We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Ponting and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my bakery in May 2020. Everything was shutting down due to COVID and I thought it would be a good time to start delivering my baked goods so people could still have treats at an uncertain time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated Culinary School in 2012 when I thought I was going to be a Chef one day. I never thought about baking as a career. I then one day started making cinnamon rolls for people at work and realized I really enjoy the slower process of baking. Baking has really become a passion of mine and I love doing it, so taking the steps needed to get me here were definitely not known when I started. I started talking to people that knew more than me and that really helped. I had no idea how much work goes into your own business. It’s so much more than just baking and selling.
I’m now working on getting into more coffee shops and wholesale opportunities and that’s really exciting!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite places in Colorado would be Garden of the Gods, the Royal Gorge, Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, 7 Falls. Really nice areas for sightseeing or just visiting. If I were to take people out I’m going to Ristorante di Sopra, Paravicini’s Italian Bistro, Denver Biscuit Company, or The Rabbit Hole. All super delicious restaurants!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m going dedicate my shoutout to The Backyard Market in Black Forest! This was my first Summer market I had signed up for in 2020. They were open when no other market was. It’s been such a great market for me and I’m so happy to still be a part of this great market!

Website: earlybirdbakerycos.com

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