#094 Re Pillow 3 XL debuts, the origin of the XL pillow, the work of the past six months, and the significance of difficulties and challenges to me (17/03/2024)

Image: Pro Add-On box. You can actually see a quote on the bottom of the box.

Welcome to this week's journal! The most important update this week is that the Re Pillow 3 XL extra-long pillow, which some of our customers may have been waiting for, is finally here.

The origin of XL pillows

I'd like to take this opportunity to share the story behind the XL pillow: About two years ago, at the request of a customer, we made our first extra-long pillow for a young female client. Since we manufacture pillows in our own factory in Hong Kong, making an extra-long pillow wasn't too difficult. At the time, I was curious and asked her why she wanted such an extra-long pillow. She said she lived with her boyfriend, but their bed wasn't big enough to fit two regular-sized pillows. She also wanted to be closer to her loved one without any gaps between the pillows, so she wanted to have an extra-long pillow custom-made.

Oh! I see.

After finishing one, I thought no one would have a similar request, so I put it aside. But a while later, another customer contacted me wanting to order one. Extra-long pillows. One after another, I started thinking that I should include this "extra-long pillow" in the product line, so that it would no longer be custom-made only when customers actively inquired about it. Thus, Re Pillow 2 XL was born.

This Friday, the Re Pillow 3 XL was finally launched.

The work of the past six months

The past six months have been incredibly busy, starting with the release of Re Quilt 2 last June. Last June was a turning point; looking back now, I realize I wasn't working hard enough, not pushing myself to the limit. Starting with Re Quilt 2, some might have noticed that Re Pillow Co. has added many more products, and these aren't just products released "for the sake of releasing" or "just getting by." There's genuine thought behind them, and from packaging to design to practicality, they're truly improved. For example, the new bed sheets are a genuinely useful and practical new product. But actually... Before and after June, I was the only one making these products. This actually means that I didn't work hard enough before.

The significance of difficulties and challenges to me

In the past month or two, for certain reasons, I've started handling more work that I don't normally do, which is somewhat challenging my limits. But I believe that people can improve and become more capable through such challenges, just like exercising to build muscle, because... Exercise first makes you strong, and being strong will make it easier for you to face the same difficulties in the future.

For example, at the beginning you might only be able to do 5 push-ups in a row, and you'd already feel exhausted and unable to continue. But after training, you might be able to do up to 50 push-ups. When you have... After you've mastered 50 push-ups, doing 5 more will become a breeze.

The environment has indeed been so-so lately. This week, I talked with the young boss of another well-known moving company in Hong Kong, and we both agreed that we really need to find our own ways to survive in adversity; every crisis presents an opportunity. If we can get through it, there will be hope. Indeed, many startups don't survive the first few years, especially in the current economic climate, which makes things even more difficult. The moving company boss is a very good young man, kind and persevering. I believe "Heaven sees what man does." I hope that both we and their company can make it through.