Julie Albertson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Julie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Intergrity-is most important to me. Without integrity your words have no value, nor your actions. I have made the effort in my career to treat people fairly with respect and follow through with my words with actions.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Chef Julie Albertson founder of The Texas Pie Company. My business came into being from cherished family recipes, a rolling pin and a prayer. I set out in 1986 reaching out to Restaurants in the Texas Hill country offering to bake wholesale for them. I had a great response and was off to start my company. In 1988 I took on the name The Texas Pie Company. in 2000 my husband and I bought our brick and mortar in downtown Kyle on the old courthouse square. My dream of having the small-town cafe bakery had become a reality. I wanted to have a place that was synonymous with small town charm and a place where customers could gather for a home cooked meal and of course Pie. We still maintain our wholesale clients that I solicited in 1986.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My Grandmother taught me about integrity, hard work, and that I could do anything. She was a hard working woman that used her food rations during the WWII to make pies to sell to the steel workers. She was always cooking and instilled in me that same desire to make people happy with my cooking. Her love and guidance made me the strong independent person I am today. She had gardens that fed us and her community before there was farm to market. We raised dairy cattle and sold the milk from her back steps. We sold the meat from our livestock, eggs from our hen house, and had a steady stream of customers that she sold to from our back steps. Having her as a role model taught me to roll with the punches and still keep on going.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Sure, there were times that I felt like giving up. But, my drive to not give up was stronger. I try to turn failure around and learn from the experience and know that when one door closes another will open. So, failure isn’t really in my being. Even in a failure there are big lessons that can be learned. In my 40 year career there have been many times I wanted to just stop and accept the failure. But I gave myself time to recover and moved forward. Failure isn’t an option.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of myself isn’t the same as my private version. I am still sweet and kind with the public, people like me. But my private version is an artist and not a baker/chef. Most people would never know that I paint, mosaic, build, and create something artistic almost daily. My artistic endeavors help me decompress from the kitchen stress. I have come to realize that the bigger the stress or depression the bigger the art project. I am a very sensitive human, and often get my feelings hurt by customers but I try not to let that emotional stress be known for my public facing version. I am known by many people but keep my private life private. In reality there are many versions of myself and only a handful know all of them.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes I feel I always give and do my best often times with no praise. For me it’s not about the praise it’s about the feeling of accomplishment and knowing I did my best and gave it my all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thetexaspiecompany.com
- Instagram: @texaspieco
- Facebook: The Texas Pie Company
Image Credits
Julie Albertson
