Unbreakable Innovation Spirit: The Teacher Who Built a Beverage Empire
Merrilee Kick, the innovator and visionary behind BuzzBallz.
Merrilee Kick is a former high school teacher whose innovative idea transformed into a billion-dollar worldwide business with 1,000 direct employees and earned her a spot on Forbes Magazine's 2024 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women. Her story shows the power of seizing opportunities, relentless perseverance, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to bring an idea to life. Merrilee's journey demonstrates that turning an innovative idea into a successful business involves hard work, practical problem-solving, and continual reinvention.
Merrilee created a billion-dollar global company with BuzzBallz.
The Birth of BuzzBallz
On a warm Texas afternoon in 2008, Merrilee Kick, a high school teacher, found herself grading papers by her pool. The desire for a refreshing cocktail sparked an idea that would revolutionize the beverage industry. As she balanced a fragile glass near the water’s edge, she imagined a more practical, unbreakable container for cocktails. This moment of inspiration laid the foundation for what would become BuzzBallz.
Entrepreneurs are curious minds. Merrilee, a former teacher, innovated beyond education.
From Concept to Reality
Merrilee's journey wasn't straightforward. She juggled teaching, raising two sons, and pursuing her MBA through a teacher enrichment program. Recognizing the opportunity to further her education and potentially start a business, Merrilee dedicated herself to the program, believing it could open doors for her future endeavors. Despite these challenges, the idea of BuzzBallz took shape—a spherical plastic container that was colorful, stackable, and recyclable, filled with cocktails made from real fruit juice. When considering how to finance her project, she faced numerous rejections from lenders, but her determination never weakened. With a small inheritance and a home equity loan, Merrilee launched her company from a small rented warehouse in Carrollton, Texas.
BuzzBallz launched their first website in 2010.
Overcoming Challenges
Starting BuzzBallz was not easy. Merrilee had to do everything by herself. The first challenge was designing the round bottle, which she did using CAD drawings and for which she was awarded a patent. With no money to hire employees, Merrilee had to work on all parts of the business. She and her son Alex traveled to China to learn how to produce the bottles in-house, chose the right plastic materials, and became an expert in the complex rules for producing and selling alcohol in the US. During these start-up times, Merrilee learned to drive a forklift and box truck to make deliveries, and did the housekeeping for her business. She performed all the functions of a company with the help of her sons and a couple of employees she hired off Craigslist, because money was tight. When she tried to get loans for business expansion, bankers did not believe in her because she was a woman and not from the industry. But she did not give up. Her persistence and resilience helped her build her business incrementally, layer by layer.
Scaling New Heights
Merrilee's relentless effort paid off. BuzzBallz began to gain traction, expanding from local stores to national and international markets. Her products, BuzzBallz, in an iconic round container were single serve ready-to-drink cocktails made from premium ingredients. They became known for their unique shape, flavors, colors, and fun names like "Tequila Rita" and "Choc Tease." Merrilee also invented two other innovative bottles: Biggies, which are as big as a bowling ball, and carry the equivalent of eight BuzzBallz bottles, and Shooterz, which have a shot glass at the top.
Merrilee and BuzzBallz have won many national and international awards.
Despite the initial financial losses from start up costs of equipment and inventory, in two years, BuzzBallz turned profitable, growing consistently and doubling in employees and revenue year after year, primarily aligning with Southern Glazers as her primary wholesaler. Seven years later in 2017 she made an offer to Blair Casey, (who was the first one to believe in her product and sell it in Texas at Southern Glazers). She made him an offer to join her, and become her Vice President of Sales. His network significantly contributed to the company's growth. By 2017, Merrilee had expanded her team to 250 employees, laying the foundation for the thriving international business that BuzzBallz is today. Her journey shows the importance of starting small and growing steadily, as well as the value of family as a support system.
Innovation and Reinvention
Merrilee didn't rest on her past successes; instead, she continually reinvented her products, showcasing it to consumers, and acting on customer feedback to improve quality. She compared this to a songwriter who must keep making new songs to stay popular. Merrilee stressed the importance of making her company known by attending tradeshows, networking, and learning from others in the industry. She often reached out for advice and support, which helped her improve her business strategies and expand her market reach. Her adaptability kept BuzzBallz relevant and attractive to a broad audience.
