We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Krieger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly below.

Holly , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

While I was working my way through college to earn my BS in Zoology, I worked in retail. One evening I was working the register and a customer came up screaming about the prices, smaller quantities within the bags, and how horrible our store was. I stayed calm and let them take all of their frustrations out on me. Once they were finished, I rung them up, they paid and left. I had to take a quick break in the office and then finished the rest of my shift. The very next day, there was a hand-written note in the office someone brought in and left for me. She explained that she had just found out that she was terminally ill, and had a really horrible day. I happened to be the person she let everything out on that day. She thanked me for remaining calm, letting her vent, and apologized for her actions.

We hear people say to be kind to everyone because you never know what battles that person is facing or what they have been through. That day, I learned that lesson, and it has remained a strong force in how I live every day of my life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Holly, and I’m the owner of Mae Bee Honey Company, LLC. Our company was started in 2018 by my husband and I, with just one beehive. The apiary, our business, and our family quickly grew over the next few years. We are now managing around 11 hives, a flock of ducks and geese, working with many different companies in partnerships, while also raising three beautiful children. My BS degree is in Zoology, and I have always had a love for animals, the planet, and conservation. This business has allowed me to feel like I can truly make a difference in many of the areas that I am so very passionate about. By being beekeepers, we are helping to save our pollinators. We plant native wildflower gardens all over our property and we have it registered as a Monarch Waystation and a Certified Wildlife Habitat. We rear monarchs for release each season and truly try to make a sanctuary here in Medina. Reducing our carbon footprint is very important to us as well. All of our packaging is plastic-free, we source as many ingredients that we can locally, and grow as many things as we can for our products on our property like luffas and elderberries. Our free-range ducks have been a new addition over this last year, and they have been such a joy, and a rewarding aspect to the business. They have become members of the family, and now that they are producing farm fresh eggs, we are another step along in becoming more sustainable on our farm.
Moving into other niches of my business came along when I began having excess products, and instead of wasting them, we found ways to use them. I began making lip balm and candles with the surplus wax that we acquired for our honey extraction. From there the cosmetics took off running. I quickly realized after having three children that I wanted to make sure that the types of beauty products I was using on them were simple, safe, and good for the environment. Those three requirements were hard to come by in a product, so I began making my own. It grew from just a single lip balm to lip tints, repair balms, bath bombs, body butters, shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps, and so much more. Using 100% Beeswax in our candles also has been a huge success since it is sustainable, clean burning, and we only use 100% Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils for scent, just like in all of our other products.
Our business has allowed me to accomplish two important things in my life: to be able to stay at home and watch my children grow, and leave the world a little bit better than I found it.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

We began beekeeping in 2018 with one beehive, with the idea to have a hobby that we could do together as a family, and have a bit of surplus honey for friends and family. My oldest daughter was about two years old at the time and loved being in the hive just as much as we did. As many beekeepers will tell you, you can’t have just one hive. As our apiary began to grow, so did the surplus of honey, wax, and the time commitment involved. We decided to create our business and name it after our daughter’s middle name, as well as my Grandmother’s, and that was when Mae Bee was founded. I did not work my first market until two years later where I only offered one lip balm and raw honey. Fast forward three more years, and our product lineup as well as our honey options have grown exponentially!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I truly feel like working local markets is the best way to meet new customers. I absolutely love chatting with new clients, letting them try the honey, smell the products and try on the cosmetics in real time. Although those days are long and tiring, I enjoy every smiling face I get to see and love when I have returning customers walk into my tent!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.maebeehoneyco.com/
• Instagram: @maebeehoneyco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maebeehoneyco

Image Credits
Sarah Marie Photography