Deborah McIncrow is a transplant from upstate New York who relocated to Savannah 17 years ago with her family. She is a wife, mother and former teacher who recently took on another role: entrepreneur. McIncrow is the founder of PillowSak, a protective cover for your pillow while you travel. She was inspired to invent the PillowSak to address a personal pain point.

“For years, I’ve worried about traveling with my pillow, keeping it clean and safe and making sure that come bedtime it’s nice and germ-free. It was just a constant struggle. I would get ready for a trip and I’d say to my husband, ‘don’t pack it underneath all the luggage,’ or ‘don’t put it in the back of the car because I’d taken the dog to the vet.’ Or ‘don’t put it in the front seat because I’d spilled dirt from Lowes,’ And it went on and on like that for a few years before the straw broke the camel’s back,” McIncrow explained.

That straw turned out to be a trip that she took with her family last year to the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a rainy day and she struggled to keep her pillow dry. Furthermore, it proved difficult to travel with all of her luggage and her pillow.

“When we finally got into the lobby of the hotel, I placed my pillow on the back of my suitcase and balanced it. We went on our merry way to check in and when we got to the check-in desk, I turned around and my pillow was gone. It was way back down in the lobby, meanwhile it was dirty and grimy and I was just mortified,” she recounted.

Upon her return from the trip, McIncrow went online determined to find a product to help her travel with her pillow in peace, but she came up short. There was nothing on the market available, and so for a while, she gave up on her pursuit, but she was fixated on the thought.

“It kept regurgitating with me. I kept thinking about it. I couldn’t let it go. Weeks went by and I was still perturbed that there’s nothing on the market that houses your pillow when you travel. So, I said, ‘well, maybe I’m supposed to do something about that,’” she said.

She got a notebook and started jotting down ideas and rough sketches. The sketches became prototypes and those prototypes led to the final product, the PillowSak, which launched officially in July of 2022. A protective cover for your pillow, the PillowSak is made with 100 percent cotton canvas material, which is liquid-resistant.

“It shields from the dirt and germs and grime that you may pick up along the route to your destination,” she explained.

The PillowSak comes in a variety of prints, providing complete pillow protection and privacy. For McIncrow and many others like her, pillows are an investment.

“You invest your money in a high-quality pillow because you’re going to use it for a duration of time. You use it every single day at least once a day, and if you take naps, maybe more than once a day. So I wanted to make sure that whatever I created protected that investment,” said McIncrow.

She also wanted to ensure that patrons have the freedom to bring along their good night’s sleep while traveling.

“Whenever you go away and you’re sleeping on other people’s pillows, or you’re in a hotel using their pillows, you really have no idea what’s happening to them. I wanted to solve this problem by providing something that allows you to bring your pillow, get a good night’s sleep and have peace of mind so that you could wake up the next day fully rested to take on and tackle the day ahead of you,” McIncrow stated.

Since launching this past summer, McIncrow has enjoyed a warm reception for the PillowSak. The product is currently available in about 25 retailers throughout the Southeast. 

She also sells at local artisan markets throughout the year. McIncrow is a regular vendor at the Islands Farmers’ Market, which is a particular point of pride. More than a decade ago, McIncrow gathered friends in her backyard to create a farmers’ market on Wilmington Island where the community could gather. With the support of the community, she was the catalyst who conceptualized the market and brought it to fruition. So to come back years later as a vendor at the market she founded is truly a full-circle moment.

“It’s been so surreal. . .  It’s really exciting and it makes me really proud to know that what we started way back when over a decade ago is still thriving,” she beamed.

She hopes to appear on investment television show Shark Tank and land a deal with multiple investors. She sees lucrative licensing opportunities for PillowSak with sports teams and Disney. She also plans to sell in big box retailers like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.

“I don’t see an end in sight. I will keep pushing and moving forward everyday and striving to make the best product that I possibly can,” she said.

McIncrow will be a vendor at the third annual Christmas Festival at Trustees’ Garden on Dec. 17. 

To learn more about PillowSak, visit pillowsak.com

This article appears in Nov 16-29, 2022.