The siblings behind ZacZess
ZacZess turns 5 years old! Think how time flies. It almost feels like yesterday that we started ZacZess, and we are so happy that so many of you are joining us on this incredible journey! We therefore want to take a trip back to the beginning and tell a little about how ZacZess came to life, weird warehouse situations over the years and our first item of clothing, among other things.
We are two sisters, Linn and Julia, who got tired of ill-fitting and uncomfortable riding clothes. We decided to find a solution to this together, and ZacZess is the result!
Why it became riding clothes and entrepreneurship
We both enjoyed entrepreneurship, and Julia had during this time when the seed to start ZacZes was sown. Linn also wanted to start a company, and since we both have always worked well together and since we spent the majority of our upbringing in the stable, it became natural that it was precisely within equestrian sports that we should focus on, and that starting a business together would be a good idea. We know how uncomfortable and ill-fitting riding clothes can be, and want to contribute to everyone being able to have comfortable riding clothes regardless of their body shape. We had no previous business experience in the horse world, but have tried our hand at it.
Who are we?
I, Julia, went to a high school in Uppsala with a focus on Natural Resources and Nature. I then worked at Subway for several years, before studying Industrial Economics at the University of Uppsala and Gävle. ZacZess is not the first company I start, but previously I had two companies at different times. Both were focused on hair and nails, and at the other company called Lovely Hair, I had a salon where I inserted hair extensions and a webshop where I sold hair extensions. At this company I had an employee. But when Linn and I started ZacZess, I chose to sell the salon. I have worked at the Swedish Transport Administration developing new roads and railways.
I have always loved animals, and had many different ones. A funny story is about one of these is a guinea pig we had, which turned out to be pregnant. There were simply an incredible number of guinea pigs. Today I live in Uppsala with my partner, bonus daughter and two-month-old daughter and a dog named Pyret.
I, Linn, also went to a natural resource high school in Uppsala and took the Naturbruk Nature course. After that, I spent several years working in the service profession, before I started studying human resources at Uppsala University. It was during these studies that we started ZacZess, but I worked in HR for two years before transitioning to working at ZacZess full time. Horses have always been a big part of my life, and have had horses since the age of 12. I live on a small horse farm with my husband, two dogs named Ture and Truls, and two horses.
Our favorite products
Linn's favorite product is the Brooklyn hoodie and the Ohio riding leggings. Julia's favorite product is the unshod Ohio Leggings.
The most enjoyable part of having your own business
I, Julia, would say that the most enjoyable part of having your own company is being involved all the way from idea to goal. You are involved and do everything, can be incredibly creative and you can quickly see the results of the work you put in. For Linn, the best thing about having your own business is being involved in running something you are passionate about. And then seeing the development of what you created has been a big carrot for us. There will be a lot of trial and error. You try one thing that might not work at all, and then you try something new.
A mistake we remember
Funniest mistake, we both agree, a T-shirt from early in ZacZes' time that didn't turn out as planned at all. Julia had a vision for a product, but we got a little eager to produce it quickly without bringing home enough product samples. It resulted in a shirt called Vilnius which took us many years to sell, visible in the picture. We sold out the last copies as recently as last summer during Falsterbo. However, it was an important lesson for us, to be completely sure that you are satisfied with the product before you place the order for it. Rushing rarely leads to better results.
Another mistake we made was a couple of years ago when we were going to take home a large order of black headbands for the winter. When the order was delivered, to our great surprise, the headbands were not black, but burgundy. They are also very nice, but not what we had in mind. It was also an important lesson to be clear in communication, in order to be sure that both parties are well aware of what the end result will be.
First item of clothing
Our first piece of clothing was the Bombay breeches. The design for Bombay right from the start is actually very similar to the design we have now. We found it right early on with it, and since it is so loved by so many riders worldwide, we have continued with it!
We started by looking for inspiration for the breeches, simply what we wanted in the "perfect riding breeches". That they would be really comfortable was our biggest focus. The Bombay breeches have changed materials and small details since the first version, but overall, today's version is very similar to Bombay's first version. If we were to redo this trip today, it would probably look quite similar, but right from the start we had looked for a material similar to what we have today, and thought a lot about how design and similar things affect the quality, as well as looking over the size guide more.
Local development over the years
We started our warehouse journey in a 2x2m scrub at Julia's salon, which as you can understand was a bit cramped. When Julia sold the salon, the warehouse was moved to Shurgard. We couldn't print delivery notes there as we had no connection, and the warehouse was mostly used for storage and picking up products, as the delivery notes had to be printed from home. Around this time, Linn moved to her horse farm, and then we moved the warehouse to a room that was not being used. It was the first time that we could pick up the products at size level, so that all sizes were not in the same box. It was only three years after we started that we moved to a real warehouse in Uppsala, where we have a real warehouse and office. We are still there today, but the company is growing to such an extent that it is getting close to needing to expand the warehouse again.
What a typical working day can look like for us
Linn usually starts the day by checking emails, and then we have an internal meeting in the morning. My main work focus is contact with partners, and in short is our internal project manager. But our working days vary greatly, so one day is never the same as another. Julia starts the day with our internal meeting, and has product development and the product chain as her main focus. I have all contact with suppliers, and ensure that all logistics and purchases work as they should.
Something we want to send with others who have the same dream
Dare to take the step to start your business. It doesn't have to be full time, start with it on the side and see where it leads. If you never try, you won't know if it would work or not. Do what feels right for you and your business. There will always be people with different opinions about what is right and wrong for your company, but it is only you who makes the decisions about what should actually be done and what feels right. There will be ups and downs, and the important thing is not to give up, but to keep working hard for your dream.
Thanks for five great years, and we look forward to at least as many more! Also, make sure you don't miss our birthday sale, which runs from September 7-10, 2023.
Do you have requests for the content of our future articles? Send another email support@zaczess.com 💗