Bee stings lead to successful business
To say that Trinity Episcopal School eighth-grader Mikaila Ulmer has been busy as a bee since she started her lemonade business at the tender age of 4 is an understatement, and that’s fine with the founder and her parents who are helping her run the business.
Now in about 500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Me and the Bees Lemonade was spurred by Mikaila turning her fear of bees into a passionate effort to save them.
“When I was 4 years old, I got stung by two bees in one week, and I quickly became afraid of them,” Mikaila, 13, recalled during an event last month at Birds Barbershop in West Lake Hills to promote her product and the Give 5 to Mother Earth foundation.
“So, my parents were like, ‘Do some research on them before you start freaking out every time you see an insect.’ ... I did some research and found out how incredibly important pollinators are, and that they are dying, which a lot of people don’t realize. So I decided to start a company to help save them.”
That was the impetus for the success story, and it began to show promise soon after Mikaila participated in an Austin Lemonade Day. But she never dreamed it would become a big business venture.
“I kind of thought I’d do this (lemonade production) once or twice a year and then stop and do other things, but definitely with how far I’ve gotten, I’m proud of it. (Success) kind of encouraged me to keep on doing it, keep on growing (the company) and keep on having an impact,” Mikaila said. “We just launched a nonprofit, and I just started writing a book that can reach a large audience . ... We’re going to launch more flavors and get into other stores (in many other states).”
Me and the Bees Lemonade has its office on Bee Cave Road, and her mother and father, D’Andra and Theo, serve as chief marketing bee and chief worker bee, respectively.
The concoction came from her grandmother’s 1940s cookbook, and the product grew along with Mikaila. The basic ingredients are lemons, honey and flaxseed, and there are four flavors: the original mint, ginger, iced tea and prickly pear.
With the success came many promotional events such as one April 22 at Birds Barbershop in West Lake Hills, which doubled as promotion for Give 5 to Mother Earth foundation.
Mikaila didn’t hesitate when asked if she has any regrets about the rigors of such duties taking away from doing normal childhood things or simply goofing off.
“No,” she said. “In fact, I feel like my company has enhanced it. When I do business trips, I always have vacation. Like one time we went to Anaheim, California, to do an expo, and after the expo was done, we went to Disneyland. And we went to South Africa, to do a conference there, and after that was done, we went on a safari for a week. So, I feel like it has allowed me to travel to new places and also have fun.”
Mikaila she still has ample time for her other passions that include dance and art. She also enjoys computer coding. The business has opened up opportunities for her to serve as a speaker and even to introduce former President Barack Obama at the United State of Women Conference in 2016.
“So, a lot of people think, ‘Oh, all she does is business; she doesn’t do anything else,’ but I do a lot of things, and I still have time for myself,” she said.
For more information about Me & the Bees Lemonade, visit www.meandthebees.com.