About Kelly and Ashley… Ashley grew up in the area and Kelly is a newcomer. These co-owners of The Hex and The Hive relocated to Alma1 (2024 population of 1,011) from the front range of Colorado. They sold a house in Johnstown, Colorado capitalizing their investment in a main street building and two new businesses in south central Nebraska.
Professionally Kelly was a freelance designer while Ashley was and is a teacher. She also does freelance public relations. Their combined experiences and skills positioned this duo to fill a need in their adopted rural Nebraska community. Despite their few years in Alma and with the challenges of COVID, they have put down deep roots, not only as entrepreneurs driving a new main street business but actively engaged community builders.
Ashley and Kelly are great to talk to, and fun. They have passion and are learners. They embrace help from YouTube videos to mentors to professional services. In their own ways they are “creatives” motivated to live the fullest lives, succeed with their business ventures, and make their corner of Nebraska a better place to live, work and play.
About The Hex and The Hive2… At 710 Main Street in Alma, Nebraska you will find a store front that is home to The Hex and The Hive shop. On the main floor there is a screen-printing enterprise, t-shirt shop, and the second floor an Airbnb. That aging building (1905) on main street was the draw. Ashley and Kelly could envision possibilities (See the before and after pictures at the end of this story). During my interview with them several times they showed with laughs what the inside of the first floor looked like before they transformed it into a home for their businesses.
I had to ask about the business name… The Hex and the Hive and this dynamic team shared their love of design elements (e.g., hex) and honeybees (e.g., hive). Without question a neat and unusual name sharing the owners’ passions and personalities. When asked…”why screen-printing?” Kelly shared the University of Northern Colorado gave her the opportunity to design t-shirts and became interested in the creation of screen-printed shirts. Ashley shared “I just love t-shirts.” They both are driven by the artistic freedom of their work, coupled with lessons learned providing practical decisions like how much time it takes to produce a four color screen-print.
More on the Branding… The Hex and the Hive’s unusual business name arose from Kelly’s nerdy play on words from her favorite shape (the hexagon) and the digital design element of hex (digital color codes.) The Hive only made sense to represent the Airbnb portion of this two-part business. This became especially evident after talking with Ashley’s family and hearing that her parents’ CB names were Queen Bee and Stinger Bee. The idea of a t-shirt shop really came from Kelly. She missed her opportunity at the University of Northern Colorado to take a screen-printing class, but that missed opportunity created a desire for her to learn on her own. Since t-shirts are Ashley’s favorite part of her wardrobe, she was excited to have her own t-shirt designer not knowing she’d have to do a large majority of the printing.
It was three years ago Halloween that they launched their entrepreneurial venture. At Halloween 2025 they will celebrate the grand opening of their second venture the Airbnb located on the remodeled second floor of their building. As community builders they host events to engage neighbors and generate customers like their 4th of July printing parties where folks can make their own screen-printed t-shirt or their participation in Alma’s Halloween “Hidden Room Tour.” Their building was once a bank with a vault in the basement.
Alma and Harlan County is home to Harlan County Lake, a significant recreational tourism destination suitable for boating, sailing, camping, and some great bird watching. The lake attracts visitors creating commerce in Alma and other communities, including t-shirt sales at The Hex and The Hive shop.
Those Who Helped… When I asked Kelly and Ashley who has helped them, there were smiles and the response that lessons have been learned. While their list of helpers is long, not everyone they sought out proved worthwhile. A lesson for other entrepreneurs. Learning who they could count on became important in their entrepreneurial journey. Among those who have made a difference include…
- Kate Hopkins with Alma’s Main Street Variety as a mentor and community networking resource.
- Emily Lake with the local tourism office. She has been a promoter, customer and supporter.
- Attorney Jacolyn Daake with Daake Law Office in Alma who provides legal counsel and helped Ashley and Kelly set up their Limited Liability Company (LLC).3
- Jessie Adams who has helped remodel the 1905 building. In addition, he has been a teacher helping Ashley learn construction including drywalling. His wife Steph is a cheer leader encouraging Kelly and Ashley along in their journey.
- Paul Bantam, an electrician with Tri-Creek Electric that has been a problem solver and solution provider during remodeling. He has installed a second electrical panel upstairs for the Airbnb and redid all of the upstairs electrical work.
- The good folks at Banner Capital Bank, a local community bank providing mortgage financing for the building and business. Banking relationships are advised!
There is also a strong connection between Janell Anderson Ehrke, Founder of GROW Nebraska and Ashley. Ashley when younger was a nanny for Janell and her husband. There is even a show heifer named “Power Blick” by the Ehrke’s after Ashley. This business is a member of GROW Nebraska4 and through GROW they receive technical assistance including marketing, online sales, and other foundational small business help. Kelly and Ashley and their small business – The Hex and The Hive – have received support from the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act (NSBAA) Program5. Funding from the Program helped with the cost of their first-year mortgage and building improvements. NSBAA provides important equity for small business entrepreneurs in Nebraska including Ashley and Kelly enhancing their start up chances of success.
Finally, Kelly and Ashley shared their learning experiences including what to do and what not to do. One story shared includes not starting your screen-printing machine on fire creating a scary moment and later real laughter as this story is retold. Key to early-stage entrepreneurial success is trial-and-error coupled with continuous learning that informs smarter development over time.
All our best to Ashley and Kelly and their Nebraska small business The Hex and the Hive – Ink + Honey!
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Transformation!
Not only did Alma and this part of rural Nebraska gain new residents and businesses, Alma now has a historic building transformed and ready for a new generation of use. Commercial buildings are a key rural community asset that can deteriorate over time or be renewed by entrepreneurial energy! |
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