The AcaciaZuri “Cinnamon-Roll Celebrations”

What better inspiration for self-celebration than the Cinnamon Roll? Here is the story of how one small, scrumptious treat inspired me to celebrate myself despite the many challenges of starting up my own company.

 Nom nom.

Starting AcaciaZuri

Starting a company is no small task. Before taking this immense step, I had often heard entrepreneurs described as being “crazy risk-takers with little to no social life”. There was an unlimited supply of off-putting words of warning in the books I read, the podcasts I listened to, and in general from the people around me. To this day, I still don’t know how or why I didn’t let it get to me. I had a burning desire to create something of my own, and perhaps for the first time in my life external opinions weren’t getting in the way of that. I wasn’t naïve to the sacrifices I needed to make; in my mind I simply felt that I would do whatever it took to make AcaciaZuri a success.

Eternally optimistic, with a little bit of help from an Aperol Sprtiz .

I will admit, now that AcaciaZuri is in its own small way a reality rather than just a vision, that despite all of the warnings and preparation… I was not exactly prepared for the amount of responsibilities I was about to willingly bestow upon myself. Since committing to AcaciaZuri, I have struggled with the countless obstacles that seem to have come out of nowhere. At times I have felt very much overwhelmed and out of my depth. There have been moments where I have even stopped to wonder, ‘is this actually worth it?’

Sometimes even a chair is too much effort...

The answer of course, is yes, it is completely worth it. I might feel anxious and overwhelmed. I might experience imposter syndrome on an almost daily basis. I might face challenges which I have no idea how to solve. My brain might be 90% cluttered with constant thoughts of the business.

But in the mornings, I might wake up with a feeling of purpose and possibility that gets me out of bed. On a daily basis, I might feel alive with the drive to accomplish something that I feel is important. I might make a positive change in the world by contributing to wildlife conservation in the beautiful country where I grew up. I might make a difference to someone through the language of my designs.

It's all a process: some designs from my initial collection.

So this journey, so far at least, has been one of constant ups and downs. It has been unpredictable and mysterious. One day I feel like nothing can get in my way… and the next I feel like I have lost all motivation.

Celebrating the ‘Acacia’ in AcaciaZuri

A couple of months ago, I realised that I needed to create little moments where I consciously celebrate myself and my accomplishments, in order to inspire me to keep going.

The idea was inspired my one of my weekly trips (ok, ok… daily trips) to my favourite local coffee shop in Battersea. I would go to Doppio Coffee Warehouse for a change of scenery or when I hit a mental block with my work. Eventually, I invited one of my housemates to join me… and it wasn’t long before I corrupted her and she became as frequent a visitor as I am.

Meet Ella: full- time housemate/ part-time AcaciaZuri model. 

On one of our coffee trips, she ordered a dangerously good looking cinnamon roll from behind the counter. Cinnamon rolls were my weakness at university and one of my biggest guilty pleasures, but I hadn’t had one for years. As I watched her smugly munching hers, I realised that I wanted my next cinnamon roll to be special. I made a promise that I wouldn’t allow myself even a single bite of one of those cinnamon rolls until I had achieved my first random sale on my website.

Every day that I went back for my coffee fix, I would see those cinnamon rolls behind the glass counter and feel the motivation I needed to pour myself into my work. And one day, much sooner than I had expected, I received a notification on my website for a sale to a name I didn’t recognise at all… and this was less than one month since the launch of the website!

I can't explain the incredible feeling of pride and satisfaction I felt. I had worked so hard for this moment, and it felt so good to have accomplished something I set out to do. I suddenly felt like I really believed in myself, and all my doubts and insecurities were washed away, even if just for this one day.

 

My First Cinnamon Roll Celebration

I savoured every bite of that cinnamon roll, and it tasted so much sweeter that I had even imagined. I think the taste of success really complimented the flavours!

I realised then that I had made something so small into something so big. I made that cinnamon roll so much more valuable because it represented an exciting and meaningful moment to me.

So now for every moment of success, I am going to reward myself. Whether it is something as small and random as a cinnamon roll, to perhaps one day buying one of Doppios fancy coffee machines that I have been eyeing up since the first day I set foot in their coffee shop. That one may take a couple of years to get to, but I certainly won’t be lacking in motivation (or caffeine power, thanks to Doppio). Every little success in life should be celebrated, no matter seemingly insignificant, because everybody deserves the chance to celebrate themselves.