10. How to bootstrap your hobby into a successful business: Nicola Reed

Summary

Episode 10 Summary: "How to Bootstrap Your Hobby into a Successful Business" with Nicola Reed

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1. Introduction

In Episode 10 of "James Reed: All About Business," host James Reed engages in an insightful conversation with his wife, Nicola Reed, the founder of Beeble—a unique spirits company that infuses honey produced by her own bees into various alcoholic beverages. The episode delves into Nicola's journey of transforming a personal passion into a thriving business, offering listeners valuable lessons on entrepreneurship, resilience, and the harmonious blend of business with environmental advocacy.

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2. The Beginnings of Beeble

Nicola recounts the serendipitous start of her beekeeping journey, which began with a surprise birthday gift from a mutual friend, Tania. Initially hesitant due to concerns about managing bees alongside her horse, Nicola decided to embrace the challenge after attending a beekeeping course.

Nicola Reed [02:02]: "The moment the beekeeper took the lid off the hive, the hum of the bees and the smell of the wax just made me know that I wanted to keep bees. And the rest is history, really."

This newfound passion led her to expand from one to two hives, producing more honey than she could manage. Facing the dilemma of excess honey, Nicola experimented by infusing honey with whiskey, inadvertently creating the first batch of Beeble.

Nicola Reed [05:00]: "I put all the frames into a big saucepan of whiskey and left them for a month. The product tasted really delicious, and I took it back to the farmer's markets where it literally flew out the door."

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3. From Hobby to Business

Initially treating honey whiskey making as a hobby, Nicola's venture gained commercial traction when her friend, Matthew Brower, an accountant, encouraged her to formalize Beeble into a business. This pivotal moment marked the transition from a personal experiment to a structured enterprise.

Nicola Reed [05:42]: "Matthew approached me and said, 'Have you ever thought of making this into a business?' His enthusiasm and expertise convinced me to take the leap."

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4. Building a Partnership

Teamwork was essential for Beeble’s growth. Nicola brought her creative and artisanal skills, while Matt contributed his financial acumen. Their complementary strengths fostered a balanced and effective partnership.

Nicola Reed [07:00]: "I trained as a teacher and artist, while Matt was an accountant. We came from extremely different skill sets, and we've taught each other a great deal."

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5. Branding Challenges

One of the initial hurdles was establishing a brand that resonated with consumers. Nicola involved her daughter’s artwork for the bee logo, which received positive feedback but also faced skepticism from Matt about its market alignment.

Nicola Reed [08:36]: "We hired a branding firm for a 360 process, but eventually, we ended up back to our original design, which proved to be an authentic representation of our brand."

Despite differing opinions, they maintained their artisanal and organic ethos, which became a cornerstone of Beeble’s identity.

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6. Maintaining Business Values

Nicola emphasizes that Beeble’s success is rooted in passion and environmental responsibility rather than solely profit. This philosophy ensures that the business remains true to its origins and contributes positively to the ecosystem.

Nicola Reed [12:42]: "If you start a business with passion about something, whether it's a product or teaching someone something, it makes it fly."

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7. Lessons Learned from Beekeeping

Beekeeping has imparted numerous lessons to Nicola about teamwork, resilience, and the importance of maintaining a healthy ecosystem. She draws parallels between bee behavior and effective business practices.

Nicola Reed [18:35]: "Bees leave every flower as they found it. They are part of an incredible ecosystem, and we have so much to learn from them."

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8. Overcoming Business Challenges

Navigating a male-dominated spirits industry posed significant challenges. Nicola and Matt faced skepticism from major companies like Diageo but persevered through resilience and adaptability.

Nicola Reed [28:19]: "The spirit business is quite male-dominated, and people were snobby about putting honey into whiskey. But we pushed on and didn't let rejections deter us."

Their commitment to quality and authenticity eventually carved a niche for Beeble in the market.

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9. Marketing Strategies

Beeble's marketing strategy combines traditional methods like farmers' markets and fairs with a robust online presence. Engaging directly with customers through tastings and events has been instrumental in building a loyal customer base.

Nicola Reed [30:39]: "We run tastings and attend fairs to tell people about the product. When someone tastes it, they generally buy it."

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10. Customer Feedback and Quality Assurance

Maintaining high product standards is paramount for Beeble. Nicola ensures that all honey used is sourced directly from trusted beekeepers, avoiding mass-produced alternatives to preserve quality and authenticity.

Nicola Reed [40:44]: "We never buy honey off the shelves. We always go and see the bee farmers to ensure it's the real thing."

This dedication has earned Beeble numerous Best Taste awards, reinforcing the importance of product excellence.

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11. Future Plans and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Looking ahead, Nicola aims to expand Beeble's product range and market presence while exploring non-alcoholic options. She passionately encourages aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those considering starting a business later in life, to pursue their passions without letting age be a barrier.

