A Sweet Startup
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Shahan Mahmood, a teenage entrepreneur, and speak with him about his financial literacy startup that has benefited many youths across the GTA. However, he is not the only one set on creating a business and changing the world.
My first encounter with Lyn was online, when she was hiring for her company Candy Cutlery. Her casting call was quirky and fun and I was immediately intrigued by her buoyant personality, since many CEOs have a serious demeanor when dealing with business. When she interviewed me for the position, I was met with a bright and cheerful smile. Her passion and drive for her business idea- edible candy spoons that are delicious AND the perfect replacement for environmentally-harmful plastic spoons- truly made me want the position at her company.
Today, Candy Cutlery has sold over 7000 candy spoons to notable companies like WeWork, Fundica, Habitat for Humanity, and ventureLAB and has a strong partnership with Ben and Jerry’s. Candy Cutlery is currently being featured at the Canadian National Exhibition, and has expanded to selling candy shot glasses as well.
But how did she do it?
To answer this question, I sat down with her to try and understand what truly is in the DNA of an entrepreneur.
Who is someone that greatly impacts your life and inspires you to keep trying harder every day?
My parents. They have shown me through their amazing work ethic that dreams come true only if you work for it.
What qualities do you see incredible entrepreneurs such as yourself share?
First of all — flattered! Out of many qualities to possess, I think the most important ones are: persistence, patience, willingness to take risks, and the ability to communicate your vision.
What is your definition of a good leader or CEO?
Well, for starters — I’m no expert. I’m learning about management on an ongoing basis from the people I admire such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Melanie Perkins of Canva and Jessica Rawlley of TieiT (she is a hometown hero and mentor of mine!). I think this question goes back to the qualities of a good leader and not all of them are soft skills you own from the start. Melanie famously pitched Canva over 100 times to investors before hitting it home. The key learning from this was that each time, Melanie would ask: how can I improve? This is something I like to think about in my everyday. It is important that we foster a learning culture that embraces failure and celebrates success. So, even for myself, I strive to improve and admit to my mistakes.
Do you have an entrepreneurial hero or someone you think sets a great example for entrepreneurs today?
Honestly, I have so many heroes in my village of support — it would take very long to be able to list out everybody. I really admire Lucas Chang from Y2 Entrepreneurship Labs and Jeff Golfman from Raw Office — these two, as well as many of my advisors are visionary entrepreneurs who do what they love and love what they do. They wouldn’t have it any other way and neither would I.
What motivates you to make Candy Cutlery, and its parent company TUF Candy, better every day?
The people involved — from our team to the customers to our advisors and our supportive friends. With so many people rooting for the same vision, I can’t help but be inspired by what I do.
