This month, in celebration of Black Business Month, Capital B Gary is publishing a series of stories highlighting businesses, business owners, and entrepreneurs in the city.
Tabbitha Bogard didn’t realize her connection to the statement, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade,” until one cold February day.
That’s when her 4-year-old daughter MiKailee Bogard, came into her bedroom with a request that would change their summer.
“Mommy,” MiKailee asked, “can I have a lemonade stand?”
Bogard, who runs her own financial services business in Gary, didn’t hesitate. She jumped at the chance to help her daughter’s dream come to fruition.
“Black people came from entrepreneurship,” Bogard said. “We weren’t the workers, we were the ones doing the business.”
The search for the perfect lemonade stand began online, but nothing they found seemed to fit. Then MiKailee’s “pop-pop” stepped in, telling them to send an image of what she wanted and promising he would take care of it.
A few weeks later, he delivered the stand of her dreams: a tall, white-trimmed stand with hues of yellow and pink representing the different colors; decorative fans to keep MiKailee cool; butterflies and other trinkets; and her name boldly displayed across the top.
From there, the mother and daughter designed a menu featuring different flavored lemonades, popcorn, and other snacks for the customers. And in early July, MiKailee opened for business on the sidewalk outside her mother’s company, Accius Financial Solutions, near 46th Avenue and Broadway.
“It’s sweet and tasty,” said MiKailee about lemonade as she made an order on the busy street. One of the main reasons she asked her mom for the stand was that she didn’t see any lemonade around the city.
Once the stand opened, her mom began showing her the ropes — even when she resisted help. The young MiKailee wanted to be a one-woman show: making the lemonade, getting the napkins, talking to customers, cleaning up, and so on.
“This girl is so dedicated to this lemonade stand,” Bogard said, reflecting on how many kids that age don’t stick with something at times, and how glad she is that she’s pushing through.
Still, the early days came with frustration. Bogard reminded her daughter that she had her back and would not let her fail. It became a lesson in teamwork and trusting those who want to help.
“I tell her how proud of her I am every day,” Bogard told her, as Mikailee chatted with customers at the stand.
As MiKailee grows, her mom continues to share small lessons she can carry through her journey. After receiving her first big tip — a $10 bill, which is her favorite because of the splash of peach and pink colors — her mom used the moment to slip in a bit of wisdom.
“If you’re dealing with money, you’re going to have to know what you’re doing, baby girl,” Bogard said, as her daughter talked to people who came to the stand.
Luckily, she can watch her mom run a business daily, where she can pick up valuable tips.
Bogard’s business, Accius Financial Solutions, specializes in repairing credit, preparing taxes, student loan rehabilitation, business credit, structuring, and other financial services. On the other side of the office, Bogard’s mother, a 29-year veteran hairstylist, is running her hair salon.
It’s a family affair. With MiKailee’s stand set up outside the office, her aunt and other relatives can help while her mother works inside.
For her mom, watching her daughter embark on this journey brings her to tears.
“These kids watch everything you do,” Bogard said, commenting on her daughter watching her in her everyday life.
When she’s not at the office during the week, Bogard picks up waitressing shifts and provides home health care services.
“I’m up every day working, and it made me feel good because that’s something I see that she is picking up.”
For MiKailee, selling lemonade is a passion, and she even tells customers that she loves them for coming to patronize her business.
“She’s really picking up something that really can shape the person she is for the rest of her life,” Bogard said. “Being a business owner is not just about running something or being the boss of something, but about having your own mind and tapping into the person you came here to be.”
Bogard said she believes everyone was brought here for different reasons. She wants to teach her daughter about creating a legacy that goes beyond the status quo of attending college and working for someone else — instead, building something she has made herself.
It’s a vision rooted in giving children the freedom to dream on their own terms.
“Listen to your kids and see what they want to do,” Bogard said. Parents, she said, should encourage their children to explore business and entrepreneurship from a young age. “It’s not always about what the parents know best, but what they want to do.”
Her motto with MiKailee is: “Just because I’m your mother does not mean I am your ruler.”
Amid a wave of redevelopment in Gary, Bogard said more positive developments in the community are needed. And what’s more positive than a cup of lemonade?
“It’s very vital that we start investing in our kids in Gary because they are the future,” she said. “Gary has such a bad stigma, and I feel like it’s time for us to show people that we’ve got good things that come out of Gary.”
If all goes as planned, the stand will stay open through early October. After that, MiKailee is already dreaming of bottling her lemonade for local stores, adding new flavors, and maybe even serving hot drinks in the winter.
