Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Riji Raja. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Riji, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

When my husband and I were homeless for 2 years until 2019, we had to navigate through depression and anxiety on our own as we couldn’t afford a therapist or a life coach. Hence, as a DIY, we would declare customized-to-our-situation affirmations and follow through with actions that would help uplift us mentally and emotionally. This positive mindset is also how we were able to transition out of homelessness, and ever since then, I had always wanted to use my story to make a difference for the underserved and disadvantaged young adults facing homelessness and mental health issues. In 2020, after we were laid off due to COVID-19, I founded Affirmation Darling, a social impact stationery & wellness brand.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Riji Raja, a South Asian, born & raised in the Middle East who moved to the US in 2014. I was so excited about living the American dream, but my husband and I, along with our Yorkie, ended up becoming homeless for 2yrs until 2019. We faced unimaginable hardships like living on the streets and in our car and struggling to find food & shelter. We had to navigate through depression and anxiety on our own as we couldn’t afford a therapist or a life coach. To cope, we used positive affirmations & inspired actions. This mindset helped us transition out of homelessness and prevent us from ending our lives 3 times.

In 2020, I founded Affirmation Darling, a social impact wellness-stationery brand that creates products that feature positive affirmations and messages of hope & encouragement, and we donate our products to organizations that help the homeless and those struggling with mental health issues, using a Buy One Give One model.

My goal is to inspire others to take control of their mental and emotional well-being and provide hope and inspiration to anyone facing similar challenges or adversities. As a minority, WOC, and a system-impacted individual, I would be honored (and emotionally dreamy) to share my story and the mission of Affirmation Darling to empower others to improve their mental and emotional well-being and remind everyone to NEVER STOP dreaming.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Wholesale platforms like Faire, Abound! And OkTY plugin for DTC orders.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When my husband & I were homeless for 2yrs until 2019, suicide was on the table, but one day I decided to declare affirmations & pair them with actions and our unshakable faith in God to uplift us mentally & emotionally. This positive mindset is what helped us overcome homelessness. Today we use our story to pay-it-forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.affirmationdarling.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/affirmationdarling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rijiraja/