The Power of Focus: How Neve’s Bees Grew by Doing Less, Better – with Julie Macken

The Power of Focus: How Neve’s Bees Grew by Doing Less, Better – with Julie Macken

Julie Macken is the Deputy Queen Bee of Neve’s Bees a family business turning the produce of their bee hives and local beekeepers into products that are now certified 100% natural. Founded in 2017, they switched focus to eCommerce in 2021. They now sell via their WooCommerce store, wholesale, and a couple of events, and have now reached £100,000 a year and have just sold their 80,000th product.

She shares how focusing on what truly works — and saying no to what doesn’t — helped her turn a local gifting brand into a six-figure sustainable skincare business. Hear how she refined her eCommerce strategy, built a lean but powerful team, and is now leading a mission to make the skincare industry more honest and eco-friendly.

It’s always a treat when a past guest returns, and Julie’s comeback episode is packed with even more insights you can apply immediately to grow smarter and operate more sustainably.

Hit PLAY to hear:

  • 💡 The simple shift that helped Neve’s Bees double down on what really drives sales
  • 🐝 Why splitting one brand into two strategies unlocked major eCommerce growth
  • 💬 How Julie turned sustainability into a standout marketing story (not just a value)
  • ⚙️ The key roles she outsourced — and how it boosted profits and freed up her time
  • 🛍️ The brand placement mistake that nearly hurt their image — and how they fixed it
  • 🌍 Julie’s bold mission to take on the skincare industry’s “ultra-processed” problem

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[04:32] Skincare Definition: Face vs Body

[06:39] Skin Care eCommerce Revolution

[12:17] "Skincare Website Revamp Focus"

[16:09] Finding Income Through Quick Solutions

[17:27] Small Business Operations Explained

[22:23] "Pure Ingredients, No Water"

[23:13] Skincare Industry Reform Needed

[27:32] Listen to Julie’s Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/571



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