sheTalks with Kimberly Gibson: On Entrepreneurship, Motherhood, and Building a Meaningful Life

An honest conversation with the chef and entrepreneur behind Hungry Bee and The Hive.

Building a business takes courage. Building one while raising three daughters, leading a team, and creating a space for an entire community to gather? That takes something extra.

This month, we're sitting down with Kimberly Gibson, chef, entrepreneur, wife, mother, and the woman behind Hungry Bee and The Hive.

From navigating a male-dominated industry to discovering the power of asking for help, Kim shares the lessons, laughs, and little luxuries that have shaped her journey.

And naturally, we had to ask about the diamonds.

Tell us about yourself and your journey as a business owner and content creator.

I'm Kimberly McCune Gibson—a chef, entrepreneur, wife, mother of three daughters, and someone whose dreams have consistently outgrown her square footage.

What began as Hungry Bee, a small prepared-food business, grew into catering, private chef work, and eventually The Hive—a former movie theater we transformed into a place to eat, celebrate, gather, and make memories.

My husband, Jimmy, and I have built this together, with extraordinary support from people who believed in us. I often describe myself as an ordinary person given extraordinary support. My responsibility is to do something meaningful with it.

As for creating content, I share the life happening behind the business: the beautiful parts, the exhausting parts, and the moments that require a sense of humor and a very patient husband.

What inspired you to start your business?

Food has always been my way of taking care of people. A meal can celebrate someone, comfort them, or tell them they matter without requiring a single word.

I wanted to build a business around that feeling. Somewhere along the way, I realized the stories surrounding the food mattered just as much: the people making it, the families gathering around it, and the community showing up for one another.

I share those stories because I want people to see what it takes to build something—and how many people deserve credit when it succeeds.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in your industry?

Professional kitchens have traditionally been male-dominated spaces. As a woman, you can feel pressure to prove your competence before you've even picked up a knife.

Then there's the balancing act of motherhood and ownership. I've worked hard to build a business while navigating the guilt that can come with being needed in several places at once.

I'm learning that leadership doesn't require me to suppress the parts of myself that make me a woman or a mother. Being compassionate, perceptive, and deeply invested in people has made me a stronger business owner.

I can care about your feelings and still expect you to label and date everything.

What do you love most about what you do?

Watching something we built become part of someone else's life.

A family celebrates a milestone. A coworker discovers a talent they didn't know they had. Someone having a difficult week sits down and feels cared for.

We get to create the setting for memories people may carry forever. That's an incredible privilege—and a reason to pay attention to the smallest details.

How do you stay motivated on tough days?

I remember the people who took a chance on me, and I look at the people now taking this chance alongside me.

There are days when motivation is in very short supply. On those days, commitment does the heavy lifting. I show up, handle the next thing, and lean on my team.

And sometimes I eat something standing over a trash can and call it a reset. Entrepreneurship has its glamorous moments.

What advice would you give other women pursuing their dreams?

Learn your craft. Know your numbers. Ask questions without apologizing for having them. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you and tell you the truth.

You can begin before you feel completely confident. Confidence often arrives after you've done the difficult thing.

And be thoughtful about whose opinions you carry. Everyone may have commentary; very few people understand what it costs you to keep going.

What piece of jewelry makes you feel most confident?

A beautiful pair of diamond earrings. They make me feel pulled together, even when the rest of my day is being held together by a ponytail and a very ambitious to-do list.

I love a piece that feels equally at home with a chef's coat or a dress. Something I can put on and immediately feel a little more like myself.

How does your personal style reflect your personality?

I love beautiful things, but they have to work in my real life. My style is classic, practical, and occasionally a little dramatic—which my husband would probably say is an accurate description of me.

I'm happiest in something that lets me move, work, and feel confident. Give me good jeans, a great pair of earrings, and somewhere meaningful to be.

I appreciate luxury most when it feels personal and lived in.

What does “sheRocks” mean to you?

To me, sheRocks is a woman recognizing the value of what she brings into a room.

She can be accomplished and still be learning. Generous and still have boundaries. Proud of what she's built and quick to credit the people who helped her.

She's earned the right to celebrate herself. Women are very good at applauding everyone else; I love the idea of us getting comfortable receiving a little applause, too.

What piece are you going to add to your collection?

I have my eye on a classic diamond tennis bracelet. There's something beautiful about a piece you can enjoy now and someday pass down with a story attached.

With three daughters, I should probably start documenting whose turn it is. I run enough operations already.

How do you support and uplift other women?

I try to turn encouragement into something useful: an introduction, an opportunity, a recommendation, a purchase, or a chance to take on more responsibility.

I've benefited enormously from people who saw potential in me before I could fully see it myself. I want to offer that same belief to someone else.

I'm also raising three daughters who are watching how I speak about women, work with women, and show up for women. That makes the everyday choices matter.

What's a powerful lesson you've learned along the way?

Receiving help doesn't diminish what you've accomplished. It gives you a responsibility to help someone else.

So many people have contributed to my journey—with their time, knowledge, encouragement, and willingness to take a chance. Remembering that keeps me grateful and shapes how I lead.

I want the opportunities I've been given to keep creating opportunities for other people.

Who is a woman who inspires you?

My mother, Karen. She taught me the power of being able to pivot—to reassess, adapt, and find another way forward when life changes the plan.

There's strength in knowing when to change direction without losing sight of what matters. I've carried that lesson into motherhood and business more times than I can count.

Some of the most meaningful things in my life have come from a plan I never saw coming.

What is one piece of advice you'd give another woman?

Build a life you're proud to live inside.

Ambition can fill every available inch if you let it. Leave room for your family, your friendships, your health, and the parts of yourself that don't have a job title.

I want my daughters to see a woman who worked hard, loved deeply, accepted help, and made room for other people to succeed.

That's the kind of success I hope they inherit.

A Note from sheRocks

What we love most about Kim's story isn't simply what she's accomplished. It's the way she approaches success—with gratitude, humor, generosity, and a genuine commitment to creating opportunities for others.

Her journey reminds us that women don't have to do everything alone to do extraordinary things. Here's to celebrating the women who build, inspire, uplift, and make room for more.

Thank you, Kim, for sharing your story with sheTalks.

Meet Kimberly Gibson: Woman of the Month