Meet Sophillia Tagaban | Co Founder and Ceo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophillia Tagaban and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophillia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a young girl, I was inspired by fashion and how individually expressive we can be through our wardrobe. Although this part of myself was not nourished, my interest in textiles, and art has always presented itself over the years. When I was able to recognize, that my interests in community, and my childhood passion could collide in such a collective way, The vision unfolded and Chris Grunge and I got to work.

I went to college when I was 30 years old, and after having four children. I wanted to study social work and learn how to be a support to my community. I was also seeking knowledge to help me understand my own family and toxic generational cycles. I am driven by my own story being an at risk youth. I wanted to do meaningful work to encourage and nurture kids in ways that I hadn’t been. Ways that I continue to learn to nurture my own family. I studied Human Services with Patrick Meyer, a Professor at Cabrillo College, and quickly became engaged in his challenging ideas around community work. I loved anthropology and communications. During this time, I also sketched outfits on a sketch pad not knowing these would be the first designs for Heart Blaster Kids.

Heart Blaster was an Instagram page started by my daughter and her dad. I realized in 2017, and 4 years after they started HB, that Heart Blaster had the potential to be a brand that could bridge community and fashion. A brand that would inspire friendship and be a platform for inclusivity when division and hate were being publicly amplified. I thought about the Women’s March and thought about how do we keep this momentum, of showing up for each other, in support of social issues we are faced with every day. So I took the @heartblaster IG name and created a business and brand for the youth. Heart Blaster Clothing LLC was the beginning of my vision; now, Heart Blaster Kids, Heart Blaster Juniors, and Heart Blaster Inc. is coming soon.

It has been a very organic journey and very fulfilling to connect with so many good people through community efforts. I am so grateful every day to be doing work that I love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider art a great love of mine. I have loved art for as long as I can remember, and vision has always come easy. I remember being able to visualize something and get it on paper in grade school, but I was too afraid and embarrassed to want to be acknowledged. What sets me apart from others is that I rely entirely on my vision to lead the trajectory of an entire project or, at times, something small and personal. Sometimes, I will see it long before I understand its use; I will tuck it away in my thoughts until its purpose presents itself. I might have a vision that I will need to get out either in a drawing or a painting. It will stay with me until I do like there is a message behind it. Maybe others feel this.

I am most proud of my paintings over the last four years. It wasn’t until recently that I started to let go of my reservations about creating, and I just started enjoying the process and trusting my natural abilities. I realized how much I love art. I have always encouraged my kids to explore their creativity in any way that speaks to them. It is important to encourage creativity. This world can never be too beautiful, and we add to the collective by sharing our gifts.

Heart Blaster designs are primarily through digital media design. Digital media is not my area of expertise, so I have the pleasure of frequently working with other creators. I love this for a few reasons. I love people. I love connecting with people and getting inspired by each other, embracing the complexities that can happen with two minds instead of one. Second, I find it exciting to bring a vision to an artist, work through the process together, and watch it come to life better than I could have imagined alone. Third, I love being challenged and introduced to new ideas and skills. Fourth, I love honoring other people and their work, and most of all, I love how excited artists are to create meaningful, authentic art supporting our mission.

I have had an excellent mentor/partner Chris Grunge. Chris works closely in Cookies, has a toddler brand, and has worked in many areas of the fashion industry. He has the best quality printing company AGW Screen Works. Chris has mentored and guided me in many areas of fashion, cut and sew, and logistics. He is HB Director of Operations and a trusted friend. I am a swift learner. I asked questions and taught myself how to apply for a business and all of the constant work of being a brand owner. I have learned a lot, and I continue to learn about myself and business. I enjoy all of the things that go with it because I love Heart Blaster and our mission. Extending Heart Blaster to Juniors and now Inc. is exciting, and there are no limits to what I know we can do. Nothing is easy, but I am passionate about my work and organized. I make small goals every day to meet my vision, learn from my mentors, mistakes, and workshops, and continue to challenge myself. I have learned to trust myself. Trusting yourself is critical. Intention has been the most important lesson of my life by being intentional with ourselves and every decision. It is the only way to lead.

My work includes creativity, organizing visually, building teams, and lots of business tasks. My next photoshoot is on 6/4. I have organized every detail of this shoot over the last three months with colleagues and the SF inner-city Project Level Youth Organization. Putting on a production where I can build out creatives, mentor, and connect with the youth and give them a Heart Blaster experience is where my heart is.

I am an Aries, a Mother, a Nurturer, a 5/2 Manifesting Generator, a Visionary, Business Owner, and a Heart Blaster.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Francisco is full of art and culture. Living in the Bay is a blessing because of its diversity and efforts to be so inclusive. Now that things are more normal again, hence covid, there are celebrations in the city all year long. For example, this past weekend was the annual Carnival festival held in the SF Mission District. Through dance, music, art, education, and community, we celebrate the diverse Latin American, Caribbean, and African Diasporic roots together. In Feburary we have the Lunar New Year Parade, April there is the Cherry Blossom festival, June is PRIDE, and Juneteenth. Depending on the time time of year, SF has an array of festivities to look forward to. We have Stern Grove, Yerba Buena Gardens, Museums, and the new ferris wheel right in Golden Gate Park, where you can get a 360 view of San Francisco. We have amazing food, shopping,Trolly’s, The Famous Mosiac Stairs, Alcatraz, etc. Some of my favorite returaunts are Roka Akor Sf, The Beach Chalet, Brenda’s Soul Food, and Wayfare Tavern, and Cafe La Taza. It’s endless! If you head over the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito is a beautiful place to eat and shop. Stinson Beach is a place where my family spends a lot of time at. This is a 40 minute drive through the famous Muir Woods where the ocean meets the forest, and just gorgeous. There are trails, amazing food, and always something to explore in The SF Bay Area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
During my childhood, my nana was my rock. She was a seamstress, made me all of my dresses, and cared for me the way no one else did. She was my childhood inspiration for cutting and sewing. Throughout my adolescence, my 7th grade best friend let me sleep in her room when I had nowhere to go. Planned Parenthood. My Auntie Bella and my Dad always fought for me in the ways they knew how. I watched an interview with Oprah and Barbra Walters when I was a seventeen-year-old mother that deeply impacted me to promise myself and my son that I would always keep going. It was the school counselor who empathized with me and gave me resources. Later it would be my best friend Tish and My Therapist who helped me make sense of life. My old Professor. To my partners who have trusted, encouraged me, and helped mentor me in this space. My spiritual healer coach Kristen who I love dearly. To my Fiance Hunter, who has supported so much of my growth and awakening. Mentorship comes in many forms, and it was the hearts of different influences throughout my life that encouraged me to see that there was always more to learn, experience, and go after. There is never an end or a too late, and I was deserving and capable. I think the bigger picture is to see that it takes nurturing to become our highest selves and be successful, which does not come easy to some of us. I think it is essential to recognize ourselves too.

Website: https://heartblaster.com/

Instagram: @heartblaster

Linkedin: Sophillia Tagaban

Image Credits
Photography and Creative Directing Phil Emerson Photography @philemerson @wafflehowse Ms. Lee Designs @msleedesigns Lip Balm Photography @jrphotography Ad Page Designs / Lip Balm Designs @jc.sundayart Youth Models Jeremiah Challenger Ruby Robbins Joswtte Walker Makayla Tamburrino AJ STUNTZ Janelle Milam Angeline Phan Digital Animation Video Still Image @OBSDN Dylan Sneed and Austin Pryer