A business memoir from fifteen year-old lemonade entrepreneur and one of TIME Magazine's Top 30 Most Influential Teens, Mikaila Ulmer, and her advice for life and business.When Mikaila Ulmer was four, she was stung by a bee--twice in one week. She was terrified of going outside, so her parents encouraged her to learn more about bees so she wouldn't be afraid. It worked. Mikaila didn't just learn what an important role bees play in our ecosystem, but she also learned bees are endangered, and set out to save them. She started by selling cups of lemonade in front of her house and donating the small proceeds to organizations dedicated to bee conservation. When she realized the more lemonade she sold, the more bees she could help, Me & the Bees Lemonade was born. Now she sells her lemonade across the country. From meetings with Fortune 500 CEOs, to securing a deal on
Shark Tank, to even visiting the Obama White House, Mikaila's lemonade and passion for bee conservation have taken her far.
In
Bee Fearless, part memoir, part business guide, Mikaila--now fifteen--shares her personal journey and special brand of mindful entrepreneurship and offers helpful tips and guidance for young readers interested in pursuing their own ventures, instilling in them the bee-lief that they can bee fearless and achieve their dreams too.
Mikaila Ulmer is the founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade. Using her great-granny Helen’s flax-seed honey lemonade recipe, Mikaila launched her business from her home in Austin, Texas, in 2009. After landing a deal with Daymond John on
Shark Tank, her lemonade is now sold in grocery stores across the country. In 2016, Mikaila launched the Healthy Hive Foundation, a non-profit where she donates a percentage of her lemonade sales to help save the bees.
Praise for Bee Fearless:
★ “In sharing her story, this talented Black girl breaks down not only each opportunity and decision she and those who supported her had to make along the way, but also the lessons about business that she learned in the process, making this a manual as well as a memoir. Her growth is
inspiring, her story is
fascinating, and her wisdom is
priceless for young entrepreneurs. Gift this to every aspiring and beginning entrepreneur; they will thank you.” —
Kirkus, starred review
★ “Ulmer maintains a conversational style, displays appealing humbleness, and touts the importance of family support. She also offers
solid entrepreneurial advice, honed through her experiences as a C.E.O, motivational speaker, and environmental activist. . . Aspiring business tycoons and environmentalists
will be inspired by her story.” –
Booklist,
starred review“Any C.E.O. book ought to do two things. First, it should be a rip-roaring tale of how the author did it, warts and all…we have our
good yarn. The second task is harder—for anyone, let alone a teenager selling her story to other kids: How do you leave people believing that they too could pull something like this off?... Like many founders’ stories,
Ulmer’s book is meant partly as self-help. Here she delivers.”—
The New York Times“
A memoir and how-to guide with heart. Readers of any age will appreciate Ulmer's ingenuity and harness the strength they need to create and innovate.” —
School Library Journal“
Bee Fearless is
equal parts memoir and business playbook—and exactly what tweens and their parents need right now. After a bee sting, a family lemonade recipe, and plenty of ingenuity, fifteen-year-old Mikaila Ulmer has sold more than a million bottles of her Me & the Bees lemonade. She is wise beyond her years and reminds us all that making a beeline to follow your business dreams is never a bad idea.” —
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org
“From running a multimillion-dollar business to making time for her schoolwork, Mikaila
will awaken the go-getter in you.
Bee Fearless
inspires us all to dream like kids and pair our passions with our purpose.” —
Daymond John,
Shark Tank panelist and investor
“Mikaila is
one of the most impressive entrepreneurs I’ve had the privilege to meet. Her ingenuity paired with her mission to save the honey bees is an example of how businesses can lead with purpose. By sharing her story and
inspiring readers of all ages to pursue their dreams with passion, the world will be a better place.” —
Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
“Ulmer. . . never talks down to young readers nor suggests their entrepreneurial ideas are anything but valid.
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid is
an essential library purchase and
a great gift." —
Shelf Awareness “Being an entrepreneur isn’t just for grown-ups, and this book
allows you to mindfully be a mentor to a kid with ideas. . . And if you’re hoping your child might follow parental footsteps into the family business, there are
plenty of inspirational early lessons available here.” —
Milwaukee Times “Whether you're a parent or simply want
a story of ingenuity to light a fire in your tail,
get into this.” —xonecole.com
