Meet Renee Yates

We were lucky to catch up with Renee Yates recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Renee, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

In November of 2019, I completely surrendered my life to the Lord. I had been dealing with fear, anger, bitterness, rejection and shame. Once I truly realized and understood that God wanted a relationship with me, I went from merely surviving to thriving! I began to understand what it means to live an abundant life. Now my days are filled with hope, joy and purpose.
I chose to take my everyday, ordinary life and place it before God as an offering. No matter what I’m doing or where I’m at, I look for ways to share the same hope, joy and peace that I have found in knowing Him.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a beginner beekeeper and co-owner of Overflow Honey Co. My husband Jeremy and our oldest daughter Addison became beekeepers in 2017. I decided to join them last year just months before our family purchased an existing beekeeping supply business. In December of 2024, after much prayer, we bought the business from the gentleman that gave my daughter her first beehive years ago. We were able to secure a warehouse, stock it with beekeeping equipment and open our doors for business pretty quickly. On Saturday, February 1, 2025, we opened to the public. At Overflow Honey Co., you will find a wide variety of beekeeping equipment and supplies, locally made cypress furniture and fresh, raw honey straight from our hives.
We never dreamed of opening a beekeeping supply store, however, we are confident that the Lord has called us to this.
This endeavor has required much work, faith and obedience. We had a few struggles in the beginning that we’ve been able to overcome. Those struggles produced perseverance, character and hope.
Over the last 8 months, we have made countless friends across the nation who are part of the beekeeping community.

Addison and I recently created the group Mississippi Women in Beekeeping. This is a group for female beekeepers to come together to fellowship with food and creativity, share experiences and ask questions. The group is quickly growing.
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, Overflow Honey Co. is hosting their first beekeeping event. This event will be perfect for beginners and those interested in learning the foundations of beekeeping.
My daughter and I have also co-authored a children’s book about honey bees. She has beautifully illustrated it from cover to cover. We expect “The Grateful Bee” to be available by December 2025.

It has been such a joy to run the business each day with Addison. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to beekeeping. Jeremy and I will be the first to tell you we couldn’t do this without her.
We are already planning to expand, and we’re praying and believing that Jeremy will soon be able to join us full-time.

We firmly believe that it’s only because of God and His great plans for us that we’ve been able to accomplish so many amazing things in such a short period of time.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Faith – It’s the trust and confidence that I have in the Lord and His great plans for me and my family. It’s believing in something unseen and obeying despite uncertainty. It brings about hope for the future.

Courage – This is not a word that I would have used to describe myself prior to 2019. Over the last few years, I have discovered that He is truly with me, strengthening me and giving me the confidence to overcome fear. This doesn’t mean that I’m never afraid. However, I know that He is with me and provides what I need to face my fear.

The Lord has giving me the ability to relate and communicate with others. I genuinely love people. I love hearing their stories, sharing experiences, helping them discover their purpose and encouraging them to be all God has called them to be.

I believe if you want to grow in any area, connect with individuals that have the character, qualities and skills that you want to develop or improve on. I have grown so much by learning from strong leaders that God has put in my life.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Over the last 12 months, I have truly learned what it means to trust and obey. I trust that the Lord has good plans for me and my family. I’m learning to obey even when it may seem difficult or scary. I believe He has provided everything we need to accomplish the plans He has for us. There’s not a day that goes by that He doesn’t affirm that we are right where He wants us to be.

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