We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Aragonez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jamie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In 2023, World Spice embarked on a journey of transformation and risk. Faced with the necessity for the previous owner to retire, our team rallied together to ensure the business’s continuity. Within a 90-day span, World Spice underwent significant changes – transitioning to employee ownership, revamping our website and packaging, relocating our warehouse cross-country, and revitalizing our retail store with a fresh concept.

Given the challenges that many retail businesses, particularly those in the food industry, faced in recent years, our primary mission was to make the business sustainable. Simultaneously, we aimed to empower our long-time customers to create delicious meals at home.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After a decade leading some incredibly talented teams in Kansas City kitchens, I took a leap of faith and made the move to Seattle. By a stroke of good luck, I found myself as the store manager at the World Spice retail shop. Fast forward four years, and now I’m proudly wearing the hat of Creative Director and owner.

World Spice has been spicing things up in Seattle since 1995. These days, I dream up new spice blends and recipes while running the beloved shop tucked behind Pike Place Market. Here, we invite you to explore flavors the fun way—by sniffing, sipping, and tasting our fresh spices and teas.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Back in 2019, I made the move from Kansas City, MO, to Seattle, and fortunately, I moved with a job lined up at World Spice. It was a significant shift for me because, up until then, all my jobs were kitchen related. I was accustomed to a fast-paced environment, but I had limited experience in customer-facing roles.

I had always enjoyed the creativity that came with working in the kitchen and leading teams. However, I never expected that I would continue experiencing that as a store manager at a spice shop. Now, I get to spend my days talking about my favorite subject – “FOOD!” while learning from our customers. I get to play the role of a mad scientist, developing new spice blends, and creating recipes for our blog. Every day brings something different, and in the end, I achieved the balance I always craved in a kitchen

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The struggle to constantly create content is no joke. Creativity is like a muscle that needs to be exercised but it also needs rest. For me it looks like countless pauses, loads of drafts, and boom, there’s the secret ingredient. However, coming from the restaurant environment, where there’s little room for mistakes or pauses, I often found myself frustrated, desperately seeking inspiration.

Lessons learned? Setting boundaries with achievable timelines and maintaining a laser focus on the end goal. Having a supportive and open minded team, helps too <3

Contact Info:

• Website: https://worldspice.com/
• Instagram: world.spice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldspicemerchants/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-spice
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@world.spice

Image Credits
They are World Spice pictures