Questions (and answers).
Thanks so much for all of the tremendously supportive feedback on our Great Walmart Adventure of 2017. Honestly, we are still working to wrap our brains around what has happened in the last 36 hours. I've been inundated with texts and emails and Facebook messages today asking all sorts of questions, so here is a brief FAQ for anyone interested... Q: Hey, you all seemed pretty laid back about the meeting. Were you nervous at all? A: HECK YES WE WERE NERVOUS. In fact, we were a legit hot mess yesterday (and even today) from being 40% super excited and 60% OH GOODNESS, LET'S HOPE WE DO WELL AND DON'T EMBARRASS THE PJP NAME. Overall though, I think we convinced everyone at Walmart headquarters that we were just 100% super excited.
Q: What other companies were involved in the Walmart Open Call? A: We can't say for sure, as we only met a limited number of other hopefuls. But to give you an idea, we met some people who make fish food, someone who created a hand sanitizer containing no alcohol, a shrimp dip lady, a barbecue sauce guy, a salsa guy, a foam roller lady, and guy carrying a gigantic pink plush octopus. Honestly, I wish I knew how the fish food guy's meeting turned out. And maybe octopus guy too.
Q: How are you going to make enough pies for all the Walmart stores? A: We aren't. We pitched the idea solely based on our ready-to-use pie dough. We proposed each box contain two fluted PJP pie shells for sale in the dairy section (in as many stores as they will allow us).
Q: How is that going to work if the test market goes well and Walmart orders dough for hundreds of stores? A: We are working on that part. Gulp.
Q: Why Walmart? A: Well, they are they world's largest retailer. And we do love ourselves a good challenge, so...
Q: Did you hire someone to help you do all this? A: No. I wrote the proposal for the Open Call and didn't show it to anyone before I submitted it. After we were invited to Bentonville, we worked exclusively with Team PJP, our business consultant Mike Schrader, and graphic design with Gillian Tracey. Psychological support was courtesy of HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
Q: What did the Walmart buyer love most? A: The opportunity to offer a dairy-free and vegan friendly pie crust to their customers. And the packaging!!!! The packaging designed by Gillian Tracy completely sent everyone in the room over the edge. I was planning to drop a sneak peek of the box in here, but Wordpress keeps telling me that the "Divi Builder won't allow it". I have no idea what that means, but I think I'll just start using the same line...as in, "oh, you need that done by tomorrow at 8 am? I'm sorry, the Divi Builder won't allow it." FRUSTRATING. All that said, if you want to stop by PJP Buttonwood and ask, I'll be more than happy to show you our proposed packaging. Bonus points if you squeal when you see it.
Q: So what now? A: Well, ALL THE THINGS, I suppose. The list is long, but we at least wrote one out and assigned tasks between Jeanne and I. Some parts are easier, like getting a certified nutritional statement. Some are a bit more difficult, like finding a price for printed boxes that doesn't want to make you just get out a Sharpie and just start coloring in the logo by hand.
Q: Anything else? A: Uhhh, not that the Divi Builder will allow...