Nicola Reed [16:50]: "If you have a passion, you've got to follow your dream. It just does not matter what age you are."

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12. Conclusion

Nicola Reed’s journey with Beeble exemplifies how passion, coupled with strategic partnerships and unwavering commitment to quality, can transform a humble hobby into a successful business. Her story serves as an inspiring blueprint for entrepreneurs seeking to blend personal interests with entrepreneurial ventures, all while making a meaningful impact on the environment.

James Reed [41:16]: "I wish you every success with that. Thank you to Nicola for joining me on All About Business."

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Notable Quotes:

• James Reed [15:45]: "But having a partner is helpful in that respect, isn't it? Because if you're on your own, it might be more lonely being rejected five times and picking yourself up again."

• Nicola Reed [32:46]: "As long as you get out there and do the work and you face the challenges and you persevere. I think perseverance is really the winning quality to making a successful startup."

• Nicola Reed [38:36]: "And that reflects on Beeble too. I sometimes think that one batch can taste slightly different to the next and I like that it gives it an extra quality that no two bottles of Beeble are quite the same."

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Key Takeaways:

• Embrace Your Passion: Nicola’s transition from hobbyist beekeeping to a successful business underscores the importance of following one’s passion.

• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with partners who bring complementary skills can accelerate business growth and overcome challenges.

• Authenticity and Quality: Maintaining high standards in product quality and staying true to the brand’s values can differentiate a business in a competitive market.

• Resilience: Facing and overcoming setbacks with perseverance is crucial for entrepreneurial success.

• Environmental Advocacy: Integrating environmental consciousness into business practices can resonate with consumers and contribute to broader ecological goals.

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For more insights and to follow Nicola Reed’s journey with Beeble, visit Beeble Buzz or explore James Reed’s commitment to environmental causes at reid.com.

Transcript

[James Reed]

Welcome to All About Business with me, James Reed, the podcast that covers everything about business management and leadership. Every episode, I sit down with different guests who bootstrapped companies, masterminded investment models, or built a business empire. They're leaders in their field, and they're here to give you top insights and actionable advice so that you can apply their ideas to your own career or business venture. For many business owners, bootstrapping seems like an appealing growth model. You don't have to answer to investors, and you can take pride in knowing that you did it on your own. But there are challenges, too. How can you survive those lean early years while still driving growth and revenue? Joining me today on All About Business is Nicola Reed. Nicola is the founder of Beeble, a bee corn that makes spirits from honey. Produced by her bees. An artist, teacher and philanthropist, Nicola started Beeble later in life together with her business partner, Matt. She's grown it into a successful drinks company loved by many. Well, today on All About Business, I have a very special guest. And in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that Nicola Reid is my wife, my wonderful wife, Nicola. And I'm so excited to talk to her today about her business, Beeble, because I know the story and I know you're going to find it fascinating because Nicola started this business in her kitchen in her 50s, and has made it into a great success. And, Nicola, I'm so pleased you're here to share your story with us. So, to begin, I saw in the notes prepared by our producer, Frankie, that it said beginnings. I thought that was rather good. So the beginnings of your beekeeping and business journey. Could you tell us what happened?

[Nicola Reed]

Thank you for having me, James. I'm very chuffed to be here. Well, it all began. A great friend of mine and yours, Tania, wanted to give you a beehive for your 50th birthday, and she wanted it to be a secret. And I was very excited about this, but I thought I would just warn you a few days before it arrived, a nucleus of bees and your beekeeping outfit and your bee tool. I thought I'd just give you a little bit of warning. And when I told you, you were slightly horrified because you have a horse and you didn't think having bees and a horse was a good idea. So I.

[James Reed]

Well, you can see why I didn't want to fall off every other obstacle.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I thought I would try and convince you to allow me to have the bees. Which you did. And I found a course in the Cotswolds, which I went on and all was solved. I went on this beekeeping course for a weekend, and the moment the beekeeper, the instructor, took the lid off the hive, the hum of the bees and the smell of the wax just made me know that I wanted to keep bees. And the rest is history, really. One hive became two hives, and we produced lots of honey. I got a really lovely guy locally to help me in the beginning, too, and I had more honey than I knew what to do with. So I thought I'd take it to local markets and sell it. And I was very upset that people just didn't seem to realize that bee takes its whole life to make half a teaspoonful of honey. And no one wanted to pay £10 for a pot of my liquid gold. So I just wondered about how to make the honey go further. And I was fiddling around the kitchen, and I had lots of frames that I'd taken the honey off originally. And I thought, what can I do rather than just rinse them and waste the honey? So I put all the frames into a big saucepan of whiskey and left them for a month. And then I had. I have a great friend who works for Blue Sky Botanics, and I rang her up and they supply all the essence for Fever Tree. And she passed me on to somebody who sold me a filter, which I then filtered the honeyed whiskey and put it into little medicinal bottles and gave it to friends for Christmas. And this was beeble. Our kitchen looked like a science lab, but the actual product tasted really delicious. And I took it back to the farmer's markets and it literally flew out the door.

