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

Hi Renae, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?

The idea of starting Bee Collaborative came during a pivotal moment in my career. After more than two decades in marketing, including time at Victoria’s Secret and working in economic development for Ohio, I felt a growing desire to build something personal, impactful, and aligned with my values. I wanted to take the lessons I’d learned about strategy, customer behavior, and brand growth and use them to help small businesses succeed. My entrepreneurial spirit dates back to childhood, when I sold rocks collected from Lake Michigan on a dead-end street in Indiana, and that same mindset guided me as I laid the foundation for Bee Collaborative in June 2022. The first steps were clear: articulate the firm’s vision, identify my ideal clients, and create a simple yet impactful service structure. From there, I focused on establishing my brand identity, building a network, and crafting messaging that reflected my collaborative, creative approach to solving complex marketing challenges.

The journey wasn’t without its challenges. The biggest hurdle was balancing my desire to keep operations lean with the need to establish credibility in a competitive market. Finding the right clients—small retail businesses with the potential to scale but needing strategic support—was also a process that required persistence. I quickly realized how much I missed working with a team, an adjustment I hadn’t anticipated after years in corporate environments. If I could do it over, I’d outsource certain tasks sooner, like administrative work, to free up my time for strategic growth. I’d also have focused on building a detailed sales process earlier, ensuring every interaction with prospects was seamless and efficient.

For young professionals considering starting their own firm, my advice is to begin with a clear vision of your ‘why’ and let it guide every decision. Be open to learning from every mistake—each one is a lesson in disguise. Build a strong support system of mentors, peers, and colleagues who can offer guidance along the way, and prioritize simplicity in the early days. You don’t need to overcomplicate your services—start small, deliver value, and let growth come naturally. Starting Bee Collaborative has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career, a reminder that stepping into the unknown often leads to the most rewarding outcomes.

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.

I’m Renae Scott, the founder of Bee Collaborative, a strategic marketing firm dedicated to helping small retail businesses grow and scale. My career spans more than 20 years in marketing, starting at Victoria’s Secret, where I learned the importance of understanding customer behavior and delivering the right message at the right time. I spent 16 years there, building a foundation in data-driven marketing, direct response marketing, marketing strategy, and leadership. Later, I led marketing efforts in economic development, where I helped brand Ohio as a destination for business and innovation, creating the award-winning ‘Ohio is for Leaders’ campaign. These experiences gave me a deep understanding of what it takes to create meaningful connections between brands and their customers.

I launched Bee Collaborative in 2022 with a mission to bring the same level of strategic marketing expertise that big brands have to smaller businesses. We specialize in fractional CMO services, offering tailored solutions like the 90-Day Marketing Assessment, Strategic Marketing Advisory, Marketing Strategy & Leadership Development, and Comprehensive Marketing Management. My approach is highly collaborative—I work closely with clients to review their business goals, analyze their marketing plans, and dive deep into customer behavior and demographics. The goal is to help them make smarter marketing decisions that drive sustainable growth.

What sets Bee Collaborative apart is the combination of strategy and empathy we bring to every client relationship. I’m not just providing a service; I’m becoming a partner in their success. My work is deeply rooted in understanding the unique challenges of small businesses, especially in retail, where competition is fierce, and resources are often limited. I take pride in crafting scalable, actionable marketing strategies that empower businesses to thrive in today’s fast-changing landscape.

What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me. Knowing that I’ve helped a business grow, clarified their brand vision, or made their marketing more effective is incredibly fulfilling. My work is about more than marketing—it’s about making a real impact. For potential clients, the thing to know about Bee Collaborative is that we’re here to simplify the complexities of marketing. Whether it’s refining your strategy, optimizing campaigns, or developing a long-term growth plan, we meet you where you are and guide you forward.

On a personal level, I’m a homebody who loves to make her house a home, and I draw inspiration from my roots. I believe that all of my experiences in life have shaped me into the person I am today and I wouldn’t change anything. I’m passionate about mentoring women business owners and creating opportunities for them to thrive. Bee Collaborative is a reflection of that passion—combining creativity, collaboration, and simplicity to help businesses achieve their goals. If you’re looking for a partner to navigate the challenges of marketing and growth, I’d love to connect.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A significant lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that working harder always leads to better results. For much of my career, I equated long hours and an unrelenting work ethic with success. I prided myself on being the person who could handle anything, often sacrificing my own well-being to meet deadlines or push projects over the finish line. It worked—for a while. But eventually, the burnout caught up with me.

The turning point came when I realized I wasn’t just exhausted; I was losing the passion and creativity that made me good at what I do. It forced me to step back and reexamine how I approached my work. That’s when I embraced the idea of “working smarter, not harder.” For me, this means focusing on impact over effort—understanding what truly moves the needle and putting my energy into those areas. It also means building strong processes, delegating effectively, and knowing when to step away to recharge.

In launching Bee Collaborative, this mindset became a cornerstone of my business. I wanted to create a company where I could deliver maximum value for my clients without falling into the same patterns of overwork. I approach my projects with intention, using data and strategy to guide decisions rather than sheer effort. It’s about creating sustainable solutions for both my clients and myself.

The lesson here is that success isn’t about how much you do; it’s about doing the right things well. Burnout doesn’t just hurt you—it impacts your work and your ability to show up for yourself and others. Unlearning the hustle mindset has allowed me to not only enjoy my work more but also deliver better results. My advice to anyone feeling the weight of burnout is to take a step back, focus on what matters most, and give yourself permission to work in a way that supports your well-being.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the most defining moments of my journey came during my time leading market in economic development in Ohio, where I led the rebranding of the state to appeal to C-suite executives and business decision-makers. The stakes were high, the expectations even higher, and the timeline was tight. It was an ambitious project—a campaign that needed to not only capture attention but also redefine how Ohio was perceived as a place for innovation and leadership. We called it the “Ohio is for Leaders” campaign, and while I’m incredibly proud of how it turned out, the road to get there tested every ounce of my resilience.

From managing multiple stakeholders with differing visions to balancing the weight of leading a team through the process, I had to learn how to pivot quickly, solve problems creatively, and keep the team focused and motivated through uncertainty. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed, wondering how we would pull it all together, but I reminded myself that great outcomes are often forged in those moments of pressure. By leaning into collaboration, trusting the expertise of my team and vendors, and staying clear about the vision, we delivered a campaign that surpassed expectations.

This experience taught me the true meaning of resilience. It’s not about powering through on your own; it’s about adapting, leaning on your support system, and finding clarity in the chaos. Starting Bee Collaborative was, in many ways, a response to that—choosing to build a business that embodies what I’ve learned about resilience. It’s about working smarter, prioritizing what truly matters, and finding fulfillment in the process.

Resilience, to me, is about charting your own path even when the road feels uncertain. It’s trusting that with the right mindset, a commitment to growth, and a willingness to learn, you can overcome challenges and thrive. That mindset is at the heart of everything I do, both personally and with Bee Collaborative.

Learn more about Renae and Bee Collaborative at BeeCollaborativeLLC.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beecollaborativellc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bee_collaborative_llc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaescott/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeeCollaborativeLLC
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bee-collaborative/

Image Credits

Photos by Harry Acosta Photography and Brooke Nicole Creative