How To Create Your Own Lifestyle Brand (While Still Staying Mindful)
'I’m not trying to save the world. I’m not trying to make millions of dollars. I’m just trying to help myself and use my creativity to help others.'
Welcome to the Collective World Careers Newsletter. Collective World is a one-of-a-kind creative network powered by the minds and voices behind The Thought & Expression Company. We’re so glad you’re here.
Today we’re talking to Karin Hadadan, founder of lifestyle brand ICI ET NU, about creating her own business, the importance of mindfulness, and her new self-help poetry book, Beauty in the Stillness.
Give us a brief rundown of your lifestyle brand. What should people know about ICI ET NU?
ICI ET NU (translated from both French and Danish, which means ‘Here and Now’), is a lifestyle brand that promotes living in the present moment and helps individuals become a better version of their yesterday selves through the lens of self-discovery. As a primarily digital brand, I do this through words, merch, digital tools (guided journal, mindset guide), social content, and a podcast!
Where did you get the idea to start ICI ET NU?
The idea started in a really tragic way, actually, but turned into my biggest blessing. I’ve suffered from chronic illness ever since I was 14, and after years of feeling frustrated with Western medicine and hopeless over my health, I set out to heal myself. When I was 20 years old, I came across the world of mindfulness and wellness—I dove head first into this space, from reading books about mindful eating, to understanding emotional trauma, to listening to podcasts on holistic healing, and so forth. Despite still being ill, I learned how to better manage my symptoms and body, and I started to feel better emotionally (which with chronic illness, the physical suffering isn’t just it—it affects your heart, mind, and soul, too).
However, in Fall of 2018 I was graduating college and I found myself at a really low mental point. I had no self-love, had a lot of social anxiety, and was generally fearful of what the future would hold, which exasperated my physical health. I wasn’t happy with my life or with myself, and I had an overwhelming amount of misalignment that I wasn’t able to pinpoint the root cause of. I simply wasn’t able to be present and sit still with myself. During this time, my friend recommended the book ‘Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle, which completely changed my life (cliché, I know, but it’s the truth). I realized that the root of my daily mental suffering stemmed from my intrusive thoughts and that I simply was not living in the present moment. That book unlocked a whole new layer internally—I felt happy again.
But then I graduated and started my ‘dream’ job in Advertising, where I quickly realized it wasn't my dream. I was stressed, miserable, anxious, and unhappy, and I felt that everything I had learned from Tolle’s words were forgotten. I couldn’t shake off that inner dissatisfaction for life. But a few months later, I took a trip to Paris and Copenhagen with my mom and I made a promise to myself before leaving—that my intention was to simply be present. And gratefully, I was. It was one of the most transformative trips I’ve ever taken, despite not ‘much’ happening.
On the plane ride home I realized that I needed something to hold myself accountable to continuously practice the mindful habits that I know have served me well in the past. I wanted to create something that would inspire myself to continuously stay present, to grow, to always strive to be better. So, that’s where ICI ET NU came out of—it’s an ode to my experience in both of those cities, and it’s a testament to everything I believe is the key to living a fulfilling, blissful life—presence.
How did mindfulness and staying present in your daily life become a passion of yours?
It’s quite simple—the more I connected with myself, the more I understood my thoughts, feelings, and emotions, the more I lived in the here and now, the happier I became. More confidence, more self-love, more self-respect, more joy, more gratitude. I can’t quite describe it, but by practicing these daily habits and having awareness over myself and my thoughts, I feel so at peace with everything life gives me or even takes away. I’m fascinated by my own growth, change, and self-discovery, and I just look at life differently now because I’m so aware of it all. I also am so passionate about this space because it has taught me that even if I find myself at a low again (which I will!), I have the tools and the strength to learn from it and overcome it. And for the first time since I was 14 years old, despite not being healed yet, I can now feel gratitude for my chronic illness because it got me to this incredible point.
I also realized over time that because I was always living in the past/future, I missed out on a lot of things. Not physically—I was there, it happened. But I didn’t enjoy myself fully or didn’t experience the level of joy I could’ve if my mind was just where I was. So now it’s my goal to always live in a conscious state of mind, otherwise my life will go by and I won’t simmer in it the way I could’ve. And who wants that?!
There are so many lifestyle brands out there at the moment. Why did the world need to hear the messages of ICI ET NU?
People always say, “Create the thing you wish existed.” There are so many incredible brands, offerings, and products out there, whether it be meditation apps or supplements or personal growth tools, and while all of these are great, I do it a little differently at ICI ET NU. I’ve always felt like all of those brands, despite their impact, felt so far away from where I was at mentally. A bit lofty, I guess. I never really felt seen, or at the very least, like the person behind that brand understood what I was fully going through. I also felt like there was no brand out there that was promoting self-discovery and mindfulness simultaneously. Yes, there are podcasts and influencers and mindset coaches, but not so much a brand that felt real and approachable.
