E108 - Laura and Sandra of So Loco
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Beth: [00:00:00] Welcome, my creative friend. Welcome back to Create Today with Beth Buffington. Today I have some very special guests that I cannot wait for you to meet. Let me introduce to you today. So Loco, and that is Laura Pley and Sandra O'Neill. So Loco is a brand founded by women for women with a mission that's rooted in empathy, strength, and solidarity.
So Loco and Laura and Sandra, they're committed to supporting the emotional health of women in every area of life through the highs and the lows, and all those moments in between. By creating meaningful products and fostering a community built on understanding and connection, Laura and Sandra, they aim to empower women to care for their emotional wellbeing and [00:01:00] to show up.
As your fullest self. So I want to welcome with great Emotion, my friends Laura and Sandra, to the Create Today Podcast. Welcome. I am so excited about our conversation today.
Laura: Thank you for having us. We're nervous, but we're excited.
Beth: That's what everybody says when they come. So you right at home, feel very comfortable.
because we love you. So we're good? Yes. Aww. I love you too. So, listeners, I've been friends with Laura and Sandra for a long time. We've done a lot of work together and I am super, super excited to share their new business and the story behind their business with you today.
So tell us a little bit about your background and then how this business became what it is today.
Okay.
Sandra: Me? Yeah, sure. So I've been in the, [00:02:00] I've been with product development now for 35 years. I was at my first place of employment for 25 years. Loved them, learned everything from them.
And that's where I met Laura. Laura was interviewing there. And I was her last stop in the interview process and, I had a picture of Jason Mraz on my computer and she was the biggest fan of Jason Mraz. So we had a little fight initially on who's the biggest fan. It was me. It was me. It was a friendly fight.
And then I kind of knew she already had the job. They just wanted me to. See if she would be a good fit personality wise. And we ended up talking about life and why she was, looking to move and start a career in this business. and we talked about our dads passing away.
And not being with them anymore, and we cried. So like we were crying in my office. And so I think we just both knew that we found a kindred spirit, with each other in that moment. You can keep go [00:03:00] from there.
Laura: Okay, so Sandra taught me to write my very first email to a Chinese factory. I remember like my first days there, I had to type an email and send it to her first for her approval so it could go overseas. So Sandra really gave me that foundation in product development. And though my time with her wasn't long at that company I moved on to several others and climbed the ladder very quickly.
Learning all different materials across. All different companies and finally landed at a company where I was like, you have to come with me. And so, we were able to work again together after almost like what, 12 years? 10. 10 or 12 years. Yeah. We were able to, I mean, we saw each other, every Atlanta, and we would always go to a Jason Mraz concert or something, we kept in touch and I always knew I wanted to work with Sandra again.
We just had such a. A kindred spirit. She can finish my sentences. We can, have an idea. I, it can be in my head. She, and it's in her head at the same time. I used to say this about one of my coworkers, not Sandra, another one that we were [00:04:00] 95% on the same page and 5% we were so far away from each other.
Sandra and I are like 95% on the same page and five. 5% still so close to that, being on the same page. So yeah we've worked together for several years over, through COVID and now, and yeah, we just, we, we always knew we were destined for something that was our own.
And here we are. Here we are. Yeah.
Beth: So then tell me, why so loco and how did that bubble up and become something that you decided to do on your own? Yeah,
Sandra: so I think it was because we had to travel so much together,
We were alone a lot in cars, on planes, And we're talking about issues that we are having with. getting ideas through and, coming up with ideas that didn't fit the plan of the company we were working with at the time. And someday we'll do this someday.
Oh my gosh, there's so many ideas. Oh, we could do a pool noodle and it could be this, and it could be that. and so finally one day we're talking in the car [00:05:00] and we came up with this idea of this. scream pillow.
And we laughed it off. We laughed about it and it was just, it was talked about in 20 minutes, just the same way we talked about the pool noodle, you know, or any other idea that we had. And then I would say a year or two later after that there were some things going on in our professional and personal life where.
Laura was just like, you know, Sandra, remember when we were talking about that, I just really feel that's something I'm, I haven't let it go. And I'm like, you're right.
