Deborah - My Why

Deborah – Owner and Designer – ZAKKIA

Why I do what I do… and why I looooove it!

Let's first get a bit of background.

I’m always being asked the question, why do you do what you do at ZAKKIA, so, I thought it was a good time to reflect and pick my own brain for the answer.

From my school days I have always had a creative flair. Even when I started work in the Hospitality Industry I was always there, adding my bit of creativity to events that may have needed creative advertising. I even had the opportunity to create a mural for the kiddies swimming pool in a hotel at that time. The hotel was called “The Alcazar” it was in Aqaba in Jordan, I did a Disney creation that I was very proud of.

I have also been very lucky to have experienced a childhood like no other. Living and going to school in Pinetown, South Africa, Lima & Arequipa, Peru & also travelling backwards and forwards to Aqaba, Jordan whilst attending Boarding School in Bristol, England. My exposure to people, nationalities, artisan & language has been one like no other. I also developed a love for handmade, always treasuring things that I was given in the places I lived, knowing that it was “one of a kind” and not just easily replaceable. I also was very drawn to simply designs. The more minimalist the better.

As like most of us do, I developed my career path which was exciting and through hard work it led me to the corporate world, which I enjoyed thoroughly. I was always so thank full for my promotions & recognition. I'm proud to say that I climbed high on the corporate ladder purely through my hard work and can do attitude. I led many successful teams who worked well with me to achieve fantastic results.

Then an opportunity came to own and run a business, which I persued. This was a massive personal sense of achievement, I co-founded a business that tested and treated people in Australia for Sleep Apnoea. This was such a rewarding area of business to be in, we helped so many people, and brought awareness to the public to encourage them, if they were symptomatic, to get tested for Sleep Apnoea. The business was very successful and hughly rewarding. We went on and sold the business just at its 5 year mark, a very unexpected offer that made for a mixed decission, but we made the decisiion to sell.

In 2019 I found ZAKKIA, it was what I was looking for as I wasn't quite ready for retirement. I have not looked back since, I have worked out that retirement for me means doing something you are really passionate about and love. The ZAKKIA business is my true passion. I can run a business and I can also explore my creative. I also get to work and collaborte with tremendously talented people to bring to life their own creative dreams. Young Australians who dream to have their ideas and products available to people who appreciate the handmade process can be exposed through ZAKKIA's following.

Every day is exciting, there is always something that comes to ZAKKIA, we attract a very wide audience and it also often loops back to my early days in hospitality.. when we supply products to Hotels, funny really when I think about it.

So what is my “Why…?

It’s my love and passion to design and expose beautiful handmade, useful, simple and heirloom quality products to the world, for all to enjoy for many years to come. Also, my need to promote an heirloom mentality and steer people from a “throw away” society.

ZAKKIA began from a passion for good design and an aim to create quality products that can be enjoyed over a lifetime, my personal “why” holds this promise to continue to collaborate with partners who can make our designs to the highest quality, partners who possess the highest technical skills and passion as this is their uniqueness, their skills have been taught generation after generation, they are true professional artisans deserving their work to be admired and loved.

Deborah xo

Deborah - My Why

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