In a room full of women, a fourteen year-old boy has the floor. Jake Reisdorf, the CEO of Carmel Honey Company, possesses a combination of charisma and passion for bees and honey that mesmerizes when he lectures about the science of beekeeping. He works the room with confidence and the audience command of a seasoned college professor. And he is only 14! One can only wonder about the loving parents nurturing Jake’s smart, passionate, and hardworking spirit.
When Jake was in fifth grade, he was asked to do a homework project: design a website with content of his choice. “I’ll write about bees,” he said. Thus Jake learned about pollination and beekeeping, researching so much he became an expert in all things bee. And so Carmel Honey Company was born with one hive.
Jake Reisdorf now has 145 hives laying about 1500 eggs a day and making about 60 pounds of honey per hive. He collaborates in pollinating projects pooling resources and splitting the honey with other apiary business operating in the Carmel Valley Region. He sells his honey and a variety of other specialty products both online through www.carmelhoneycompany.com and at the retail location at the Carmel Plaza Shopping Center, on Ocean and Mission, in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel Honey Company stands on altruistic values and gives back to the community. Much of Jake’s work goes into educating the public through his Give Back campaign about the importance of honeybees, pollination, the benefits of honey, and the need to stop using pesticides.
Jake’s success doesn’t happen in isolation. I am pretty positive that behind this young man, there are dedicated parents supporting their very smart son who happens to have dyslexia. They probably didn’t set to raise a businessman. However, by focusing on his talent and supporting his efforts, they have helped Jake create a profitable business.
While the young entrepreneur asked us to taste four different flavors of the honey he produces, his mother sits quietly in the back of the room. Like most mothers, Jack’s mom serves him dinner every day, takes him to dentists appointments, and pretty much makes sure a strong household is the backbone for her child’s success.
Carmel Honey Company’s flavors, from left to right, from top to bottom: Orange Blossom, Wild Flower (Carmel Valley Multi-Flower, Creamy Sage, and Meadow Foam.
After several years of steady growth, Carmel Honey Company has become a family business. Because Jake is not old enough to drive, his parents have to shoulder some of the responsibilities. His father is the main beekeeper working on a part time basis because he has a regular full time job. Jack’s mother drives the child to business appointments and speaking engagements. Instead of driving Jack to soccer practice, she is the administrative assistant of her successful son.
Praising his parents, and especially his mother, does not undermine the child’s own merits. Not every good mother raises a business prodigy, but a talented child can only thrive in a caring home, and most importantly, with a loving mother. Jake Reinsdorf’s parents are an example of how a strong household can nurture raw talent.
