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Interview with Patricia Moore, founder of Soft-Hearted Pillow
How did you come up with the idea?
The idea for the Soft-Hearted Products Pillow Pet Urn was literally “born from my heart” when I lost my most recent companion dog, Samantha in March of 2007. Sammy was a Havanese, a companion breed, and took her job very seriously! She was always right next to me, did everything that I did; a true companion in every sense. When she passed away I chose cremation because our family is so mobile and placing her in a hole in the ground would not have been appropriate for her. When I picked her ashes up from the veterinarian they were presented to me in a tin box. I brought them home and began to look for something that would be suitable for her. There were many choices of pet urns in marble, wood, stone but I just couldn’t place Samantha in a cold hard place to be forgotten somewhere on a shelf. I felt I wanted her to be in something soft and secure so that she could be where I could see her all of the time and hold her if I wanted. I assumed that something like this existed already and began my search. There was nothing like the Soft-Hearted Pillow on the market. I began to design what I wanted in my head and to have prototypes created until I felt that I had it just right for little Samantha. When family and friends saw what I had created they encouraged me to begin to have them created for others. I have been gratified and overwhelmed by the response.
How long did it take to bring your idea to market?
Samantha died in March of 2007, I had her Soft-Hearted Pillow created late summer of 2007. It wasn’t until fall of 2008 that I began to work hard on bringing my product to market with application for provisional patents, concept designs, etc. My website introducing Soft-Hearted Products to the market went live in February 2008.
What makes your product unique?
The Soft-Hearted Pillow Pet Urn is the only pet urn that is truly an alternative to the traditional cold, hard urn. With our Soft-Hearted Pillow, a bereaved pet owner can continue to hold their pet and keep them near while also having a safe, secure place to keep the beloved pets ashes memorialized. The Soft-Hearted Pillow is a beautifully designed, very soft yet discreet way to keep a pets ashes close by and never forgotten. The pillow is very uniquely designed with a soft inner compartment where the ashes are encased in their included drawstring bag and can be customized with a pets name, important dates or a personal sentiment. The pillow is so soft that, depending upon the size of the pet, the ashes are barely discernable.
Are you planning any enhancements/improvements to the product?
We are always investigating the market for new soft fabrics that would be appropriate for the Soft-Hearted Pillow Pet Urn. Right now we are offering it in 3 neutral minky fleece fabrics which are fabulous to touch and very durable. Each pillow is trimmed in top of the line designer cord edge trim which gives the pillow a true “any environment” designer look. In the future we may offer more color options and trim choices depending upon customer input.
What is your professional background? Did that line of work or education help you in developing this product?
I am a licensed Medical Technician but have been retired from that work for many years but my family is full of entrepreneurs. I opened my own travel agency when I was in my early twenties but have been home raising a son (plus many and varied pets) for a couple of decades.
Throughout the entire inventive/manufacturing process what was the hardest obstacle you faced? And how did you overcome it?
The hardest obstacle in the beginning stages of Soft-Hearted Products was perfecting the quality of the product and coming up with a size that would accommodate most pets. I am a true perfectionist and I wanted the Soft-Hearted Pillow Pet Urn to be a beautiful piece that anyone would be proud to display in their home. I had many prototypes created until I felt that it truly was a product worthy of memorializing a pet owner’s beloved friend.
What type of pets do you own? And what are their names?
I have owned birds, reptiles, mice, dogs and cats and currently own two dogs and two cats. My dogs names are Maisie (a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier) and Dexter (a Biewer Yorkshire Terrier) and my cat’s names are Miss Hazelnut and Mr. Mark.
Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about you or your product?
I have had people ask me how I came up with the name of my company and its product. My entire life I have been what most people have called “overly sensitive”; I’m the one who cries during the Kodak commercials. From my earliest days, I remember friends and family always saying “Pati, you are just too soft-hearted.” I feel the name of the company represents what the product is and does and also is a bit of a tongue in cheek reminder to me that perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing to be too “soft-hearted.”
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