Maya-Camille Broussard can be found most Thursdays this summer at Chicago’s Farmer’s Market at Daley Plaza. Broussard is introducing the city to her line of delectable baked goods aptly called Justice of the Pies. No stranger to entrepreneurship, her sweets are keeping customers in a waiting line for a slice … or a whole pie.
What are some of your favorite items that you prepare?
Some of my favorite recipes include my Apple Braised Turkey Pot Pie, Sweet Basil Key Lime Pie, Bleu Cheese Praline Pear Pie and the classic Key Lime Pie. When I’m thinking of new flavors for pies, I think about remixing classic food pairings. For example: pears and bleu cheese pair together nicely. I decided to add a butter crumble topping and homemade praline sauce to the mix to create the Bleu Cheese Praline Pear Pie. I am also inspired by meals and cocktails that I enjoy. My cousin, Peter, made me a cocktail in which he pureed a green pepper and basil, mixed it with vodka and a fresh lime squeeze. I loved the cocktail and I thought about how I could incorporate that into a pie; thus the Sweet Basil Key Lime Pie was born.
How did you get involved with the city of Chicago Farmer’s Market at Daley Plaza?
I was serving pies at a pop-up shop downtown when I met Tracie Hall [deputy commissioner, DCASE]. She loved the pies and urged me to apply for the Daley Plaza Farmers Market. We’ve been having a blast at this market!
How and where can people find out where to get your products?
People can currently find Justice of the Pies at the Daley Plaza Farmers Market, the Argyle Night Market, the Horner Park Farmers Market, the Green City Market-West Loop. Starting this fall my products can be found in the cafes on the campus of University of Chicago and select Whole Foods Markets! People can also email us regarding special orders and catering by emailing us at [email protected]
You had an earlier business venture. What business lessons did you learn from that experience-both positive and negative?
I learned a tremendous amount of lessons having previously owned a business. I learned that I am actually pretty decent in marketing (and mind you, I was a Fine Arts major in undergrad and grad school) and I needed to own that gift; It was amazing to learn that people care about the story just as much as they care about the products. People want to know more about the brand and why it’s so meaningful. The “why”, and not necessarily the “what”, can serve as the driving force behind your endeavor. I’ve learned that if you fail at making the business grow, that it’s perfectly fine; At some point you’re going to have to pay for your education: the question becomes just HOW much are you going to pay for it and what are you going to do with that information moving forward. Confidence in your skills is a key to running a successful business. I am not talking about puffing your chest out, displaying arrogance, and bragging about why you’re so freaking amazing (which you very well may be!) I’m talking about taking a chance on yourself and know that it can be done; I’ve also learned that sometimes you don’t need a business partner- you just need a team of individuals who are talented in each respective field that you may not be extremely verbose in. A business relationship is just like a marriage and when there is a strain on that “marriage,” there is an evident strain on the business. If a team member isn’t producing what you’re expecting, then you can explore the potential of finding new team members without all of the “divorce” proceedings; lastly, I’ve learned that having patience does wondrous things. You don’t always have to rush to decide to work with someone, to purchase something, to sign off on a contract, etc. If you are hesitant about any step you may take during the course of your business dealings, it’s alright to marinate on it a bit. In due time, everything is always revealed. Think about the fable about the turtle and the hare … slow and steady, without a doubt, wins the race. I can sprint if I need to sprint, but I’m a marathoner at heart and Justice of the Pies will be going the distance.