I think once we realized what the scream pillow actually symbolized for us and what it could symbolize to other people in our minds, we started building.
More and more product. We started building more and more things that supported the scream pillow. It's not just about the scream pillow. Yes, we're gonna be talking about that and showing you guys that today, but it's not just about the scream pillow, it's about [00:06:00] everything around it.
Everything that we need to get through certain days. Not every day is, you know, a day that you need some sort of support. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. But so I think when we started realized that there's a lot that can go with it. We needed to, we wanted to venture out, we wanted to create a company.
We wanted to create the scream pillow. Yes. But, oh my God, we could do this. We could do that. We could that. I get chills every time I think about it and that's how, so Loco the company came about. Now, if you're asking about the name physically.
Laura: Go ahead, you go. Well, Sandra O'Neill is so, and I am Laura, but in college my nickname was Lo, and all my friends from college call me low.
So, so low. We were kind of playing around with, you know, our nicknames and how we sign off on our emails. And we, the funny thing was we were like, oh, lo SoCo. And we're like, yeah, that's it. That's it. We love that. And then I'm at my computer at my kitchen island and [00:07:00] Sandra's at my kitchen table, and she's oh, Laura, so we're so stupid.
It's so loco. And we're like. It's so loco, So it means a lot to Santa and I the name. But it also represents, for women sharing their emotions and how society in general thinks about that. they think women are crazy. the thing I always, the. Liken it to is, we didn't burn witches in the 16 hundreds.
We burned women. And that was because they were showing their emotions and that made them crazy. That made them, wrong and they needed to die for it. we wanted to do something that was really rooted in emotional wellness for women. All women, you know, no political affiliation.
It doesn't matter. We're all, at the end of the day, we're all women and we wanna support each other. We wanna support even the women that. Don't support us. the women that tear people down and make them, feel better in the long run. We, we wanna support everybody, every woman.
And and that's the biggest thing I think for us, is product that is going [00:08:00] to, give women the support the help that they need to get through a tough day, like Sandra was saying, or to just help them relax. after, a day of carting their kids back and forth to school in soccer practice, whatever that looked like, we wanna give them the tools and the product and the support in a community to be able to get through to the next day.
Beth: Yeah, that is fabulous. There's two things that I want to point out. First of all another layer of So Loco is the fact that you Took the courage and the bravery to step out of a comfort zone, which was health insurance and paid vacations and a paycheck that was coming in regularly to go out to do something on your own.
So the first part of your company's name is Solo.
Oh.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: Yeah. Right. Yep. I love that. Yeah. I wondered if you'd noticed that this is your solo venture You're your own company, you're [00:09:00] all by your solo, so that is, I think, amazing.
Yeah. And secondly, I wanted to read something that you had written on the questionnaire. That I think will really help women out there understand exactly what so Loko is doing for you. And that is you wrote as women, we share the quiet weight of what work has taken from us. And work can be the job.
You go to nine to five and work can also be that. Stay at home mom work that no one counts as labor because it is. we have to be mindful of what that work involves. And that is quite often compounded onto women more so still, even to this day than it is to men. So as women, we share that quiet weight of what work has taken from us and the compassion that [00:10:00] keeps us going.
Yeah. 'cause as women, we are almost all of us empaths that realize that in order to keep the world moving, it is us and our empathy and our compassion for friends and family and for our responsibilities that. We are mindful of. So you wrote, we know what it feels like to give too much and to be left carrying the impact alone.
I think those are such important words and your products, that's what they stand for and that is what they stand behind. So you said also we care deeply about one another and about creating something better together. That care is why we're choosing to speak up and build a community rooted in support, healing, and change.
Sandra: Yeah. Yes.
Beth: Yeah. Do you wanna add anything to that?
Sandra: You go first. You go first. I mean, I think it's just [00:11:00] supporting each other and I think it's so important to us. It's what I know I do naturally. So it was important to me and I know to Laura as well, to feel not taken advantage of. in the workplace. And and when I try to reach out and be kind and it's not reciprocated then a lot of times throughout my career being creative pulled me through.
