Meet Britt Brown | Baker and Buttercream Enthusiast

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

Hi Britt, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
Success can be difficult to measure because our minds have a way of playing tricks on us. As soon as we reach the “endzone”, the goal post inevitably gets moved back. To me, success is less about numbers and finite results, although those are important. At the end of the day, if you’ve given your all and brightened someone else’s day, I’d call that success.

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.
If you would have told 15-year-old Britt that she’d be a cake decorator in twenty years, I’m sure she’d have been skeptical. As a teenager, I had a clear vision of my future. I graduated from UCF in Orlando with a BS in Criminal Justice and thought I was headed into law enforcement. I can’t tell you how many times I envisioned myself arriving on crime scenes, eager to stitch all the pieces of evidence together. Homicide Detective was the title I pictured myself holding. Unfortunately, my entrance into the professional world coincided with the 2009 economic crash. No one was hiring and jobs were scarce. John and I had only been dating for a short while when we decided to pack up our car and move to find better opportunities. The problem was, we didn’t know where we were off to. I wrote down the name of a few states that called to us – Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado, and Massachusettes (that’s where John’s family lives) – and we tossed each one into a hat. Colorado was the draw, and off we went. For the first few years, Colorado felt like just a phase. I assumed we would accept the experience and move on to our next location. But as it happens with many people on the Front Range, we fell in love with Northern Colorado. We bought our home in Severance back in 2014 which is where 2nd Street Sweets is located today. After working as a server in the restaurant industry, a Halloween store manager, a flower farm assistant, and spending 5 years writing a novel, I’m not exactly sure how I ended up as a baker and cake decorator. If you tried to map my out my path, it would look like a bowl of spaghetti. But I’m okay with that! Self-discovery isn’t linear. I never stopped searching for my place in the world and I am beyond excited to be where I am now. Crafting beautiful and delicious things brings me so much joy. I love to imagine being one of my clients on the receiving end of a cake – the sweetness of a mother’s birthday, the intimacy of an elopement, the thrill of a sweet 16. I’m grateful to be able to play a role in these special moments.

I’m a Cottage baker so I am self-regulated. I’m order only and I don’t have daily hours. We are currently living in our mother-in-law suite and renovating our home into a commercial space so I can have foot traffic starting this summer. My business was established in late 2020 and has been growing organically for the past 6 months.

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.
Well, it just so happens that this exact situation unfolded in real life! My good friend Billie came out to visit from Worcester, Mass. We met in Florida in 7th grade and decided to celebrate our 20 years of friendship. No trip to Colorado is complete without checking out the scenery. We traveled up the Poudre Canyon to the Mishawaka, made our way south on Stove Prairie Road, and then headed back to town through Rist Canyon, but not before stopping at Howling Cow Cafe which is located on the Morning Fresh Dairy Farm in Bellevue. (Side note: their Eggnog is pure gold.) We caught a concert at the Fillmore in Denver, enjoyed beer at multiple breweries, photographed the art in the RiNo district, sipped on coffee from the local cafes, checked out The Tattered Cover Book Store on Colfax, ate the most amazing Galaktoboureko from Omonoia Greek Bakery, drove through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, had dinner and drinks at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, and picked out our favorites at Voodoo Donuts. We had a blast!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The direction in my life hasn’t always been super clear, but surrounding myself with loving and supportive people has given me the space and opportunity to grow. I am also immensely thankful to the online community of teachers who share their knowledge through blogs and tutorials. Furthermore, I would not be where I am today without my husband, John. He’s my number one fan.

Instagram: @2ndstreet_sweets

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2ndstreetsweetsofseverance/

Other: 2ndstreetsweetsllc@gmail.com