I remember the first time I felt embarrassed about starting a small business. It was December 2017 and I was sitting in the sound booth at my church while my husband ran lights. I wasn’t paying attention to service (oops) but instead, I was about to create a Facebook Business Page that I called “Louisville Elderberry”. At the time, I had sold a few jars of homemade Elderberry Syrup to some friends and I wanted to sell more. Before I hit “publish”, I felt a strong surge of excitement followed by a tinge of embarrassment. What if my friends or family laughed at me? What if it was a total failure and never amounted to anything? It was the same embarrassment I felt two years later in 2019 when my small business grew big enough to warrant its own storefront in downtown New Albany, IN. I stood outside of my shop as the “Coming Soon” signs went up on the windows next to my new business name “The Elderberry Co”. A nice couple walking down the street stopped and asked, “So it’s just elderberry? I don’t get it.” I didn’t quite know how to respond other than a quiet giggle and a “Yep, it’s just elderberry.” Que that familiar embarrassing feeling all over again.
Now, over 6 years from the sound booth moment, I find myself not feeling embarrassed exactly, but feeling more so awestruck at what I’ve built with the help of so many talented people and what this small business has become not just to me and my family, but the lives of dozens of team members who have come alongside me to grow The Elderberry Co. into a nationwide, household brand. I can’t believe it, but we continue to grow, month after month, with more customers and new products that are accomplishing our mission: Healthy Families, Happy Families. While Elderberry Syrup remains our best selling product, our customers across the US are trusting us with their health, from immune support, to Collagen + Biotin for hair and nail growth, to an amazing skincare line curated with the BEST natural ingredients. It’s an absolute DREAM what The Elderberry Co has become. Our workplace culture and small team of people not only produces the highest quality products, but also produces a refreshing atmosphere characterized by the company values plastered on every wall in the building: kindness, joy, generosity, relationships, sincerity, courage and hard work. Somebody pinch me.
And so as we continue the story of The Elderberry Co, we have BIG plans to grow into a larger space where we can continue to fulfill our hundreds of online orders every day. Maybe someday we will have thousands of orders every day! While there is a lot of unknown about what this next season will look like, I do know that our team doesn’t intend to slow down anytime soon. We are so dang passionate about getting our products into the hands of families everywhere. We want our customers to live healthy and active lives….less sick days and more memories being made.
What a joy it is to be on this journey. If you’ve been a customer with us for a while, we would love to hear from you! How have our products impacted you or your family? As always, thank you for supporting small business and giving us the confidence to push through embarrassing moments and go after BIG dreams.
13 comments
Hi! My husband and I started using Elderberry Gummies about a month before COVID hit. I had been reading about the value of elderberry syrup, but I’m diabetic, and the sugar content was way too high for my health. Enter Gummies. We’ve taken them daily ever since, and we haven’t had a sniffle. It even helps my severe allergies. I also like the taste of your gummies. We have been constant subscribers and will continue as long as you are in business. It’s nice to find a great local product!
I am glad for your success in your business. I am a 77 year old female. I have used your Elderberry syrup daily for years and have not gotten a cold or flu during that time. I have appreciated the prompt delivery. I am hoping that your business does not grow so large that it impacts the quality and care of producing the elderberry syrups. “Just elderberry” was one of the things that attracted me to your product. Too many companies turn into a mass produced, lower quality products when they diversify into many products. I hope that your stated values remain the same and that you continue with “small teams” in the future.
I discovered elderberry along time ago in the state of Missouri via friend when I complained that my kids were sick so much. I remember getting hooked right away as the cold, viruses durations decreased significantly. I knew I need a local elderberry maker. I discovered you all before you became nationwide and have been a customer ever since. We use it preventivly and more on the days we aren’t feeling our best. Thank you for a consistently good product. Your loyal Louisville customers!
Have you ever thought of contacting one of the major home shopping networks to try to sell and introduce to the millions out there that only shop through HSN, QVC and Shop At Home? I think your Elderberry Syrup would be hugely popular…..
The doubters can say what they want. I am a firm believer in the Elderberry Company. I’m not going to say I never get sick, but when I do, the severity and the duration of the illness are very minimal. I attribute this to the daily dose of Elderberry syrup. Case closed.