[James Reed]

Flew out of the door. So. So people began kind of by accident.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I guess it was a happy accident.

[James Reed]

Your sort of insight was these bees aren't getting value for money. You know, they work so hard and they commit all their lifetime to the production of honey, and they make just a teaspoonful, and people don't pay enough for that or appreciate it. So by putting it with the whiskey, you made it go a lot further.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

Which is good for the bees and it's good for the business. I. I guess. Okay, so you'd landed upon this product, which people liked, which you'd given them for Christmas. But that's not a business, is it? I mean, people make slow gin and stuff like that and give it to them. So what made you think about making this into a business? I mean, it was a hobby, but it's obviously become much more than that.

[Nicola Reed]

Well, it was. I was going to say the Equivalent of a hobby, really. And I started selling it in these little medicinal bottles. 20cl. A friend of our daughter's, Matthew Brower, approached me and he said, I've bought a bottle of Beeble at a party and it's absolutely delicious. Have you ever thought of making this into a business? And I said, well, I've thought about it, but at the moment it's just a hobby. And he said, well, may I see your accounts? And he was an accountant, but I put that off because my accounts were in a shoebox under my bed. But finally he persuaded me to show him and we had a meeting and he said, well, this is clearly a hobby. Shall we make this into a business? And Sheryl Sandberg said, if you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask which seat. And I felt like that. I felt so excited that he wanted to help me make Bievle into a business. So we agreed that we would have. We would share people as a business and, and, and set it up. And that's how it began.

[James Reed]

So you. You described yourselves as the beekeeper and the bookkeeper, didn't you?

[Nicola Reed]

That's right.

[James Reed]

That's how you started and then grew this business quite successfully. But it's interesting to me because your different generations. He's a friend of your daughters, different backgrounds and walks of life, but you made common cause on this. I mean, it seems to me, listening to you, you're very open to sort of ideas, which is part of your success, I think, you know, he said, what about making this into business? You thought, well, I'll think about that rather than it's a hobby.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I think we came to the business from very different skill sets. So I trained at St. Martin's St. Martin's Art School. And I'm. Well, I trained as a teacher and I've always taught art. And Matt went to Durham, trained to be an accountant and was working for an accountancy firm. So we came from extremely different skill sets, and I think we've taught each other a great deal. We made a great team, and I was very excited to be in the team. I've never worked in a team before, and Matt taught me a lot about how to read a spreadsheet and basic accounts, and I think, I hope I taught him importance of quality and of creativity and all.

[James Reed]

So this is a good match, isn't it? Because, you know, part of what made this initiative possible was finding a partner that brought very distinct and different skills to the party. Matt brought something you didn't have yes.

[Nicola Reed]

For instance, I had asked my daughter to draw a bee, and we used the bee that Tabitha drew for the branding.

[James Reed]

And so this is here.

[Nicola Reed]

This is on your bottle. This is the bee.

[James Reed]

So your daughter.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes, our daughter.

[James Reed]

Our daughter, yeah. And people have been really complimentary about the branding, and it's got a wonderful sympathy and almost naivety to it. Yeah, but you and Taba did that together.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And I think initially Matt felt that it was a bit naive and not in tune or in line with other spirit brands. So we hired a branding firm to come in and help us with the branding. We did a kind of 360 process of looking at different drawings of bees.

[James Reed]

And that's what happens when you get someone to professionalize your business. But then you ended up.

[Nicola Reed]

And we ended up right back where we started, which could have saved a few bombs. Yeah. Which was fascinating to me. But I think it's been a very valuable experience to work with someone who's much younger, had very different ideas. He wanted to grow the business in a less organic, artisanal, craft way. And we fell out a few times. But basically, I think we've done really well working together. And we went from not only making with honey whiskey, but honey rum, honey vodka, and honey tequila.

[James Reed]

All right, so you mentioned that you had a different view on the strategy. He had a view of growing it more aggressively, perhaps, than you did. And you had a view that you wanted to keep true to its origins, organic and artisanal. Is that right?

[Nicola Reed]

That's exactly right.

[James Reed]

So how did you come to resolve that difference?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I think it. I think I was.

