Entrepreneurship, Naturally with Carly Stein 008
Welcome to Zimmerman Podcast episode eight.
Beekeeper’s Naturals founder and CEO, Carly Stein is on the podcast today! Carly’s mission is to improve the health of humans and bees alike, which is why she left her job on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs to launch Beekeeper’s Naturals full-time in 2016.
Carly is as passionate about her products as she is about bees themselves and uses her company’s platform to make a difference and raise awareness for the bee cause. Carly was recently recognized as a game-changing entrepreneur on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
So yes, she’s a pretty big deal.
Today, Carly and I talk about how she created Beekeeper’s Naturals after having her life and health transformed by a bee-based product, how to believe in yourself when your friends and family think your business dreams are a little wacky, and how you can start a product-based business from scratch.
For the love of a product
When first starting Zimmerman Podcast, we had a handful of options for sponsors, but I really only wanted Carly’s company, Beekeeper’s Naturals.
I kind of stalked her until she agreed to sponsor this podcast. Some people might think this is an unexpected sponsor choice, but as a mom and an entrepreneur, this product has helped me so much. I really, truly, 100% love her product, B. Powered, and use it every single day. I feel totally aligned with this product. And I wanted her to tell us all about how she got started.
As she tells it, Beekeepers was a company that was never meant to be a company; it came from a really authentic and personal place, born out necessity.
Growing up with an autoimmune condition, Carly was constantly sick with a chronically weak immune system, and just accepted that she was going to have to try to manage her symptoms but never truly heal. She had tried both traditional medicines (which she had allergic reactions to) and the natural health world (which lacked results).
During college she studied abroad in Italy. While there, she became sick. She was faced with the option of finding some sort of relief or having to head home. Out of options, Carly found a pharmacy that suggested bee propolis. Out of desperation, she tried it.
After five days, she made a full recovery. She finally experienced true healing. Bee propolis functioned in her body the way antibiotics function for other people.
As she continued to travel Europe, she learned more about bee products. Europe is very progressive in their natural health, and she found the products to be widely accessible, especially propolis, which was normal for people to use to boost their immune system. She began to fall in love with these bee products and discovered they have a rich medicinal history and were used across cultures before the advent of modern medicine.
After returning to college in Canada, she got sick again and knew that bee propolis would help. But it was nearly impossible to find.
When she finally found some, she had an allergic reaction! As a college student, she had access to a lab and ran a toxicity panel, finding the propolis was full of pesticides.
Carly knew what could make her feel better, but couldn't get access to the quality product she needed. Seeking her own recovery and wellness, she took matters into her own hands.
She found a mentor willing to teach her how to become a beekeeper. She fell in love with beekeeping and learning about the bees, and was finally able to get the product she needed. She then shared it with friends, and word got out at her campus. Fellow students who would message her to ask for her propolis. This was her first taste of possibly creating a business.
How I got my energy back
A few months ago, I was feeling really fatigued. Until I started taking B. Powered from Beekeepers Naturals.
After graduation, Carly was offered a job at a hedge fund and then became a trader at Goldman Sachs. On paper, that career move made sense. During that time, she made it a hobby to order bulk bee product from her mentor and had a lab where she would extract propolis and give it as gifts.
A friend encouraged her to attend a pop-up shop, and she sold out of all the product she brought. From there she started getting more demand and receiving stories of how the products were helping people, especially those in the autoimmune community.
Betting on herself – the mindset to becoming a leader
For a while, she had a crazy double life of working days at Goldman Sachs and nights working on Beekeeper’s Naturals. She finally realized that working full-time with these bee products was her dream job. She eventually made the leap and turned her side-gig into her full-time job!
She had been living the dream in the finance world, making good money. From the outside, that career made sense. On the inside, she felt a lack of purpose, knowing she wasn't doing what she loved.
Every single person close to her discouraged her from leaving her corporate job and starting this business. They suggested she couldn't handle the pressure of the finance world… but she could handle it, she just wanted more out of life and to have meaning in the day to day.
Once, her boss sat her down to try to dissuade her from leaving and predicted this health stuff was a fad.
In this moment, someone close to Carly vocalized all the fears she herself was feeling. But she knew it was the right move and found the strength to plow ahead.
She originally struggled with self-limiting beliefs around starting her business, but the thing that began to change her mindset was she had a product she had to share – it had changed her health and she knew it could help other people too.
She also started to ask herself “what if I’m just holding myself back?”, “what if I am capable?” and decided she was going to at least try.
She began to believe she had what it took to make it happen, and that she could learn what she didn’t know. If it failed, she had the ability to pick herself back up.
Carly did what most people don't have the guts to do-- she bet on herself and took a risk.
Starting a product-based business from scratch
Carly believes when we’re doing something we love, the money follows, and that life is too short to be chasing dollars. When I asked her about how she answers the question “what do you do?” – she had a simple answer – “I’m a beekeeper”. Jumping into this business forced her to get over her fears – and not worry about other people’s assumptions, “because when people make assumptions, it has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you, and you just have to forgive them for it.”
She has grown her skillsets and confidence while building her business, and she’s sharpened her abilities to figure things out. As a business owner, you do it all.
Love Your Day
Get my free guide to building a life you love, one day at a time
Carly really knows her stuff, and has the science to back up her products. This conversation is the most education I’ve ever had in my life about bees – from their products to the process of making substantiated health claims to the bee population decline.
