Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Beth Mickens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Beth, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
As someone who has always been naturally prone to burnout – especially now as a business owner – learning how to overcome it is still quite new to me. Only within the past year have I learned how to balance my time and my expectations around production.
When I first started, like most new business owners, I was full of energy and ideas. I would set high expectations for myself, for how much I could produce and how many markets I could attend. I would work late nights, sometimes staying up until 1-2am in the morning, waking up around 6am to attend to my duties as a parent and partner, all while still working out daily to achieve my fitness goals. I would run on caffeine and protein bars, meeting every goal…until I couldn’t. Eventually I started losing motivation and my desire to work. My health started to decline rapidly due to the lack of nutrition and sleep and high stress levels. And as soon as the holiday markets were over, I’d collapse and struggle to find the desire to get back to work. It would take me weeks to recover and by then I had missed 2 very important opportunities for more exposure and more sales. After a few years of repeating this same routine, and seeing how much it negatively impacted my physical and mental health, I decided it was time to make a change.
I began by prioritizing my health and self-care, taking time to develop healthy habits around sleep, nutrition and fitness. I then created a schedule to better manage my time. I first blocked off time for daily self-care, and then focused on creating work blocks throughout the day. I set boundaries on my availability during these work blocks, and created a support system with my partner and children that allowed me to better focus on my craft within those few hours. In addition, I lowered my expectations around how much I could produce within a specific time frame. This meant less opportunities to sell, but at least I wasn’t pushing myself to early burnout. The results? I had very little inventory left at the end of the season, which was financially beneficial as I didn’t have a need to discount a ton of product in order to sell it. My health had improved greatly; I never got sick. And most importantly, I didn’t feel burned out. I felt good about all that I had accomplished and was ready to take on new projects in the new year.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the founder and owner of Beans and Beats, LLC; a company that specializes in making nib (hopefully, one day I can change that to “Bean”!) to bar chocolate while promising to “elevate your chocolate tasting experience through music”. Each chocolate I curate is named after a song that you can easily look up and play during your tasting experience, hence the name Beans (chocolate beans) and Beats (music beats). I wanted to find a way to combine my passion for music and my passion for chocolate, while also creating a business that was unique and stood out from the rest. In addition, I focus on making chocolate that aligns with my own health practices utilizing fresh, high-quality and organic ingredients when I can and dairy-free alternatives.
Now I must preface the origin story is less than exciting – just a simple aha moment. It all started with a passion for chocolate and a trip to the World Market store. As we were checking out $100 worth of chocolate bars, my partner made a joke that I should just make my own, assuming that doing so would save me some money. I took his joke to heart, did some research and proposed the idea of opening up my own small business making chocolate bars and confections. He was shocked that I was taking it seriously, but was extremely supportive and we took the necessary steps to open up Beans and Beats OBX in the beginning of 2021.
While it hasn’t saved me much as I now seek out chocolate everywhere I go, learning from makers all around the nation and globe, it has taught me so much about myself and my passions. I have also gained a new level of appreciation for chocolate makers and business owners.
I am now in my 4th year and I am excited for what is yet to come. Between the start of a new colab with a local company and the introduction of a new product that I can sell throughout the summer, I have a feeling this year is going to be the busiest and best one yet.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, my thirst for knowledge and my desire for constant progress or improvement have been the most impactful qualities in my journey. Building a network of small business owners within my community has also played an important role in my development as a small business here on the beach.
The first two qualities are interrelated. Wanting to improve ones skills usually requires more research, more knowledge and of course, more practice. Utilizing the tools available to us – whether it be books, online classes, social media, or online forums related to a specific job or skill – paves the way for growth and improvement. I’m one to believe in progress not perfection, but also in satisfaction. Something doesn’t have to be perfect to work. It just has to be good enough. And as cliche as it sounds, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. For example, my most popular chocolate is a coffee chocolate that I make with locally roasted coffee. The formula is an original, and I haven’t changed it in over 3 years. Every now and then I get the itch to “make it better”, but I’m quickly reminded that it’s good just as it is, and I’m forced to switch that focus and energy on something that does need improving. Finding that balance is key.
In addition, I’ve learned curiosity and education breeds creativity. Customers love their favorites, but they’re also always looking for something new. Sticking to what works, while also leaving room for new ideas or new products can lead to further success. I have a notes page where I keep a list of my new ideas, categorized by difficulty, and I implement one or two when I have the time. This past holiday season, I brought a new product with me to each market I attended. Those who came for the new offering also ended up purchasing other products as well.
Lastly, and most importantly is the development of a network of like minded individuals whether locally or online. Building a community of support, of individuals to learn from has been a huge part of my success. In my area, we are huge advocates of supporting local businesses. We have markets that run all year long that help the small businesses in our area thrive. Getting to know the individuals who run those markets as well as the business owners who have been attending them for years has helped me figure out how to make each one successful for me. The love and support is unmatched. Find a community to be a part of, Ask questions and find ways to support one another.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one challenge I am currently facing is the ability to keep the momentum of sales from the holidays going well into the new year and into the summer. I thrive at the local markets during the holidays but I have no online presence to keep my business sustained. I’m also unable to sell chocolate during the summer due to the heat and humidity. In addition, burnout was also preventing me from continuing the momentum by marketing holidays such as Valentine’s and Mother’s day.
My first solution is to prevent burnout through better time management and by setting realistic goals and expectations for myself. By preventing burnout, I’ll have more energy to jump right into making and marketing product for the next major holiday. The next step is to work on building a presence outside of the local markets. Some options include gaining wholesale accounts at stores, working with restaurants to supply chocolate for their recipes or as a dessert option, building an online presence through social media, working with wedding coordinators, and even offering classes that can be added on to a vacation package. After that, my last solution is to create a product I can sell during the summer. My hope is by the end of 2025 I’ll have a yearly plan to follow to keep sales going throughout the entire with or without the markets.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beansandbeatsobx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beansandbeatsobx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beansandbeatsobx/photos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@beansandbeatsobx
Image Credits
Two photos can be credited to Casey Robertson. The rest are my own.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
