Exploring Life & Business with Mary Daugherty of Beelicious

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Daugherty. 

Hi Mary, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My story stems from an unlikely friendship of a third-generation bee farmer. We actually met on the job when I was an IBEW union electrician. We had been working together for a few years and I had been hearing a lot about bees! I ended up out at the farm working hives and quickly feel in love. I love the sounds, the smells, the ancient art of beekeeping, being at the farm. Pretty much all of it. After hanging out at the bee yards, I realized that GMBee farm in Claremont County, Ohio, was more interested in farming for bees. Knowing the honey was pilling up, I had happened upon a friend who was working with the Covington Farmers Marketing and then everything started falling into place. I started with the CFM in December 2019 and opened a brick and mortar in December 2020. The brick-and-mortar store has certainly been a journey. It took a while to define the vision of what I wanted Beelicious to be but over the past 2 years, it has become a beautiful community of creatives and makers. At the beginning I was saddled with what I thought of as a burden of filling my own shelves, I have since discovered that the real beauty of my business lies with the amazing people I work with. Mothers building businesses, makers looking to share their work, artists, curators, people looking to find their creative space, and many more. While we are still in the building stages, Beelicious strives to be a platform from which individuals can find their voice in the community. A hub to resources in sustainability, upcycling, connection, and support in pursuits to make their community, and in turn the world, a better place. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Along with all the usual stressors of small business ownership, I have struggled a lot with the idea of having a “retail” store just for the sake of retail. I don’t want to just buy cheaply made objects to resell. I want to be able to help support artists and farms in their pursuits. It is through their vision that the community is created. My work is not to create a singular polished facade of what I think things should look like. It’s about supporting people in their vision without censorship. But my business doesn’t fit into a typical business model and without definition it can be hard to know what step to take next. We are still defining what all Beelicious is going to be but I have a wonderful team of people that have emerged around me and together we will continue to forage ahead. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Beelicious ?
Beelicious Honey Shop is in the old Ludlow Savings and loan building dating back to the late 1800s. It has some of the original tile floor, some original light fixtures, a vault and 16′ ceilings. I am proud to host an in-person shopping experience that is unique and beautiful, and to try to bring people back out of their houses into the community. As well as a retail space there is also a large table, great for workshops and meetings. The back of the shop is a working space for sewing, candle making, planting or whatever! It’s also a great space for out of office meetings or gals’ night out. We feature local and handmade products and an ever-changing collection of art. There is honey, herbal teas, beeswax candles, jewelry, handbags made from upcycled fabric, plants, macrame, a wide variety of art… Along with products we also offer classes and workshops ranging from crafts to mindset and meditation. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Helping people. I feel like it’s my purpose in life 

Pricing:

• $4-$200 I like to keep a wide range of price points so things feel accessible

Contact Info:

• Website: beelicioushoneybee.com
• Instagram: @beelicious_honey_bee
• Facebook: beelicioushoneybee
• Other: Pintrest: @beelicioushoneybee ( https://pin.it/3XSzSk0 )