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Hi There! I'm Billie!
Hey Everyone! I'm Billie Kay (aka Bee). Mama Bee, Auntie Bee, Bee Kay and so forth. I'm not 100% sure how and when the nickname started, but it just stuck and most people close to me call me Bee. I loved it so much, I got a tattoo with a honey bee and I knew one day that I wanted to use it in a logo for my future company. I had milled over so many names, but never found one that I loved. When one day my husband walked in my office and said, "What about Hive & Home?" I loved it immediately and jumped back to my computer to finish the logo design. That's when Hive and Home was born!
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Growing up, both my grandpa and my dad were very creative and had unique skills to design and build beautiful pieces. Most days after school, I would run next door to my grandpa's workshop and ask to help. Whether that was organizing his tools, sweeping up sawdust or helping him paint, I loved being in there and watching him work and create. I even proudly still have my first woodworking piece I ever did with my grandpa - a yellow wooden duck. There's absolutely nothing special about it, but I felt proud of what I created at age 10. That small spark back when I was 10, built into a passion years later.
Never Let Fear Overpower Your Passion |
It was always on my bucket list to flip a house and do the bulk of the work ourselves. So back in the summer of 2018, we officially closed on our fixer upper on a gorgeous 20 acre property. I'm not kidding when I say this was a severe fixer upper. Just imagine burnt orange carpet in the bathrooms and janky temporary fixes throughout the entire house. Oh and to make it even better, the lights flickered in the basement. We hired out the necessities because there were things we knew we wouldn't be able to do on our own like the plumbing, electrical and a beam that needed to go through the length of the house for structural issues. Otherwise, most of the little details you see in our house were done by me. I built most of our light fixtures, demoed the kitchen and reconfigured the cabinets and painted them. I built our kitchen island which was my biggest accomplishment to date and did numerous other tasks throughout our house.
After doing all these big projects, it truly built a passion in my heart for using my creative abilities. It was almost like a drug and I kept wanting more. (Hence why I have 50 million projects going at once!!) Two years later, I started Hive and Home as a side hustle and hobby. I worked on projects on the side when I could and took on custom inquiries from clients. I mainly worked evenings and weekends, but I always felt guilty for not dedicating more time to it. After some re-evaluating what I truly wanted out of this and working through our family budget, we decided that it would be best for me to pursue Hive and Home full time. There was always that "what-if" floating in my mind.
"What if I quit my full-time job and pursued this?"
"What if it became so large that I would have the opportunity to expand?"
"What if I failed, what would I do next?"
"What if I don't make enough money to help keep us afloat?"
I stopped letting the "what if" fears get in my way and focused on my "what if" dreams.
After doing all these big projects, it truly built a passion in my heart for using my creative abilities. It was almost like a drug and I kept wanting more. (Hence why I have 50 million projects going at once!!) Two years later, I started Hive and Home as a side hustle and hobby. I worked on projects on the side when I could and took on custom inquiries from clients. I mainly worked evenings and weekends, but I always felt guilty for not dedicating more time to it. After some re-evaluating what I truly wanted out of this and working through our family budget, we decided that it would be best for me to pursue Hive and Home full time. There was always that "what-if" floating in my mind.
"What if I quit my full-time job and pursued this?"
"What if it became so large that I would have the opportunity to expand?"
"What if I failed, what would I do next?"
"What if I don't make enough money to help keep us afloat?"
I stopped letting the "what if" fears get in my way and focused on my "what if" dreams.
Hive and Home Goals
In order to pursue your dreams full time, you need to set goals and tell people about those goals so there's accountability and one day recognition for reaching said goals. Whether they're small or lofty, don't be afraid of going after them. So here's my goals for Hive and Home and I hope you'll join me in the journey of checking the boxes.
Are you ready to join me on this journey?!
- Open a Hive and Home storefront: I have big dreams for this one. I want to create a space for people to not only shop, but come in and take creative workshops and classes as well as creating community engagement where parents and kids can come in and use their artistic, creative minds.
- Start a YouTube Channel: This one scares the living daylights out of me, because I don't like being in front of a camera. BUT, I want to share my skills, tips and tricks when refinishing furniture - not hide them or keep them close to my chest. If I can help or inspire someone accomplish a big project, then that is a win for me. Because when I was starting out, I had loads of questions on what stain was best, what brush works with certain paints, what type of sander or paint sprayer to use.
- Be a Vendor at the Geneva Market: If you've never heard of the Geneva Market, then you're missing out! The Geneva Market in Geneva, Iowa is a DIYers dream. There are vendors that come from all over the place such as, antiques, cute home decor, clothing boutiques, baby clothes, candles, furniture, and even food trucks! Let's just say, you'll see me there in September, 2021!
- Be Featured on DIY Network: This is a lofty goal, I know. But how cool would it be to turn on the TV and see Hive and Home on DIY Network?!
Are you ready to join me on this journey?!
