Still Here. Still Bottling. Still Believing.

Journal

5/13/26

May already.

As I write this, I noticed the last entry in this note app was over a year ago. Truthfully, I’ve gone a bit MIA on social media while trying to navigate the realities of running a small beverage company right now.

The rising costs of sugar, lemons, glass, freight, bottling — it can all feel overwhelming at times. Just when it seems like we gain a little ground, another fee, increase, or unexpected expense appears and takes the win away.

But even with all of that, there is still so much to be grateful for.

We’re still getting orders. Sales are stronger with a smaller group of amazing customers than they were when we had three times as many accounts. We are completely debt-free. We have money in the bank to pay for our next bottling run ahead of time.

In fact, for the first time since 2019, we have enough set aside to cover one and a half bottling runs. That is something I’m incredibly proud of and absolutely consider a win.

Today I had a short meeting with someone I consider a true guru in the beverage industry, and it sparked something in me again — the excitement of possibility. We talked about sprucing things up a bit: returning to social media, refreshing the website, exploring a label update, and finding new ways to keep growing thoughtfully.

As I write this, a truckload of glass is making its way across the country after our broker managed to locate inventory during yet another glass shortage. We’re paying more than double our usual freight costs to get it here from the East Coast, and now we’re simply hoping and praying it arrives at the plant in time for next week’s production run.

I’ve been out of our Original Lemonade for far too long, and customers are definitely getting antsy.

Still, things are humming along in LOL land. Despite my burnout, this little company patiently waits for me to find my way back to the energy and excitement that built it in the first place.

Tomorrow I’ll be back on the road visiting some of our customers in Santa Barbara. It’s always hard to pull myself away from the office, but I’m almost always happier when I do.

In the meantime, wishing you health, wealth, and happiness as we all navigate these changing times.

We’re here to create the most delicious lemonades for you to sip and share.

— Lori Volk

Chief Believer, Lori’s Original Lemonade

Est. 2011