120 Days.
PJP Buttonwood is officially four months old and in keeping with all of our other monthaversaries, here are our lessons learned 120 days into building a pie empire...
- Rome wasn't built in a day...and neither is a pie empire. Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. Insert your platitude here. My competitive and impatient side is interested in immediate pie world domination. My pragmatic and realistic side is learning that we will have to work hard for it. (And if you are thinking I should have already realized that, then you would be correct. But I'm always late to the party that way, so...).
- Someone from the City of Columbia Public Works Department stops by on occasion to review your "Grease Trap Cleaning Log". Yeah. Because we were so new, he handed me a log (a piece of paper with a chart on it) and said he would be back in the winter. I actually told Siri to remind me in November to Google "grease trap cleaners in Columbia, Missouri".
- Sales tax this month is due on the 20th. Last month it was due on the 31st. Who decides this stuff? Does someone in Jefferson City just throw a dart at the calendar and decide to just go with wherever it lands? Or does the state have some big bills to pay at the end of August and so they decide to collect early? I don't understand...
- Getting an exterior sign is really expensive. That's all I have to say about that.
- We are getting a lot of requests to be open on Mondays and to stay open later. It is so compelling...we work there a lot on Mondays and there is nothing worse than seeing people disappointed that we are closed. That said, we also need work-life balance. So basically, right now there is no right answer.
- Spotting someone in a PJP t-shirt that isn't related to me by blood or marital covenant is completely bizarre. It is actually awesome. It just still feels weird.
- All of our people are leaving us to go back to school. When the lattice-making machine Bailey tried to leave last Friday, I almost threw myself on the ground, wrapped my arms around her leg, and begged her to stay. We can't wait to get her back for Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And next summer. We are finally accepting that we can't do it all ourselves.
- We have so many things we want to do (hello, savory pies, I'm talking to you!). Figuring out what makes sense for us and what is realistic for us isn't easy. That said, six months ago, we would have just tried all the things to see what worked. PROGRESS.
- I am 100% less grouchy if I sleep past 4 am for five or more days in a row. Jeanne is 100% less grouchy if she goes to bed prior to 9 pm for five or more days in a row.
- A few times, here and there, when it was least expected...a rare feeling surfaced. The best I can describe it is to say that it felt like being exactly where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be. I think another word for this might be "happy".
As always...one billion Internet kisses to our families...you get to wear the crowns after world pie domination happens. And one billion Internet kisses to our customers...we are privileged to have you in the PJP family.