Being creative was like, okay, I'm happy. I'm convincing myself. I get to create for a living. This is fun. I get to create, so I can do this every single day, I can do it, but I think my most recent situation, I couldn't anymore. And seeing the way others were treated and not just myself
so I basically had to do something to be happy in my own skin, I didn't wanna convince myself that being creative was making me happy.
I needed to be creative. And be happy.I don't know if I'm [00:12:00] saying that right, but I hope you understand that. I hope the listeners understand that I needed to get out of that toxic. Situation.
Beth: I think that's what your products stand for too.
Two ways. Yes. Yeah. Number one, your product is something physical that you can do to help yourself feel better. Yes. And your product is also something that a woman can get for themselves to remind themselves that they have every right. And they need to give themselves permission and they can allow themselves to feel better.
You know? Yeah. Yeah. So it is that realization that you should be able to do what you enjoy doing, and two, that you should be able to give yourself the permission to do that. Yes. And three, that it is okay for you to walk away from something that is not a good environment for you.
Sandra: Yeah. Oh, I see. And the thing is I'm not a, I wasn't angry at anyone so much as I am, like, let's just support each other.
I'm supporting [00:13:00] you. You support me. Let's just support each other. And they have. And like Laura said earlier, we want to do this for every woman. Even the people that weren't amazing to me. Or to my friend here, Like even those people we want to, they have the issues too.
Laura: They need to scream into a pillow. You know what I mean? They need to, pretty much everyone does. They need a sensory item. They need some joy too. I think too it's important that we realized in our experiences through the past years and companies, we're not the only women that are struggling, right?
We're not the only women that are having the issues that if we're suffering being the personalities that we are. There's so many others that are, and I do wanna touch on this just, and I don't know if this is the right spot to do it, but I'm going to, I was leading a team at one of my jobs and being.
The figure of this team and having to deal with people that just weren't being kind and weren't wanting to support me or help me or listen to me or [00:14:00] believe me, whatever it is, they just were doing their own whatever they needed to do. And I had people on the team that would say things, say negative things about someone of another woman.
And even though she was not. Supportive of us. I still took the road, the higher road and said, we don't say that about people. We don't say that especially about women. We support women, and whatever they need to do, that's on them, but we are supporting them. And I think that's a, that's a hard thing for people to swallow, to be like, when they're not necessarily being respected or treated properly by someone.
But in turn you're giving that respect and you're training your team to respect that person as well. I mean. That's what this is all about. It literally, when we say women supporting women, it doesn't matter. You know, a woman needs to be supported in all aspects, and that's our goal.
Even the ones that it's really hard to, you know, you dig really deep, but I think in the end, they're the ones that probably need the support the most, so, yeah. Yeah.
Beth: so I can tell by [00:15:00] just the stories that you've told so far that your idea for so Loco and for the products that you're doing. These weren't overnight successes. There weren't like a breakthrough idea that you just went, aha, let's do it.
just six months ago you came up with the idea, and today, here you are, Right. how do you think all of the ideas kind of came together to crystallize into your feeling that this needs to be a business for women about women? Can I take this one?
Yeah,
Laura: absolutely. Okay. So see, as Sandra said earlier, we, we had ideas all the time being creative people on the road traveling. We were constantly bouncing ideas or off, off each other. Sure. Most of them were geared towards our current work, at the time and. And we're like, oh, this is great.
But the pool noodle, like we, this is a really good idea. I mean, it's such a good idea, but we're, it wasn't the right idea. So I'll share that. This scream pillow, we talked about it several years ago and we're like, oh yeah, maybe, but if we, and it was kind of funny. It was silly. Yeah, silly.
And we're just like, oh yeah [00:16:00] we scream into pillows or we scream into coats, or we scream into this or that, or whatever. Yeah. And, we just. Kept circling back. We circled around it, we taught it, got a little bit better in our head, a little bit more refined over the years. And then I think we kind of got a little bit more serious about it in the last, in the last year or so where we're like, oh, this could be something at some point, But we were so in the trenches being creatively drained, at work because we're, just doing skew after skew. And, it's really hard to see the end game. But we did talk about it a lot. And then. In May after one of our big trips, I got home from, we got home from China and I actually I, my job went away.
