#WPD

We've been thinking about bit these days about World Pie Domination and what that exactly means for PJP.  And beyond the obvious like having a super cute hashtag - #WPD - what does the end game of World Pie Domination actually look like? Perhaps most interesting about the road to WPD is that Jeanne and I look at it very differently.  She is intensely creative and envisions adding options like cakes, pastries, quiche, and more to the PJP family.  If you stopped by tomorrow and asked her to whip up some lemon bars, she would be compelled...mainly because she likes a challenge.  And powdered sugar.  And in her mind, she sees PJP renting the vacant space next door to our location and filling it with more ovens and perhaps some tables and chairs and free wi-fi and some bakery cases.  She sees PJP growing by offering more products, thus capturing the interest of more people, and boom - more PJP locations are in demand.

And I almost broke out into hives just writing that scenario.  I tend to be very focused on one thing at a time and if we are talking about World Pie Domination, then I'm going to be all about the PIE.  (And I don't even like lemon bars, so what is the use?)  I tend to see our pies everywhere...in our storefront, in franchised storefronts around the country, shipped nationwide, in the frozen section of your local grocery store, and in our own reality television show on TLC.  In no particular order.

And none of this is to say that we are at odds with each other...I think our varying visions about the road to domination is one of the things I like the very best about us.  She makes me think outside of the box and before it gets all crazy, I balance us out by reeling us both in before we just decide to bake all the things for all the people.  But here is one cold and hard truth about owning a business...maintaining a focus is much harder than you would guess.  (I would suspect that Hardee's never learned this lesson and that is why they sell tacos and fried baloney sandwiches and burgers and who-knows-what-else.  And also?  Their logo is a star, which tells me nothing, AND the name is Carl Juniors in some states.  FOCUS, Hardee's/Carl's Junior, FOCUS.)

I have no idea what is wrong with Hardee's, but I suspicion that our tendency to lose focus is related to our need to please.  And when you get a lot of phone calls about ordering cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, scones, bread, doughnuts, and every other random baked good you can think of...we both waver a bit by second guessing our "JUST PIE" stance.  And when the flour settles at the end of the day, you can see how easy it is to start thinking about a million ideas that aren't pie and thinking it all sounds pretty good.

So that said, we've spent the last few days really trying to just focus.  Focus on what works for us and works for PJP on a long-term scale...not works because it is shiny or sexy or super interesting for a few weeks.  And let me tell you, we are not girls who give up easily on the shiny or sexy or super interesting.

And if you think I'm going to wrap this up by telling you all the answers to our plans for WPD, then...BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  No answers, not just yet.  But the focusing is helping.  So there is that.  And I'm 98% certain we both know what it looks like when we finally achieve WPD, so at least we won't miss it when it finally happens.