From backyard veggie patches to soothing balms for sensitive skin, A Lil Bee is a heart-led business that’s helping families reconnect with nature. For Leslie Bishop, what started with gardening tips shared on social media soon blossomed into a thriving venture – offering hands-on gardening help, heartfelt consultations, and a lovingly crafted skincare line born from her daughter’s eczema journey. With two young children in tow and a business that’s as much about passion as it is about purpose, here Leslie shares how motherhood, curiosity and community sparked a business rooted in care – for the land, for her children and for those looking to live a little more simply.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
It all began with sharing gardening videos on social media. I found myself answering questions from people who were curious, eager to learn and keen to grow their own food. From there, the idea of offering garden consultations just sprouted – pun intended!
As my babies grew and I settled into the wild rhythm of parenting two small children and running a business (which is very much like having a needy third child), things started to evolve. I saw a growing desire in people to reconnect with the land, to grow and eat fresh food, and to live more simply. The business almost grew a life of its own – I began offering consultations, doing hands-on gardening services, and my little online community started to bloom too. I didn’t go viral overnight, but the growth was steady, joyful and real. Along the way, I’ve made what I believe will be lifelong friendships.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
For the gardening side, I kicked things off by offering 100 free garden consultations – and ended up helping people from my local community all the way to Africa! The connections and gratitude were incredible.
I also found an amazing community that uplifted me and encouraged me to keep growing-myself, my gardens and my business. When things didn’t go to plan (which they often didn’t!), they reminded me to be gentle with myself and to try again tomorrow.
The skincare side began with my daughter. She was born with severe eczema, and after trying everything on the market with no luck, I spent hours in supermarkets and pharmacies writing down every single ingredient on eczema-related products. I researched what they were, what they did, whether they were necessary or not – and eventually created my own formula: the eczema pani. People followed her skin journey and watched me develop the product through trial and error. They saw the results and began asking for it too. What began as a little side-income idea has now grown into a skincare range I never planned – but here we are!
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough was realising that my business could be whatever I wanted it to be. And so could I.
Enter Bee – an alter ego I created before I even launched. She was the future version of me: confident, driven, passionate, with strong values and a thriving business. I visualised her and then started working to become her. That idea changed everything – for my business and for my life.
I stopped trying to fit into a mould and instead built the business around my lifestyle, my family, my passions and my values. I built a lifestyle business on purpose – because in the beginning, all I really hoped for was to be paid to do something I loved.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balance is something I’m still working on (aren’t we all?).
Right now, I do 2-3 days a week of physical gardening work or consultations, one day in the kura or community garden and one admin day. After-school activities fill two afternoons a week, and I work in the “in-between” moments on the other days.
Weekends are for my babies and home life. Setting boundaries around things like phone calls and admin helps – but sometimes I blink and I’ve been on my phone for an hour (I run everything from my phone!), and the mum guilt kicks in. It’s less a balancing act and more like juggling flaming torches, but I’m learning.
I involve my kids in the business as much as they’ll allow. My son (10) designed the first eczema pani label, and my daughter (3) helps harvest kai and has a knack for identifying her favourite plants like Calendula and Cape Gooseberries.
