Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Levins & Ellie Marshall.
Hi Jacob & Ellie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hive Happy Honey started in a way that feels pretty true to who we are—unexpected, a little spontaneous, and rooted in curiosity. While traveling through North Carolina and Tennessee, we stopped at a local shop and tried fresh, local honey. That simple moment sparked a conversation between us about where food comes from, how it’s made, and whether we could do something like that ourselves. On the drive home, Jacob turned and said, “Want to get bees?”—and that was the beginning.
We started as first-generation beekeepers with no background in agriculture, just a willingness to learn and a lot of hands-on trial and error. What began as a small hobby quickly grew into something much bigger. As we developed our skills and understanding of hive management, we also became deeply committed to producing honey the right way—raw, unfiltered, and handled with care, without excessive processing or heat.
As demand grew, we transitioned from hobbyists to business owners and founded Hive Happy Honey. Today, we serve over 20 retail locations across Polk County and participate in local markets and community events. Our product line has expanded beyond honey to include beeswax and beef tallow skincare products, all made with ingredients we either produce ourselves or intentionally source.
At this stage, we’re focused on scaling thoughtfully—expanding our retail presence, refining our product offerings, and continuing to educate our community about the value of local, responsibly produced honey. Everything we do is grounded in quality, transparency, and a genuine passion for what we’ve built.
Hive Happy Honey isn’t just a business—it’s something we’ve grown from the ground up, and we’re proud of where it’s headed.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and honestly, that’s been a big part of what’s shaped us.
In the beginning, one of our biggest challenges was simply finding opportunities to sell our honey. We were brand new, and breaking into markets or getting retail partners to take a chance on us wasn’t easy. We had to be persistent, show up consistently, and really prove the quality of our product before doors started to open.
As we grew, we ran into increased competition, especially with tallow-based skincare becoming more popular. What was once a niche product space became much more crowded, which pushed us to really define what makes us different—using our own beeswax, hand-rendering our tallow, and focusing on quality and authenticity rather than just following trends.
Another major challenge was keeping up with demand. As interest in our products grew, we had to quickly adapt. What started as a small operation wasn’t built for scale, so we had to become much more efficient—refining our production process, improving bottling and inventory management, and making smarter decisions about how to grow without compromising quality.
On top of all of that, we’ve been building this business while both working full-time jobs, which has probably been one of the most demanding aspects. It’s required a lot of discipline, long hours, and constant prioritization to keep everything moving forward.
But those challenges have ultimately made us stronger. They’ve forced us to become more efficient, more intentional, and more resilient—and that’s a big reason we’ve been able to grow to where we are today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hive Happy Honey ?
Hive Happy Honey is a Polk County–based apiary and small business focused on producing raw, unfiltered honey and handcrafted skincare products made from ingredients we either harvest ourselves or intentionally source. At our core, we’re beekeepers first—everything starts with the health of our hives and the quality of the honey and beeswax they produce.
We specialize in local wildflower honey, harvested without excessive processing or heat, so it maintains its natural enzymes, flavor, and character. Each batch reflects the specific floral sources of our area, which makes our honey not just a product, but a representation of our local environment.
Beyond honey, we’re also known for our beeswax and beef tallow skincare line, which has become a major part of our brand. We hand-render our tallow and use beeswax directly from our own hives, creating simple, effective products without unnecessary additives. As tallow skincare has grown in popularity, we’ve stayed focused on doing it the right way—prioritizing quality, transparency, and consistency over trends.
What really sets us apart is that we are fully hands-on in every step of the process. From managing the hives, to harvesting, bottling, and formulating our products, we’re directly involved in it all. That level of control allows us to maintain a high standard and stand behind everything we offer.
We’re also deeply rooted in our community. We currently serve 20+ retail locations across Polk County and regularly participate in local markets and events. Building those relationships and growing locally has been a huge part of our journey.
Brand-wise, what we’re most proud of is the trust we’ve built. Customers know that when they buy from us, they’re getting something real—products that are thoughtfully made, responsibly sourced, and consistent in quality. We’ve worked hard to create a brand that feels approachable, transparent, and genuinely connected to the people we serve.
At the end of the day, we want people to know that Hive Happy Honey isn’t just selling honey or skincare—we’re offering products that are rooted in care, craftsmanship, and a real passion for what we do.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
From the beginning, we’ve made it a priority to be completely transparent about what we’re offering and how it’s made. Whether it’s our raw, unfiltered honey or our beeswax and tallow skincare, we’re very intentional about educating our customers and being honest about our process. We don’t overpromise or follow trends just to sell a product—we focus on doing things the right way, and that builds long-term trust.
That trust directly ties into how we approach customer service. Because we’re so hands-on in every part of the business, we’re able to have real conversations with our customers—whether that’s at markets, through retail partners, or online. We listen, we answer questions, and we make sure people feel confident in what they’re buying. That relationship-building has been one of the biggest drivers of our growth.
At the core of it all is integrity—standing behind our products, being consistent, and doing what we say we’re going to do. In a space that’s becoming more competitive, especially with things like tallow skincare gaining popularity, we’ve found that staying grounded in those values is what truly sets us apart.
Ultimately, our success comes from the fact that people trust us—and we work hard every day to earn and maintain that trust.
Pricing:
- 1 lb honey: $15
- 12 oz honey: $10
- 2 oz tallow lotion: $11
- 5 oz tallow lotion: $20
- `1lb Glass Jar Honey: $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hivehappyhoney.com
- Instagram: HiveHappyHoney
- Facebook: Hive Happy Honey
- Youtube: Hive Happy Honey
Image Credits
Brianna Philips
