“Thank you for letting me show up for you.” I recently designed a card that says that, and I see that as the heart of Bufahlow’s mission. I want to provide products people can feel good about giving someone facing challenges they may not have the words for. And I want us to thank the people in our lives who share their struggles with us because being able to show up for the people we care about is a gift.
The idea for Bufahlow, a mental health and wellness lifestyle brand, sparked from the lowest point of my life. I was suicidal and had left my marriage. I was struggling to take care of myself mentally and physically, while also worrying about establishing my independence, and crumbling under the guilt of not being able to be the mom I wanted to be to my 4 children. One day, I scribbled a message I very much needed to remember on my mirror with a dry-erase marker: “Keep going. People are cheering for you.”
I am Jill Krause, a published book author, internationally recognized and award winning blogger, and a fierce mental health advocate. I’ve built an online platform over the last 15 years, with a large, loyal audience, where I’ve shared my own mental health struggles and triumphs. Many in my community are personally experiencing something similar, while others look to me to better understand someone they care about.
In 2022, I turned that handwritten mirror message into my first FeelCling. FeelClings are vinyl, adhesive-free, and endlessly repositionable static clings that feature mental health mantras and reminders. Throughout 2022, I created many FeelCling designs, including some in collaboration with poet Amy Turn Sharp. I launched Bufahlow.com, named in honor of a buffalo’s instinct to charge into a storm to get through it faster, instead of running from it. And I sold over $15k in FeelClings in 9 months.
FeelClings are beautiful, perfect for mirrors, windows, showers, and other smooth surfaces, and they are wonderfully giftable. Many orders come with a note that the purchaser intends to gift a FeelCling to a friend or loved one who is facing struggles there aren’t cards for, like checking into rehab or dealing with bullies at school. Priced at $8 and small enough to slip into an envelope, they are an affordable way to show up for someone, especially when you don’t know what to say. Of course, they are also a lovely way to show up for yourself, too.
FeelClings will always be a core Bufahlow product. Now, I’m eager to bring many of their designs to stickers, tote bags, and greeting cards, and to launch new product designs for journals and home decor. As Bufahlow expands to offer these items that center mental health & wellness themes, not only will customers have more to choose from, but we can also have a greater impact on destigmatizing talking about mental health struggles with family and friends.
I am seeking funding to help build out Bufahlow’s new product lines, expand marketing efforts, and cover the upfront costs that are beyond my reach as a single mom and entrepreneur with little to no personal capital to work with. I am my only employee at this time, but I do hope to bring on help with shipping and logistics in the near future.
Your contribution means the world to me, and I can promise the value of what you give will grow and be paid forward as Bufahlow reaches its full potential. I am confident a platform like Bufahlow is needed, will continue to be well received, and the products will create positive ripples in the world. Thank you so much for not only believing in me and in Bufahlow, but also believing that mental health and wellness should be tended to, celebrated, and talked about more. Thank you for believing that showing up, either for ourselves or someone else, is a gift worth investing in.
