Meet Jay Jermo | Bee Keeper & Specialty Honey Purveyor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Jermo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It will sound very boring but ‘consistency’. I sell year round and that means attending a great deal of markets and shows. They are not all winners. Some are break-even or busts but I just brush those off and immediately move to the next one. I just don’t call it quits. I have had a number of events that produced lack-luster results for the bulk of the day, and then I get a large sale at the end of the day right when it’s time to pack up. I pay attention to my year-over-year performance and there were plenty of years where growth was slow but eventually, after several years, I noticed that I was not working as hard as I used to in order to acquire customers. Previous buyers were returning for repeat orders because they had a positive experience. My business literally started to produce ‘dividends’. Talk to anyone who has made money in the stock market and they will tell you that dividends grow when you consistently feed and maintain your investment.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I was a walking dead guy in a suit selling print and marketing services in Chicago after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood. Finally, I lost my marketing job, went bankrupt, became homeless, and had to move back to Michigan to live in my Grandmother’s basement. It was a miserable time but just when I thought life was ending was when it was actually just beginning. On a chance visit to visit a relative and bee keeper, I was convinced to take up bee keeping and honey sales. I created Hey Honey, a specialty honey producer and distributor offering 70 different honey types and flavors to end consumers. After discovering a demand for unique, single pollen honey, I bought airplane tickets, started flying around the world to set up hive leases and distribution agreements with other bee keepers. Then, once I had my own shop situated, I created a whole host of unique honey flavor combinations for food pairings like lemon & ginger for salmon and peach and amaretto honey for crème brulee.

It has been a wild ride but one that I think illustrates that good things can appear when times seem the toughest.

It did not happen overnight. It took me 5-6 years just to put a website together. I slowly built a mailing list. I expanded by buying more hives and investing in artwork for my labels. The trick was not to try to cram everything into one week. I just focus on one task at a time but execute a new task every day. Instead of stepping outside of my comfort zone to do jobs I’m not suited for, I hire short term employees to get more done. Most challenges can be overcome by managing them down to small, bit-sized projects. My favorite lesson: You don’t (and in most cases can’t) do it all yourself. Trading money for time is always a winning bet.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ann Arbor Michigan – visit the Farmers Market on Saturday and dine out at Aventura. Take in a movie at the Michigan Theater and if you visit in the Summer, check out the Botanical Garden to see the Peonies bloom.

Head west to Kalamazoo and Grand Haven for some beach time (southern version) .

Then head north to the land of my youth – Elk Rapids and Traverse City. Check out the Cherry Festival, get an Air BNB in Elk Rapids on the harbor and spend a week on the lake of on the Bay.

I am a bit more of a country boy and would have to say that my state offers more in the way of tranquility and inner peace when you visit the country and our smaller communities.

If you need the city, Detroit is in the midst of a dramatic turnaround – shows at the Masonic Temple or a game at Ford Field. A ton of entertainment is making Detroit a destination.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I certainly did NOT do this on my own and I got a LOT of help. So here goes – Ned Weibel, David A., Colleen Monroe & the Howell Chamber of Commerce, the Ann Arbor Farmers Market (the entire staff over 11 years), Karianne Martus and the Flint Farmer’s Market, The Sterling Heights Farmer’s Market Staff, the Dearborn Farmer’s Market, Jackie Lovejoy of the Dearborn Chamber, Jean Smith, Lonni Thomas and her staff at the Detroit Eastern Market. Doug at MI Sport Show Promotions. The Bayfield, WI Chamber of Commerce. Big love to all the event organizers who have let me set up shop over the years (too many to mention – but you ALL are appreciated).

The best book that has helped my business year over year – The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
The power of leverage has made all the difference.

Website: www.heyhoney.biz

Instagram: @jayheyhoney

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayjermo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeyHoneyMI

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeyHoney-kh1bn

Image Credits
I took all these photos. Jay Jermo