Coworking with Michael Carle

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Michael Carle is CEO of Nate’s Honey maker Sweet Harvest Foods.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? As CEO of Sweet Harvest Foods, I lead the largest US honey producer which provides the highest quality ingredients for some of the most iconic brands and beloved products. I also lead two US brands: Nate’s Honey, the No. 1 honey brand, and Nate’s Hives, the largest beekeeper. My role is to enable my leadership team to function at the highest level, drive creativity and innovation across their departments, and make strides toward our vision of being the trusted honey company that nourishes every home and every occasion.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? Honey isn’t just a job; it has an important connection at home. My wife was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease 13 years ago and has been on a long-term journey to adjust her diet in ways that can help her manage it. She was eventually led to honey to support her in controlling the inflammation in her body. It’s become an important part of her diet, to the point where she takes a teaspoon of it every day! And it’s a bit of a treat to her as well.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Honestly, there has been no better professional experience for me than leading Sweet Harvest Foods to transform honey from a sleepy commodity into a $1.4 billion industry that delivers trusted, all-natural honey at scale across the US. In the midst of honey industry and market challenges, we’ve been able to accomplish our vision of becoming the leader in honey. We’ve done that by investing in world-class operations, scaling up our beekeeping business to become the largest US apiary, continuing to build Nate’s Honey as the No. 1 honey brand, and pioneering the innovation and quality that is driving the honey category. And we’re looking forward to accelerating business growth of our health and wellness product categories in 2026.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? The most exciting trend I’m seeing is the growth of shopper interest in functional foods. It aligns perfectly for Sweet Harvest Foods and our Nate’s Honey brand since there is no need to engineer the kinds of wellness and functionality that is naturally found in pure honey. So, we’re just meeting people where they are and focusing on formats that fit their lifestyles like Nate’s Honey Minis for a pre-workout boost or Nate’s Manuka Honey for daily wellness.

What’s your go-to coffee order? My go-to morning drink is tea. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes iced, but always with a drizzle of Nate’s Honey.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “You can’t differentiate or brand a commodity. Don’t try.” I’ve heard that several times over my career, yet there are so many clear examples of that not being true: water, eggs, coffee, and yes, honey. The most important thing is to understand the consumer. What’s important to them? Then create a product that speaks to those needs. If you can’t uniquely meet a need, it’s difficult to differentiate.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? In high school, I was an athlete and constantly on the go. I couldn’t drink enough Dr. Pepper and would eat Hot Pockets at school for lunch almost every day. When you burn 4,000 calories a day, you can do that. My daughter is an athlete now and fortunately cares more about nutrition. She’s found our Nate’s Manuka Honey to be a great part of her fitness routine and thankfully isn’t following in my footsteps!