Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Mallett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Angela , appreciate you joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t choose to start my business any sooner or any later, because I truly believe the timing was divine.
Every step I took—the wins, the setbacks, the pauses—prepared me in ways I couldn’t have understood then. My journey into entrepreneurship officially began after I was laid off from a nonprofit role where I worked as a Youth Program Coordinator. But the vision had been quietly growing inside me long before that moment.
I was working in education, passionate but increasingly frustrated by a system that felt ineffective and unsustainable. By the end of 2008, burnout and unfulfillment were overwhelming. I found myself craving something deeper, something rooted in authenticity, purpose, and transformation.
A conversation with a close friend as we cleaned out our classroom helped me name that desire to create something of my own. She took the leap first, building her dream, and I followed after trying a nonprofit path, which again didn’t fully allow me to express my vision.
When I was laid off, I didn’t see it as a defeat, but a release, an opening for what was truly meant for me.
One moment that sticks with me is driving down Fond du Lac Avenue and seeing a man tenderly caring for two children, a sight that stirred something deep inside. It inspired the vision for my first business, Sow In LOVE LLC, and my personal brand, Spread Love.
I poured everything I had into that dream, slowly building the foundation that eventually became HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary, a space where culture, wellness, and community come together.
Looking back, I know that starting earlier might have meant missing out on essential lessons, and starting later might have made me doubt or wait for “perfect” conditions that never arrive. The timing was perfect because it aligned with my growth, my readiness, and the needs of the community I serve.
So no, I wouldn’t change the timing. I trust the process, the journey, and the unfolding of my purpose. Every experience shaped me into the leader and healer I am today and that continues with each new step forward.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary Cafe is a herbal beverage cafe that combines the unique concept of an apothecary, tea cafe, and alcohol free craft cocktail lounge. It is the first of its kind in Milwaukee.
Our carefully curated menu is buzzing with a variety of herbal and traditional teas, tea-lattes, delectable bakery items and hand crafted non-alcoholic beverages that nourish both the body and soul. Our motto is “Elevation without intoxication!” Whether you’re looking for a soothing herbal tea, or a non-alcoholic craft cocktail, we have something for every palate. Beyond our beverage and food offerings we have over 200 herbs, medicinal herbal teas, clean body products, metaphysical healing tools, and so much more.
The HoneyBee Sage brand is a trusted brand in the community, known for high quality products, and superior service. It has been nominated as “the best customer service experience” on King Drive and nationally recognized by the “Wine Enthusiast” for its alcohol free cocktails and commitment to supporting the alcohol free movement.
Our mission is to create a “Global Community of Homegrown Healers.” By healers we mean any person who has taken personal responsibility for actively restoring, maintaining, and improving their own health and wellness. Our commitment to health and wellness extends throughout the cafe, to provide a serene environment that has a calming ambiance, promotes balance, and healing. It’s a vibe when you come to the hive.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Becoming an entrepreneur was how I overcame a layoff and the most pivotal moment in my life.
Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t just a response to being laid off, it was something I had already envisioned for myself. I’d been working in education, and while I appreciated the purpose behind the work, I didn’t feel like the system itself was effective. By the end of the 2008 school year, I was burnt out and unfulfilled. Around that time, a close friend and I both came to the same realization: we were ready for something more. We wanted to create something of our own, something rooted in impact and authenticity. She started her journey a little before me, but that conversation was a turning point.
After that, I began working as a youth coordinator for a nonprofit. Initially, it seemed like the right fit, it aligned with my values on the surface. But over time, I realized the structure still didn’t allow me to fully express or execute my vision of what effective, transformative work could look like. After about a year and a half, I was laid off. And instead of feeling devastated, I honestly felt released. It was the push I needed.
Shortly after, I had a moment that changed everything. I was driving down Fond du Lac Avenue in Milwaukee and saw a man, someone who might’ve been overlooked or misjudged by society, caring for two small children with such tenderness. One in his arms, one by his side. That moment stopped me in my spirit. I didn’t speak to him, but I carried that image with me. Later that day, I went to visit my friend who was doing hair, and I shared the story with her. That conversation sparked the idea for my first business: Sow In LOVE and my personal brand, Spread Love. A brand so personal to me that I immediately trademarked it in the state of Wisconsin and owned it for 10 years. Now it’s simply sewn into the fabric of everything I do and remains the core of my mission and vision til this day!
I actually used my unemployment money to get it off the ground. And from there, things started to unfold. All of my experiences, as an employee in corporate, nonprofit, and education, shaped me. I took the lessons, both the beautiful and the painful, and used them to build something that aligned with my vision and values.
That’s what led to HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary. It wasn’t just about creating a product or service, it’s about creating the kind of environment I always hoped existed but rarely experienced. I built the kind of company I always wanted to work for, a space where community and culture come together. Now it’s growing into something bigger than me, a brand, a culture, a movement rooted in wellness, community, and intentionality. And in 2024, that vision was recognized when HoneyBee Sage was honored as a Best Place to Work by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation at the 32nd Wisconsin Main Street Awards.
That award means a lot—but what means even more is knowing we’re living the essence of that recognition every day. We’ve created a place where people not only feel seen and valued, but where they can grow, thrive, and be part of something bigger than themselves.
So yes, the layoff could’ve been a disappointing ending. But instead, it became a curious “comma” and after that started a new beginning. Entrepreneurship wasn’t just how I got through it—it’s how I turned the page and started writing my own story.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believe the foundation of my brand reputation was laid long before HoneyBee Sage even existed, because I live my brand every day before it was a business and beyond it now.
I adopted a personal mission that has always guided me: Seek truth, speak truth, and spread love. This wasn’t just a slogan or marketing phrase; it’s a way of being that shaped every decision I made. My personal brand and who I am as a person are inseparable. They are one and the same.
That mission has naturally bled into every part of what we do at HoneyBee Sage. From sourcing the highest quality herbs, to sharing deep knowledge and holistic wellness information, to providing the best customer service with a caring, well-trained team—it’s all aligned. We don’t just sell products; we offer a ritual, an experience that honors the body as a sensory being. Our teas smell delightful, taste delicious, and feel good going down because we know that healing has to be sustainable and enjoyable.
Many customers come to us with little knowledge of medicinal teas and herbs. We meet them where they are and invite them to make the HoneyBee Sage experience a part of their wellness journey—a ritual they can commit to over time. One of the most humbling moments was when a customer shared that our tea helped regulate her cycle after years of painful endometriosis, leading to a pregnancy that doctors had told her wouldn’t happen. That’s the why behind everything we do, guiding people back to nature, to relationships, and to the power of herbs as medicine is deeply meaningful and humbling.
My roots in healing come from my family’s traditions. My grandmother in Mississippi, who used cigarette ash to draw out bee sting toxins or sweet oil to soothe earaches; my uncle, a root doctor who carried ancestral knowledge passed down through generations. Healing is a gift in my bloodline, part of who I am, and I feel honored to carry that forward in my work.
So, building our brand reputation was never about marketing tactics alone; it was about embodying truth, service, and love in every interaction and product. When you live your brand authentically, people see it and feel it. That’s what creates trust, loyalty, and a reputation that grows organically.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://honeybeesage.com/
- Instagram: honeybeesagewellness
- Facebook: honeybeesagewellness
- Linkedin: angela mallett