BuzzBallz has international appeal that crosses cultures and languages.
Giving Back and Leading with Compassion
Merrilee's journey has not been just about business success; it has also been about compassion and giving back. During the COVID-19 pandemic, BuzzBallz pivoted to produce hand sanitizers, donating over a million dollars' worth to hospitals, banks, and other essential services. Many of her employees even donated their time, working without pay to help make the hand sanitizers. This act of kindness reflected the dedication of Merrilee and her employees to their community and her ability to adapt in times of crisis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BuzzBallz made hand sanitizers and donated over a million dollars' worth to hospitals, banks, and other essential services.
The Big Lesson for Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Merrilee Kick’s story is very rich in lessons for innovators and entrepreneurs. Listing all those lessons would require a separate discussion. Nevertheless, her story teaches that turning an innovative idea into a successful business requires relentless perseverance, continuous learning, adaptability, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to bring the idea to life. Merrilee, as the entrepreneur, is her own boss, employee, consultant, contractor, and investor. Success is built incrementally through hard work, practical problem-solving, and leveraging every opportunity while maintaining a strong focus on understanding the market, building relationships, and staying resilient in the face of challenges.
Merilee’s Lessons for Innovators
Merrilee's journey is filled with valuable lessons for those looking to innovate and bring new ideas to life. Her experiences highlight the essential qualities and strategies needed to succeed in creating something unique and impactful. Here are some key lessons Merrilee's story teaches aspiring innovators:
Merrilee's story is full of lessons about personal discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Observe and Solve Everyday Problems: Innovative ideas can come from everyday experiences and challenges. Merrilee's idea for BuzzBallz stemmed from a simple observation by the pool.
Do Thorough Research: Understand all aspects of your innovation. Merrilee researched everything from liquor laws to plastic materials, and engineering to create and fill the containers.
Continuous Innovation: Keep improving and expanding your products even after initial success. Merrilee consistently worked on improving her product range.
Lifelong Learning: Be willing to learn new skills and knowledge as needed. Merrilee learned about many aspects of her business, from manufacturing to distribution to shopper marketing.
Creativity: Use creative thinking in your designs. Merrilee's unique spherical container design is a prime example.
Seize Opportunities: Take advantage of growth opportunities, like Merrilee pursuing her MBA through a teacher enrichment program.
Understand Your Audience: Learn about a broad range of subjects and talk to diverse people to better understand your audience and direct your innovation.
Resilience: Be persistent and determined to achieve your goals, even in the face of rejection. Merrilee always found a way to succeed.
Product Design: Create innovative product designs, like Merrilee did with Biggies and Shooterz.
Adaptability: Be ready to pivot and produce new products in response to market demands, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability.
A Bright Future Ahead
BuzzBallz’s success caught the attention of Sazerac, a major global player in the alcoholic beverage industry. The acquisition by Sazerac in 2024 opened new opportunities for global expansion, ensuring that Merrilee’s innovative spirit continues to influence the industry.
Conclusion
Merrilee Kick’s story is one of inspiration and determination. Her journey from a high school teacher to the CEO of a billion-dollar company is a powerful example of what can be achieved with vision, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of innovation. Her innovative approach to creating BuzzBallz has not only changed her own and her family's life but also the beverage industry, creating direct and indirect job opportunities. Merrilee’s journey sets a powerful example for aspiring entrepreneurs. It reminds us that with passion, perseverance, creative thinking, and complete dedication, we can turn our ideas into reality and make a meaningful impact on the world.
Merrilee's journey from teacher to CEO shows what vision, hard work, and innovation can achieve.
About Merrilee Kick
Merrilee Kick is an innovative entrepreneur, business executive, and change maker in the beverage industry. She transformed an idea into BuzzBallz, a billion-dollar global business, and founded the only woman-owned distillery, winery, and brewery combo in the United States. Merrilee lives in Plano Texas, USA.
