Buc-ee’s, Beavers & the Business of Being Small: A B. Well Story

Apparently, We’re Talking About Beavers Today…

Hi B. Well Family,

As a small business owner, I have to say: watching what’s happening between Buc-ee’s and Beaver’s Mini Mart has really bothered me.

Buc-ee’s recently sued Beaver’s Mini Mart, a small convenience store in Beavercreek, Ohio, alleging that its beaver logo and branding infringe on Buc-ee’s trademarks and could confuse consumers. The owner of Beaver’s Mini Mart has said he plans to fight the lawsuit.

But there was one thing he said that stopped me:

“I have two kids and this store is how I feed them.”

And whew.

I understood exactly what he meant.

Because behind every small-business logo is usually a much bigger story.

Behind B. Well Is a Story, Too.

When I was creating B. Well, I discovered that more than 20 other businesses were using some variation of “Be Well.” And you know what? That never bothered me. Because I don’t believe I own the idea of being well. Wellness is bigger than my company. Healing is bigger than my company. And I genuinely believe everyone deserves access to both.

What makes B. Well mine isn’t simply two words.

It’s my story. My voice. My approach. My relationships. My work.

And, most importantly, it’s the community that has grown around this little dream of mine.

A Dream That Became a Business

B. Well really began as a calling.

An assignment that became a business.

And a business that now helps provide for my family.

When you book me to speak, hire B. Well to work with your organization, attend one of our events, purchase something from us, refer someone to me, share a post, or simply tell somebody about B. Well, you are doing so much more than supporting a brand.

You are supporting a small Black woman-owned business. You are helping a mother buy shoes for her children. You are helping pay for groceries, activities, school needs, and all those beautifully ordinary things that come with raising a family.

And you are helping me continue doing work I deeply believe in while building something my daughters can watch their mother grow from the ground up.

That matters to me more than you probably know.

Small Business Is Personal

That’s what sometimes gets lost when we talk about “small businesses.”

Behind that storefront, website, Instagram page, or logo is often somebody’s mortgage.

Their grocery money.

Their children.

Their dream.

And that’s why this particular story hit me differently.

I absolutely believe businesses should protect their intellectual property.

Protect what you’ve built? Absolutely.

But I also believe there has to be room in entrepreneurship for smaller businesses to create, grow, and build identities of their own without living in fear that a corporation with significantly deeper pockets can simply outspend them in a legal fight.

And so, in solidarity with small businesses everywhere…

Sometimes what feels like a tiny act of support to you is helping someone else keep their dream alive.

And around here, that dream is helping a mama feed her babies and continue building something she hopes they’ll be proud of one day.

There are enough beavers — and enough room — for all of us.

With love,

A small-business-owning, wellness-loving mama who suddenly felt inspired to add a beaver to her logo.