An Inspired Chat with Annie Brown of Northern Kentucky

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Annie Brown. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Annie, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
It’s not what I’m building, but what I’m changing. My inner dialogue has changed dramatically recently. That dialogue used to tell me that I was behind, that I needed to knuckle down and work work work, and I resisted that. It made me feel guilty when I didn’t put in 12+ hour days, which happens frequently (I love my down time). I’ve realized that to truly get the most out of my down time, I need to let go of the guilt. It is so important to take time off and recharge, but it is impossible to do that if you are constantly making yourself feel guilty about it. So I’ve worked to let go of the guilt and let myself get the rest and relaxation that I need to sustain myself.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Annie Brown, I am the founder and lead confectioneer at Laughing Bees. I specialize in playfully indulgent candies and treats that feature local (Kentucky) honey. Laughing Bees started almost on a whim. I was accepted into a holiday market, planning to sell flavored whipped honey. The market manager asked if I could bring another product and I said, “Sure, I can make honey caramels!” There were only 2 problems: I’d never made honey caramels, and the market was in 2 days. I figured it out, brought the honey caramels to the market, and they were a hit! So I forgot all about the whipped honey and decided then and there that I was a confectioneer.

Laughing Bees is a subsidiary of Laughing Food Brands LLC. In the (hopefully) near future, I plan to launch a separate brand that will feature hemp derived cannabis products, mainly caramels and gummies.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Oh, this must be when I learned to ride a bike. I was about 7, and I had to borrow a bike. I spent the afternoon figuring it out, and one skinned knee later, there was no stopping me. To me, that was freedom, and freedom is power.

Many years later, I learned to mountain bike. It was still new, and there weren’t many women out there. It gave me a lot of confidence to be in a sport dominated by men, and be able to hold my own was a powerful lesson. Couple that with the physical aspects of mountain biking, and you have a double whammy dose of power. And, to brag a little, I did earn a national championship title in 1996 in observed trials.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I have only just started talking about this, because it is still painful, but it was a turning point in my life. In the early 2000’s, I learned that 2 of my older brothers had cancer. My brother Charlie died in November of 2004. In December 2004, my nephew Erich died as a victim of a violent crime. The last time I’d seen Erich was at Charlie’s funeral. My brother Joe died in April of 2005. The last time I’d seen Joe was at Erich’s funeral. I was wracked with grief. But I had 2 small children at the time, and I needed to pull myself out of the grief. I thought about what had made me happy in the past, and the answer was being creative. My mantra became, “do things that scare you.” I did a deep dive into creativity and actively sought out experiences and opportunities that took me out of my comfort zone. I wanted to live my life in a way that would honor the lives of my relatives who died way too young, and also make them proud of me. I can draw a straight line from that decision to where I am today.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
The folks I would name here aren’t famous. They local people who I admire, and the qualities they exhibit are phenomenal They are the people who build others up. The folks who brighten up a room when they enter. The friends who truly build a community. The peers who not only get a hand up, but give a hand up. There are so many of those folks around us if we take the time to notice them. I am so thankful to have so many of these people in my life.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
This question cracks me up. A few years back, I bought some tap shoes at Goodwill, and spent the day, in public, tap dancing everywhere I went. It was a blast! I need to dig those shoes out again…

But to answer the question. The name of my company is Laughing Food Brands LLC dba Laughing Bees. Someone asked me today, “Why laughing?” I replied, “I think you should enjoy what you do. If you aren’t having fun, why do it?” While I haven’t literally shuffled off to buffalo, I do enjoy my work. Do I love wrapping caramels? God, no, that’s the most boring thing ever. But I do enjoy how happy those caramels make people. That’s what keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laughingbees.shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laughingbeeshoney
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-brown-ged-87559824a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laughingbeeshoney

Image Credits
Headshot by Rhee Lightner