My Story

Almost two years ago, my life changed pretty much overnight.

Suddenly, everything I was responsible for, everything that gave my everyday life structure, familiarity and direction, disappeared all at once.

And for the first time in a long time, I found myself standing completely still, asking myself:

“What now?”

I felt lost.
Not in a dramatic, movie-like kind of way.
More in a quiet kind of way.

The kind where you wake up in the morning and don't quite recognise your own life anymore.

During those first few months, I tried to pull myself together somehow. I spent a lot of time with my friends and family, tried to enjoy life, kept myself distracted, probably went out a little too often, laughed a lot, cried a lot, overthought absolutely everything and constantly asked myself what I actually wanted from life.

Because when everything around you suddenly changes, you're somehow forced to take an honest look at yourself.

And the truth was:
I had absolutely no idea which direction my life was supposed to take anymore.

There was only one thing I knew for sure:

I needed to leave.

Not forever.
Just long enough to hear my own thoughts again.

So one day, without a real plan, without a timeline and honestly without the slightest clue what I was actually doing, I booked a one-way ticket to India.

And that decision changed everything.

Losing Myself & Finding Myself Again

What followed became one of the most beautiful and emotionally intense chapters of my life.

From India, where I lived in an ashram during my yoga teacher training, to Bali, then Africa, back to Bali, with a little stop in Australia somewhere in between, I spent months travelling the world while quietly trying to figure myself out.

And as dreamy as all of that might sound, the truth is:
It wasn't always easy.

I probably have hundreds of journal entries from that time, each filled with completely different emotions.

Some days, I felt deeply connected to life.
Inspired.
Free.
Certain that everything was unfolding exactly as it was supposed to.

Other days, I felt lonely.
Confused.
Afraid of the future.

I questioned myself constantly.

Who am I when nobody expects me to be anything?
What kind of life do I actually want?
What matters to me?
And what doesn't anymore?

During that time, I filled my Notes app with countless business ideas and plans. Seriously… countless.

Every few weeks, I was convinced I had finally found the thing.

But nothing ever really clicked.

And somehow, somewhere between all the yoga classes, café mornings, sunsets, conversations, tears, journal entries, long flights and quiet moments alone, I slowly started getting to know myself better.

For the first time in my life, I truly began to understand who I was.

And when I eventually returned home to Austria, there was suddenly one thing I knew with absolute certainty:

I finally knew what I wanted from life — and what I no longer wanted.

How Matcha Became Part of My Story

During my travels, matcha became part of my daily ritual.

Honestly, there wasn't a single morning without it.

Whether I was sitting in a tiny café in Bali after yoga, on a patio in Zanzibar journalling in the sunshine, dreaming about my future or simply enjoying a quiet moment to myself, matcha was always there.

And over time, it became so much more than just a drink.

It became associated with a feeling.

The feeling of slowing down.
Taking care of yourself.
Creating little rituals.
Finding balance.
Feeling good.
Romanticising life again.

And one day, after returning home, a thought suddenly crossed my mind:

“Why don't I start my own matcha brand?”

And the craziest part?
The second I had the idea, I immediately knew the name, too.

Tropical Mama Matcha.

Funny enough, my friends had been calling me “Tropical Mama” for years.

The name just felt right. So natural. Almost as if it had been there all along, waiting for me to finally catch up with it.

Building Tropical Mama Matcha

From that moment on, I went all in.

I reached out to producers, researched everything I possibly could about ceremonial-grade matcha, sourcing, processing, quality — absolutely everything.

I tested over 50 ceremonial-grade matchas before finding the one that felt right.

Some were too bitter.
Some looked beautiful but didn't taste good.
Others tasted good, but were missing the feeling I wanted people to experience.

Because I didn't want to create just another matcha brand.

I wanted Tropical Mama Matcha to feel like an experience.

Like slow mornings.
Like sunshine on your skin.
Like becoming the best version of yourself.
Like wellness that feels exciting, beautiful, nourishing and fun.

The branding process alone took forever because every little detail mattered so much to me. I'm definitely a perfectionist, and I wanted the final result to truly reflect everything the brand stands for.

And honestly?
Building this brand has been one of the hardest and most beautiful things I've ever done.

There were moments when I completely doubted myself.
Moments when everything felt overwhelming.
Moments when I wondered whether I could actually pull this off.

But somehow… here we are.

And sometimes, it still feels surreal.

What once existed only as random journal entries, little notes on my phone and dreams inside my head is now something real.

People are making their own Tropical Mama Matcha at home.
People are creating rituals around something that once existed only in my imagination.

Honestly, there's no way to describe what that feels like.

Thank You

Before I wrap this up, there's something really important I need to say.

None of this would have been possible without my family, my friends and my partner.

To everyone who listened to my endless ideas, gave me feedback, encouraged me when I doubted myself, believed in me when things felt uncertain, supported me or simply reminded me to keep going:
Thank you.

Truly.

I'm endlessly grateful for every conversation, every piece of advice, every kind word, every bit of support and all the love I've received along the way.

I love you all more than you know.

And to everyone reading this:
Thank you for being here and becoming part of this journey.

This is only the beginning.

See you soon,

Your Tropical Mama 🍵✨

P.S. Exciting things are coming. Stay tuned.