We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Hollings a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hannah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

I have pretty amazing parents that do lots of things right. As the oldest daughter of Drs. Darius and Jennifer Hollings, I have survived all of their parenting strategies. Maya Angelou’s words,“Nothing will work unless you do” are constant at my house. As a result, if I work towards my dreams, my parents work to support them. H3 Lemonade & Treats only works because my parents support our dream. My parents driving, banking, sitting for hours in the sun and learning about entrepreneurship alongside us made H3 Lemonade work from the beginning. My parents got it right by believing in me enough to support my big dreams and being willing to learn and try new things along the way.

Hannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Hannah Hollings, and this year I will be a high school sophomore. I started H3 Lemonade with my sisters, Halle and Harper Hollings, three years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used to live in Kalamazoo Michigan, where our local farmer’s market inspired us to become entrepreneurs. Throughout our lives we’ve always had that enterprising spirit, but until the pandemic we never had the time to build on that dream. After we moved to Tennessee, the quarantine gave us plenty of time to create a small business and get everything ready. Ever since then, we’ve sold our honey lemonade and treats at farmers markets and small events in the Nashville area. Some things that set us apart are our ages, we are school-age kids running a real business in a space usually reserved for adults. Another thing that sets us apart are our lemonades, served in pouches and sweetened with honey, giving it a unique taste. I am proud of everything H3 Lemonade has come to do, three years ago I never could’ve foreseen all the progress we’ve made. Some of our biggest moments have been giving out lemonade on Fifth + Broadway, and partnering with food trucks to have our lemonade at Nashville Pride and the Grand Prix. I would like potential followers, clients, and fans to know that H3 Lemonade gives back each year to organizations like Black Girls Code and Nashville Rescue Mission. I would also like them to know that we’d love your support, and to please email us about any inquiries you may have at [email protected].

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

H3 Lemonade & Treats has built a reputation of consistency within the Local Nashville Farmers Market scene. It starts with the consistent branding of our products that extends to our Signature Yellow T Shirts. We can’t be missed at any event.

But more than our look, H3 Lemonade and Treats products are consistently made from high quality ingredients and the flavors are unmatched. We feature new berry flavors throughout the season and always keep our menu fresh. It keeps our old customers excited and gets new customers engaged in our products.

Lastly, and most importantly, we engage with each of our customers. We share our story of how 3 sisters and our cousin started H3 Lemonade in 2019 during the mist of the pandemic. We share how we donate a portion of our profits to organizations that support women and children in the Nashville area. I feel good about what we have accomplished with our entrepreneurial spirit in an area usually reserved for adults. I hope to continue to build a strong reputation in the community.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

This question is really an example of what is happening right now personally and with the H3 Lemonade & Treats business. In 2019, the world was in the pause of the pandemic. I was in middle school and my sisters were in elementary school. Life was much slower than it is in 2023. Currently, my sister Halle is invested in her tennis and music and my baby sister Harper is a competitive cheerleader. I am now a rising 10th grader, planning for college, playing trombone in the marching band and I was recently elected as the Southeastern Regional Teen Treasurer of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Let’s just say that I have to prioritize my time and make the most of my opportunities.

I love H3 Lemonade & Treats, making our products and engaging with customers in person and on Social Media. This means that we are working to remain present and provide products on a regular basis only at our most popular markets. We are working to create partnerships with local organizations to grow our brand and possibly creating an opportunity to showcase Kid Entrepreneurs in the Nashville area.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/h3lemonade?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
• Other: email: [email protected]