I lost my job and I was just like, oh gosh, what am I gonna do? it kind of freaked me out, but in the end I think I was just like. It needed to happen. I mean, I hadn't been happy for a long time. I wasn't being creatively fed the way I like to be. And I wanted to do something more.
I felt like this was like my destiny speaking to me, being like, all right, Laura, now it's your time. And so I went. Head first [00:17:00] into it. And I was working on it, and, wishing Sandra could be there full time with me, working alongside me. But she was still, had to keep her job and do that for a while.
And then it got to the point where she's just I'm, I wanna be part of this. I wanna do this. I love the idea, I love all of it. So she made the decision to, to dive in head first, and it Came together fairly quickly. Right? Like the engineering of the sample, the sampling process.
we went to China to review our samples. We had to move really quickly because we didn't have a lot of time to pull that together. But the idea evolved. It took a long time and it was silly. It was good, it was bad. It was good. And we went round and,
Beth: and
Laura: here we are.
And then with all of this, as Sandra said earlier, more product ideas kind of fell into it. 'cause it wasn't, the company isn't about the scream pillow. The com, the company is about the mission of women supporting women, emotional support for women and what that looks like. And yes, the scream pillow is innovative and different and so cool and [00:18:00] fun and helpful and resourceful.
But there's so many other things. It's such a bigger. A bigger opportunity for us. So I guess that's a long answer.
Beth: No it's a good answer. I, so I think that one of the important things to unpack here is that the hardest part of any business isn't putting everything into motion.
It is those first ideas and getting an idea and then thinking it's good, it's bad. I should do something. I shouldn't do something. But what makes it end up being something that needs to be acted on is what you just mentioned, Laura, which is the layering of the reasons.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: This isn't just a pillow, this isn't just something to scream into.
We are here to support a bigger mission. And that mission for you was helping women and realizing that right now in our world, we have a lot of women that need some emotional support. This is your creative way to [00:19:00] say, oh, you can help. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Sandra: We want people to feel like, Hey, it doesn't have to be shameful to have a bad day or to need to scream into a pillow, but at the same time. Communicate with each other. Eventually we wanna get a whole community. Yeah. Eventually we wanna get people, like a platform where people, where somebody in North Carolina can say,
this happened to me today. Is anybody out there that is familiar and somebody from. Florida can say, oh my gosh, that just happened to me today too. And like common ground and community and discussion and friendship. Friendship and help. if we could get to that point, that's a dream.
That is the dream. That is a dream where, women can connect and not be. Alone in their scream or alone in their day, or alone in their issue. I think one of the things that's hardest is common ground thinking that, you have common ground with someone. Oh my gosh.
She understands, she understood. [00:20:00] The pain of losing a dad. She understood that, and that common ground, she made me feel normal in that moment like she understood that for me in that moment, and we bonded there, but there's common ground for everyone, whether there,
Not nice to you or they are. Whether they're, everyone deserves compassion and if women need to give it to each other, let's be examples. Let's just, let's give each other that compassion no matter where we are. Yeah. Whether it's at work and we're trying to come up with a great creative idea, or if you lost your dog or you lost your eyesight at the age of 40 and you can't believe it, or you have to wear readers, whatever the issue is like.
Compassion for each other.
Laura: Yeah. And I just wanna add one more thing, When we were thinking about the product, it was important that it felt like something that people would buy for themselves, right? Because they were investing in their wellbeing and their wellness, but we also wanted to be also a giftable type of an item because a woman gifting another woman, this item is.
Making [00:21:00] that woman feel seen and feel heard, and that's very important to what we're doing.
Beth: Yeah. Yeah. I love all that you've just mentioned here about community, because that is a huge way for us to feel better about what's going on. It is probably one of the most comforting things to find out you're not alone.
Yeah, absolutely. And that you have days where. All you want to do or all you need to do is scream into a pillow.
And if you know that others feel that way too, suddenly the burden doesn't feel quite so heavy.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: So I think this might be a really great time for you to show us some of the products that you have developed.
