Behind Every Small Business Is a Family Taking a Chance.

Four Kids, One Trailer, and a Whole Lot of Maple. 🍁

The other day I was down at the sugarhouse working when Kurt came home and said, "I have an idea... where's the whiteboard? Just let me show you something."

So we grabbed the whiteboard.

He started drawing routes, writing down towns, and mapping out his plan—the next step toward one of our many goals for Pure Gold Sugaring. Before long, the board was covered with cities, potential customers, and ideas. A few minutes later, we looked at each other and realized... we had just planned a 7-day trip through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

I'll be honest—I felt excited, but I also felt nervous.

This isn't just a vacation or a road trip. We're loading up the trailer with Pure Gold Sugaring products and heading south to meet retailers, gift shops, specialty food stores, farm markets, and hospitality businesses. We're hoping to introduce more people to our little Vermont sugarhouse and build relationships that will help our business grow.

At the same time, life doesn't stop just because we're planning a business trip. Between summer fun, toddlers, production, packing inventory, keeping the house going, and making sure the kids are happy, some days it honestly feels like I'm juggling a hundred things at once. Then come all the questions running through our heads... How are we going to do this with four kids? How much product should we bring? Should we book campgrounds or hotels? Can we actually pull this off?

And on top of all of that, we're really trying to be more intentional with our social media. If you've noticed us posting more lately, that's why. We want to share more of the real journey—not just the polished moments, but the planning, the excitement, the uncertainty, the hard work, and everything in between. I know so many moms and dads can relate to trying to balance family, work, and chasing a dream all at the same time.

At the end of the day, this trip is about so much more than selling maple syrup.

It's about investing in our family's future. It's about creating opportunities for our kids. It's about showing them that sometimes the biggest dreams start with something as simple as an idea scribbled across a whiteboard.

Will every meeting be a success? Probably not. Will we hear "no" along the way? I'm sure we will. But every "yes" starts with being willing to ask.

Seven days away from home won't be easy. We'll miss the kids, we'll probably be exhausted, and I'm sure things won't go exactly as planned. But if those seven days help us build a stronger future for our family and for Pure Gold Sugaring, then every mile will be worth it.

So here's to taking the chance, stepping outside our comfort zone, and believing in what we're building. We can't wait to bring you all along for the ride and share the adventure as it unfolds.

Here's to chasing one more dream. 🍁❤️