Carly gave me a comprehensive education on bee products and their health benefits.
Honey – a bee’s primary food and energy source. It’s like their carbs. They make it from fermented floral nectars. It’s a heathy natural sweetener, but it’s also full of natural antioxidants, has antiviral properties, and is high in live enzymes making it good for digestion.
Pollen – the protein source for bees. From floral pollen, the bees fly from flower to flower collecting it, then mix it with their enzymes, ball it up and carry it in their “pollen pants” back to the hive. Pollen has more protein per weight than any animal source, it’s energy boosting and full of broad spectrum vitamins and minerals.
Propolis – is the immune system of the hive. It is collected from plant and tree resin and it’s basically the medicine of the hive. It works the same for us, too! It’s an anti-viral, anti-bacterial protective agent.
Royal jelly – it’s the brain or super food of the hive. It’s eaten exclusively by the queen bee, who lives 3-5 years (compared to other bees who live 6-8 weeks), who is, in general, a much more robust bee. The only difference in the queen is she is consuming royal jelly regularly. There have been a lot of studies about how this affects our brain – memory, spatial reasoning, neurogenesis, it gets rid of “brain fog”, supports energy levels and is great for hormonal balance, concussion recovery, focus and so much more. It serves a diverse audience from college students to the aging population.
Bee products are age-old remedies that have been used across cultures. She pointed out how it’s easy to turn to pharmaceuticals when we’re sick, but part of her mission is to change this. She wants to reinvent the medicine cabinet and create a space for conversation about starting with natural, wholistic and nourishing products first.
As a startup, she wanted to do things right. She also knew the frustration she experienced as a consumer when products made claims they couldn’t back up. In the US, natural products are heavily regulated, but in Canada and Europe, they have regulatory standards and structures. Knowing she wanted to sell internationally, she knew she would have to and also wanted to legally validate any health claims her products made. She knew the products worked, and she had the science to back it up.
Carly taught me about the bee decline problems, too. Through education and being a part of the conversation, she hopes she’s able to help create positive change to sustain bee populations world wide.
From clueless to curious to clients
I was curious about who Carly's ideal clients are, and how she targets them. For her personally, her ideal client is someone who, like her, who was struggling with their health and needed something that works.
But really Beekeeper’s Natural’s ideal client is anyone who has ever taken NyQuil or Halls or gets sick. She originally thought it would be a more niche consumer base, but they've realized their universal appeal, even becoming the #1 flu and cold product on Amazon for a while.
She believes people appreciate natural products, and at the end of the day, people want what works. These products work. Bees make incredible healing, restorative, nourishing products, and by working with a product class that is effective, it’s easy for people to try it and fall in love with it.
So many people are struggling with unknown conditions right now, so getting people from clueless to curious, mostly happens through education – teaching about the health benefits, how the products help different ailments, the company’s mission, sustainability in beekeeping and product quality. In the beginning, she really hustled to get the word out and educate people before she had a team.
When I asked her about the health industry over-saturation, she said she handles it by recognizing that anything can be improved, and she holds herself and her company to this standard. They listen to customer feedback and are constantly trying to be better with their quality of product and sustainability.
Commitment and motivation
My students always ask me, ‘how do you stay motivated?’ and I always answer it’s not about motivation it’s about commitment. Motivation comes and goes, but consistent, imperfect effort moves the needle in your business. I wanted to know how Carly stays committed in her work.
For Carly, it’s because it’s bigger than her – she’s doing this work for other people, because she knows the products can help others. She recognized that motivation helps her commitment too, and is motivated by her team – a group of inspiring, brilliant, dedicated individuals. She said they inspire her to continue to work hard.
Thank you Carly and Beekeeper’s Naturals
My conversation with Carly was so informative, and I can’t say enough good things about her or about her products. To listen to the rest of our conversation – about her story, her company, the impact her products have had on me and my family, what a “beegan” is, her current favorite product and more – head to the podcast at zimmermanpodcast.com.
Her products have seriously changed my life and I’m so grateful for Carly and Beekeeper’s Naturals and am so excited they are sponsoring our podcast!
Show notes & links
Beekeeper’s Naturals
A few months ago, I was feeling really fatigued. That’s a fancy way of saying that I was IN my Christmas pj’s and in bed by 4pm every day. I know, I know! I should have eaten better and worked out more… except I already was! I had a nutritionist, worked out every day with a personal trainer, and I still felt this way. Until I started taking B. Powered from Beekeepers Naturals.
I was so excited when Carly offered to partner with me for this Podcast, because I really do use this product every single morning. And if I don’t, let me tell you… everyone notices. If you want some B. Powered, or any of BKN's other products of your own (with 15% off) head to zimmermanpodcast.com/bee.
Free Guide
Have you ever felt the urge to explore something new in your work life? It’s so easy to get stuck in a routine, that it takes a lot for us to pause, think about our lives, and make a change if something isn’t working for us anymore.
That can be a scary and overwhelming process, but it’s a process that I’m all too familiar with.
I’ve created a free guide to help you figure out what changes you need to make each day in order to live the life you love.
To get a free guide to building a life you love, one day at a time, go to zimmermanpodcast.com/loveyourday
Other mentions:
Forbes 30 Under 30
Logan Hallowell ‘Sacred Bee Necklace
Grab the freebie
I’ve created a free guide to help you figure out what changes you need to make each day in order to live the life you love.
