Contestant's Case to Win

Read more about me in a StartupNation featured story

Did you know that honey from different plants have different flavors? Neither did I - until I bought a couple of beehives to pollinate a small vegetable garden I was growing to supplement the food bill. I was straight out of school, working as a temp, and I realized that I could sell my extra honey, beeswax candles, and my own line of beeswax-and-honey containing soap, handcream, and lipbalms for a bit of extra spending money.

I quickly realized that my friends were dropping out of the workforce to care for their kids. The cost of daycare is so high, how anyone can afford it is beyond me! I always knew that when the day came, I could quit my "day job", stay home, raise the kids, and sell honey for the income.

And when that day came, it hit hard. My husband suffered a stroke and lost his job when I was pregnant with our daughter. After her birth, I quit my "day job", to care for both her and my husband. And yet, because I could spend time at home with the family, The Bee Folks has flourished.

Despite the recession, I employed 29 people last year, including a single mother of two. I have no plans to downsize in this economy. Plus, I recently gave birth to natural identical triplets! The joke around here is that I am creating my own workforce, my own hive, so to speak.

Since you have read this far, please vote for us in the Leading Moms in Business Competition. The publicity we would gain would help me achieve our goal of becoming a nationwide name within the next five years. This goal would not only allow us to better care for our own family, but also allow us to hire more employees during a time when most companies are experiencing layoffs.

Thank you so very, very much, from all of us at The Bee Folks.