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The Story Behind YAY NOVELTY and Its Founder
Hello! I’m Sunchea Phou, founder of YAY NOVELTY, and I’m honored to share my journey with you. I currently live in Washington State, USA, but my story begins in Cambodia, where I survived one of history’s darkest chapters. At just seven years old, my mother and I fled the country after losing my father and brothers to the Khmer Rouge regime. For five long years, we lived in a refugee camp before finally immigrating to Montreal, Canada, where we began rebuilding our lives from nothing.
As a child, I often questioned my purpose on this earth and why I had to endure so much tragedy. At 16, my search for answers led me to explore spirituality and started meditating without knowing what to expect. During my first meditation, I experienced an out-of-body journey. While I didn’t go fully into the light, my mother’s image came to mind, and I knew it wasn’t my time yet—I had a responsibility to care for her. After that experience, I couldn’t return to meditation in the same spiritual way, but I continued practicing meditation through self-reflection.
Life unfolded with its share of challenges—pain, suffering, stress, anxiety, broken relationships, and other struggles we all encounter. Throughout the journey of over three decades, I kept asking myself: Why am I going through all of this? Eventually, I found the answers I was seeking and experienced a spiritual awakening.
Understanding the laws of karma, nature, and the universe transformed my perspective. I began letting go of corporate ambitions and material desires, instead choosing a path rooted in purpose and service. While I remain in the physical world, caring for my elderly mother and awaiting my “expiration date,” I’ve dedicated my time and energy to helping humanity and the environment.
This vision led me to create YAY NOVELTY, a lifestyle brand dedicated to promoting the well-being of consumers, the planet, and underserved communities. YAY NOVELTY is purpose-driven and focused on impact over financial gain. Every penny I’ve earned has been reinvested into the company. I’ve also deliberately chosen not to take on investors, as their primary focus is understandably on profits.
If you share our vision, I invite you to join us on this journey toward building a better, more compassionate world. Your support—whether by purchasing our products or spreading the word—can help make a real difference. Together, we can make a lasting impact and build a brighter future for generations to come.