Happy holidays, y’all! I am super excited to serve up two weeks of Fan Favorites to keep you inspired throughout this crazy holiday season. We’ve shortened On The Dot to just two minutes, as we know you are extra busy this time of year! Today, we meet Mikaila Ulmer again. And let me tell you, the next two minutes will definitely get your blood pumping! In fact, she shared an exclusive update with us at the end of this episode.
And remember, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift for a special woman in your life, On The Dot is free to you but priceless to others. Share On The Dot and empower women the world over!
WOMAN TO WATCH: Mikaila Ulmer, Founder and CEO of Me & The Bees Lemonade
Today’s Woman to Watch is doing her part to make a positive difference in the world, and with some tasty results. Her name is Mikaila Ulmer and she’s the brains behind the oh-so-delicious beverage Me & The Bees Lemonade.
From the very beginning, Mikaila pledged to invest a portion of her profits into organizations fighting to save the honeybees. As such, Mikaila collaborates with Heifer International to give the gift of honeybees to needy families, who can turn these buzzing communities into viable moneymakers. Families get a boost of income from sales of honey, wax and pollen, and their crops are stimulated through pollination, which then increases their production in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.
Sounds like Mikaila is a pretty smart businesswoman, right? But guess what. This enterprising young lady is only 11 years old! And she was just 4 when, encouraged by her family to create a product for a kids’ business competition and a citywide lemonade day, she got to brainstorming her business idea. Having recently been stung twice by bees (Ouch!) and been sent her great-granny’s 1940s family cookbook, which included a recipe for flaxseed lemonade, Mikaila was inspired, and thus, Me & The Bees Lemonade, sweetened with local honey, was born.
Mikaila has more than a few remarkable characteristics. Obviously, she loves bees. That’s why she spends much of her free time leading workshops on how to save the honeybees, and participating in social-entrepreneurship panels. She’s also an incredibly hard worker, and as a self-described social entrepreneur, bee ambassador, educator and student, she’s just getting started.
Mikaila’s lemonade company became a hit on national television when she made a pitch on entrepreneurial-focused reality show Shark Tank. CEO of FUBU, Daymond John, invested, and Me & The Bees Lemonade has been buzzing ever since.
Now, Me & The Bees offers a variety of flavors to accompany fresh-squeezed lemon juice, local honey and flaxseed, including ginger and prickly pear, and all the company’s lemonades are buzzing off the shelves of international organic retailer Whole Foods Market.
A flourishing entrepreneur by age 11, Mikaila is a living example that it doesn’t matter how experienced you are. If you have passion and a mighty-fine idea—and can overcome a few stings here and there—you’re bound for some sweet success!
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Mikaila has been quite the busy bee herself this year! Just recently, she was featured on Time magazine’s list of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017. She’s clearly quite the buzz!
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
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