Community Highlights: Meet Shanda Amundsen of G.R.A.C.E. Elderberry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanda Amundsen.

Hi Shanda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I worked in Nursing and Clinical IT at the Cleveland Clinic for 24 years. I have always had a passion for Health and Wellness as well as Alternative Medicine. Throughout the years, I studied holistic medicine, gained experience during my career, and implemented natural medicine into my everyday life. My passion always led me to share the positive impact of natural medicine with friends, family, and others.

Eight and half years ago, I had 2 small boys that started to bring home the wealth of germs from daycare and school. They shared their germs with my husband and me on a frequent basis. We ended up with a household of sickness that would rid itself of one sickness and on to find another. Due to my passion for incorporating natural medicine into our daily lives and in an effort to keep my family well and the fact that my husband and 2 sons had kidney disease, I started to research a natural option that would boost our immunity. I stumbled across Medical Research studies on the efficacy of elderberries and how they prevented or decreased symptoms of the common flu, H1N1 (the pig flu), cousin strains of Covid, viruses, colds, and allergies. I decided to try my entire family taking elderberry syrup every day for a couple of months. The trial outcome was remarkable. We had been entirely well for a couple of month trial after being sick for months.

I had a couple of issues during our trial. The commercial elderberry syrup brands we tried were loaded with artificial preservatives and ingredients, fillers, and thickening agents not necessary for our bodies. Secondly, I could not find a brand that was all-natural with clean ingredients. Thirdly, the cost of elderberry syrup brands to take on a regular basis for a family of 4 was exuberant. Lastly, the variety of commercial brands we did try, tasted awful. The couple-month trial was a daily battle to get everyone to take their daily dose of elderberry syrup.

In my experience personally and professionally, if something is prescribed to take that is natural or pharmaceutical medicine for a specific health reason/condition, if it doesn’t taste great, chances are, taking it long term will not fare well and the medicine will be discontinued due to taste. It doesn’t matter how beneficial or healthy it is for someone.

I decided to make my own elderberry syrup recipe that was clean, all-natural, and that my family would love and embrace taking on a regular basis. I told my husband that I would perfect a recipe that was all-natural and tasted great and was cost-effective for a family of 4. I grew up in a farm country where I had the opportunity to get in the kitchen with my mom, grandmother, great aunts, and aunts and make recipes or create recipes from scratch. I enlisted my husband and boys to be my taste testers to get the right recipe formulation that tasted great.

My recipe was born 8.5 years ago. I would share with friends and family my passion for wellness and our personal experience with the benefits of elderberries. I was used to making food in large batches so I would often bless friends and family with elderberry syrup to help them experience what we had experienced. I was just happy to bless others with the gift of getting well. I kept receiving a common theme of feedback. “Your elderberry syrup tastes amazing.” “The other elderberry syrups in the market are so gross.” “I love that your elderberry syrup is 100% natural.” “You should totally get your product in the market. It would sell great.”

Two and half years ago before we knew Covid was here and that we were living in a pandemic, I offered up my elderberry syrup to anyone to help anyone get well. I kept receiving the same feedback theme about the taste and purity of my syrup as well as the improvement in one’s health. Everyone kept coming back wanting to get their elderberry syrup from me. At that point, I was ready to take my recipe and develop it into a product and be able to provide it to anyone who would like to buy it. I had left to be a SAHM a little over 2 years prior. I was missing the career aspect of feeling like I was accomplishing something for the greater good and the ability to be able to educate others on a level I was able to prior to being a SAHM.

The beginnings of my company were born in early 2020. I was able to launch at the end of 2020 after completing all of the requirements necessary to start my company. Some of those requirements included completing a course at the University of Tennessee, passing 35 exams to get a certificate to be able to produce my product in a commercial kitchen, finding a commercial kitchen to rent, finding a Food Scientist to analyze my recipe and determine if I needed to change my formulation due to the pH being too high (The FDA recognizes elderberries to be an acidified food. Acidified foods must be regulated and follow a specified pH number that is given by a food scientist written in a legal, formal letter that is then adhered to when producing the recipe in a commercial kitchen), receiving a legal Process Letter from my Food Scientist on what temps. and pH to produce and regulate my product, FDA filings, developing all of the business requirements from A-Z required for any small business for my state, developing my labels, and getting licensed by the ODA to produce my product.

Of course, all of this took place while living in a pandemic, getting quarantined, and homeschooling my boys for almost that entire year. I got to experience all of the adversity of starting a company during a pandemic. Just to highlight one issue of adversity, while people were hoarding toilet paper, the bottles I was using for manufacturing were being hoarded throughout the nation because it is one of the most popular bottles for manufacturing across all industries in the United States. The 2 main manufacturers of the bottles are in China and the US was having import issues. I had to change my filings multiple times with the FDA on what size and type of bottle I would use based on supply chain availability. Despite the adversity and the multiple times of wanting to throw in the towel, I tarried through with prayer and perseverance. At every door of adversity, I would turn a corner of blessing which let me know to keep pursuing the venture.

I originally sought to start the company so that I could legally sell my product to friends and family and do something for myself after missing working a career of 24 years. After reviewing all of the money I had invested to launch my product, I decided to see if a few stores would sell my product to recoup my investment much more quickly. That turned into stores reaching out to me to carry it in their stores after trying my product or hearing about my product from others. In 6 months, my product was in over 30 retail locations. My company grew much quicker than I anticipated. I found a new passion and purpose in the work I was doing. The adversity doesn’t leave but despite the adversity and challenges, the blessings still continue to come. I have had the opportunity to pitch to (2) large grocery store chains, to expand into more stores, and to share my product on local television. My company just celebrated its 2-year anniversary of being in over 50 locations. I am blessed.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started the process of starting the company 2 weeks prior to being quarantined and officially being declared a pandemic. I started taking a required course at the University of Tennessee in order to be able to produce my product in a commercial kitchen. While I was going back to school studying and taking 35 exams in order to get a certificate to be able to produce my product in a commercial kitchen, I was homeschooling my 2 boys helping them learn and study as well.

