Jo Malone once said that an entrepreneur always thinks like an entrepreneur, and that it’s almost impossible to switch off.
I’ve found this to be true.
On my travels, everywhere I go, my partner and I can’t help but notice gaps, opportunities, and ways things could be done differently. Innovation tends to follow us around.
The UK was no different when it came to business, but what surprised me most was how business is done here.
I noticed that conversations didn’t stop at profit or productivity. The environment had a seat at the table. So did culture, kindness, and inclusion. It wasn’t just about business outcomes, it was about responsibility. And somehow, even the bees weren’t excluded.
In the summer of 2024, during one of my visits to the UK, my sister, an avid gardener, booked me onto a beekeeping course. At first, I thought, what in the world is this? But openness has always been part of who I am, so I went along with it.
That day changed me.
I began to see bees, honey, and pollinating plants in a completely different light. I learned more than I ever expected, and somewhere between the hives and the hum, a genuine passion was sparked.
What stayed with me most was understanding just how essential bees are. The Earthwatch Institute famously declared bees to be the most important living species on Earth during a Royal Geographical Society of London meeting in 2008 and researchers have since continued to highlight their importance for pollinating roughly 70% of crops that feed 90% of the world.
That’s not small. That’s foundational.
This may seem like a random first blog post for a new business, but I want it to bee clear (pun fully intended): at Mobile Inn UK, our philanthropic work is just as important to us as our commercial goals.
As we begin our journey in the UK, it is my hope that alongside building trade and strengthening business relationships, we will also work with local apiaries, learn from beekeepers, support pollinator-friendly planting, and contribute to initiatives that benefit communities and ecosystems alike.
More than that, we hope to encourage other businesses to think about how they, too, can support the communities they operate within, whether through environmental care, education, or collaboration.
Sometimes missions don’t start in boardrooms.
Sometimes they start in gardens, summer visits, and unexpected moments of learning.
This is one of ours.
Azza Sammy,
Founder