[James Reed]

I think the people who drink it will be pleased to hear that. Cause it is organic and artisanal.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. I was possibly a little bit emotional, and possibly Matt was too. But in the end, he realized that bees, you can't mass produce honey in the way that you can mass produce whiskey. And so that we were restrained from that, that we. We had to think what to do, because you can't go from one hive to 2,000 hives easily. So there were lots of issues to think about. And we did go down the path of becoming a website for all things to do with bees. And then I could see that we couldn't be a master of all trades. And the spirit business, I think, stopped taking us seriously because suddenly we were selling hand creams and aprons with bees and all sorts of other items to do with bees and honey. So we paired back and reviewed our strategy and decided to become a spirits business.

[James Reed]

You've come Over Nicolas, I would say devoted to your bees and passionate about your bees. And it feels to me that that is so central to the success of your business, and it's really way more important to you than making money or growing it at a certain percentage rate or achieving some sort of multiple of earnings so you can sell it. But you've had conversations with Matt where you've, I could hear, have had differences. How do you get that right?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I'd like to say that we're profit making and I'm excited about that and I'd be depressed if we weren't. So that is important to me. But I think telling people about bees, encouraging people to have a hive, encouraging people to plant up their gardens for bees, looking after the environment has been a huge factor for me. So, yeah, the environment has been a drive. I always think if you start a business and it's just about the money, it's never as successful as if you start a business where there's passion about something, whether it's a product or teaching someone something. I think it, it, it makes it fly.

[James Reed]

So your experience in earlier life as a teacher and an artist and a mother has all come together in a way.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

You've become an advocate for bees and for nature.

[Nicola Reed]

Exactly.

[James Reed]

And a business leader at the same time as a result. Which is. Is, I think, an inspiring message for people. Because, you know, business isn't all about making money. It's about solving people's problems, delivering products.

[Nicola Reed]

That they love and, and sharing, you know, that I've enjoyed being a beekeeper so much, and it's something that everyone can do.

[James Reed]

So if you want to keep bees.

[Nicola Reed]

Then you must come on our Idle beekeeping course on the 3rd of May. And there'll be another one later in the year, too. And that's all on our website, too.

[James Reed]

Fantastic. Because the more beekeepers there are, the better. And the more people who drink beeble, the more bees there'll be.

[Nicola Reed]

Exactly.

[James Reed]

It's a really interesting journey. Many business people recognize when you sort of experiment, you try something, it doesn't work, perhaps, and you end up focusing and you're focused on the spirit side of what you do. And you now have four different drinks.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes. So we have.

[James Reed]

Which is the most popular?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, the whiskey's the most popular. And another thing that. Well, one thing that happened with the whiskey was when you filter the whiskey, it leaves a sediment of essentially pollen in the whiskey, and you can see that through the glass. And I felt that we needed to filter that out. And Matt argued That with me that the sediment was advantageous and actually we should embrace that and sell that as part of being special, like orange juice with bits, if you like. And I disagreed, but actually Matt was completely right about that. And I think it does add to the artisanal brand that it has these particles in it that are really actually very good for you because they're essentially pollen. So the whisky is the most popular and we get that from a distillery in Scotland in MacLeod in Perthshire. And the second most popular is the rum. And the rum is from Trinidad and I think it pairs beautifully with honey. And this is the rum bottle here with the Blue Bee and the vodka, which actually in a way is my favorite because vodka, I think is such a harsh drink alone and with the softness of the honey, it is just delicious. With soda water, you don't have to put a mixer with it. And that's what I love about all of the products that actually you don't have to put a fattening mixer with any of them because they have a natural sweet sweetness to them. And our latest product is our Beeble Tequila in the black bottle and that is from Jalisca in Mexico. And we get that from a very small family run distillery there that's sent over here and then we infuse it here with Wiltshire.

[James Reed]

Nicola, I hope you don't mind me saying, but you started your business in your 50s and you know, some people listening might be thinking, well, too late, I'm past that stage in life where I'd be thinking about starting a business. What would you say to them?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I remember I've only been to Japan once, but I spoke to a woman there who said that typically when you retire in Japan, age about 60, you learn a language and a new language. And I felt really inspired by that because it just felt like a really optimistic, great thing to do at quite an old age. And I think if you have a passion, you should follow it. And I found beekeeping and thought, yeah, I really want to do this. And I don't think age should ever hold you back. If you have a passion, you've got to. If there's a book you want to write, write it. If there's a business you want to start, start it. And it just does not matter what age you are.

[James Reed]

That's a very good message. So is there any sort of excuse for people we're older, you're saying just get on with it, really?

[Nicola Reed]

I think that's right. But it's always just about confidence. And I think that's why Matthew was brilliant, because he gave me the confidence, because he was so excited to. To be on the journey with me. So I was lucky that Matthew found me. But I think that you, you know, if you have a passion, you should follow your dream and you should make it happen.