It was a time of uncertainty, chaos, and living in the unknown. Trying to navigate starting a business and make sure I was completing all of the requirements was challenging. There isn’t a “How To” guide available to assist with what is needed to accomplish what I was setting out to do. It took many phone calls and searching the internet to find my answers. The other aspect was being able to get a hold of the right people to gather more information because everyone was in crisis and reaction mode and was not readily available.

I had to complete multiple filings with the FDA which is a lengthy and daunting task because the size and type of bottles I wanted to use for manufacturing were supply in demand. The US was experiencing supply chain issues because the 2 main manufacturers of the bottles are in China and they were having import issues. The bottles were the most conducive to use for my product and are the most popular bottle across all industries in the US. While many Americans were hoarding toilet paper, businesses were hoarding bottles.

My husband and 2 boys have kidney disease. Due to the uncertainty of how Covid worked, we decided that I would homeschool my 2 boys for the remainder of the year and the following year. It took 8 months of working aggressively to accomplish all of the requirements so that I could launch the business. There was much adversity along the way but as I would turned a corner of adversity, I would meet an open door so I knew I was to continue the journey.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about G.R.A.C.E. Elderberry Co.?
G.R.A.C.E. Elderberry Co. brand is set apart from all other elderberry product brands in the market. There are many factors that set our brand apart from other elderberry product brands in the market both locally and nationally.

TASTE – G.R.A.C.E. Elderberry Co. brand currently has 1 flavor, Cinnamon. Research and consumer feedback have shown that it is not necessary to have multiple flavors and that consumers are driven by taste and quality. We have had customers switch from taking other elderberry brands based on taste alone.

FLAVOR – The Cinnamon we use is not your grocery store shelf Cinnamon. We have found that most consumers do not realize there are different varieties, grades, and qualities of Cinnamon and that most brands on grocery shelves contain fillers. We use top-grade Cinnamon that is 100% pure. The flavor always “wows” the consumers. We have won over consumers who thought they didn’t like Cinnamon but loved our product. They were able to get educated about Cinnamon and that they really do like Cinnamon after all.

QUALITY – Our product is 100% natural and clean with no artificial additives or ingredients, fillers, or thickening agents. Most brands contain these in their products, and they are not necessary for a product or good for our health. All of our ingredient suppliers are certified organic, NON-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher. They all have 3rd party testing for quality and purity.

SIZING – G.R.A.C.E. Elderberry Co. provides a variety of sizing based on consumer need or want. The 3 sizes we provide cater to many lifestyles. The (3) sizes we provide:

4 oz. – The 4 oz. bottle is a great trial, travel, and gifting size. This site was developed based on our personal experience as a consumer. This site is for the consumer who has already wasted money on other exuberant-priced elderberry brands to only find the product going right into the garbage after the first try due to taste. This site is also great for the consumer who doesn’t want to invest in the cost of a larger bottle to see if they would like the product. Our experience is that the consumers that purchase this size always come back to purchase a larger bottle.

16 oz. – The 16 oz. the bottle is a great size for individuals or families that will consume it on a regular basis. The bottle will provide roughly 1/2 of a month based on recommended dosing.

32 oz. – The 32 oz. the bottle is a great size for individuals or families that will consume it on a regular basis. The bottle will provide roughly a month or so based on recommended dosing. This site is very popular with families.

PRICING – Our sizes are competitively priced for both local and national brands. For the price, you get a clean, quality, and great-tasting product.

VERSATILITY – Incorporating a daily routine can be mundane and boring. If variety and spontaneity are not added to any routine, the longevity of the routine will fade and end quickly. We have tons of recipes to incorporate into your daily elderberry intake. We have teas, cocoa, lattes, smoothies, parfaits, oatmeal, lemonade, ice cream, mocktails, waffle and pancakes, protein balls, popsicle recipes, and more. We even have cocktail recipes for the lover of elderberry and spirits. We have quite a few customers who like to add our elderberry syrup to a cocktail or freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray and pour their liquor on top. We are always adding new recipes to make incorporating elderberry into everyday living FUN and not BORING!

EDUCATION – Education is key. It’s important to be able to share what the experts say. We provide medical research and articles from physicians and pharmacists about the research so that they can read and learn about the benefits of elderberries from experts.

Many people want to know what G.R.A.C.E. stands for. It is an acronym for God Restores All Children Everywhere. I was praying about what to name the company and that is what kept coming to me. I didn’t understand why I was naming my company with the acronym included but I understand now. I am frequently out and about sharing about the product, giving samples, or just meeting and talking with people in general. Many times I am asked to elaborate on what God Restores All Children everywhere means.

After sharing that we are all God’s children and that He loves us all the same, that He offers us grace, love, and forgiveness, many times people tell me they were meant to talk to me that day. They share that they had lost hope and thought they had messed up too many times in their life for any redemption. They share I gave them hope and encouraged them. If can make a positive difference in someone’s life and give them hope and encouragement, then sharing about my product was a bonus. I also have 1 Peter 5:7 “Give your worries and care to God for He cares about you” on every bottle and weaved through my business. Many people see that and share how seeing the verse encouraged them and that is what it was meant to do.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I have learned that anyone can do great things in any stage of life and situation. It doesn’t matter what the current status looks like, it’s all about adapting and shifting according to your circumstances. People are stronger and more resilient than they realize or know.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://graceelderberry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.r.a.c.e._elderberry_co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraceElderberryCo
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/g_elderberry