But I think the differentiator is that my biggest offering are my own words and individual creativity, which is something only I have the ability to share through my own unique voice. All of my work stems from personal experiences, low ones and high ones, and I’m able to articulate my learnings and wisdom in a balanced way—one that is uplifting and positive, yet also down to earth and realistic. So when people interact with ICI ET NU, it’s not just a lifestyle brand—it’s a human being (me!) behind it who is also experiencing the various highs and lows of life as they are, who is still healing and growing, who is still becoming. That’s the place where I create from, so whether you buy an ICI ET NU sweatshirt or listen to a podcast episode or download my guided e-Journal, you’ll feel that authentic, humane energy come through. And you’ll realize we’re all in this together!
Since you also work a full-time job, this is definitely a lot of work outside of your 9-5. Why did you feel it was important to pursue this business?
I’ve always had these creative visual impulses and the desire to help others within me since I was a kid, but I was never able to find the right outlet to do so. Despite loving my job and feeling passionate about my work, I knew that I needed a creative outlet outside of it to exercise different parts of my creativity and to touch the lives of others in this specific space, in a way that only I can.
I’m not gonna lie, it is a lot. My mind doesn’t stop running and I’m always hustling or thinking about what else I could do, while simultaneously struggling to find balance across everything. But I love every second of it knowing that the energy I put into ICI ET NU is shifting the lives of others. That’s really why I do it. The comments I receive, the messages that are sent, the community I have… it makes me feel so grateful knowing that I’m part of something bigger than myself, and that my vulnerability might be the reason that someone feels comforted, inspired, seen, or heard.
You know, one of my favorite quotes ever is from The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo: “It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” My dream has always been to inspire people, and this is my way of doing so. I wake up every morning feeling grateful and excited, so how could I ever stop?!
What do you wish you had known when you started ICI ET NU?
In the early months, I wish I knew to be kinder to myself and to continuously remind myself of the why. Naturally, I put a lot of pressure to have everything be perfect right from the beginning. When I launched ICI ET NU, I never asked for help and I always did everything on my own. I still do. But anytime my numbers would fall, or I wouldn’t get sales or my engagement would dissipate, I’d question my capabilities and wonder, “Am I cut out for this?”
But after a year into it I had a profound yet simple realization: for now, I’m not trying to be the biggest brand out there. I’m not trying to save the world. I’m not trying to make millions of dollars. I’m just trying to help myself and use my creativity to help others. I think sometimes you just need to remind yourself of your initial intention, and you’ll ground yourself again towards your ‘why’, which removes all the self-inflicted pressure. It allows you to bring the joy back into what you’re building.
You just released your first book of poetry, Beauty In The Stillness. How does this book align with your own values and that of ICI ET NU?
It still feels surreal. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Beauty In The Stillness is a poetry and essay book that explores the transformative power of mindfulness and reflection. Through personal stories and insightful guidance across varying life topics, readers will discover how to connect with their true selves and step into the path of alignment.
I started writing this book on February 2nd, 2013, when I was only 16 years old. Unknowingly, though. This book is a time capsule—from words that my hopeless 16-year-old self wrote, to the heaviness that my chaotic 20-year-old self felt, to the liberation that my current self-assured 26-year-old self is experiencing. Every word in this book is a testament to all of the fear, heartbreak, confusion, and loneliness I once endured, that all intricately allowed me to unravel deeper parts of myself. As a result, those moments gave me the ability to live more presently, embody self-love, heal, grow, evolve, and ultimately feel an overwhelming amount of freedom and gratitude. In every chapter, you’ll notice the shifts that I have experienced throughout my lifetime, proving that it is possible to change your mindset and your life.
But that transformation occurred through the consistent practice of completely quieting my mind, not observing anything, not judging my thoughts, being still with my emotions. This means to truly be living in the present moment, which is the essence of ICI ET NU.
Anything else you want us to know?
I mentioned before that ICI ET NU (and now my book) all stemmed from my chronic illness, so let that serve as a reminder that everything in your life happens FOR you, not to you. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned thus far in my lifetime. Despite the physical pain I still experience today, I am now immensely grateful for the cards I was dealt with. Sometimes your suffering is so hard because your calling in life is a lot higher. When you truly believe in that and you have faith that whatever is happening in your life is for your greater good, you’ll release the control and you’ll surrender to what is meant for you. Once you have that mindset, you’ll feel at peace and the universe will reward you back with beautiful blessings.
For more from Karin, check out her work on Instagram and Shop Catalog.