We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Merrilee Kick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Merrilee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
When you have a family business it can either be really good or really bad. For me, it’s really good. I love that I get to see my family every day. We have always been very close, and we have had a great relationship. I think there are tough things, where your family tells you things you don’t always want to hear, but from a business perspective it is important. We lean on each others’ strengths, and realize our weaknesses. We also try, when we are together socially, to not talk business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have been many things in life, a pianist, an engineer, a mom, an actress, a voice-over talent, a nonprofit volunteer, a marketing company, a screenplay writer, a newscaster, a high school teacher, and now, a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. I started BuzzBallz as a result of a college project, back in 2009. While a teacher in a suburb of Dallas Texas, I created the concept of a round, ready-to-drink cocktail in a plastic can. It is an iconic package and is now sold in all 50 states and 21 countries. We have the #1 single-serve, ready-to-drink cocktail brand in America, and are expanding internationally. Our vision is to “REINVENT HAPPY HOUR”
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We could talk about the time I ran out of money near the beginning of the journey and had to get some collateral to get a bank loan. I used cows for collateral. After I had run out my SBA loan, and maxxed out my credit cards, my parents bought my portion of some inheritance we shared, so I could have a little more cash. Luckily it was enough to get by. During COVID, we knew if we shut down we couldn’t pay people and keep the business afloat. I didn’t know if we were considered “essential” and would be allowed to stay open, so we decided to learn how to make hand sanitizer, because if we were doing something essential for health, we could also make product. So we made and gave away 18,000 gallons of hand santizer to the front line workers. We also started an elementary school for the kids of my employees so they could virtually attend school while their parents worked. Now, I’m learning how to set up and operate a pyrolysis plant, basically distilling (not booze) but plastic and turning it into fuel in a safe EPA-Friendly way. It solves the plastic pollution problem and solves the gas scarcity problem – Win Win!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn that I was smart enough and I was strong enough to push through barriers. I had to build my confidence and I did that by learning, and being the best at what I do. When I was younger, I was taught that “men marry someone like their mother” and “Daughters marry someone like their father” – and I tried that for awhile, trying to be in love with my husband and be like his mother, but it just wasn’t for me. I realized that this self-imposed restriction was really holding me back. From then on, I trusted my own gut instinct, did what I thought was right, and led my own life in the strongest of ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.buzzballz.com, www.southern-champion.com, www.uptowncocktails.com
- Instagram: BuzzBallz
- Twitter: @BuzzBallz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEE-x9IAunLkJd6olhEVbaA/videos