Iam very happy to share another coffee talk with you. This week I hosted the founder of THE PILLOW MANUFACTORY.
Find out how the story began and why you should definitely buy an eye pillow for optimal relaxation.
Now grab your coffee, tea or hot chocolate and dive with me into the world of eye pillows and the world of relaxation, not just for your eyes.
DW: Dear Angela, I am very happy to welcome you as my guest today. Would you like to tell us a little more about yourself and how you came up with the idea of creating and selling eye pillows?
Angela: With pleasure. I am currently doing my Masters in Banking and Finance at the University of Zurich. In recent years I have noticed more and more that studying alone no longer fulfills me and was therefore looking for something new. I kept talking to my friend Eva about what it would be like to set up something of my own. Exactly one year ago, the starting signal finally came. We were on vacation together and thought about different possibilities how and with what we would like to start our own company. Finally we agreed that since we saw a gap in the market for making crocheted bags, we decided to make them ourselves and start a business with these bags.
Since I personally have been suffering from very severe migraines for many years, I found my way to the eye pillows. I've tried everything possible to combat my migraines. Unfortunately, I never found the one trigger that triggers migraines in me. However, I had long suspected that it had something to do with the eyes. One day I sat down at the computer and googled a bit. At some point I came across the eye pillow and since I like to sew myself, I sat down and sewed myself an eye pillow. I also warmed the pillow up a bit in the oven and put it warm on my eyes. I don't know when and if I've ever been able to relax as much as I do at this moment. It was clear to me then!
When the next business meeting took place, I went to my girlfriend and told her that I really wanted to make eye pillows myself. This is how our path together with THE PILLOW MANUFACTORY finally started. After a few months we parted ways due to time constraints and since then I've been working alone for THE PILLOW MANUFACTORY. However, I am very happy to have experienced the start with my girlfriend. She's been a wonderful partner and we're still in regular contact, which I think is wonderful.
DW: I can imagine that it's not easy when you regularly struggle with migraines and nothing really seems to help. Many readers can certainly identify with it. So I'm very excited to learn how the eye pillows work to get that relaxation. Could you please explain to the readers how the eye pillows work?
Angela: With pleasure. The eye pillows traditionally come from yoga and have been used there for many years. They support our relaxation because they have a positive effect on our nervous system. Our nervous system consists of two parts: the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for activity, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation. Many of the parasympathetic nerve endings are located around the eyes. The gentle pressure of the eye pillow sends a signal to the brain, which allows us to relax particularly deeply. Furthermore, the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system and leads from the eyes directly to the heart, gives us a feeling of security.
The eye pillow also protects our eyes from light and it relaxes our eye muscles. It also helps you fall asleep and can relieve headaches.
DW: A small all-rounder. I never thought that the eye pillows could have such an effect on us. How are your eye pillows made? Do you make them yourself or have a third party make them?
Angela: I do everything myself from home. I buy the fabric locally, the rice comes from Italy, as I mentioned, and I sew the cushions afterwards. It's important to me that the eye pillows are not only made with love, but also don't have long transport routes behind them.
DW: Can you also tell us something about the contents of the eye pillows? Are there any specific requirements here?
Angela: The eye pillows are filled with rice. The rice adapts very well to the area around the eyes and the rice can also be warmed up or cooled down. Rice is also odorless. If you want, you can also purchase an eye pillow with the scent of Swiss stone pine (this comes from the Engadin, Switzerland) or lavender via the website. Both scents have a very calming effect and can naturally also support relaxation.
DW: I find it wonderful and very inspiring how you have found your mission and are following your heart. How do you motivate yourself to keep going despite your studies? I can imagine that it is not easy to reconcile your studies and your business?
Angela: I get my motivation mainly from the fact that I've often suffered from migraines in the past. I've always had a hard time finding relaxation. The eye pillows are a very effective yet simple way to relax. My motivation is that I want to pass this on. I want to show everyone out there how effective the eye pillows are and how easy it can be to relax.
DW: I love how you have now turned your past, which has brought you a lot of pain, into something positive. This shows again that everything happens for a reason that I am 100% convinced of. Please tell me where you can buy your wonderful eye pillows?
Angela: The eye pillows are currently available on my website or in my webshop.
https://www.thepillowmanufactory.com/shop.html
You can choose the classic version or with lavender or pine to support relaxation even more.
DW: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time. Finally, do you have a tip for the readers on how they can follow their heart's path and stay motivated?
Angela: I would say stay inspired and don't be intimidated. Each of us starts small, even those who are very successful today. We all started somewhere. It helped me a lot that I could share my mission and passion with my girlfriend. If you are looking for inspiration, you can of course also use social media to get inspired. I think there are a lot of small businesses on social media that can be a big inspiration for you.
A last important point, which mainly affects the business side and has helped me a lot, is that I have planned with my budget. I started with my student budget and it was and is important to me to stay within this budget. So far I have been able to do this very well. I think it's important here to be and remain realistic when it comes to the financial aspect.
DW: I agree 100%, thank you for these wonderful tips. Is there anything else the readers should know about the eye pillows? Where can they find more about you if they're curious to learn more about you?
Angela: If you buy an eye pillow, you will also receive a small set of instructions. Here everyone can read how the eye pillows work and why they have such a positive effect on our relaxation.
In terms of sustainability, you can also wash the eye pillows and thus give you pleasure for a long time.
If you want to know more about me, you can find me on Instagram @thepillowmanufactory or my website will also give you some information about me and the eye pillows
https://www.thepillowmanufactory.com/
DW: Thanks again for your time, it was really a pleasure talking to you. All the best to you!
If you have any questions about THE PILLOW MANUFACTORY, you can contact Angela directly via her website https://www.thepillowmanufactory.com/ or may also contact at any time report to me.
Just send me an email to: kontakt@deboraswellness.ch
I hope the coffee talk inspired as much as it did me. I'm looking forward to sharing the next talk with you soon.