[James Reed]

That's so interesting. But also maybe look for other people who have share that passion.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Reed]

Because you can support each other and energize each other.

[Nicola Reed]

You're never too old.

[James Reed]

Starting a business should absolutely be on the agenda for people.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I absolutely agree.

[James Reed]

So these are, forgive the pun, flying off the shelves, these drinks.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes, they are.

[James Reed]

So the tequila's new and I think it's very good in the free. You put it in the freezer and it's very nice as a little shot, isn't it?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. So originally we were mainly in farm shops, and Matt and I had to face lockdown, which was a real challenge for our business. Obviously, furlough really helped us and also never waste a crisis. We used that time to develop our business online and started to really build a presence online and a much better website than we had before. And so now I think we're in over 250 farm shops and we sell an equal amount online.

[James Reed]

BEEBLE BUZZ so what have you learned from the bees?

[Nicola Reed]

What have I learned from the bees? What I love, particularly about bees, is that they go about their business, but they leave every flower as they found it. And you never get a clumsy bee. They go and they collect the pollen and they're part of this incredible ecosystem, but they do no damage to our environment. Beekeepers often say to me, how do you look after bees? And. And I feel that actually they can look after themselves. They've been on this planet for over 60 million years and we have so much to learn from them. And every time I look at a hive, I'm just astounded by all that. Little bees have different jobs and watching them waggle dance, for instance. So bee waggle dances to show where the best forage lies to the other bees by doing a little dance in the air. And you have scout bees, guard bees, nurse bees, foraging bees. They all have different jobs and they're quite OCD bees. So when they go out foraging and they bring back pollen, they put all of the different granules and the different colors of pollen into the different hexagons. So you can see poppy pollens black and rapeseed pollens yellow, and they're all in different hexagons making these beautiful flower arrangements of color. Yeah. I could go on for hours about how much I love.

[James Reed]

Keep going. It's so interesting so that the. The. I didn't know that they put the different colored pollen in different hexagons, I guess. And the hexagon is their sort of motif. Is that because that's their shape. V's paraded it almost, but it's no hexagon, mathematically the strongest shape.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes, that's exactly right.

[James Reed]

So somehow nature, they've worked this out. They also work hard, don't they, bees?

[Nicola Reed]

Bees work extremely hard, and I admire them so much for that.

[James Reed]

They say if the sun's out, you know, your bees are at work. And you were also a bee core.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes.

[James Reed]

Why? And what's that about?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, it's. I think it's just a way to show the outside world that we really respect the way we make our products and we really want to look after our environment and make sure that we've thought through, for instance, where we got our tequila from or our whiskey or rum, and that we're, you know, we have a good set of ethics.

[James Reed]

So there's a. It's a reassurance for your customers.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

Along with hopefully a delicious product.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And for our team, too.

[James Reed]

So. And is that important in terms of recruiting as well? Do people joining you like the fact that you're a bee core? Is it relevant to them?

[Nicola Reed]

I think so. And we also run, in collaboration with the Idler, we run beekeeping courses. Last year, we think we ran three beekeeping courses to teach how to keep bees. And we have different beekeepers who use different systems. We have one beekeeper, Bill Anderson, who has written a book, the Idle Beekeeper, and he runs a system called the Warry System, which is very uninvasive, and it's basically emulating a cavity in a tree. And you don't go into the hive as the custodian. You literally just leave the bees and take some honey once a year. But otherwise you just let the bees get on with their work. And we teach that system, and I think we've run it for 13 years now. Even I ran it before people.

[James Reed]

So I've got to ask you, because people want to know, have you been stung?

[Nicola Reed]

I've only ever been stung when I've been careless. And what's careless? Look like I left my BC open. I just hadn't fully closed my BC and a bee got into my suit and stung me. And then I also squished a bee between my knees by accident. But I have a strong belief that my Bees know who I am. And I dropped a super whole tray filled with bees last year by accident, just because I'm slightly clumsy. And I was expecting all of the bees to react and I was scared for the first time. And there were literally 30,000 bees that came straight out. But I could really feel them just thinking, oh, for God's sake. She just dropped us on the floor and they all went straight back into the supern, didn't they?

[James Reed]

It's her again sort of thing.

[Nicola Reed]

It's her again, yeah.

[James Reed]

So you have a rapport with them, you'll say.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I think I do. There was one incident a couple of years ago. I'd taken honey a couple of times during the summer and I was just looking at the hives and I was just thinking, maybe I'll take a little bit more honey. Late autumn, all of the hives felt very, very heavy and they felt as though they had a lot of honey for winter. And I thought, maybe I'll just take a little bit more. And I was just thinking about it when three bees in a little line just darted down to my ankle and stung me. And it was really interesting.

[James Reed]

Leave us alone, they were telling each other.

