FLINT, Mich. — At just 7 years old, Kayla Aguilar was stringing beads into bracelets at her mother’s bedside in Maryland—a small act that foreshadawed her future as an entrepreneur.”
Her mother, Kennette, affectionately known as “Net-Net” or “Netzo,” was home on hospice care, and Aguilar needed something to focus on amid the steady flow of visiting family and friends.
“I was making just about anything and everything for people that came over to see my mom,” Aguilar said. “She was dying from breast cancer at the time. It was a way for me to pass the time and not really think about what was going on.”
What began as a creative distraction soon evolved into her first business. She named it Queen Netzo Jewelry in memory of her mother, and today the brand specializes in Swarovski crystal–adorned rings.
Aguilar, now 27, has since launched multiple businesses rooted in creativity, wellness and family legacy. She runs three Flint-based brands: Queen Netzo Jewelry, Lord Laird’s Premium Lemonade and Mobars, a dessert-inspired nutrition bar.
Born in Maryland and raised in Flint from age 10, Aguilar said entrepreneurship came naturally. After relocating, she continued to make jewelry, host garage sales and walk dogs around the neighborhood.
In middle school, she made and sold cheerleading bows. By high school, she was known as “Chef K,” bringing homemade meals and baked goods to school. “The lunch ladies would be like, ‘Laird, what’d you bring today?’ And I’d say something like chicken cordon bleu,” she laughed.
That same drive carried into adulthood.
In 2017, Aguilar’s father, Joseph Laird, began experimenting with a homemade drink to ease his acid reflux. He mixed lemon juice, aloe vera and raw honey, which helped reduce symptoms.
“He’s the innovator behind all our food and beverage products,” Aguilar said. When he couldn’t find anything helpful in stores, he decided to create his own.
Noticing a gap in the market, Aguilar put her entrepreneurial skills to work. That year, she launched Lord Laird’s Premium Lemonade, named in honor of her family’s commitment to natural health.
“I know it can help people,” she said. “I’m educating people and making them more aware of what’s in their beverages.”
Flavors include The Invigorator (Original), The Powerhouse (Blueberry) and The Recovery (Tart Cherry). Each is made with organic ingredients and uses aloe vera and raw honey instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Aguilar is developing lower-sugar versions for diabetic and keto-friendly diets.
Getting the business off the ground wasn’t easy. She spent years learning food safety protocols, earning her wholesale food processor license and HACCP certification. Her products eventually landed on local shelves and, for a time, in Meijer.
When that partnership ended earlier this year, Aguilar said she was disappointed but not discouraged.
“It’s definitely sad, but you can’t stay stuck,” she said. “You’ve got to learn to pivot, because it’s in those moments you might realize, that just gave me an even greater idea.”
She now focuses on direct sales, community pop-ups and partnerships with small retailers like Shops on Saginaw in downtown Flint.
Alongside Lord Laird’s, Aguilar runs Mobars, a line of soft, protein-rich energy bars she describes as having, “the taste of a cookie with the benefits of a nutrition bar.”
Each bar contains six grams of protein and four grams of fiber, made with a blend of chia, flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Other ingredients include oats, dark chocolate and raw honey. The brand is named after her brother, Josh, nicknamed “Mo,” who helped perfect the recipe.
“He made them so often, he said, ‘We should just call these Mo Bars,’” Aguilar said. “And it stuck.”
The brand has built a loyal following at markets and pop-ups.
“People love our products,” she said. “I always bring my cooler because when I don’t, people are like, where is the lemonade?”
Aguilar’s long-term goal is to expand beyond Michigan; first regionally, then nationally. But for now, she’s focused on Flint, where her businesses have grown through persistence, partnerships and passion.
She encourages other aspiring entrepreneurs to start where they are, with what they have. Her advice: find something you love to do, not just something that will make you money “because anything can make you money.”
“Nobody’s coming to save you,” she said. “If you really want it, you’re going to have to go after it yourself.”
For Aguilar, that persistence is personal. Every piece of jewelry, bar and bottle of lemonade carries a part of her family’s story.
Her products are sold locally at Shops on Saginaw and at pop-up events across Flint. She also shares updates on Instagram and TikTok under @Kayla.the.ceo, and sells online at lordlairds.com and getmobars.com.