The POWER of Elderberries®, Jessica Lowery
The POWER of Elderberries®: From Early Growth to Renewal and Sustainable Clarity
When we launched The POWER of Elderberries® in 2018, we were simply a family making elderberry syrup in our kitchen. What began as six jars in the first week quickly turned into dozens, then hundreds, as demand grew faster than we anticipated.
Within months of starting the business, we sought guidance from SCORE mentors in our local chapter. As first-time product-based entrepreneurs navigating manufacturing, branding, and growth, we knew we did not want to build blindly. The consistent counsel of mentors like Jim and John helped us think strategically, ask better questions, and understand the seriousness of the path we were on.
Two years into the business, we received a cease-and-desist letter that ultimately led to a three-and-a-half-year trademark lawsuit. I still remember sitting in our final meeting with our SCORE mentors before stepping into that season. The gravity of the situation was sobering. We were reminded how serious it was, and they were right.
The legal battle stretched us emotionally, financially, and mentally. At the same time, we were attempting to scale. We hired quickly and expanded rapidly. We believed adding more help would solve our operational strain, but instead we learned that growth without a strong leadership and systems foundation creates chaos.
The pressure affected every part of our lives, including our marriage. During and after the lawsuit, my husband Jake faced personal and mental health challenges that were intensified by the stress of trying to scale in an unstable season. There were moments when we questioned whether continuing the fight was worth it. Payroll felt heavy. The future felt uncertain.
But we did not quit.
We defended our brand and ultimately secured our federal trademark, protecting the name and mission we had worked so hard to build.
More importantly, we emerged different.
That season forced us to evaluate not only our legal strategy but our leadership philosophy and long-term vision. We realized we did not want to scale by managing a large team. We did not want growth at the expense of our family. We did not want a business model that required constant external support to function.
We wanted sustainability. We wanted clarity. We wanted alignment.
Over the past year, we intentionally simplified our operations. We reduced our team to a small, aligned core group. We rebuilt foundational systems that should have been in place from the beginning. We evaluated our sales channels and shifted away from those that were not producing a strong return. We refined our lane.
This year feels like renewal, not because growth has been easy, but because it is finally aligned.
Today, The POWER of Elderberries® remains handcrafted in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and ships nationwide. Our model is leaner, more intentional, and designed to support both our family and our community.
Looking back, SCORE’s early mentorship gave us the confidence to take the leap into entrepreneurship and the perspective to understand the seriousness of building something sustainable.
The greatest success is not simply that our brand survived a lawsuit.
It is that we grew as leaders.
We learned that resilience matters more than rapid expansion. That clarity matters more than complexity. And that sustainable growth begins with a strong foundation.
We are grateful for the mentors who walked with us in the early days and proud of the business we continue building today.
The POWER of Elderberries® is a family-owned wellness company based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We manufacture handcrafted elderberry syrup and related products using organic whole herbs, spices, and raw honey.
Every batch is made from scratch in our FDA-registered facility using a small-batch, cold-fill process designed to preserve ingredient integrity. Our mission is to help families restore energy, support ease of movement, and nurture lasting wellness. What we want for our own family, we are honored to offer to yours.
What began in our kitchen has grown into a nationally shipping brand serving customers in all 50 states, while remaining rooted in quality, transparency, and family standards.
This business did not begin with a formal business plan. It began in our kitchen during a season of uncertainty.
I was a young mom trying to support my family’s health in a way that felt aligned with our values. After experiencing the benefits of elderberry syrup personally, I began making it for our home using high-quality ingredients.
I posted a photo of a few mason jars online, and within hours friends began asking if they could purchase some. What started as six jars that first week quickly turned into consistent demand.
We did not initially set out to build a national brand. We were responding to a need within our own home and community. That organic beginning shaped how we still operate today.
What makes our business unique is that every decision is filtered through a single question: “Would we want this for our own children?”
If the answer is not yes, we do not offer it.
Our brand was born during a difficult personal season, including health challenges and financial strain. Because of that, we built the company with deep intentionality around ingredient quality, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
We do not chase every growth opportunity. We focus on aligned growth. That commitment to clarity and family-first leadership continues to shape our operations today.
We were introduced to SCORE through a board member and his wife at our local farmers market. As brand-new product-based entrepreneurs, we were eager to learn and quickly became aware of how much we did not know.
Discovering that experienced business leaders in our own community were willing to mentor us was both reassuring and motivating. We wanted guidance from people who had already navigated challenges we had not yet encountered.
SCORE helped us in three critical ways:
Accountability
They ensured we were not making emotional decisions without examining the business implications.
Systems Thinking
They helped us understand the importance of structure, documentation, insurance, and risk management.
Long-Term Vision
They encouraged us to build something sustainable rather than reactive.
One of the most important pieces of early advice we received was to ensure we had proper liability insurance in place. That decision ultimately protected us financially during a lengthy trademark lawsuit. Without that preparation, we likely would not have survived the legal battle.
SCORE’s influence helped us transition from hobbyists filling jars in a kitchen to legitimate business owners building something that could withstand pressure.
During our mentorship:
• Revenue increased steadily year over year
• We transitioned from kitchen production to a commercial facility
• We established insurance and operational protections
• We began thinking like business owners rather than just product makers
While the road included serious challenges, including a three-and-a-half-year trademark lawsuit, the early foundation and mentorship contributed to our ability to defend our brand and continue forward.
Today we operate with a leaner, more intentional model that reflects the leadership growth shaped in those early mentoring conversations.
Our mentors were patient, wise, and steady.
We often came into meetings unsure of what to work on next because the business had grown quickly and organically, without systems or processes in place. They helped us slow down, untangle complexity, and focus on what actually mattered.
They did not just give advice. They asked thoughtful questions that forced us to think strategically. They helped us understand risk, growth planning, operational structure, and long-term sustainability.
Their calm perspective was invaluable during high-stress seasons.
• Protect your brand early with a federal trademark.
• Secure liability insurance before you think you need it.
• Build systems before scaling.
• Start locally. Farmers markets can be a low-cost, high-ROI way to test demand.
• Do not grow faster than your foundation can support.
Most importantly, build something sustainable. Rapid growth without structure can create more damage than slow, aligned expansion.
Go for it.
Having a mentor in any area of life is valuable. Having a mentor who genuinely cares about the success of your business is transformative.
Your mentors are not emotionally tied to your decisions. They can see blind spots you cannot. They bring decades of experience into moments that feel overwhelming to you.
Their insight is worth its weight in gold.
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