Lily Bond is an Ottawa-born entrepreneur studying at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Bond to talk about her experience in the entrepreneurship world through running and operating Spyce Girlz Seasonings. Created in 2017, Lily started her business in high school, selling to farmers’ markets before beginning to market her products in grocery stores. Selling creative spice blends that are better tasting and better for you, these multipurpose seasonings add a little (or a lot!) of flavor to whatever you are cooking.

“[Lily] started because [she] was being raised by a single mom and laptops were very expensive and [she] needed one for high school… [she] was too young to legally get a job so [she] thought [she’ll] start my own business,” (Montoni and Bond) comments Lily on her original motivation as a teenager. Bond discusses that even when she was young, she has always really been into food. Reflecting on these early memories, Bond comments on how she and her mother always made things from scratch at home, and as she was navigating a spice aisle, recognized that the spice blends were “all really salty… [and] all full of preservatives, especially the taco seasonings,” (Montoni and Bond) commenting that tacos were a favorite meal in her household. This led the young entrepreneur to realize that there was a gap in the market, inspiring her to create her product. After a month of market research with plenty of input from family and friends, and “a month of eating ground beef” (Montoni and Bond). After finalising her product, Bond started going to farmers markets on weekends and during the summer selling her product to the attendees. Doing this, she was approached by a local grocery store that had tried her products prior, wanting to sell them in their store.

While discussing her experience in high school as an entrepreneur, Bond remarks on how starting her business “taught [her] a lot about financial independence, like managing [herself], managing money, managing business operations, etc.” (Montoni and Bond), commenting how she was “kind of getting the start of [her] business education [in her] first year in high school,” (Montoni and Bond). Bond comments on how the ups and downs of operating a business have shaped her into a different kind of person at a young age, and it taught her a lot and increased her maturity at a relatively young age. These ups and downs “keep [her] going because something… [her business has] become so tied to my identity and who [she is], which could be a good and bad thing. When someone asks me, ‘tell me about yourself,’ the first thing [she] does is talk about [her] business,” (Montoni and Bond).

After graduating high school, Bond found it advantageous to take a gap year to run her business. Joining Invest Ottawa, an organization that accelerates small business growth and success in the Ottawa Gatineau region (Invest Ottawa). During this time she was connected with her mentor, Robert Hawking, who helped her realize that there was more to her business, “I was more than just selling spice blends, I was selling meal solutions, and also that it was more than just like a little local audience,” (Montoni and Bond) comments Bond on the realization Hawking helped her make. Hawking “was kind of the one who, I guess made me into a grocery nerd,” (Montoni and Bond) stating that her mentor encouraged her to start looking at food trends, packaging, and shelf space. “Whenever [Lily walks] through a grocery store, [she looks at] how much shelf space [products] are taking up? What does the packaging look like? What does their display look like? How many items do they have on the shelf?” (Montoni and Bond) jokes Bond. The Spyce Girlz founder also has assistance from Jim White, one of the individuals who helped create President’s Choice, who helped her shape her vision and potentially bring her products to the United States one day.

Bond expands on the many mentors she had on her entrepreneurial journey. “[Lily’s] very very first mentor would be [her] mom. She's been like [her] biggest supporter [and] angel investor. [She gave her] 150 bucks to start out,” (Montoni and Bond) chuckles Bond as she reminisces on the start of her business journey. The young entrepreneur still receives much practical advice from her mother, stating that it helps that her mother is also her best friend. Lily’s mother plays an active part in the ideation process as well, as she is Lily’s primary taste tester, often giving her ideas and feedback on how to improve.

Building on this, Lily comments on the impact the community has had on her business. Bond’s neighbours and friends help with the testing and invention of new spice blends and receive further advice from them as well. Bond is incredibly thankful to the general Ottawa community who have supported her vision. Grateful to the early customers who would receive prototype spice mixes in the mail and the comments she would receive from them. Lily’s customers “have been great to [her]... promoting on social media, [through] word of mouth,” (Montoni and Bond) and how when she is selling her product “people come up to [her] at markets and [she’s] like, that's amazing. [She] doesn't know [them], but they support me. They said [they’ve] been following your journey for years,” (Montoni and Bond). The young entrepreneur contemplates this experience, describing it as “mind-blowing,” stating that she is “so humbled by it because [she’s] just Lily Bond, but somehow the word of Spyce Girlz has spread” (Montoni and Bond).

When reflecting on tips from her journey, the Spyce Girlz founder reflects on key findings that helped her throughout her experience, stating that “having a really good network and support network around you” is vital. Bond states that most entrepreneurs are more than willing to help out, citing that your network really is your “net worth”. These entrepreneurs understand the issues surrounding your business where most others may not. As such, Bond encourages new entrepreneurs to put themselves out there. Furthermore, Lily encourages individuals not to feel overwhelmed by the slowness of the early days. “The early days were a slog… calling up grocery stores, some of them many times a month. I'd call the same small butcher shop if they wanted to carry my spices,” (Montoni and Bond). Expanding on this the entrepreneur says that the “sales process [is] a very long and tedious one,” (Montoni and Bond) when starting. However, once you land a big client, Bond comments that things will begin to pick up. Having that target, that goal you want to hit makes all the tiring, challenging moments worth it to see your vision through. Sticking through the difficult moments is one of the most poignant pieces of advice Lily gave. “If you're just in [the entrepreneurship world] to make a quick buck… that's not entrepreneurship,” (Montoni and Bond) suggesting the importance that passion holds on an entrepreneurial career path.

One of the largest developments in Lily’s entrepreneurial journey is her Farm Boy contract. As of the summer of 2023, Spyce Girlz products can be found in most Farm Boy retail locations, describing it as “a perfect fit” for her business (MacFarlane). Bond is appreciative of Farm Boy’s support, “They've been really supportive of [her]... [when she] was really just still starting out, [the Farm Boy team] helped [her] along the way. They've been very great partners, very great first partners as well,” (Montoni and Bond). This contract has allowed the Spyce Girl’s founder to hire her first full-time hire, a market representative working remotely from the Greater Toronto area.

As Lily looks towards the future, she sees two possible paths her business can take. The entrepreneur describes the first shorter path as getting acquired, and using the money from the acquisition to build another food business. Jim, one of Lily’s mentors, suggested another more long-term path. Similar to President’s Choice, Jim recommends expanding into other food-based products such as sauces or healthy prepared meals, the ladder for which Lily sees an untapped market for. The goal may be to “continue beyond spices [to] establish [Spyce Girlz] as like connoisseurs of flavour,” (Montoni and Bond).

Lily Bond, as she reflects on her journey so far says “I'm excited to see how far this goes because I know there's a lot of potential here and I'm really excited for the future ahead. So thank you to whoever's reading this for all your support. If you've ever purchased a Spyce Girlz product or if you're just taking the time to read this, it's been great,” (Montoni and Bond). Bond’s ingenuity and hard work in her field have shown fantastic outcomes, highlighting the power of dedication and innovation. Lily’s success serves as a testament to the entrepreneurial process, showing that unwavering enthusiasm for what she does will yield nothing but incredible opportunities. Make sure to check out @spycegirlzseasonings on Instagram, Facebook, and spycegirlz on TikTok, and if you are interested in trying or purchasing Spyce Girlz’s products, check out any Farm Boy, or purchase directly from https://www.spycegirlz.com/.

Works Cited

• “About the Spyce Girl.” Spyce Girlz, www.spycegirlz.com/pages/about-us. Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.
• “Lead Economic Development Agency.” Invest Ottawa, 31 Jan. 2024,

www.investottawa.ca/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8sauBhB3EiwAruTRJkb5tCXHyaPR3MN9m9vxrgwDy55agnN40RV3cV5cUKZnJuiTYhDW2hoC5PYQAvD_BwE#.

• MacFarlane, Sarah. “Teen Retail Entrepreneur Lands ‘Life-changing’ Deal with Farm Boy.” Ottawa
  

Business Journal, 21 July 2023, obj.ca/19-year-old-entrepreneur-lands-deal-with-farm-boy/.

• Montoni, Matthew, and Lily Bond. “Interview with Lily Bond.” 17 Feb. 2024.
  

“We Do Cool Stuff X Lily Bond.” Current Students - uOttawa,

www.uottawa.ca/current-students/news-all/we-do-cool-stuff-x-lily-bond. Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.