This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Comfy Pillow provides seatbelt support for cancer patients. Welcome, friends. My name's Chris Guillebeau, the host of Side Hustle School, every single day, seven days a week for nine plus years in counting, bringing you different stories, case studies, ideas, tips, all designed to help you move forward with an income generating project of your own. There's something you can do for yourself, something to increase economic empowerment, so you can just do more of what's important to you, whatever that is, and you might be able to do that in a way that makes the world better for other people as well. I think that is the ultimate goal in life to improve your circumstances and others.
So with that in mind, today's Throwback Thursday episode fits right into that. Throwback Thursday is a segment we have, coincidentally or not, it goes out every Thursday. We take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved along the way since we first featured them in a previous episode, long ago, today's story. We're gonna hear from Rachel Park. She's the creator of the Park Puff.
Park Puff is a go anywhere seatbelt pillow for cancer and surgery patients. We first told her story back in episode 1032, Breast Cancer Survivor Creates Seatbelt Covers, very meaningful project, of course. So let's hear a bit more about what's happened since. Gonna pass the mic to Rachel. I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap up.
[Music]
Hi everyone, my name is Rachel Park. I'm a small business founder and owner of Rachel Park Designs. And I'm located in LA. And I was so thankful to have my story previously featured on Side Hustle Schools episode 1032. My side hustle is I'm a made to order tie designer and breast cancer survivor.
During treatment, I used my sewing skills to help my fellow breast cancer survivors and created the Park Puff a stylish chest comforting go anywhere seatbelt pillow for cancer and surgery patients worldwide. With its portable and stylish design, the Park Puff seatbelt pillow allows your chest to travel in comfort while in the car, whether you're driving or riding in any country. I made one for myself after surgery and have been using it daily ever since. So I'm not only the founder, but also a proud user. And all pillows are handmade with love by me in Los Angeles.
My main hustle by day is I am a Salesforce consultant. My tech background served me well when creating the pillow. Working with one of my surgeons, we beta tested it by giving samples to her breast cancer patients with the understanding that they would provide feedback for my market research. Before I was diagnosed, I was let go from a very demanding, stressful and unhealthy tech job. I was focused on the wrong things such as title or paycheck and was really miserable.
I was surviving, but not living. After cancer, I re-evaluated everything. Now it's more important for me to work with meaning, purpose and intention. I'm also a strong advocate for small businesses and diversity in tech, especially women of color. Since my first appearance on the podcast, I have been receiving more international orders, usually from someone based in the United States to be shipped elsewhere.
But recently I received an order from another country to be sent to someone in another country. I always knew that this product could help so many worldwide. So it makes my heart happy to see it actually start happening knowing that my pillow will comfort more patients in their time of need. My biggest and chronic challenge is keeping up with demand. In this society of immediate gratification, people need to remember that I am a one-woman show doing everything myself, marketing, sewing, packing, shipping, et cetera, and I am doing my best to keep up.
I also include handwritten cards and a lot of love with every single order. I often feel overwhelmed, but I just have to keep remembering why I do what I do and that my focus will always be on the patient and making impact over money. As a small business owner on the constant quest for growth, I struggle with these questions. How do I not be focused on sales, KPIs, or keep performance indicators, followers, likes, et cetera? How do I stay authentic and true to my purpose in a culture that is constantly telling me that I need to hustle and grind 24/7?
How do I live well and have a healthy life beyond work, which is the most important for me after cancer? It's constant work to make balance and stay focused. As a part-time business owner, I'm often told I am not a quote unquote real business, but says who? I have customers besides my mom, friends, and family that actually pay for my product that helps comfort patients during healing and recovery all over the world. Recently, I spoke to a friend who is running her business full-time, feeling like I'm never doing enough, even though I have a nine to five and two side hustles.
And she told me, "I have always admired how you've set such clear boundaries around your business and have done it your way. Honestly, I'm tired. I need a break. And I needed to hear that. Isn't one of the benefits of owning your own business that you don't have to follow what anyone else is doing and that you can create your own rules?
Isn't the hope that will allow you to live a life that you want? So run your own race and try not to compare yourself to others. Although someone may be offering something similar to you, no one has the same story. That's what makes you and your product or service unique. I'm proud to represent for a slide hustler's out here.
I'm not trying to be a starving artist. I like that my day job gives me stability and scratches a completely different edge than my business. [Music]
Thank you so much, Rachel. I really appreciate you sharing that update. And thank you as well for creating this product, serving many people over the years, doing something to, as I said in the beginning, improve your circumstances and those around you.
Want to encourage listeners, check out parkpuffpillow.com. At the time I'm recording this, it says she's on a little bit of a break, but hoping to reopen soon. So perhaps by the time you go there, she'll be reopened. If not, hopefully again soon. And listeners, let me know who you'd like to see featured from our archives of 3,000 plus episodes, 3,000 plus episodes, nine plus years.
sidehustleschool.com. You can access resource files and notes for every episode. You can join the email list there. You can download or stream every one of those 3,000 plus episodes all for free. That's right, my friends, it's free.
And also new episodes out every day, seven days a week, wherever you like to listen. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
