Yococo’s healthy ice cream
Founded in 2016 by Sine Ndlela, Yococo is a fun-loving dairy-free ice cream brand that aims to serve love through scoops of ice cream.
Yococo is a vegan-friendly option. The ingredients are meaningful and are loosely based on the 7 chakras and colour therapy and the packaging is environmentally friendly and fun!
Sine believes that being an entrepreneur in a space has a lot to do with who you are as a person because it takes a lot out of you. She says “what I do is elements of my identity.” She adds that she knows it’s dangerous to make work one’s identity but when the idea of life purpose overlaps with “work” the lines get blurred and being caught in between running a business and fulfilling a higher purpose often becomes challenging especially when money is involved.
She also describes her role as the octopus in the business because aside from being the founder she handles other roles as well. Sine admits that sometimes it feels like she has no idea what she is doing and maybe she took on more than she can handle. “At times it feels like yes this makes so much sense and I can do anything! and at other times I feel lost, out of my element and this is when I think that being a different version of who I am is what I need to be to move to the next stage. When I feel the most capable is when I allow myself to be completely me.”
Sine’s feelings and views are not uncommon, there are times in entrepreneurship, especially in South Africa entrepreneurs often get pushed into survival mode very quickly and that can eliminate the fun part of the entrepreneurship journey.
“It’s not always easy but I’m so grateful for the times when I find the courage to just be myself and serve love in scoops.”
Entrepreneurship might not be rosy but it has moments such as this that make it worthwhile. Fortunately, Sine allows herself to let go of the idea that this is exactly who she will always be but realises that being true to oneself is important.