[Nicola Reed]

I remember thinking, oh, okay, I won't, I won't.

[James Reed]

So you got a message.

[Nicola Reed]

But it really felt as though they knew that I was just thinking about taking a little bit more honey. And I was being possibly.

[James Reed]

And since then you've been really well behaved and everyone's gone on fine.

[Nicola Reed]

Is that exactly.

[James Reed]

So, Nicola, you've just been through a remarkable list of the different types of bee, but one that I remember, maybe because I'm a little morbid, was that there's also, I believe, an undertaker bee.

[Nicola Reed]

You're absolutely right, James. And at this time of year, the male bees, which are called drones, go back to the hive and they've been drinking with their mates in trees and waiting for the queen.

[James Reed]

Having a nice summer, you mean?

[Nicola Reed]

Having a nice summer. But they come back to the hive because it's getting a bit cold and the worker bees, who are all female, can't accommodate all of the drones for the winter. So they pull off their wings and they kill them and throw them in front of the hive because they feed them through the winter. Too many drones.

[James Reed]

I thought bees were nice. This is what happens to the poor drones. Yeah, yeah.

[Nicola Reed]

Okay, there you go.

[James Reed]

Interesting. So, and you, you. There's a tradition in there of talking to bees. Talk to me about that.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. I think historically people have always told the bees what's going on in their lives. And there is something very therapeutic about bees. And the queen speaks to her colony through pheromones and you can feel that. You can feel whether there's a strong queen or when the queen hasn't got so much power over our lives. And I think there's something about the pheromones around a hive that I think we possibly absorb too. And they're very calming and encouraging. And I find myself talking to my bees and I do tell them. And when our daughter got married this summer, I just felt this urge to go and tell the bees.

[James Reed]

And you did that.

[Nicola Reed]

And I did that, yeah.

[James Reed]

And no one got stung and then go stung. There's a lot here in terms of business I'm interested in. You know, you've now got a business that's growing in sales and it's got several products and lots of outlets. What were the challenges along the. Along the way? I mean, you've been going what, seven or eight years now?

[Nicola Reed]

Yes.

[James Reed]

If you were thinking back and you know what we might advise other people thinking of taking a similar journey, turning a hobby into a business or starting out slightly later in life. What have you learned that maybe was difficult that you somehow solved?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I think the spirit business is quite male dominated and whiskey drinkers tend to be male. And I think there was a bit of a snob aspect of putting honey into whiskey and a lot of people we approached didn't want to know. And a bit like sparkling wine and champagne. People used to be so snobby about champagne but now sparkling wine is really accepted. And I felt that with initially people didn't want to know and there was quite a lot of resistance to trying a new product. And I remember I went to see Diageo very early on to show them our new products and they said, oh well JD honey, do that Jack Daniels and there's no place for anyone else. And they were skews upon, very dispiriting. And I think you have to be really resilient as a small startup, probably whatever you're doing. And I think you have to push on and be resilient and take the adversity and just move forward. And Matt, my partner, has always been very good at. Never mind, tomorrow's a new day. We've been rejected by five different places today. But yeah, tomorrow's a new day.

[James Reed]

But having a partner is helpful in that respect, isn't it? Because if you, I suppose if you're on your own, it might be more lonely being rejected five times and picking yourself up again, at least as someone to share the adversities with. But isn't it, I thought you told me, and I might be wrong, that most of your customers are actually women now, is that right? So although it was a male dominated space, you thought you learned something and did something slightly different?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, I think we have, yeah. Our demographic, our main demographic, young women gifting people to men or drinking it themselves. And women absolutely love people. And I think it's because whiskey has got quite a harsh taste. And I think it certainly, I'm not a great whiskey drinker, but I love what honey, how honey changes that harshness and just makes it more harmonious and delicious.

[James Reed]

But we keep hearing stories about one part of a family tasting your honey and then someone else going on and finishing it off, don't we? So it seems to work for everyone. So in terms of the marketing, what have you done to sort of try and reach more people so more people know about Beeble? More people will taste it, try it. Because it is a new thing, isn't it?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, fairs. A lot of farmers markets and fairs.

[James Reed]

Massive old school. Get out there, get on the stunt.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, very old school, but. And we've also really tried to push on trade, which has been a much harder challenge than we initially thought.

[James Reed]

What's on trade?

[Nicola Reed]

On trade, pubs, hotels, restaurants taking it and encouraging people to use beeble in their cocktail menus and to put people, you know, place beeble on the bar. And that's been tough and it's very saturated market and very competitive. But yeah, we've really endeavored to try and convince people that J.D. honey's fine, but we use real honey and we're organic, delicious, craft, artisanal drink.

[James Reed]

Yeah. So how did you make people aware that you were also selling this online and how have they responded?

