First Pie Giveaway

I’ve had my mind set on giving away all my experimental pies simply by setting a table up out in front of my apartment and giving it to anyone passing by for about four months now and today it finally happened. It was so delightful.

I’ve always said I want to build a community through A Pie in the Sky, that I want to use tasty pies to bring people together. And it felt like today, I took a small step in that direction.

Favorite moments were when this guy driving by parked and comes running to our table, takes a slice, and leaves. He literally charged our table with such a big smile. It was very confusing, hilarious, and flattering all at the same time.

Also great was when a lady, also driving by, parked, she’s in a full business professional looking attire, grabs a slice of pecan tart before I can even say anything, takes a business card, yells out “This pie is amazing!” and leaves, all within like a minute. I was helping others and had not a moment to attend to her. But she definitely caught my attention!

But most delightful was when one lady comes up to our table and takes a slice of the fig raspberry honey pie. (Side story: I was feeling pretty bummed about that pie since I really didn’t like the bitterness the figs were giving off. However, a friend tries said pie and is like “It’s good! People will definitely eat it.” After some coaxing, I decided to listen to him and include it in the giveaway. It ended up being the first pie to go, and I all feedback was super positive.) She chats with us briefly and it’s a super pleasant exchange. Ten minutes later a guy comes up to us and is like, “My girlfriend sent me over here to buy pie.” I’m like, “Oh! I’m not selling today, but thank you! Instead, I’m giving it away for free. Which would you like?” He appears timid, and hesitant and sort of stalls. I go on to help other people, since at this point there are like three other people surrounding the table. They all finally leave, and he’s still there saying, “My girlfriend sent me here to buy pie.” So I give him my business card and I’m like, “Oh! You mean she’d like to order one? Well she can contact me directly.” He remains silent and continues to fidget and stand in front of our table somewhat awkwardly, and in the most adorable way possible. He definitely has the lovable awkward thing down, not the unbearable awkward. Finally, he riffles through his wallet and says to me, “How about I give you $22 and in exchange, you give me the remainder of the pumpkin pie and one slice of each of the other pies.” And I was like, “Woah! You having a dinner party or something?” He’s like, “No. It’s just that my girlfriend just had a slice of your fig pie and she said it was amazing and now we want more.” Turns out, the lady who had stopped by ten minutes earlier was his girlfriend. =D

In all honesty, when the young man ran off with the pie after paying me $22, I felt like shedding a tear. As I am embarking on this pie journey, I’m coming to realize starting this business will be so much more than paperwork, baking, and trying to build a community. It’ll actually be a good chunk of me surmounting my internal demon. This demon is comprised of self-doubt and lack of confidence, which manifests into perfectionism and inaction. I’m always worried my pies aren’t good enough, that they taste subpar, that people will be disgusted by them. And this is despite receiving majority great feedback. I always self doubt. And in this moment this awkward young man insisted on paying me for something I was offering for free, it’s like he was telling me, “You’re better than good enough.”

I do want to be careful in not equating my worth with the quality of my pies, but darn, it certainly does help to receive such positive reactions when just half an hour ago I was ready to ditch the fig raspberry honey pie and call it a wash. And I realized today that I can’t and shouldn’t strive for perfection, but instead, for improvement. And improvement comes fastest if I’m open to being vulnerable and to showing people what I am doing. As Brene Brown poses it in her inspirational book, "Daring Greatly,” instead of hiding behind an unattainable veil of perfection chasing, and standing on the sidelines for never to come, I need to go ahead and jump into the arena and put myself out there. Only then can I grow.

Thank you, delightful neighbors and passerbyers, for our fun interactions today and for easing me into the arena of vulnerability. I should have been giving these pies away since ages ago. And also, thank you to my good friends for encouraging me to put myself out there and for going for it. Today was so simple and yet so great.