Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rodney & Rebekah Medley, owners of Beehive Yourself, located in Fayetteville, NC.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a husband and wife team who are local beekeepers that are trying to focus on two things. We are focusing on placing more hives in areas/farms to help increase food/crops and to help increase the bee population. (We always educate on what happens if the bees die off. Then we humans die off!) Our second focus is with you. We take local Honey and infuse it with different food/herbs/spices that are mostly sourced in NC. These infusions give you more ways to use honey and help you be more proactive with your health since honey has so many health benefits.

Tell us about yourself

My husband being retired military and I being retired retail manager are living our second lives outdoors.

Rodney loves science and wanted to give back. Beekeeping became his therapy and new inspiration.  He started bringing me along on his journey. And being out at festivals doing education and outreach we got inspired by the idea of infusions and doing more things with honey.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The impact that our passion is making in the community. The beehives on farms, to the health benefits from our honey, and the education and outreach on bees/beekeeping we get to do with students and adults.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

If the business does not have a separate brick and mortar space to go to, create office hours so when you are working from home you also can find time to enjoy your home in your off time.  Shut the business off (emails, social media, etc.) when you are not in "the office". Work-life balance.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Do something that you are passionate about because you will find your office hours/home life will always run together. But for good reasons.

2. As the business grows, allow it to grow in ways that you might not have visioned but the demand/customers steer it that way. And that is ok!

3. Network with other business owners/people as much as possible. Business owners will be surprised how many doors will open,  the support you will receive, and the growth you might see just through this. Business owners must be of use to the network but the network must be of use to the business owners. It works hand in hand.

Where can people find you and your business?

https://www.beehiveyourselfnc.com/

https://instagram.com/beehiveyourselfnc/

https://www.facebook.com/beehiveyourselfnc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.