To create a better life, sometimes we need to take the road less traveled.

How far is the distance between who you are, and who you would like to be?

The team at Saffron Road recently asked ourselves this question as we underwent our brand evolution. We interviewed our customers, talked to them, shopped with them, and visited their homes so that we could learn how to better represent and serve our most passionate Saffron Road consumers. This process was transformative and illuminating in so many ways. It allowed us to understand what Saffron Road already meant to so many people, it showed us where we needed to make changes, and it helped determine what direction we should be taking with future branding.

Our research reaffirmed that Saffron Road’s strength lies in our tribe of optimistic, innovative, open-minded, and honest supporters, and it has never been more clear that a large part of our company’s purpose is to foster and contribute to this growing community.

Hence the creation of our new tagline, Journey to Better™ – meaning to better foods, better values, better adventures, better World Cuisines, and to a better planet. Our company and customers are united in our shared belief that we, as a human race, can do better, and we are committed to helping each and every one of you find your own “better” road. For now, this means new branding that defines the rich and vibrant cultures we draw our recipes from, a new educational blog to help you make the most of your journey, and special offers like our win-a-trip sweepstakes to keep you adventuring and exploring on the Saffron Road.

For our first blog post, we have reflected on the lessons we learned as we redefined our brand, and how these lessons can serve you as you embark on your own journey to “better”- whether it’s better eating habits, better quality of life, better adventures, or just a better mindset. We’ll discuss four specific realizations that helped us find success, and offer some practical tips on how you can apply them to your own life.

Journey to Better: Take inventory first

Before we can figure out where we want to go it’s critical to understand exactly where we currently are. Personal growth requires the same inventory process that we underwent in our company. Observing your life objectively and taking stock of what is working and what is not; what is bringing you joy and what stifles you, is the first step to creating meaningful and healthy changes.

Once we understand our current situation, what motivates us, and what discourages us, we will hopefully arrive at a better place on our journey to better and determine what guiding values should underpin our life.

Journey to Better: Cut out the bad stuff

Our own process of brand refinement taught us that it is necessary to constantly set new goals and redefine who we are in order to meet higher and higher expectations of excellence. Most importantly, we must always be progressing forward on the higher road. The Saffron Road. One of the most difficult (but important) aspects of this process is committing to cutting out the things that will hold you back. For some people, this might mean cutting “bad stuff” out of their diet. For others, this might mean cutting out toxic friendships or a habit of negative self-talk. Whatever it is, create a system that will allow you to phase the negative habit out of your life in a reasonable amount of time. A lot of people abandon their “resolutions” to be better because of a failed ideal of perfection, but remember that accepting the bumps and detours along the way is part of the journey. Embrace it, accept it, but never stop moving, and never stop trying again tomorrow.

Saffron Road is all about cutting out the bad stuff. No antibiotics, no GMOs, no unethical farming. Click here for a coupon to try our frozen entrees.

Journey to better: Create your own success story

More often than not, creating something better requires forging your own path instead of following the crowd, and Saffron Road’s success is a living example of this. When we debuted Saffron Road in July of 2010 in Whole Foods, it was the world’s first Halal certified, antibiotic free and humanely raised entree. This was venturing into totally unchartered waters at the time. There were many critics that doubted whether a company that promoted “ethical consumerism” embodied in the values of humanely raised livestock and fair treatment of farmers- while also successfully achieving exponential sales growth against major billion dollar competitors- could actually succeed. Fast forward 10 years, and these socially responsible values are what drove our success.

If you are looking to make a change, allow yourself to be driven by your convictions and dreams for a better future, not by what you think could or should be possible based on advice and experiences of others. Everyone has different values and different priorities, and while listening to the advice of others can be great for inspiration and to glean from their experience, ultimately, you will greatly benefit from making your own decisions and choosing your own path based on what is important to you. Your guiding values are your best compass.

Journey to better: Find your tribe

Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of connecting with others. Making changes is hard enough without going it alone. If you are truly committed to finding a better life for yourself, do yourself a favor and find yourself a tribe of likeminded people who can go on the journey with you. Friendships help us lead healthier, happier lives, and can also provide needed support when we are trying to make a change. Social media can be a great resource to help you do this if you feel like you are struggling to meet like-minded people in your daily life. Joining an online community or reaching out to old friends can help you stay motivated and educate yourself along the way. Be the journey! We’d love for you to be a part of our tribe! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and stay up to date on our newest blog posts and special offers!

Creating a better life for yourself is a constant process of growth, reflection, and adjustment. No matter where you are on your personal journey, don’t forget to take pride in how far you have already come. Gratitude and appreciation for what you already have is the key to being truly ready to embrace a better future, so don’t skimp on the self-appreciation as you get excited for what is to come! Journey to better!