Okay. And then also I know that you are going to be showing these products. Today is January 5th. It's Monday and a week from tomorrow, or a week from today. I don't know when you guys are going [00:22:00] out, but let everyone know if there, if this is someone that will be in Atlanta where they might be able to find you so let's just do that.
Let's show you product and talk about where this product can be seen and shopped for. So, yeah.
Laura: All right. I'll show. This is our heart. Screen pillow with a ruffle and comfort designed handles on the back where you take the graphic side and you push it against your face and you let it out. The foam on the inside is noise canceling.
So it will muffle your screams and it's so this is the hard shape.
Sandra: We have a round gusseted one. So there, there's many different designs. So this one is saying, I am woman. Hear me roar. So this is just like an everyday phrase. So it's an empowering phrase. Again, the noise canceling and gu it here.
Laura: And what I, we should also note is that you can use a wipe on it to clean it or it can go in the [00:23:00] wash and you hang to dry. So if you get makeup all over it, it's not ruined forever. We also have a. Series. These are cause related screen pillows. We have seven different ribbons that you'll see and these are actually fur backed.
And then they have a comfort pocket for your hand. So it feels a little bit more cozy. It's a little bit more serious. So that's why we wanted to take extra care with these But still same noise canceling foam.
Sandra: So, so those are the ones we just showed you are kind of more like the novelty, very in your face.
I'm gonna scream, this is the reason why, and these are a little bit more hidden. These are a little bit more bougie, a little bit more lux. So these, this is velvet and satin. It's beautiful. I'm so happy when these get crazy. But the phrase on this, the phrase is embroidered. I don't know if you can see the phrase is embroidered here.
For the reason, for the, so it's a little bit more hidden. And if it's laying out nobody. Knows that you have a scream pillow. It's just a really pretty little pillow. So for those [00:24:00] of those people that wanna keep it hidden and don't wanna advertise it here's a beautiful little version here again with the straps.
Laura: And here's the round version. So we did it in heart and round again with the gusset and the comfort handles. The comfort handles. I also wanna add our padded, but then again, it has the phrase embroidered at the top. So it's a little wink, a little nod to why you're actually having this pillow is embroidered.
Monochromatic on top.
Sandra: And then super fun. We have the travel version. It's silly, but it's not, so what's cool is you can put your hand to the back here. And the reason for the reason for the scream or to just have it on hand is here. And again, it's made with the same noise canceling. Look at this beautiful design here.
Laura: One of our, one of our favorites
Sandra: we've seen across a couple different products. But it comes with a little bag and a little hook here to hang from, backpack or to hang inside your purse. And it cinch is shut. And then we also have
Laura: the bougie version, the [00:25:00] satin one. So it's satin embroidered so that you want the satin against your face, and then it's the velvet on the back to give you a little bit more comfort.
And then the satin bag. And as Sandra pointed out, we have a little ribbon cinch, but it has our logo on it. And then also the ring will be branded So loco, because we want everybody to know that you are a so loco girl. So with that, we also have a few other products, but this is what we are launching with.
Do you wanna talk about anything else? I
Sandra: want, I want you to come and see what we're all about. We're gonna be in Atlanta and the, we're gonna be in the temp area in building three.
Floor five. Booth 1223 right across from a bathroom.
Beth: And anyone that's been to Atlanta, that is key real estate to know about. Yeah,
Sandra: yeah. Yeah. So if you know anything about the Atlanta show, the Chick-fil-A are very important because it's the only place, it's one of the only places people can eat and we're near Chick-fil-A, so come and get a sandwich and come see [00:26:00] us.
Laura: and you can also find us on Instagram. Get underscore. So Loco. We're also on Facebook. We're on LinkedIn and we also have our website, which is www.getsoloco.com. And actually something cool if you do come to Atlanta and you stop by our booth. We are giving away phone straps. That have our So Loco brand on it and our website and the ring and it like, wear your phone on your wrist.
It's a very convenient thing. It's actually something Sandra and I love so much that we're like, we wanna give it to everyone so we have them to give away.
