In her early twenties, Alizah Josette experienced a shooting pain in the center of her chest. By the next day, her left hand was numb. She was diagnosed with a thoracic outlet syndrome in her left shoulder, due to her neck muscles being in spasm. As a result, Alizah was advised to switch from a stomach sleeper to a back sleeping position. This was the beginning of an arduous journey through pain, migraines, and sleepless nights.
“As a back sleeper, my head would inevitably twist over my shoulder during the night, continuing to strain my neck muscles,” she said.
Over the next several years, Alizah tried various pillows to help her muscles relax and attain a good night’s rest.
“Sleep is vital to our overall well being, and my mental and physical states were exhausted,” Alizah recalled.
Determined to stop her headaches and pain, Alizah decided to invent her own pillow. The Spherehead memory foam pillow is designed with chiropractic principles to promote spine alignment and keep the neck muscles relaxed. Alizah describes the pillow as, “a completely revolutionary patented design; the Spherehead does not resemble a standard pillow.”
“Imagine a sphere, with the center being concave. That is what cradles and supports the head. Then, there is a neck indent that mirrors the curve of the cervical spine. This is what supports the neck—allowing the muscles to relax and unwind,” Alizah explained.
“The Spherehead pillow is for back and side sleepers,” Alizah continued. “The contoured shape in back, the spherical side, with the weight of the head in the center concave is what allows the pillow to roll with the user during the night so they can seamlessly transition between back and side sleeping positions.”
Spherehead became available for purchase in May, 2024. Alizah contributes her success over these last few months to healthcare professionals.
“If you ask your chiropractor or physical therapist for a pillow recommendation, they typically respond, ‘there is no such thing as a good pillow!’” Alizah said. “I think that is why so many doctors are willing to try the Spherehead. Because of the unique shape, those in the health care fields trust this pillow may be different. The Spherehead pillow may help their patients.”
Helping people who struggle from neck, shoulder, and/or lower back pain is why Alizah brought the Spherehead pillow to market. As she said, “I had a 17-year paralegal career; I loved my job and had no intentions of starting my own business. Once I invented the Spherehead pillow for myself, however, I soon realized it would help other people too. It felt selfish not to manufacture it.”
Manufacturing was another hurdle Alizah encountered along her entrepreneurial path. For her start-up small business, Alizah tried to manufacture a small quantity of pillows in the U.S., but determined the cost to the consumer would be too high.
She explained, “Most specialty pillows are simply too expensive for a lot of people. I want Spherehead to be affordable for the average person. I believe the only way to accomplish this and have the pillows produced in North America is to open my own manufacturing plant.”
Alizah’s immediate goal was to produce the Spherehead pillow and help those suffering from various pain realize a good night’s sleep, but she doesn’t stop there. As she describes, “I own my molds in the plant overseas. In three to five years, my next goal is to save enough revenue to open my own plant. I want to give good jobs, and be able to keep the pillow affordable.”
The Spherehead pillow is receiving tremendous feedback. Alizah said, “I know it is helping people. I hear reports every day from people who no longer have headaches, or back pain. It makes the stress of owning a business worth it!”
There can be a couple challenges when using the pillow. Alizah mentioned, “There is a possible adjustment period. Some love the pillow on night one, others need a few nights, as it is so different, a mental adjustment may be necessary. I am trying to change the perception of what a pillow looks like, and the physical benefits it provides.”
The other challenge Alizah acknowledged is the charmeuse fabric pillowcase, included with the Spherehead pillow. She said that some people do not like the charmeuse fabric. Alizah said that she began with it because it is beneficial for all hair types. She hopes to offer pillowcases in a variety of colors and fabrics, as the company grows. For now, she wants people to know that the Spherehead fits in any standard pillowcase, so they can use their own pillowcase and still receive the benefits of the memory foam core.
For more information, visit www.SphereheadPillow.com, or the Amazon store. For healthcare professionals to receive more information on Spherehead’s affinity partnership program, please contact Alizah through the website.
