Be Free With BeeFree

I get a lot of questions about BeeFree: what does it mean, why did you name your company that, do you hate bees? It’s all very entertaining to me. The story began 6 years ago when we were brainstorming what to name this gluten-free bakery brainchild of mine.

Here is the original list of contenders

Because I wanted a name I could grow with and possibly add other food type items and maybe even some non-food items, we crowned 'BeeFree' the winner.

I wanted a company name and logo that would look cool on a t-shirt, something that flowed easily out of my mouth and conveyed a lifestyle that people desired. I was after a name that felt empowering to men, women and children of all ages. So, there on the floor of our home office, I sat with ginormous sketch pad bouncing ideas off my husband - aka King Bee - crafting the humble beginnings of our beloved BeeFree.

The first BeeFree logo sketched by Stephanie

Then came the logo design. I knew exactly who to enlist - our dear Stephanie - nanny, artist and teacher, nurturer of nature and lover of life and all its beauty. She put her pencil to paper and came up with this lovely creation to be donned on all things BeeFree. It was a match made in heaven. Then, as luck would have it - the bumble bee turned into a popular fashion trend and the black and gold striped insect started appearing everywhere: on clothing, in home interior, school supplies, jewelry… Our timing was impeccable!!

The classic "bumblebee on a cookie" logo that started 6 years ago.

We had an amazing start of business with our handcrafted bumble bee on a cookie logo. Then, as our product line increased and we added our honey-sweetened paleo granolas, people started asking questions. Questions like “Why do you call this BeeFree if it contains honey? What does BeeFree mean? Do you hate bees?” The more events we did, the more questions people had. It was becoming clear that we had a perception issue and our customers were not clear on who we were. In an effort to ease the confusion we decided to rebrand with a new logo. It was a difficult transition for me - I will forever hold a special place in my heart for our original bumblebee logo and the sweet , amazingly talented friend who created it and helped BeeFree spread her wings.

Present logo

Initially, my goal was to become known in my little hometown of Noblesville, IN for super tasty gluten- & dairy-free treats, then spread out to Indianapolis. Well, I’m happy and proud to report that now our goals are hefty and encompass the entire United States. We are on a march to become a household name. Our wish is for everyone to be liberated from junk food with BeeFree. We want to change lives through good clean food and we are committed to doing just that through good, honest, hard work.

Whatever you are and wherever you go I hope you’ll be free to make healthy choices that fuel your mind and body. I hope you’ll surround yourself with people and things that inspire you and empower you to be the best possible you. Having the right to make these types of choices is a privilege that so many fellow Americans have died fighting for. Every day I give thanks for all the blessings that surround me and for the privilege of being free.

Wishing you peace, love and paleo-

Jennifer Wiese