Beth: I'll be coming to get mine. I cannot wait.
Laura: Yes. We'll give you, we'll give you a couple so you can give them to your daughters too. Excellent.
Beth: Well, I know that working with Sandra and Laura in the past. That the products that they produce are top quality. They have an eye to detail and to material for just the lushness of a product and for the usability of a product. [00:27:00] So knowing this. What they have produced for everyone to use in those moments of emotional wellness.
It will hold up and cherish yourself as you are using them. So I cannot wait to touch them in person. I've seen a lot of the samples because I've had the the opportunity to be in the design stages with you and I, it's been very exciting. So, yeah. I cannot wait to see them in person.
Sandra: Yes, please. I'm so, I can't wait to see your face in our booth. I think we'll start crying when we see you. We're gonna say, and this is you and this is you and this is, you
Laura: did it. It really, it started with an idea, but it took a village. It really did. And the amount of people that came out to support us or show their enthusiasm, I mean, people that I don't even know.
Well, were just. offering anything. Let me know if there's something I can help you just to get you past that finish line, What, whatever people wanted to be a part of it and didn't want credit for it. They just wanted a part, be a part of it. And I can't tell you how much that means to Sandra and I the amount of [00:28:00] support we're receiving from so many people.
Beth: So I think that the fact that you brought that up is really important for any creative out there that is trying to, yeah. Get out on their own solo venture. And that is not to be afraid to reach out to people and let them know what you're doing. And you will find so many will say that very thing, oh, that's such a great idea.
Let me know what I can do this. This is my wheelhouse. Yeah. What can I do that will help you? Or how can I get the word out? So having a community of people who have got you and are supporting you is truly important. So you don't need to feel like if you start this on your own, that you have to keep it quiet until it's successful before you let people know what you are thinking about.
So that. Don't be afraid
Sandra: to talk about. It's hard. You're hard out there. It's hard to tell people the idea. It was really hard for me. I mean, I felt oh, we'd get a few [00:29:00] Snickers from the guys, the guys that we would tell about it, but we don't,
Laura: no. They're like, wow,
Sandra: When are you gonna do guy versions?
You know, what are you gonna what, And one day we might do some things, but I mean. We have so much to cover for ladies at first. Yes. So, so much. But yeah, no it's true and it's for those of you like me, it's really hard to accept help. when I realized.
That it was feeding other creatives to help us as well. one friend in particular, she's just I have to be a part of something meaningful. It's been a long time for me. Oh yeah. So please, lemme be a part of it and. We love her and she's been a huge support.
So, and a friend of mine from my past helped with a logo. Yeah. And she just wants to keep going, what else can I do? And she, and our logo is beautiful. And I'm so proud of that, that we have people other creative ladies who just wanna feel fulfilled and they.
They're wanting to do this so they can have a part of it because they know the mission So that's [00:30:00] been really touching.
Laura: Yeah. And the amount of people that wanna come to Atlanta just to work our booth because they wanna be a part of it somehow, you know, is it's, yeah, it's just, it's really humbling, honestly.
Beth: Well, I know I was one of those people that said, Hey, I wanna come and I wanna be there. But you can, and you'll, one of the things we talk a lot about on the podcast is as a creative to building your confidence. I've talked to so many hundreds and hundreds of creatives who are beautiful artists, but their biggest sticking point is their own confidence and what they're capable of doing.
And so do you have any advice to give to creatives who are. Sitting here thinking, I don't know. I might have a good idea, but I don't know if I can do this. What advice do you have for creatives to, cultivate their confidence and to hop out of that comfort zone that [00:31:00] might actually be a toxic environment for them?
How do we pull ourselves away from that to go try something entirely new? That seems a little scary.
Sandra: That's a hard one because, I mean, I, because of the environment I was in I felt pushed to do it. It wasn't or I was gonna drown, if that makes any sense. I felt pushed to do it, so, I'm not a confident person.
That's, I say a lot that I wouldn't be able to do this without Laura, and it's true. Like I, I need a person. I know my strengths, I do know them, but I'm not a confident person. I'm scared to show these pillows to people. I want them to embrace the meaning behind them, the way I, the way we do.
