Conversations with Erica Clay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Clay

Hi Erica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
King’s Lemonade was established in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. My children were home from school, bored and we needed additional funds to help us. So I asked my family to come up with ideas of things that we could do to bring additional income into our household. We each shared our ideas together, but ultimately deciding on a lemonade business. After deciding on our business, we then needed to decided on a name for the business. Again, we all had different ideas for the name of the business however my youngest son, Corey Jr. stated “King’s, King’s Lemonade”. I asked him “Why King’s” Lemonade”? and he said “Because I’m a King momma!” that’s how King’s Lemonade was birthed.

Both King’s Lemonade and King’s and Queen’s Vending were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. King’s and Queen’s Vending is our vending machine business. We currently have 22 vending machines. Each business was established to help our kids learn about generational wealth and to overcome boredom resulting from not being in school and around the friends ask a result the restrictions and limits due to COVID-19.

Amir and Corey Jr. own King’s Lemonade. Jada, our daughter, Amir and Corey all own King’s and Queen’s Vending.

The majority of our sales come directly from the community via pop-up shops. We love using that as an opportunity to meet our customers directly and face-to-face. We encourage everyone to visit our website www.kingslemonade.shop to place orders of our amazing lemonades as well.

One of the best opportunities that we have had as a business, is having the opportunity to speak with youth and future and potential entrepreneurs.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For the most part, our particular journey of entrepreneurship has been smooth. With anything you do that is new you will face some obstacles however none have detoured us permanently. If I had to name one, our biggest obstacle has been trying to work with some, not all, other businesses to collaborate and sell our products. The majority of businesses that we have worked with have been absolutely wonderful and we sincerely appreciate working with those businesses.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I, Erica Clay, the “Momager” of King’s Lemonade volunteer my time for my children’s businesses. King’s Lemonade LLC is not their only business. They also have a vending machine business called, King’s and Queen’s Vending LLC where they offer vending machines to businesses in the Triangle and Triad area. My children, Jada Lyons-O’Kelly, Amir Lyons-O’Kelly and Corey Clay Jr. each assist in some way with their businesses. Jada and Corey Jr. are both students. Jada is a student at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, NC and Corey is in middle school at Western Alamance Middle School in Burlington, NC.

King’s Lemonade specializes is creating over 25 different flavors of lemonade. That sets us apart from the others. Some of our most popular flavors are Original, Strawberry, Strawberry Pineapple, Blue Raspberry and Pineapple Lemonade. Some, not all, of our lemonades contain fresh fruits also.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Having young adults and our children actually work their businesses is what I considered most important to their success. Not only are they business owners they are also their own employees. They work harder being employees than business owners. Also having a product that is loved by many had definitely contributed to our success. We have a wonderful tasting product that everyone can enjoy and quench their thirst.

Pricing:

• $3.00 (16 oz. Original Lemonade)
• $4.00 (16 oz. Any Flavored Lemonade)
• $6.00 (32 oz. Original Lemonade)
• $8.00 (32 oz. Any Flavored Lemonade)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kingslemonade.shop
• Instagram: @kingslemonade2020