[Nicola Reed]

They respond really well. I think we have some very attractive gift sets where we sell our whiskey with a hot toddy glass with an etched bee, which I love. And we also sell miniature bottles with the honey, vodka and the rum. And so gift sets are. They're just great presents and I think people are attracted to that. To order online, to order presents online.

[James Reed]

So you put a lot of work into the packaging and presentation as well.

[Nicola Reed]

Work into the presentation?

[James Reed]

Yes, as the product.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And we, we've just done a Spirit of Christmas fair at Olympia and we do lots of sort of similar fairs to just get the word out there. And also tastings, we go to as many tastings as we possibly can and telling people about the product and yeah, it's hard work, but I really think it works.

[James Reed]

So getting out there.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

Pressing the flesh, as they used to say, and meeting people.

[Nicola Reed]

When someone tastes it, they generally buy it.

[James Reed]

So a lot of tastings.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

And you also get a lot of. I suppose because you're standing there with people, you get a lot of customer feedback.

[Nicola Reed]

Yes.

[James Reed]

Which a lot of businesses lack if they're just selling it remotely.

[Nicola Reed]

Exactly.

[James Reed]

So you're there talking to the customer. What sort of feedback have you had?

[Nicola Reed]

Americans want it in 70cl because you can't sell it in the US in 50. We haven't ventured into a 70.

[James Reed]

That's for export.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, that's for export, but possibly that's something we. I'd like to do in the future.

[James Reed]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

A lot of whiskey drinkers in America.

[Nicola Reed]

But generally we have brilliant feedback.

[James Reed]

And you've got Best Taste awards as well.

[Nicola Reed]

And we've had Best Case awards on all of our products. Yes.

[James Reed]

I suppose what I'm driving out here, what I want to understand, and maybe it's impossible to tell, is how important is the quality and the distinctiveness of the product over its presentation, packaging and marketing. You know, which is more important in the end?

[Nicola Reed]

I think it has to be the taste.

[James Reed]

The taste?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, the product.

[James Reed]

So if you've got a really good product, you will win eventually if you. As long as you get out there and do the work.

[Nicola Reed]

Exactly. As long as you get out there and do the work and you. You face the challenges and you persevere. I think perseverance is really the winning quality to making a successful startup.

[James Reed]

So, as your husband, I've observed your perseverance and I'll probably embarrass you. I mean, you've been exceptional at not giving up with certain retailers and big companies. So now you can buy people. Give me a list of some of the places where you can buy me. Well, I originally said no. Thank you very much, Nicola. So where are you now?

[Nicola Reed]

Struggles. We're in Daylesford. John Lewis. We're in Harrods. We're in the Jolly Nice. We're in the Burford Garden Center. We're in Kew Gardens. Endless farm shops around the country. Yeah.

[James Reed]

So. And not any of those were sort of just one phone call, were they?

[Nicola Reed]

No, it's always sending a tasting, an interview. Yeah. It's never straightforward.

[James Reed]

And I suppose I might share. You know, when we go anywhere, if we're anywhere near any of these farm shops, like in Cornwall or something, we have to drop in, don't we? And Nicholas are often greeted like a sort of hero because they love selling your product and the people there enjoy it.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, but that's been great fun.

[James Reed]

It is fun. Yeah. And so everywhere you go, you know, in that world, people seem to be getting to know the product. So it's a word of mouth thing in a big way, isn't it?

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And sharing. We. We ran a project. Project at HMP Hindley.

[James Reed]

That's a prison.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. There was a woman who was on a graduate scheme called Unlocked who was training to be a prison officer. And she contacted me, Daisy. And my whole day lit up. When I spoke to Daisy, she'd. She was trying to put two hives into the chaplaincy at HMP Hindley and she wanted help. So my son Harold and I went up to spend the day with her to help her getting her hives up and running. And it was a really exciting day. There were 12 inmates and they'd all learned basic beekeeping and they were really involved with producing the honey. And we paid for them to design a label and we paid for jars and we really helped the process and it was really exciting. And there was one particular guy who was more interested than all of the others and kept telling me all about bees. And at the end of the day, Maisie told us that he was the most dangerous prisoner and that the bees had really changed his life. And I felt that there should be bees in every single prison, because if you're rich, poor, in the town or the country, you can keep bees. They're very easy to. To keep.

[James Reed]

Why do you think that men connected with them, you know, is a dangerous person. Did you have any sense of what was going on?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I think keeping bees can be like learning a language. You. You start with the basics, but then you. You start to understand how the queen works. And it's a whole ecosystem and a whole language to learn. And I think they really drew him in. Yeah. And he just became fascinated by the sort of science of how everything works in a hive.

