Self-care is defined as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health and/or the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness. In Belltown, Acacia Corson has created a new space where self-care, wellness, and community is intentionally rooted in every aspect of what her business has to offer Seattle. In celebration of Black History Month, OED connected with Acacia Corson, a dynamic entrepreneur and Seattle Restored participant, to learn more about her story, her business and her vision for The Self-Care Square.
Tell us about yourself, and the story and mission behind your business?
I’m Acacia Corson, owner and Creator of Badder Body and the Self Care Square. I created my first body butter out of sheer frustration after going natural with my hair. Originally intended to be a hair product, I quickly realized the product worked on the body as well. After selling to friends and family during a time of financial desperation, I decided to use my skills as an asset to better myself and offer people a product filled with jazz and pizazz that they hadn’t had before. After collaborating with Stefani of Soap’d by Fani, it was clear that people could really use body care products that are stylish, unique, and are good for the body so we created The Self Care Square—a self-care product hub filled with brands from local makers. Through the Office of Economic Development’s Seattle Restored program, we were placed in our Belltown location, and through a partnership with Kiara Hall of Mahaba Moss, the spirit of The Self Care Square really came alive. Settle Restored really unlocked the potential of The Self Care Square. Nothing is more fulfilling to me than healing the community in a big way and I really feel that The Self Care Square is well on its way to do that with this space. The Self Care Square is a true hub of self-care where you can come as you are, feel welcomed, fill your social meter at our events, build relationships with the community around you, all while indulging in self-care products and programming. In essence, the mission of Badder Body and The Self Care Square is to encourage healthy self-indulgence with products and experiences.
Why did you choose to open and operate a business focused on self-care products and services?
I chose to open and operate a business focused on self-care products and services to fulfill a need of my own, which then attracted people who had the same need. When I saw how many people needed the fix I created to fill my own need, I was instantly put on a mission to fulfill these needs for as many people as possible. I can’t stand to see people suffer.
What makes your business unique?
The Self Care Square lives and breathes. It has energy and style. It embodies the feeling of being valued, cared for, special, important, heard, and felt. The Self Care Square is the people that pull it together, and the hands that create things with love for healing. It’s an open and flexible space that can be what you need it to be when you need it. We host game nights, host life coaches who breathe life and inspiration into our community base and facilitate workshops that leave people beaming with pride and accomplishment when they create something they’ve never created before. We bring people together that would probably never connect anywhere else.
From your perspective do you believe self-care for the Black Community in Seattle, and the broader Black community is important?
Self-Care for the Black Community ANYWHERE is very important! In my experience, Black people put higher expectations on ourselves in any and every faction of our lives. Many of us were taught that we must be better than everybody else in the room be it school, work, etc, in order to be recognized properly and compensated “fairly”. We don’t really get encouragement to take a break and check in with ourselves emotionally, and when we choose ourselves, it’s perceived as being selfish. One of the leading causes of death for black people is heart disease, which includes risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure. Black people need time and space to care for ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. For us to thrive, self-care must become a part of our culture—individually and collectively.
How does your business encourage and facilitate self-care for the community, especially the Black community?
The Self Care Square is such a safe space for black people. We’re in the heart of Belltown and going into the space I originally thought it would be quite the opposite. Everyone is welcome in our space to be themselves and care for themselves and one another, but often we find ourselves in a room full of black people and that feels great! A “Black” environment with music, food, decor, and amenities is rare in Seattle and we created that space intentionally. The space rings true to the culture we live in through the environment and the programming that we provide.
In addition to our products, our biggest effort to encourage and facilitate self-care for the Black community is a program my husband and I have created called The Corner which is meant to be a sacred space for Black men. Speaking with my husband about mental health, we came to the realization that there’s a shortage of resources for the unpacking of racial trauma that Black men need to do. The only person that can truly understand where a Black man is coming from is a Black man, however, we found no black male therapist in our google search results. As a result, we developed The Corner, a flip on a place where some Black men typically find themselves in trouble. Instead, The Corner at the Self Care Square is a place where they can congregate, feel safe, supported, honored, heard, understood and felt. The Corner is a place that my husband doesn’t have outside of the home, and hopefully, like my body butters, we can attract the people who share this similar need.
What have been the biggest success and challenges for you and your business?
Continuing every day is my biggest success. Every day I get to show my baby girl that life is what you make it and that she can make her own decisions, collaborate with dope people, and learn from her mistakes to come out better in the end. Currently, I’m going through my biggest challenge in business right now! I’ve never run a storefront in a space like this before. Making sure I’m prioritizing the right things, serving efficiently, taking care of my family’s social needs, AND taking care of myself is HARD! Juggling all the things while being flexible enough to roll with the punches is a challenge.
What are your hopes and dreams for yourself and your business?
My biggest hope and dream for my business is to somehow build an economically plentiful ecosystem in Ghana. I don’t know if you know this but women in Ghana are making shea butter for pennies. I want to be a part of the solution by paying fair wages for shea butter manufacturing and other resources that may help the ladies, such as women-only homes and communities. I’d like to have two homes, one in Ghana, one in the US.
What are ways the city can support your business, and other local businesses thrive in Seattle? Especially Black owned businesses.
The City can support our business and other local businesses by making sure everybody, locals and tourists alike, know about our businesses, encourage the public to utilize the services of small businesses, and empower small businesses with opportunities like Seattle Restored that grant small businesses tools they would not be able to get on their own.
What else would you like us to know about you, your business, and your services?
The Seattle Restored program has gotten us this far and really showed us just how impactful the space is. It’s time for us to fly and we’ve got our eyes on a future property that is bigger and better. Coming to the Self Care Square and patronizing our services or donating toward building improvement costs of the new location via Gift Card at TheSelfCareSquare.com, Venmo @TheSelfCareSquare , or emailing at Acacia@BadderBody.com will help us reach our next step!
