Meet Amy Werhane | Bakeshop Owner | EdTech Project Manager

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

Hi Amy, how do you think about risk?
Opportunities always come with a healthy amount of risk. I figure you can either practice avoiding risk, or, you can practice exploring opportunity. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding risk, but that goes hand-in-hand with avoiding opportunity. Exploring opportunity necessitates exploring risk. I wouldn’t have expected it, but my experience and training as a Project Manager in my day job has created an environment in which I can foresee the relationships between and outcomes of my small business decisions, like the risks and opportunities associated with scaling up volume or offering a new product. Don’t get me wrong–risk is scary! When you reframe a risk as an opportunity itself, your whole mindset will shift.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I was a kid, my family would vacation in the southern rockies in the summer. We had a condo in New Mexico that backed right up to a creek, and that creek attracted every animal in the area for a stroll: bears, coyotes, deer, you name it. But, my favorite were the goofy raccoons creeping around in twilight, falling all over each other to get to that last piece of bread hanging out of the trash can. I made up a song that started, “Who saw the blue raccoon?” and carried that forward to name my business.

When I started the Bakeshop, I wanted to capture feelings and flavors of nostalgia that would be familiar and comforting to anyone trying my products, sort of like those familial feelings I have when I think about my blue raccoons in New Mexico. I am not much of an avant-garde baker in that sense; you won’t find me incorporating many unusual flavors or textures. When I make a chocolate chip cookie, I want it to be the absolute best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had because of the quality of the ingredients and preparation, not because it’s overly unique. My ultimate goal is to share joy, and I bake for my customers like I bake for my family.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Colorado Springs is an absolute gem of a city. There are so many areas you can explore since the community is pretty spread out, but there’s something here for everyone. I might suggest if you’ve got a Saturday to burn to concentrate your time in the downtown area. You can start your day at Denver Biscuit Co., make your way over to the Olympic Museum, check out all the local shops along Tejon and Nevada, grab an afternoon snack and cocktail at Cork & Cask, and make your way over (or, I should say, underground) to The Rabbit Hole for an eclectic dinner.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As I’ve grown (a little) older, I’ve stepped back and thought about the life I want to live and the goals I want to achieve. They say you will actually become most like the people you spend the most time with. I want to be generous, kind, supportive–so I look to those people in my life who embody those qualities, and I cherish and learn from those friendships. I know that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to start Blue Raccoon Bakeshop if I didn’t have that circle of incredible friends in my corner. The Colorado Springs community at large shows up for its neighbors, and I’m grateful be at home here.

Website: blueraccoonbakeshop.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueraccoonbakeshop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueraccoonbakeshop