Culinary Creatives Chat: Laila Ali

“As a professional boxer, I developed discipline, resilience, and a growth mindset, which has translated perfectly into entrepreneurship.”

By EatOkra

Laila Ali has had her fair share of competitors in the boxing ring. When it comes to her newer position in the saturated food and beverage industry, the now-retired professional boxer applies a time-tested logic for victory. “I believe in focusing on excellence, not competition,” Ali tells EatOkra. “Exceptional products and services attract customers seeking value. I believe there's room for all brands to succeed.”

It’s an unsurprising mindset for an undefeated champion. Ali’s business venture, Laila Ali Spice Blends, is a culmination of years experimenting in the kitchen combined with the experiences gleaned from the athletic world. Her organic seasonings—a variety of mix-and-match blends like Garlic Goddess and G.O.A.T—are part of Ali’s growing mission to empower home chefs and equip them with the foundation for bolder, balanced lifestyles. Her brand also includes a cookbook along with fresh online recipes integrating her spices, and a philanthropic arm that circulates funds into aligned organizations like Feeding America.

Ali spoke to EatOkra about the career lessons that helped her entrepreneurial pivot, the health-driven intention behind Laila Ali Spice Blends, and the overarching mission that goes beyond selling products.

On the journey to starting to Laila Ali Spice Blends

Laila Ali: A lot of people don't realize that I've been cooking since I was nine years old. My mom didn't do a lot of cooking, so I got into the kitchen myself, and one of the things I was always good at was flavoring food. I discovered the power of flavor at a young age, and I was really good at balancing flavors. As I got older and became a professional boxer, I started really doing my research about eating properly and how what you eat really [impacts] your performance. I came out with my cookbook, Food For Life, in 2018, where I created healthy comfort food meals. Within the Black community, we have really high rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and a lot of it is directly related to our lifestyle choices and the way that we eat. I said, “You know what? We've got to do something about this.” I'm really trying to inspire people to make the foods that they love in a healthier way. And we all know that seasoning makes a difference between a good meal and a great meal. I had a recipe for a blend in my cookbook, and decided to expand upon that and actually make a product line. So that's how my spice blends were born.

On the professional experiences that supported entrepreneurship

Ali: There was a lot that I had to learn as a pro boxer. I developed discipline, resilience, and a growth mindset, which has translated perfectly into entrepreneurship. I applied this same confidence and, most importantly, coachability. I'm someone who constantly wants to do better, who wants to improve, no matter how good I was the last time out or how good my last product was. I always want to do better, so it's important for me to stay coachable and always know that there's room for growth. I think I've really learned a lot of that through being a boxer in the ring.

On her favorite creative aspect of the business

Ali: What I enjoy most is actually creating the products. It's something that people ingest, something they're going to prepare meals with. I want to make it the best possible. And for me, it's really a balancing act, because my spice blends were created to mix and match, layer, and use together. You can definitely use them alone, but every time I'm creating a blend, I have to make sure that it pairs well with the other blends. And, as you can imagine, that takes a lot of testing and planning ahead. But I love the process.

I also love creating the containers and really making people feel me and my brand in them. It’s about making sure everything just really works together. And of course, I can’t do it all by myself. I can have an idea, but it takes a team to make all of this come to life.

On the important role of community

Ali: I remember when I first had the idea to start Laila Ali Spice Blends, and I literally went online and started researching: Where do I find spices? How much do they cost? I had to figure it out all on my own. But then, I learned a lot along the way through collaborating with other entrepreneurs. We share knowledge, we support each other. Learning more about what they’ve been through has helped me avoid some of the mistakes that I might have ultimately made. These relationships really streamline my growth and save me time. Once you have that community—people that you know you can trust and who want to see you win—it’s invaluable.

On establishing a brand identity with integrity top of mind

Ali: I really focus on listening to the customer and meeting their needs. I think it's really important to know what your mission is, know what your core values and principles are, and really stick to them. When it comes to maintaining this integrity while you're scaling, it really comes down to staying strong and having your priorities in place. A lot of times, people want to cut back so they have bigger margins. Opportunities come up to cut costs, and you have to say, “Okay, no, I want to continue offering my customer the best product possible.” You have to have certain things that are just non-negotiable. That really just comes down to holding strong, just like anything else in life. I want to keep sourcing high-quality products and maintaining transparent business practices. I want to keep engaging with my customers and understanding their needs. I want to continuously innovate and improve my products. And these are the things that I'm going to have to make sure I'm communicating to everybody I bring on as a part of my team. And when you start slipping, because business sometimes can get tough, you need a team that's going to hold you up and help you stay true to what your original mission was.

On her larger impact-driven mission

Ali: Growing up, watching my father, he gave back in so many ways. I have big shoes to fill, but as far as I’m concerned, this is a given. We’re here to give back. I really want to empower people to live better lives. It's really just about meeting people where they're at. Because a lot of times, people think food that's good for you can't taste good. And that's just not the case. Once people purchase my spice blends, they receive my newsletter, where I connect with my audience and I inspire them through some of the things that I'm doing in my personal life. It's definitely more than just spice blends. My goal is to build loyalty, but also create a ripple effect of goodness throughout the world, because that's what it's really all about.

You've got to "C" it to believe it. Our ongoing #CulinaryCreativesChat series is a virtual space to empower Black food entrepreneurs through testimonies from thriving industry peers.