Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Ballance.
Hi Lily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with the service industry LONG ago. I was 15 working as a hostess at Kanki at Crabtree Valley Mall… this was back when malls were SO busy, and as the hostess, I was directing hundreds of people a night! The fast pace, the interactions with the guests, the controlled chaos of a busy restaurant- I loved it. By my freshman year, I was working at 5 Star, and I knew I wanted my own place. I opened my first restaurant in 2011, when I was 30 years old. I learned a lot from that first venture, and while it was part of my journey, my departure from it was not the end of my story. It was really just the beginning. Soon after I left, I was walking around Oakwood, 9 months pregnant, and I was just so in love with the neighborhood… As I was enjoying the area, I walked into what would one day become WillCo- it was a cute pop-up ice cream shop at the time. We opened in April of 2015, and we’ve been here ever since!
William & Company is a love letter to my son, and all the things I am passionate about. My goal with this project was to create a home within a home here in Oakwood. I wanted to focus on all of the things that made it authentic to me- I wanted a place for community, for gathering, where everyone feels included and valued. I look at my staff as family, and my patrons as friends. That’s how we’ve been so successful- because of each and every person who has thought to host an event with us because they had a connection with the space, for everyone who comes here after a date night to catch up with me, or their favorite staff member behind the bar… our friends and family supporting us and the unique and genuine space that we’ve built is what got us through those first years. And we’re still honored now, every time someone trusts us with their baby showers, birthday parties, or engagement parties. We treat them like they’re our own, which is what I think is why we’ve been able to have continued success throughout the years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There’s so much that I’ve learned here over the years. Because of my familiarity with the service industry in Raleigh, I was able to curate and truly handpick my staff that I brought into the fold here at WillCo, and place people who I knew were right for my forever project. Which is humbling, and a blessing, but also challenging, because it was a change in our dynamic. The boundaries were changing, and it was hard to find the right balance between these people being my friends, but me also being their boss. It took a LOT of trust and faith from everyone involved, but we came out of it stronger together. We have now grown from 6 employees to a family of 26, and 3 of them have actually been here since the very beginning. But we thrive now. It was hard at first, but I had to trust my team and learn to teach them the knowledge that I’ve acquired over the years so they can grow and contribute to the dynamic here. It’s all about diversity and respect. They curate their own menu for each evening, they throw on the music that they like… I trust them to set the vibe and have faith in them that they’ll attract clients based on their authenticity. And in return, I think it encourages them to be a part of the bigger picture here, which is why we have such a high retention rate- once people are here, they aren’t going anywhere!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about William & Company / LaVeladora?
I know we were just talking about obstacles, but actually I think one of the things I’m most proud of has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced, and that’s La Veladora. 6 years after we opened WillCo, I had this desire to really pay homage to my culture and who I am, which pushed me to grow and open a space that was centered around the beautiful culture of Mexico and the Agave spirits that are produced there. But there was a TOTAL lack of exposure to Mezcal- back then, most people had never heard of it, knew what it tasted like, or had any education on it.
There was also a lack of availability, as NC is a privately run alcohol state, so everything has to go through the ABC Board. As part of my focus with La Veladora, I went out of my way to only bring in small production, non-industrialized brands that are additive-free. I wanted to focus on authentic harvesters and farmers who are centering the agave and making the product shine for what it is. We’ve worked really hard with the ABC Board to grow the availability of not just Mezcal, but also Raicilla and Sotol- other beautiful Agave spirits that are even more rare than Mezcal. There are bottles back there now that I’ve spent almost a year bringing here. But because of the focus and the hard work that went into securing these small brands, we end up with such a beautiful relationship with the farmers and distillers, and have had the honor to host them in La Veladora so they can share their knowledge and expertise directly with our staff, as well as small customer appreciation events that we host.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
There are definitely books that I’ve found helpful: El Jardin del Chef, Zero Waste Chef, Low Waste Kitchen, and Liquid Intelligence are just a few that come to mind- but what I try to focus on to continue in my own growth is to learn from everyone I interact with. I love to travel, and I think there’s such a connection when you are able to learn through experience. For example, I go to Jalisco, Mexico, every year to work on an organic Agave farm called Finca18. I work for hours in the sun harvesting and producing agave, and then walking through its lifecycle from plant to spirit. The takeaway from these experts who have their hands in the soil and bring these plants to life is second to none. I’ve intentionally travelled to Mascota and San Sebastian del Oeste to study Raicilla. I plan trips around other bars that have similar values to my own, and seek out colleagues who also focus on natural products and ingredients. I enjoy touring organic farms to learn more about their practice,s and I enjoy learning about medicinal herbs.
I use all of these experiences to pour into the ongoing development of myself and my team at Willco. We have monthly labs where we craft the recipes and components of all our infusions. Our juices are all made in-house, the herbs are often from our garden at my personal home, and we experiment with shrubs, syrups, and purees. But it all happens here, in-house, as an offering from us, to our patrons. I’m so proud of my staff’s growth, and of my own, and the experience we’re able to provide our clients. We are always focused on evolving, and we will never stop trying to bring everyone together by making a comfortable, inviting corner of the world, where we encourage community to flourish. Whether it’s a well-balanced agave cocktail in LaVeladora, an early morning dance party in William + Company, or thoughtful conversations under the stars surrounded by the cultivated flora of our back patio, we hope that everyone walks out of our door feeling more connected than they did before they entered.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://williamcobar.com
- Instagram: @willcobar @laveladorawillco
