A lot of kids start lemonade stands on the weekends, but most of them don’t turn it into a million-dollar business! Mikaila Ulmer used her grandmother’s recipe for flaxseed lemonade, added honey, and created a product so successful that it was in stores by the time she was 9 years old. Ulmer joined Bold Business as our featured entrepreneur this week to share her journey from sidewalk stand to Shark Tank contestant.
Bee Stings to Bee Activism
When Ulmer first started her lemonade stand, she was terrified of bees. She was stung twice in just two weeks! When she did a little research to get over her fear, she uncovered that bees are not only essential to our ecosystem, but their populations are also at risk. Now, she uses honey in all of her beverages and gives a percentage of her sales to help save the honeybees! She works with the Healthy Hive Foundation and takes pride in being a socially conscious entrepreneur.
Dream Like a Kid
Now, Ulmer can add author to her long list of accomplishments! Her first book, “Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid” was just released, and it tells her story about starting Me & the Bees. Of course, at 4 years old, she couldn’t do it all on her own. Ulmer shares how supportive her parents were on her journey to success. They supported her dream of expanding when she wanted to bottle her lemonade as a kindergartener. Her father supported her when she appeared on Shark Tank and struck a deal with Daymond John, and her mother helped her write her speech when she introduced President Barack Obama at the United State of Women Summit in 2016. Now, Ulmer is considering colleges and majors because there is still “so much more [for me] to learn.” Maybe her inspiring story will convince more kids and parents about the value of entrepreneurship.