What do you do when you can’t find a product that actually works?
In the case of Khaili and Tim McMorris, they made their own. When their now three-year-old daughter, Willow, was born, Khaili was left scrambling to find a cream that would cure her daughter’s diaper rash.
Tired, weary, and eager to ease the redness and soreness of their daughter’s backside, the new parents tried every product they could find on the store shelves, but nothing worked.
Health conscious parents, Khaili and Tim also wanted something that didn’t have a lot of harsh chemicals. Reading the back of each products’ labels, there didn’t appear to be many options. That is until they turned to their own kitchen for the solution.
Armed with a pile of research, advice from her dad, a homeopath, and a can-do attitude, Khaili set to work making their own cream to cure her daughter’s rash.
“I just decided to make my own baby bum cream. Once other people saw how quickly it cleared everything up, people kept asking me about it,” Khaili says.
“I’ve used it on both of my kids and since then they’ve never had any issues.”
They never set out with the intention of starting their own business; the creams were simply for their own home and children.
As more and more of their family and friends kept asking to use the little handmade batches they created for themselves, it was undeniable that the products that made their debut in the McMorris’ kitchen were something special that could help so many people.
“With our friends constantly asking, it really pushed us to do it seriously,” Khaili explains.
Today, the Lovebee Lab, which isn’t a lab in the traditional sense, is where the couple grows their own lavender and other ingredients. It’s a small farm in Ridgeway, Ontario which the McMorrises rent from Khaili’s mother.
Anything they can’t grow themselves is thoroughly vetted and consists mostly of local suppliers.
They make an assortment of holistic, all-natural, bath, body and skin care products.
A family affair
These days, Khaili has her hands full with raising two children and running her own business so Love Bee Farms has become a family affair with all hands—both big and little—on deck.
She often makes products with her infant daughter Eden on her hip. Willow can be found at Khaili’s feet making Lovebee creations just like her mum. The products Willow makes aren’t ready for the market just yet, but she does enjoy the time spent with her parents.
“The kids are very included. Willow loves to make products and has her own station. She loves to do that,” Khaili explains.
“We also have a very good baby that is super well behaved. We’ve been blessed with our children”
The family is so important to the McMorrises, their first daughter became their business’ namesake.
“Our first daughter Willow, we call her Willow Bee and the name came from that. We wanted to incorporate her into the name. Then it became known as Lovebee,” Khaili says.
Working with children underfoot isn’t always ideal. Sometimes things have to be spread out during the day so some things take longer than others.
But that’s what most parents face, Khaili says.
The pair met more than a decade ago in Windsor, Ontario when Khaili travelled from England to visit her mother, who emigrated to Canada. It was there where Khaili first set eyes on Tim.
The couple was meant-to-be and Khaili moved to Canada and they started their new life together, eventually settling down in Ridgeway.
A lot of Hard Work
Owning an operating your own business isn’t easy but when the McMorrises set their minds to do it, they are determined to succeed.
Lovebee isn’t the first successful business the pair started. Khaili and Tim run a music business called King Crown Productions.
With business experience under their belts, Khaili says the family didn’t have to completely rely on their second business for income. They also had a better understanding of what it takes to be entrepreneurs and the ins and outs of the business. They threw themselves into it, heads and hearts, with Khaili creating the product and Tim running the financial side of the business.
“It’s definitely been a lot of trial and error. Turning an oil into a cream is a process,” Khaili says.
It took hours of research into the right ingredients that are 100 percent safe for children and adults of all ages to use and learning about healing benefits essential oils might have.
When Khaili come up with a new product, they have a long process of testing and making sure every batch it perfect every time.
What’s next
While Lovebee Farms doesn’t have a physical location of their own, that’s next on the horizon.
“We want to be in the heart of downtown Ridgeway,” Tim says. He expects the small village in Greater Fort Erie will become the next Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is why he wants to see Lovebee fill a storefront along Ridge Road.
They are just waiting for the perfect space to become available. This past summer, customers could find Khaili, Tim and their team at the Ridgeway Farmers Market, which runs every Saturday from May until October.
Running a both at the market was a great experience with many repeat customers.
We jumped into it not knowing how it would go but we’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Khaili says.
Why do they think they’ve been successful?
Tim says it’s likely due to growing global awareness for a healthy lifestyle. While people begin to think about the food they put in their bodies, they’re also starting to examine the products they use; shampoos, soaps, creams and other products and the chemicals in them.
“More people have become aware of the type of foods and products they were putting into their bodies but before people didn’t necessarily think about the products they are putting on their body, which ends up going into the body as well. But that’s really starting to change and people are looking for healthier options,” Khaili says.
“The main thing is, we want to use our business to enrich people’s’ lives. We want them to have access to holistic products,” Tim says.
