Today we’d like to introduce you to JaQuay Copeland.
Hi JaQuay, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In the Spring of 2013, I took a leap of faith by leaving Virginia Commonwealth University’s Interior Design program to pursue a different career path. As a kinesthetic learner, I felt my time was best spent learning hands-on, so I immersed myself in the design world for the next seven years.
By working within different areas of the design industry, my understanding of the design world became much more well-rounded. I was able to quickly sift through the areas where I excelled versus the areas I didn’t, and I ultimately realized I enjoyed working with home accessories the most.
My design experience, coupled with my entrepreneurial mindset, led me to take another leap of faith by launching Dio Salva in the Spring of 2022.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey has been intense! When God called me out of my day job into full-time entrepreneurship, I thought He had me leave to focus on painting portraits full-time. I didn’t understand why He wanted me to pause painting to focus on designing and sewing high-end pillows. I felt crushed for months, but I obeyed His instructions anyway.
When I took small steps of obedience, I began receiving specific visions in my mind of modern glam pillow designs that I really loved — but the logistics for creating the pillows and the infrastructure He told me to build took more time and mental fortitude than I anticipated.
Had I not taken a hiatus from painting, I wouldn’t have had the capacity to birth the business.
As with any new venture, it has had its ups and downs, but nothing worth doing or having is going to be obtained easily. You’re going to have to give it all you have and more. If you’re an entrepreneur, you may have to combat fatigue with discipline, fear with courage, and doubt with belief.
Since starting this business was a call from God, I keep my focus on what He’s said to me versus what I see. All I can do is persist in the midst of my trials. This business is going to be a vehicle used to transform many lives, so that gives me the strength to keep going!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dio Salva?
Dio Salva is my luxe decorative pillow company that bridges Contemporary, Modern, and Glam elements together to form a style ideally suited for those who prefer bold yet refined decor.
I design each pillow as a statement piece to catalyze conversation, and the brand’s mission is to help create beautiful environments that lead design enthusiasts to feel connected with themselves and with others.
The brand’s vision is to use design as a vehicle to inform, connect, and inspire the world — inform through exposure, connect through conversation, and inspire through compassion.
One of my goals is to use my company to help others and in turn, inspire others to pay it forward. No man is better than another, and I try to live my life in a way where others feel seen and heard. My personal experiences fuel my compassion for the less fortunate, so pillow fabric remnants are to be sewn into blankets for those in need. Instead of discarding scrap fabrics from pillow orders, they can be cleaned and sewn together to provide the needy with adequate warmth.
From my personal experience, the only thing that has remained constant in life is God’s love for me. Speaking about faith tends to be taboo in today’s culture, but I am also motivated to use my company to expose people to God’s love. I burst at the seams if I don’t tell others about Him! What I’ve experienced is irrefutable, which is why the company’s name is Dio Salva (which means God saves). The name serves to inform others of how much they are loved and to ultimately prompt people to begin or rekindle their own relationship with Christ.
At face value, it may seem lofty, but it’s a calculated risk. If there’s no risk, then there’s no reward!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a bit shy socially but courageous in every other area. I was a creative problem-solver, inquisitive, artistic, constantly lost in thought, and always looking for enjoyment. When I was eight, I told my older brother we should sell the candy we collected from our neighbor’s birthday piñata. We started the neighborhood’s candy business shortly after, so I was unknowingly entrepreneurial!
I think it’s interesting how these characteristics still remain, but just in a more cultivated way.
Pricing:
- Embellished Pillows – $180 – $270
- Faux Fur Pillows – $180 – $225
- Faux Leather Pillows – $180 – $225
- Satin Pillows – $180 – $270
- Fabric Swatches – $5
Contact Info:
- Website: www.diosalvadecor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diosalva.decor/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/quaycope/
