Through her active membership with the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Caroline Chiaia, general manager at Buttermilk Sky Pie, gained a community who would always be there for her and gained confidence in herself. 

“As I got involved with the Chamber and built relationships with the other members, I knew that if something went wrong, they would have my back,” Chiaia said. “I would not have survived–and that’s a fact–without the Chamber.”

When the Buttermilk Sky Pie freezer, which contains dozens of premade pies and vital ingredients, stopped working, Chiaia scrambled to save what she could. She now had dozens of pies that needed to be sold in the next two or three days. She called the Chamber, asking if they would help spread the word. Chamber Members showed up in waves, purchasing pie after pie. Chiaia said it’s a moment she’ll never forget.

“If you’re unsure about whether or not you should join the Chamber, this is why you should,” she said. “This would have devastated me as a small business. But, my Chamber family rallied. I earned enough to fix the freezer and recover my ingredient costs. I cannot express my gratitude enough.”

Finding a community that would support her in difficult situations was not something she expected when she first took the general manager position at Buttermilk Sky Pie. The owners were already Chamber Members and actively participated in one of the Chamber’s Networking Groups, weekly meetings structured to maximize networking opportunities by having one industry represented per group. One day, her boss passed the Chamber torch to her, giving Chiaia the responsibility to attend the weekly Networking Group and other Chamber events.

“The goal of Networking Groups is for everybody to help each other get business,” she said. 

When a customer or acquaintance tells Chiaia they need help with something, she has an arsenal of contacts to connect them with someone who can help. Chiaia has also gained vital information for her business through the business presentations.

“You never know when you’re going to need that information, and I’ve definitely used things I’ve learned from my Networking Group,” she said. 

Wanting to utilize Buttermilk Sky Pie’s Chamber membership to its fullest potential, Chiaia started attending Chamber-wide events like Business Over Breakfast, commonly known as BOB, and Chamber After Hours.

Nervous for her first Business Over Breakfast, an event where members share 30-second elevator pitches to 100+ attendees, Chiaia crafted a creative and attention-grabbing elevator pitch.

“We’re a scratch bakery,” Chiaia shares at the start of every pitch she gives at BOB. “Pounding the crust, whipping the cream and everything in between.”

The room exploded into laughter and applause after Chiaia’s pitch, and many people started approaching her afterwards to build a connection.

“I don’t have the most self-esteem, so being the face of the business at Chamber events was stressful,” Chiaia said. “But, the more I went to these events and had positive interactions with everybody, the more my confidence grew. I’ve had people tell me my business pitch is their favorite part of BOB, which means so much.”

Chiaia also began attending Ribbon Cuttings to extend hospitality in the form of a pie to those who are oftentimes new members to the Chamber.

“There’s that southern tradition of bringing pie to your new neighbors, so that’s what I started to do,” she said.

Her confidence continued to grow with each Chamber event, helping her step out of her comfort zone in other areas of her life. As Chiaia invested in the Chamber, she was encouraged to become a Chamber Ambassador and continues to serve as one today. Chamber Ambassadors go above and beyond to make all members feel welcome, answer questions and help our events run smoothly. 

Chiaia’s biggest advice to new members is to become an active member, attending events and connecting with people regularly. 

“Chamber membership is like a gym membership; you will get more out of it the more you put into it,” she said. “The more you put yourself out there and are active in your membership, the more other members will recognize you and the more success your business will see.”

The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce is the catalyst for growing our members’ businesses, fostering economic prosperity, amplifying the voice of business and developing our community’s future. Through year-round events, members build lasting relationships and learn crucial strategies to grow their businesses. Interested in becoming a member? Contact Bryan Weatherford, Director of Member Recruitment.

Learn more about what types of pies and catering options Buttermilk Sky Pie offers here.