In the mid-1980s, Liz Smothers was telling herself she could bake a better pie.
In 2011 —- 25 years and millions of apples later —- she has turned the art of better pies into one of the most successful family businesses in North County, the Julian Pie Co.
"I worked several places in Julian when we first moved here, because I needed to go to work," Smothers told me recently. "They were bakeries, and I did things exactly like they told me, but there were times when I thought, 'If I did this, I'd do it differently.' But I'm a good employee, and I did what they told me to do."
Turns out she's a good CEO, as well. And if you need proof, just ask around. Even if you don't make a point of having Smothers' pies on the table at Thanksgiving, odds are good that you know someone who does.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: North County Times