Mikaila Ulmer, a young entrepreneur, was just 4 years old when she started her own lemonade business called Me and the Bees.
We all remember squeezing a few fresh lemons, dumping cups of sugar into a big pitcher and sitting by the road, hoping for our first sale. At the end of the day, breaking even would have been an accomplishment. Mikaila had a different idea on how a lemonade business should be executed. She entered a children’s business competition and began to brainstorm on what her idea might be. As the wheels were turning, she thought about the time she was stung by a bee and the cookbook she had just received from her grandmother, which included a recipe for flaxseed lemonade. Fascinated with bees, she began to learn more about these little creatures that make life a little sweeter. As her ideas developed, she decided to incorporate her passion for bees to her grandmother’s lemonade recipe. She developed a lemonade company that includes flaxseed as a main ingredient and substitutes natural honey for its sweetness instead of sugar, which appeals to people who understand the health benefits of flaxseed and honey. Also, she donates a percentage of her profits to local and international organizations fighting hard to save honeybees. Her mission is to “Buy a Bottle… Save a Bee.” 
Mikaila (age 9) also pitched her idea for “Me and the Bees” on the popular TV show, Shark Tank and received a $60,000 investment from Daymond John. Her publicity has grown immensely and has attracted attention and support from big businesses, such as Whole Foods Market, who is now selling her product across the USA. Being that this is one of the largest organic food companies, this is a huge step for this young entrepreneur. You can now purchase her lemonade off the shelves of different natural food companies like Gelson’s, Wegmans, and Natural Grocers. You can also purchase merchandise off of her website to support her mission to save the bees. This young girl, who is now 13 years old, has proven herself to be an innovative entrepreneur in a new world of business by reinventing the stereotypical lemonade stand. https://youtu.be/mfDdJCraMSc
Mikaila’s bee advertising is a brilliant idea connecting the sweetness of bees with lemonade and also pointing to the healthiness of her ingredients. Her brand is far more memorable this way and distinguishes itself from other brands. She’s also wise in using honey and flaxseed ingredients considering the current uptrend in finding healthy alternatives. Mikaila’s “save a bee” cause ties the whole brand together nicely and adds greatly to her appeal.
Its cool to see how Mikaila turned a typical lemonade stand that’s run by a bunch of kids into an actual business. She had a passion for bees and that’s how she grew her company. Adding flaxseed and natural honey to her lemonade definitely separates her lemonade from other companies and is a great way to get people interested in the product. Its crazy how she started this business at the age of 4, it proves your never to young to start inventing!
I love the story of this young entrepreneur, taking a simple lemonade stand and making an impact on a situation she was passionate about. I can not wait to hear about what this little girl does in the future! She has lots of momentum and support to do big things and make this world a better place!