We often think of a kid making a lemonade stand as a starting place for entrepreneurial ventures, but Mikaila Ulmer found a way to market her lemonade to a mass market at just the age of four.
According to Mikaila, when she was four years old, her parents encouraged her to make a product for a children’s business competition and Austin Lemonade Day. She says that while she was trying to come up with ideas, she got stung by a bee and later, Mikaila’s great-grandma sent her family her old cookbook with her recipe for flaxseed lemonade.
After this, she became fascinated with bees (though simultaneously a little scared of them) and learned all she could about them. She says that one day she thought what if she could make something that helped honeybees and used her great-grandma’s recipe.
Me and the Bees utilizes her great-grandma’s recipe and local honey as a sweetener. She says on her website that every year she sells out of her lemonade at youth entrepreneurial events. A portion of the profits always goes to organizations that help to protect honeybees – thus the origin of her slogan, “Buy a bottle, save a bee!”
In this video, Mikaila shares some of the things she’s learned about being an entrepreneur.
Mikaila is now 14 years old and is working hard in school, but Me and the Bees continues to grow and can be readily found in Whole Foods Market.
I think that this is a very interesting example of using the network that you have been placed. Mikaila used the network she had when her parents encouraged her to make lemonade in a new way. In addition, she is using the resources at her fingertips which is a great example of entrepreneurship.
I love the social impact Mikaila is making with her business. Too often we hear of young kids getting shut down with their lemonade stands — but she really took it all the way. Great article!
Mikaila has come up with a wonderful idea that will also have a great impact on the people around her. Lemonade stands are often a young child’s first business and she has used hers to better the environment around her by saving bees. I wish her the best of luck and hope she continues to succeed.
This is incredible. Encouraged to start a business at four years old? That is unheard of! The fact that she was hurt by a bee, but then decided that she wanted to help them with a lemonade product is so satisfying. We need more entrepreneurs like Mikaila in this world.