Meet Torie Power | Cottage Baker

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

Hi Torie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Losing my dad- who was also my boss, and getting divorced within a very short period of time left me a single mom with no job. With my youngest daughter not in school it really wasn’t an option for me to not start my own business. I needed the freedom of flexibility. Beyond that I wanted to show my daughters that hard work pays off and you can create the life you want doing what you love if you put your mind to it.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own and operate a sourdough micro-bakery out of my home in Castle Rock Colorado selling a variety of sourdough breads and baked goods. I would say this business happened on me. I have always had a passion for cooking and baking with sourdough being my true passion. When my dad passed away and I was subsequently left with no job I actually stopped baking all together for months. I finally started baking again, and friends and family started hounding me to sell my product. I pushed back and was beyond hesitant, but after doing some research and figuring out the logistics, I figured what the heck! I needed the money and the flexibility, so I put my passion to work. It was not easy, and there are days where passion does not carry me through, but that’s where the discipline of being a small business owner comes in- that is also the part of this business that consistently remains the most challenging. There are days where I am exhausted, but at the end of it all I remind myself why I am doing this and feel overwhelmingly grateful that I get to do what I love for a living.

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?
Being local to Castle Rock and having grown up in Denver I DEFINITELY have my favorite spots. I of course loved baked goods, so a stop to Tokyo Premium Bakery on Pearl St. in Denver would be a must. It is the most unique and delicious bakery I have happened upon in Denver. I would also highly recommend a trip to the Castle Rock rock for an easier hike with expansive views showing off Denver all the way to Colorado Springs. Speaking of Colorado Springs, the Cheyanne Mountain Zoo is worth the drive. I mean what’s not to love about a zoo embedded into the side of a mountain where you can also feed giraffes. While you’re in the springs, taking a ride on the Pikes Peak cog railway is a great way to experience the heights of our mountains without actually having to hike a 14er- not to mention the famous doughnuts on the top. Colorado is filled with such beautiful hiking and some great food. I could genuinely go on, but those are my favorite places/things to do with visitors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be anywhere close to where I am in life without my late father. He taught me everything I know about hard work. He started his restaurant business from the ground up beginning with a cart on the 16th street mall selling waffles. He then moved on to owning and operating 3 brick and mortar restaurants with a successful catering company as well. I was fortunate enough to grow up working side by side with him getting first hand knowledge of operations, food service management and customer service, but most importantly I was able to learn the value of hard work and dedication. I now get to pass that along to my daughters and for that I have so much gratitude.

Website: https://breadbyt.com

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