MACADONS
IS PARADOX’S PREFERRED PARTNER
Macadons perfectly embodies the spirit of PARADOX: intentional creation, meaningful connection, and the art of turning imagination into tangible experience.
Their custom-printed macarons have become one of our most effective marketing tools, offering an ROI that goes far beyond numbers.
Each macaron disrupts patterns the moment it’s seen: unexpected, charming, and irresistibly delicious. It’s a sensory experience that sparks curiosity & conversation, leaving a lasting impression that no traditional marketing collateral could ever achieve.
In every bite, Macadons captures what Paradox stands for: creativity with purpose, impact through experience, and the power of thoughtful detail.
Like all great events, everything begins with a story.
Once upon a time, long before PARADOX & me knowing what I wanted out of the game of life, I was everything but what I wanted to be.
This story begins in December of 2015. I was working at Wells Fargo as a teller, floating through the world aimlessly.
When I met Michael, Macadons had just barely been conceived.
There wasn’t a plan, rhyme, or reason as to why the business existed outside of the fact that Michael A) Did not like his job at Boeing and B) had an obsession with perfecting the finicky art of macarons.
And I’m dead serious when I tell you — if you asked Michael about his thoughts and plans for where he wanted to take the macarons, he’d laugh nervously, shrug, and say “I have no clue”.
For me at the time, the notion of doing something without a plan was inconceivable. “What do you mean you started a business with no plan? Aren’t you worried things won’t work out?”
”Well that’s easy. I’ll just go back to Boeing.”
Right before the holidays in 2016, I was experiencing financial troubles.
Read: the holidays were coming up and I had negative money in my bank account.
Between tellering & college courses, my options of jobs were limited. My choices were bartender or barista, neither of which aligned with where I thought my future was going. It was a stressful time to say the least.
One day while venting about it to Michael, he came up with a great solution:
“I’ll pay you to make macarons.”
A few times a week, I’d drive from Kenmore to White Center and spend a few hours in the kitchen making macarons.
I was terrible at mixing batter and piping shells.
Macarons, truly, are an art form. At every step in the process, some arbitrary variable can and will sabotage the final outcome: ambient air temperature, moisture in air, sifting, mixing, piping, baking, drying, etc: it all affects the final look, taste, and texture of the macarons.
Michael tried his reasonable best to guide me through mixing and piping so I wouldn’t break my wrists but ultimately, it wasn’t happening.
What I was allowed to do was match shells, pipe buttercream, and prepare the macarons for the freezer.
Michael wasn’t exactly sure what Macadons was supposed to grow into, but he knew some things:
He wanted to others who were lost on their life path find purpose and passion in what makes them great.
MORE THAN MACARONS
Over the years, I’ve watched Macadons grow from a 500sq ft kitchen to a team of 25 individuals, a manufacturing space, and a solid purpose in the Pacific Northwest Business Community of helping others find their purpose.
While I no longer help with the macaron making process, I’ve helped to spearhead brand development and growth of Macadons as a brand since 2023.
Truly, this is the work that PARADOX was born to do:
help businesses express their reasons, dreams, and delusional goals beyond just product offerings.
Where we began
This is a sample from a branded deck that was created before PARADOX was onboarded as a partner.
Macadons was originally positioned as a luxury brand, and previous leadership exalted Macadons in light of what you’d expect from a traditional French patisserie: “elegant, inviting & tasteful,” “designed to perfection,” and an “oasis of sophistication.”
Houston, we have a problem.
Yes, Macadons makes luxury-grade products, but its essence lies in accessibility, community, and cultural connection rather than exclusivity or status. The brand’s heart is rooted in people: celebrating craftsmanship, heritage, and shared experiences, not in creating distance or hierarchy.
The luxury of Macadons is emotional, not aspirational; it’s found in the care, precision, and intention behind every macaron, and in the warmth of how the brand connects with its community.
Additionally, the Seattle area already has a well established macaron company that embodies the true definition of a luxury brand: Lady Yum. From their polished interiors to mischevious storytelling, Lady Yum’s appeals to consumers who want to feel elevated, and for those who see macarons as a symbol of refined taste and celebration.
While there’s absolutely room in the market for multiple macaron brands, competing as two luxury macaron brands isn’t strategic. Instead, Macadons’ strength lies in owning a different lane — one defined by cultural innovation, community engagement, and the kind of approachable excellence that makes people feel like they belong.
Branding is only effective when it lies on an authentic foundation.
PARADOX came on as a partner in 2023 and we didn’t just refine what already existed, we totally rebuilt the brand from the ground up. Our approach started with the people: understanding the emotional drivers, psychology, and lived experiences of those who would actually participate in and shape the brand.
Through this lens, we uncovered that Macadons wasn’t just about macarons, it was about creating opportunities, building community, and celebrating culture through connection and care.
By deeply studying their audience and community, we were able to design a brand that reflected their true spirit: one where craftsmanship met compassion. The result was a cohesive identity rooted in authenticity and purpose: a brand that uplifts others, supports small businesses, and honors the story of resilience behind every creation.
Bringing back integrity, empathy, and community to business.
Founded on the principle that purpose and profit can coexist, Macadons takes a people-first approach that prioritizes relationships over transactions.
Their philosophy is deeply influenced by immigrant resilience and a belief in opportunity creation. Business should exist as pillars of community and contribute to uplifting others; whether through helping employees develop side businesses, collaborating with local entrepreneurs, or fostering a workplace where people feel valued and supported.
Beyond the kitchen
Macadons ultimate goal is to be a connector within Seattle’s business ecosystem. Through the year, Macadons collaborates with other small businesses to provide space for popups, dinners, day-parties, and literally anything else concievable for collaboration.
And make no mistake - these events aren’t about sales or hitting quotas but about creating spaces where people can exist and connect without pressure to spend — redefining what modern community spaces can be.
Ultimately, Macadons represents a new model of conscious entrepreneurship: building something meaningful, sustainable, and rooted in community, all while serving macarons crafted with aerospace-level precision and human-level care.