It's gonna hurt my feelings if they don't, If we can't help people it'll crush me. But you just, you have to dig deep in, in life in everywhere. You have to dig deep. It's. whether it's a creative [00:32:00] issue or personal issue, you have to dig deep to get through anything.
And it's no different than anything else. Push yourself through. It's easy to say believe in yourself. I don't know if I believe in, I don't know. I don't know, but I'm digging deep and I'm, and I have. A s the support of a friend and my family and you, and, so many people.
So talk to people. Don't do it alone. Creatively. Speak to someone and get their ideas and elaborate on them and make everything better. Talking to somebody about one idea makes ev makes it better. They're gonna say, Ooh, what if it was pink? What if it had a flower? What if it had wire on the inside?
I don't know. And they're gonna, they're gonna help it grow. You did that for us. You, when we told your ideas, you were like, dink, what if you did this? What if you did that? And we love that. And it expands and it waters you. you feel like you're growing that idea. Confidence is tough. That's a [00:33:00] hard one. That's a hard one. But you have to dig deep. You have to talk to people. You have to know how to accept those compliments. It's hard, right? It's hard to receive a compliment, but how to receive it and what to do with it and push. Yeah.
Laura: So I, I struggle with confidence as well.
I came into this business late in my career. I think I was 35 when I started in product development. And I actually, I wrestle with imposter syndrome to be, if I'm being honest and sharing, it's oh, I get to the point where. I'm a vice president of a company and I'm leading a team, and it's like all my, everything goes through me and I'm like, am I really, am I able to do this job or am I, or have I fooled all of these people?
Have I fooled my friends and family? Have I fooled? And I mean, I go through that and, and depending on, your circle of peers that you're working alongside, when they have a negative thing to say or they don't understand where an idea came from, it's oh yeah, that's [00:34:00] just validating that I don't know what the heck I'm doing.
Right. And when that happens for a really long time it's hard to keep, like trusting your instincts and trusting your skills and, trusting that you know what you're doing. So it's hard. But I think my best advice is, you need to know your circle that are giving you these, this feedback.
Know you need to believe in that circle and trust that circle because that's just as important as trusting your own skills because the people who are giving you the feedback like the people that have given me feedback, that weighed so heavily on my heart, I mean, broke me down to tears a lot. They don't know what they're talking about. Right? Like really? They don't know. They don't know what I'm capable of. They don't know what I can do. but Sandra does, Beth, you do. And Beth, I should be listening to you. You guys are giving me the confidence because you know what I'm capable of.
Yeah. Because you've seen me do it. And you are in the same world as me. Your creative world, you can see. So I will say. Confidence is hard, but trust the circle that's giving you the [00:35:00] feedback that's making you feel confident. I guess that's my advice.
Beth: I love what you guys just said because I think there are a lot of creatives who will be listening to this today thinking if only.
I could be where you are, I'd have more confidence. And then to hear you say, I don't feel like I'm a confident person, or I have a very loud inner critic, imposter syndrome. Allowing that, sharing that you have those feelings, I think is going to be helpful for people to say, oh, I, I don't have to get rid of that, and I don't have to be totally confident before I start something on my own.
Because life is never perfect. Yeah. And we're never completely confident. Yeah. And we always feel like maybe we're pulling a fast one on someone when we're doing something new. Yeah. And [00:36:00] that's not going to go away.
But to be able to be brave enough to say, but I'm gonna do it anyway. That is where your sneaky confidence is gonna come in and show you things that you still will look back on a year from now, or two years from now, or even a week from now.
And you're gonna go, dang, look what I just did.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: And I didn't think I could, but I did it anyway.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: So that is the threshold you are on right now You've moved mountains this year to get where you are right now to move to where you're going tomorrow. And what you have realized is that you are able to stand on the shoulders of giants who have decided you are worthy.
You have what it takes, and they have advice to give and they have support to give you. And you are [00:37:00] embracing all of those things. So you don't have to be the strongest person in the room. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room. You don't have to be the most experienced and wise person in the room.