[James Reed]

Yeah. Because it's almost. Your learning never stops with bees.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Reed]

So that's an infinitely wonderful thing. And the thing I've observed as well is when people start keeping bees, they don't stop either. You know, people continue to keep bees.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah.

[James Reed]

For the rest of their lives. So I'm expecting to have bees in my life for some time to come.

[Nicola Reed]

You actually changed your mind too, didn't you?

[James Reed]

Yeah. It's time for my confession. Yeah. So I became a beekeeper. Nicola, you're right, you, you turn the table on me and I have a beehive outside my office in here in Covent Garden. And for the benefit of listeners, we have an annual honey taste of London versus Wiltshire, my honey versus Nicolas. And, and I didn't think I'd embarrass you with the results, but you can.

[Nicola Reed]

Tell them I invariably, James's honey from his London honey wins. And it's really intrigued me, I think six years running, James's honey, this is.

[James Reed]

At the beekeeping course. There's a honey taste off.

[Nicola Reed]

So there's a honey taste off.

[James Reed]

It's always very close.

[Nicola Reed]

Country honey and London honey, we don't tell people which is which, we just ask them to tell us which honey they prefer and they always prefer London honey. And I think to myself, is it the diesel fumes or what? What is it?

[James Reed]

No, it's the way you look after them.

[Nicola Reed]

But actually I think the London honey is more complex because the bees are foraging on so many different things that there is a complexity to London honey, which is there is.

[James Reed]

It has a sort of apricotty taste. Yeah, usually. And I think it's to do with partly that and partly the plain trees maybe. But it has, it does taste delicious. The country honey tastes delicious too. I don't want to give the impression it doesn't. It's always very, it's always all honey tastes delicious. It's always very close. But it is interesting how honey batches are very different. You know, even if you take them out different times of the year in the summer, early, early honey tastes different to late summer honey.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And that reflects on Bibel too. I sometimes think that one batch can taste slightly different to the next and I like that it gives it an extra quality that no two bottles of people are quite the same.

[James Reed]

So where next for people? What would you like to do next?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I just want to keep growing and I have this amazing guy, Pete Brundle, who helps us with our hives and we have hives between Malmesbury and Marlborough.

[James Reed]

That's in Wiltshire.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. And Pete is a real bee whisperer and he produces so much honey from all of the hives, but he looks after the bees so well too. And I'd like to keep growing and he's keen to do that. And so. And we're thinking of possibly bringing out a non alcoholic spirit drink which might be another skew, but otherwise I think just organically growing.

[James Reed]

So Nikola, you've stressed the importance of the product and the quality of the product above all else, really. Above the finances, above the branding. But beekeeping isn't, you know, it's not predictable, is it? Sometimes the summer starts late, sometimes the honey harvest is poor. What happens if you don't have enough honey to meet your demand? How are you going to ensure. Do you have to make compromises? What do you do to make sure that your Beeble product's still true to its, its essence?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, we never compromise in that we have a few Cotswold beekeepers who will supply us with honey if we need to find more, but we never buy honey off the shelves. So we always go and see the bee farmers and investigate their apiary and really make sure that it's the real thing. And that's very important for us at.

[James Reed]

People because a lot of honey that you get in the shops is.

[Nicola Reed]

Yeah. There was an article in the paper yesterday saying six out of seven have been contaminated or have got something else in them.

[James Reed]

So it's hard to get real honey.

[Nicola Reed]

It's pure gold.

[James Reed]

Pure gold.

[Nicola Reed]

Our honey is pure gold, actually.

[James Reed]

Okay, now I'm going to ask you two questions that I ask everybody. So what gets you up on a Monday morning, Mika?

[Nicola Reed]

Well, I won't say a glass of Bibel because I don't think that would be good, but walking my dogs, they're like my conscience. So I get up and take them for a good walk every morning, not only Monday morning.

[James Reed]

And what about the future? This is another question from my interview book, why you? It's a commonly asked interview question, which is, where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

[Nicola Reed]

Somewhere really hot. No, I'm joking, actually.

[James Reed]

Will I be there?

[Nicola Reed]

Yes. Maybe I see myself.

[James Reed]

I might make the invite.

[Nicola Reed]

I see myself in the same place, but I hope by then Beeble will be like Marmite or household name. A household name. Yeah. And every house will have a bottle of Beeble somewhere in their cupboard.

[James Reed]

I wish you every success with that.

[Nicola Reed]

Thank you.

[James Reed]

Thank you. Thank you to Nikola for joining me on All About Business. If you'd like to find out more about Beeble or Nikola, visit Beeble Buzz. I'm your host, James Reid, chairman and CEO of Reed, a family run recruitment and philanthropy company. If you'd like to find out more about Reid's commitment to environmental causes, please visit reid.com all links are in the show notes. See you next time.