At just four years old, Mikaila Ulmer started selling lemonade with a purpose and now her brand is stocked in major retailers across the US. For Small Business Week, we’re highlighting how her mission-driven approach built Me & the Bees into a nationally recognized business and what it means for today’s entrepreneurs.
Maybe you’ve felt it too, that small sting of doubt when you wonder if your business idea could ever become something big. Something lasting.
Mikaila Ulmer felt it once (okay, maybe twice) at just four years old, when she got stung by a bee. Most people would have stayed away from bees forever. But Mikaila? She got curious.
With encouragement from her parents, she began to explore the world of bees, learning how vital they are to our food, flowers, and ecosystems. What started as curiosity turned into fascination that sparked an idea.
With her Great-Granny Helen’s 1940s lemonade recipe and a heart full of purpose, Mikaila opened a tiny lemonade stand in Austin, Texas. She swapped sugar for honey as a tribute to the bees that once bit her. Neighbors were charmed by the lemonade’s unique flavor. Customers kept coming back, sharing her story, and asking for more.
Before long, the little stand grew bigger. A local pizza parlor challenged her to bottle her lemonade. She accepted, and Me & the Bees Lemonade was born.From there, opportunity knocked again and again. Whole Foods Market placed her lemonade on their shelves. Soon after, Target, H-E-B, and other major retailers followed. Her growing success led her to the Shark Tank stage, where she confidently pitched her company and secured a $60,000 investment from Daymond John.
Source: CNBC
Today, Me & the Bees Lemonade is available in over 1,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods and Kroger.
But she did not forget about the bees. She launched the Healthy Hive Foundation, dedicating a portion of her profits to saving bees and educating others about their importance. Through workshops, partnerships, and hands-on programs, she helped spread awareness far beyond her hometown.
In 2020, she wrote Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid, a bestselling book that gave young entrepreneurs a blueprint for turning their own dreams into reality.
It all started with a sting and bloomed into a business that sweetened lives across the country.
If you’ve been holding onto a quiet idea, wondering if it’s good enough, wondering if it could ever grow into something real, consider this your sign. Your dream, no matter how small or unlikely, can make a difference. Just like Mikaila’s did.
Just remember: dreaming is one aspect of running a business. The other is building a business strong enough to last. Behind every lemonade stand that turns into a nationwide brand, there’s more than passion and purpose. There’s also the quiet work of keeping the numbers steady, tracking sales, understanding cash flow, and staying tax-ready at all times. These are the steady steps that keep your dream moving forward.
Stories like Mikaila’s are exactly why we do what we do at CoCountant. We want to create a world where every business owner can focus on growing their business without the headache of financial operations.
Whether you’re bottling lemonade, building homes, or creating content, we’re here to make sure your books are balanced and reconciled.
Here’s how we can help your business:
- Daily bookkeeping: Accurate and up-to-date recording of all transactions, giving you a clear picture of your financial health at all times.
- Reconciliation: Matches your records with bank statements to eliminate discrepancies and ensure accuracy.
- Tax-ready financials: Keeps your books organized and compliant so you’re fully prepared when tax season arrives.
- Payroll & 1099 support: Ensures your employees and contractors are paid correctly and on time.
- Direct bookkeeper access: Communicate directly with your dedicated bookkeeper for continuous and efficient communication.
