Bee Wild’ Owner and Staff Part One
The Real John Wright
When you know someone really well and work with them on an almost daily basis, it’s easy to forget the power of their story. So, interviewing John Wright, the owner of Bee Wild, was a wonderful opportunity to remind me that his path hasn’t always been smooth and that he’s a real overcomer. That’s why John’s quest for personal authenticity is so potent. It’s not always been easy for him to be who he is, and he’s diligently worked to express his uniqueness.
From a North Georgia Mountain Town
Gainesville, John’s birth place, is often called the Poultry Capital of the World. Poultry farming is the area’s major industry. Lake Lanier, constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers before John was born, and the heavily wooded areas of the North Georgia mountains created a hunting and fishing culture. Even though John loved the lake and exploring the woods, he didn’t fit in with the local crowd. It was only when he connected with Nature, through hanging out with his Dad who is a beekeeper and his grandparents who were avid gardeners, that John came to terms with his environment.
Work Ethic
John talks about how difficult school was. He is almost completely right-brained, and in an educational system where logic and analysis are worshiped, he had to work hard to keep up in school. He talks about putting in more hours, working harder, and developing tools that engaged his creative side in learning.
Bullying at School
John was a slight, ethereal teenage whose looks and actions were different from everyone else. His head was filled with daydreams of what he had yet to create, and his peers didn’t get John and bullied him for these differences. In his own words, John talks about the almost constant bullying and developing his desire to advocate for others who don’t fit in:
I had to decide if I was going to let bullying dim my light and give up who I was for the sake of comfort or if I was going to take a stand, not only for me, but for all other kids that didn’t “fit in.” This felt like a natural decision. I knew it was most natural for me to stand in my truth and be myself no matter what anyone said. This was a pivotal part of my life journey and from this point forward I began to see myself and my life as being valuable with so many great possibilities.
Family Bullying
We often think of bullying only happening at school or in social settings. That John was also bullied by his Aunt’s husband, a Bible evangelist, for being different illustrates that bullying can happen anywhere, at any time, with anyone. When John talks about his love for his family and his efforts to fit in with his Aunt and Uncle by following their revivals and trying to pray his difference away, we see John’s loyalty and love. After several years, John shed the identity he adopted to please his relatives and made a complete commitment to his own authenticity. To this day, his Aunt and Uncle don’t speak to him.
Finding a Creative Space
As a right-brained person John looked for a career that appealed to his creativity. That is why he chose the field of cosmetology and has become a sought after hair dresser in a high end Buckhead Beauty Salon. As John’s clients exposed him to ideas about beauty being an inside, as well as an outside, job, John developed an enthusiasm for holistic wellness, nutritional healing, real food, and organic skin and hair care products.
Bee Wild Is a Synthesis of
What John Wright Stands For
Bee Wild was born out of the idea that the third generation of a beekeeping family could enhance the way raw, wild-crafted honey is shared with the public. John has spearheaded every aspect of this transformation, from taking the lead in the creative design of Bee Wild’ logo to developing and marketing honeys and honey-based body products.
Bee Wild’ products reflect John’s dedication to real food as the foundation for holistic wellness. He practices what he preaches, and he’s probably the cleanest eater I know. Too, John constantly monitors every aspect of creating our honey body products from developing the products, insuring the highest quality natural ingredients, to demonstrating how they slough off dead skin cells and hydrate your skin. He is proud to say that his products are good for your body, inside and out.
In addition to sharing authentic, natural products, John encourages authenticity at all levels of Bee Wild. Every staff member is supported to express their own uniqueness. Everyone’s suggestions are accepted unconditionally. Every contribution is acknowledged with gratitude. No creative process is rushed, and people are allowed to communicate exactly how they feel. Differences of opinion are worked on until a win/win position is found.
Our Intention
When we first talked about how this post might impact our readers, we had one hope. If anyone who reads this can say,
Wow, there is someone out there who is like me and overcame learning differences and bullying to become a successful, creative entrepreneur, maybe I won’t give up.
then we have done our job.
