Lately.

Lately, I feel a bit like this...

And probably because lately the road to World Pie Domination feels a bit like this...

And if you are thinking "huh...I wouldn't be sure if I should turn left or right or even where to start and where does it even end?", then I'm in excellent company because I DON'T EITHER.

Over the last few weeks, I've encountered several people who have proclaimed themselves to be small business experts, equipped to make the right decisions and whom claim to never get lost in the maze of trying to figure out entrepreneurship.

Seriously.

And after our highly traumatic and overwhelming Thanksgiving experience, I found myself a bit down because I'm certainly no expert...I spent most of that day before Thanksgiving crying and making French Silk pie on demand like a wayward hibachi chef.  And after talking to a few of these self-proclaimed experts, I thought to myself that had I any real skill, I would find myself with more answers and less tears.  And really, for the last 10 days or so, I've labored under all these thoughts and in general, I've needed a trip to the store that sells new attitudes.

And all that said, today, I finally felt better.  Jeanne said to me tonight when we were leaving that she felt like my groove was back and I agreed.  And so to the self-proclaimed experts...I say, WHATEVER.  If you know exactly what you are doing all of the time, then Team PJP isn't the place for you in the first place.  Because we aren't just a story of pie and profit margin and trended sales projections...we are a story of figuring out how to grow a business while maintaining a relationship with each other.  And we are a story about our customers and our friendships and the idea that "pie is home".  And home is the always the very best place to be.  And if you read this blog because you own a business, or hope of owning a business, and 90% of the time you aren't sure what you are doing...well, then, welcome...you have found your people.

And so in honor of just being okay with being an expert on nothing besides perhaps white sweet wine and various covers by The Civil Wars, I'm giving away a PJP t-shirt.  Behind-The-Scenes-Tech-Guru Jason has graciously made an entry form and tomorrow night, we will randomly select one winner for a PJP "Pie Is The New Cake" t-shirt.  And if you don't live in Columbia, I'll mail it to you.  Because I do know how to do that.

Here is the link...

http://pjpies.com/pjp-12-days-of-christmas-sign-up/

Good luck!