You just have to have the drive, the say, what would happen if I did this thing? Yes. And that's what you have. I
Sandra: think that's definitely what's pulling me through is the fact that. My passion for it and like the fact that we might actually help someone. Yes. Someone else is gonna find value in that and maybe help them.
Yeah. It helps
Laura: just one person. Yeah. I, we've done our, a good job.
Beth: Well, I know in when you were working on business ideas, one of the things that they always talk about is, you know, figure out your why. And sometimes it seems so ridiculous. Oh, come on, I just wanna make some money. I got this idea.
Let's sell some stock. Right. But it's true. That's what you guys worked on is, yeah, you had this idea, scream pillow, welcome, see that, and, but why are we doing that? Yeah. And you spent time figuring that out. [00:38:00] And your why is, as women, we share the quiet weight of work. What it has taken away from us and the compassion that keeps us going and you know, what it feels like to give too much and be left carrying the impact alone.
Sandra: Yeah.
Beth: That was your why, and because you figured that out, you made that foundation that was so strong that you can stand on it firmly and move ahead with the beautiful products that you have. Aw, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I am super proud to be your friend and be someone who gets to enjoy this journey with you.
I am super excited to share your story with the Create Today listeners today, and I also cannot wait to see what unfolds for So Loco in 2026. Super exciting. We can't wait either. Yeah, we can't wait.
Laura: We're very excited.
Beth: So, we talked about where they can find you. So [00:39:00] everyone check the show notes.
I'm gonna have live links that will be able to take you to Instagram and any other places that, so Loco is going to have live links that can help you find out where you can find and buy their products. If you're in Atlanta again, say your booth number so everyone can get that ready.
Sandra: We're in building three.
Floor five, booth 1223. And if you know Atlanta, the shows are January and July. July, but this year's gonna be in June. This year. Yeah. 26. Yep. Oh my gosh.
Beth: Yep.
Sandra: But also we're not waiting for the shows. We're just going to, we're just gonna, with all of our media, with everything, we're just gonna, every time we're finished a project or a collection, we're gonna upload it immediately and it's gonna be ready for.
To be seen and sold immediately, so,
Laura: and we're also on fair.com. Yes, we got approved for that.
Beth: Yay. Yay. So that means you need to be always checking in with So Loco to see what's [00:40:00] now. Yes. And what's next, because you don't have to wait for the shows to get caught up on the latest. You can go to the shows to see what's going on, but you're gonna continually roll out product as a year goes around.
So, that's truly exciting. Yes. So any last words before I let you loose out into the world to do great creative things?
Laura: just thank you. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. You thank you. And thanks for listening and thanks for believing and we see you and we're here for you. Yeah, I think that's the most important thing.
Yes.
Sandra: Thank you for the support and I hope anybody who listens, feels our passion behind this and knows that that we care about you.
Beth: Yeah. I think every creative who is listening today is either going to be able to take advice from you on what they can do for their own creativity.
Yes. And
also everyone has some emotional baggage that, yeah. They need to [00:41:00] figure out how to release.
Sandra: Yes.
Beth: And I think y'all need a scream pillow.
Sandra: Yes. Or at least talk to us. Yeah, just talk to us one time and we would love to, to say hello to every single one of you. Yes.
Laura: We learn from everybody we meet. I mean, it's true.
So please stop by and say hi. Reach out. Say hi.
Beth: Yep. If you're not in Atlanta, reach out on Instagram and absolutely say hello. We'd love that.
Sandra: Yep. We would totally love that.
Beth: So creative friends. I hope that today has been a. A scream releasing experience for you and that you have learned a little bit about what you don't need to have as far as confidence in order to get started, and that a great idea is something that you should pay attention to.
Figure out where your creativity is leaning right now. What is keeping you from following your dreams? Take a look at what so Loco is doing and has done and will do. [00:42:00] And figure out how you can do something similar. So that as always, my friend, you can stay creative. Thanks for joining us today. You have been a delight.
Thank you, girls. I cannot wait to see what you'll be doing a year from now.
Laura: Thank you. We'll see you soon.
Beth: Bye everyone.
Laura: Bye.
