Beekeeper Marketing • Successful exit
This Service Business was Ready for Fractional CFO Strategy and Guidance
About Beekeeper
Lynn Graham was a founder and the head of marketing for a smoothie company when she was approached by Amazon to sell shelf-stable products online. Lynn successfully sold products with Amazon as it expanded its reputation beyond books, CDs, and DVDs. Her Amazon representative recognized her skillset and shared that many Amazon sellers were struggling with onboarding and building strong online sales. What if he referred these companies to her for consulting and guidance? With that, Beekeeper Marketing was born.
Propeller successfully guided the team through a complex acquisition process
Beekeeper Marketing eventually grew to 40 employees by helping brick-and-mortar CPG companies successfully shift to a digital channel. Lynn hired a COO, who recommended bringing on Propeller to advance the organization’s financials.
After bringing on Propeller, Lynn realized that the competition in her space was growing. Beekeeper’s sales were booming, but would she be able to maintain the growth given her competition? In order to scale, Beekeeper would need to build sophisticated technology infrastructure and data analytics. In addition, she was being approached with acquisition offers and needed help figuring out if this was the direction she wanted to pursue.
Propeller guided Beekeeper through the complex acquisition process by connecting her with key resources, building pitch decks, organizing finance documents, attending calls with prospects, coaching Lynn with talking points, assisting with negotiations and due diligence processes, and more.
Negotiating a successful exit
Since Beekeeper was acquired, Lynn has remained on board with Advantage Solutions as Senior Vice President. She has shifted her entrepreneurial vision to angel investing of her own. She still engages with Propeller for advice and guidance related to prospects.
Results with Propeller
Entrepreneurs and founders can count on our financial expertise
Beekeeper nearly doubled revenue
From $3.7M in 2017 to $7M in 2018
Successful exit
Beekeeper Marketing was acquired by Advantage Solutions in 2018
"I'd never sold a company before. I didn't know where to start. I've seen colleagues and competitors go through acquisitions who did not have a great experience. Fortunately, with Propeller, I felt supported strategically, tactically, and emotionally."
Lynn Graham
Founder, Beekeeper Marketing
