
While we were apart I painted affirmations and prayers on the walls of my home in every room and corridor including the garage. I created a faith box to put quotes, prayers, Bible Scriptures−anything that offered hope. Whenever doubt crept in, I read them. I imagined wrapping my daughters in words of love and blessings on pillowcases. This is how PilloveTalk began.
For many years PilloveTalk remained an idea as I returned to school for an MA degree in Peace and Justice Studies and began working at the University of San Diego. My dream didn’t seem possible with no space in my life to create it.
Even though I kept pushing the idea away, PilloveTalk wouldn’t let me go. It clung to my heart. After sharing the idea with friends and colleagues, they urged me on. I then felt willing to take some small steps. By enrolling in classes to learn about the industry and how to sew, I created my first samples with handwritten affirmations on pillows.
As the amount of time I needed to work on the project exceeded the time I had: weekends and nights; I finally left my job to pursue my long-term dream. These smaller steps led to larger ones as I became a Fellow in the Startup Leadership Program in San Diego where I have been working with many mentors. One organization called Helping Women Help Themselves has been instrumental to my success.
PilloveTalk started to sell the first products at the end of 2015 after seven years of birthing. Without anticipating it, people bought pillowcases in droves. They purchased them for family and friends in the hospital, with various health issues, in recovery centers, overcoming emotional losses or experiencing unexpected challenges or tragedies.
For much of my life I have been passionate about integrating positive messages into my living environment. Now my life’s purpose is to design home products and textiles for others with affirmations, prayers, and uplifting messages so they can improve their health and overall well-being with reminders of meaningful ideas.
Every time customers share their stories about how comforting the inspirational pillows have been, I know I’m doing what I came here for. By bringing others hope and helping to deepen their faith and love, my heart feels full.
Research
According to research by J. David Creswell, Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, a practice of self-affirmation also helps us perform better under stress.”This new work suggests a mechanism for these studies, showing self-affirmation effects on actual problem-solving performance under pressure.”
hyperlink: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0062593
“In his widely-acclaimed book, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Norman Doidge M.D. states plainly that the brain has the capacity to rewire itself and/or form new neural pathways — if we do the work. Just like exercise, the work requires repetition and activity to reinforce new learning. It means that repetitive positive thought and positive activity can rewire your brain and strengthen brain areas that stimulate positive feelings.” 2
2) http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/how-positive-thinking-re-wires-your-brain/
Julia Boehm, a research fellow in the department of society, human development, and health at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, found optimism and positive well-being not only better protected against heart disease but having these traits improved other biological functions and lead to living a healthier lifestyle.
Boehm said people with a more positive outlook on life were 50 percent less likely to experience a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke, compared with their less optimistic peers, one study in the review showed.
Dr. Laura Kubzansky, associate professor of society, human development, and health at Harvard added, "These findings suggest that an emphasis on bolstering psychological strengths rather than simply mitigating psychological deficits may improve cardiovascular health,”3
3) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/optimism-protects-against-heart-attack-and-stroke-study-shows/
