How TROVA Can Enhance Your Peace of Mind
Maybe when you were in your teens you had one of those journals with a lock on it. Just in case anyone came snooping. Wouldn’t want mom knowing that you hated her lasagna and almost kissed someone under the bleachers. Probably—hopefully—you’re past that stage, but in life there will always be things worth writing down and things worth keeping protected. TROVA makes safe storage easy and stylish, with a biometric activated lock and bluetooth location services so you never lose track of your most precious secrets. Laura Rubin, founder of AllSwell Creative is reinvigorating modern journaling, just as TROVA is reinventing the 21st century safe. We talked to Laura about the memories she’d keep in her TROVA and how it fits into her day-to-day as a journaling advocate, creativity coach and founder.
If you could put a song or a memory in the safe, what would it be?
The last conversation I had with my father. It was over a long dinner, just the two of us. Less than a week later he passed away suddenly. My Dad and I were close but that evening’s conversation was one of the best, most honest we ever had. Neither of us knew he was going to leave this earth days later. Yet in retrospect, it was almost as if my father was telling me what I needed to know—leaving nothing unsaid—in order for me to grieve him without doubting that he was proud of the woman I’d become and that he loved me unconditionally. It is one of the most precious memories of my life.
For different reasons, I’d also stash the moment I came up with the idea for my journaling company, AllSwell Creative. It was on the beach in Montauk. I went to check the waves but nada, no surfing for Laura. But it was a peach of a day so I stuck around, threw down a towel and journaled. I wrote, “Swell or no swell, all’s well.” Lightbulb.
Ten years later I’ve now guided hundreds of journaling workshops, launched a suite of gender-neutral products to help bring people to the page, and led mindful writing retreats from Tahiti to Umbria. That one moment of inspiration has enabled me to support thousands of people in the process of identifying and valuing their own unique, creative voices.
Walk us through what you chose to keep in your safe and why?
I have two TROVA units. One I travel with, the other stays home. (It doesn’t get jealous, though. It’s a homebody.)
I am clearly a fan of the written word’s power to alchemize our feelings. Sometimes there are things that are so high-octane—realizations, promises to myself, visions for the future—that they’re for my eyes only. So they get tucked away in my TROVA. On the road they’re accompanied by objects like a treasured pen and my mother’s wedding ring.
At home, TROVA has become the go-to place where I stash my important documents, spare sets of keys, passport, etc. Among those things is my very first journal, started at age 8. I’ve filled stacks and stacks of notebooks, but this one was my very first, and to me it’s precious.
How did TROVA add to your everyday life?
As an advocate for mental health awareness—and common sense—I particularly appreciate taking steps to reduce everyday stressors, such as low-level worry or not being able to find things when you need them. “Where did I put that?” is not a good feeling. TROVA ensures that whatever you deem valuable is right where you left it. I find that my TROVA units remove blips of anxiety because these items are both organized and safe.
