Episode 05: Craig Conover
Although Craig’s love of sewing began in his 8th grade Home Economics class, it came to the forefront when, a few years ago, he and his girlfriend broke up and the only thing he was left with was his sewing machine. It was then that he taught himself to make pillows, describing it as a newly found lost hobby. Although it took him years to realize it, Craig has an inherent drive to create. Not only does it help him decompress, it helps him stay true to himself. According to him. “When I sit at my machine, the rest of the world goes away. The fact that I have a finished product at the end, justifies that I’m not wasting my time. Sewing opened the lid to a whole new world.” (3:00-3:55)
As the conversation with Craig unfolds, you soon realize that he is a man who lives life on this terms, who is not influenced by naysayers and bullies, and who can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. Not only did he ignore the cajoling from fellow cast members about his love of sewing, he ultimately had the last laugh when his company Sewing Down South was featured on Home Shopping Network, and he secured a partnership with Thomasville Furniture to create a series of seasonal pillows.
Craig was bullied and teased a lot as a kid, and he attributes his loving, supportive home environment as the reason he was able to overlook the bullying and to self-validate. That loving foundation has informed one of his primary missions in life, which is anti-bullying. He uses his success as a platform to encourage others to pursue their passions, and to not let anyone dissuade them from doing what they love. (8:38-11:22) He realizes that not everyone had the healthy influence he did growing up, and he wants to be that influence for others now.
Another one of Craig’s passions is the Pillow Party. It began as a desire to get pillows into area boutiques and to make personal appearances at their stores. First there was a launch party for a store that was reopening in Camden, South Carolina, and from there, the Pillow Party Tour was born. They find stores that are a little outside main cities, and have catered events, complete with tons of pillows, special merchandise, live music, and hundreds of guests.
These events give Craig the opportunity to share his personal journey, and for others to share theirs. “What I started to find is that way more people, way more males especially, sew than you think. Way more kids sew than you think.” He learned that it’s just something people don’t talk about - whether its the high school quarterback who came to one of his first events and revealed that he’d been sewing for a long time, or the slew of other guys that come to the parties with wives or partners or alone and share their passion for sewing. The Pillow Parties are a way for Craig to reach these people and give them voice, which helps put an end to gender stereotypes and outdated rules. (16:00 - 18:32)
His company, Sewing Down South started with five simple lines based on his time in the Bahamas. It has since grown into multiple lines, available on the Sewing Down South online store. On May 1st, Sewing Down South will open its flagship retail store in Charleston, South Carolina. The store, like the Pillow Parties, will provide an outlet for people to share their stories, their love of sewing, and to build community
There is so much to Craig’s story - from his many entrepreneurial adventures to the Pillows and Beer and Pillow Talk podcasts, to his soon-to-be-released memoirs. When the publisher first approached him about the possibility, Craig didn’t think he had enough stuff to share. Turns out he did.
There are so many inspiring and insightful and engaging moments in this podcast with Craig, you won’t want to miss a single minute of it. You can connect with Craig at either of his Instagram sites: @caconover or @Sewingdownsouth.