We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taraya Mcdonald a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

TaRaya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am extremely happy to own a successful business it’s always been a goal of mine when I decided to open this business in 2024 of March, I had no clue it would evolve so fast I am so blessed for all the wonder people and support we’ve been getting twisted lemonades is amazing because of all of you! Yes, I still work a full-time job and it’s not easy running a business and working full-time but I have a great support system at home. In the future I would love to expand and grow twisted lemonade into a franchise. We provide a unique and fun experience spreading joy and creating smiles while giving back to our local communities. We strive to grow more each day.

TaRaya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Ta’Raya the Owner of “Twisted Lemonade’s” located here in the Allegheny County area. I’m so excited about our lemonade business it’s so surreal. I absolutely love serving all over the county with the yummiest lemonades out there!

Here’s a few things about me:

I’m 33 years old – I was born in PA

Of course, I’m a coffee addict. Who isn’t?

My favorite drink is cold brews, with 7 pumps of vanilla & extra cold foam on top! (I’m clearly extra)

I’m a girl mommy to a beautiful ginger. And engaged to the best man ever!

I’ve always wanted to be a business owner!

On my free time, my favorite things to do is spend time with my family, watch planet of the apes and have mother daughter dates. I love supporting other small business owners. When I’m not doing that, l’m probably drinking wine on my couch studying the market or taking a nap.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Through social media or a direct referral.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Doing everything yourself may make sense at first but relying on yourself can limit your growth. So, for me to be able to grow the business I will need to hire.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: twisted_lemonades
• Facebook: twisted lemonades