We were lucky to catch up with Laura Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

For my baked goods I used organic ingredients as well as natural food coloring. I never use artificial ingredients, and I think quality of my ingredients speak for themselves when people try my baked goods. I also live at high altitude, around 8,600ft, and I share my baking tips since it can be challenging baking at high altitude! I also share some of my recipes on my website that are already calculated for high altitude, as well as the sea level version of the recipe. I have also created a cookbook that has baking tips, frosting recipes, and my cake recipes that are calculated for altitudes from sea level to 10,000ft which is available on my website or Amazon.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a self taught baker who has been baking since I can remember. I liked trying out new recipes and sharing them with friends. I then started to get asked to make cakes for birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations. I decided to start a bakery business and Mountainside Bakery was formed in 2019.

I grew up in Massachusetts at sea level and moved to Colorado in 2009 at about 7,500 ft elevation. I quickly realized that I need to change my recipes for altitude and learned which adjustments to make. I have also lived at several different elevations in Colorado and understand that you need to make more adjustments the higher you are in elevation. I have also had some experiences with food sensitivities with my two kids and have experience with gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free recipes. I also bake with organic ingredients and natural food coloring.

I currently offer high altitude and sea level recipes on my blog, along with several products that I have created. The products include a high altitude baking adjustment magnet and a high altitude cookbook. I also specialize in custom cakes and cupcakes, along with other catering options. I am currently in the process of opening a storefront in Bergen Park in North Evergreen on Castle Ct, which should hopefully be ready Dec 2024/Jan 2025.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I would say the journey to create a storefront. I have been working on this project for over a year which has had several ups and downs, but I have finally secured the necessary funding, lease, and have started construction. It was difficult to find a space to lease in the area that would have the space and electrical requirements that I needed. I finally found one, and then started to work on lease negotiations and construction quotes. I also put together my business plan and started to apply for funding. There isn’t really a guide for this process so there was a lot of learning along the way. It also took a lot of patience to get through all of the hurdles for the lease contract and funding, and there were several times where it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, but then another option popped up and things worked out in the end. Then came time for permits for the storefront. This process took over 4 1/2 months with Jefferson County, which was a lot longer than anyone anticipated and I don’t think is talked about enough. The permit process took up a lot of time and money which is something to keep in mind if you are thinking of opening up your own storefront. I have finally gotten approvals for permits and the construction process has started. I am excited to finally see it all come together, although I am sure there will be a few more hurdles along the way before opening.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I think the best source is word of mouth, a recommendation from someone you know is better than a lot of other marketing that you could do. I also get orders from people who have attended a birthday party or other celebration that I have baked for and they have asked for my contact info for events that they are planning. Another great source is the various markets that I attend. Someone will try my products and then reach out for other orders. I have also posted my information in local Facebook groups and have gotten clients through those ads, as well as being a member of the local Evergreen Chamber of Commerce and Mountain Women in Business group which has lead to some great contacts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mountainsidebakery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtnsidebakery/
• Facebook: https.//www.facebook.com/mtnsidebakery

Image Credits

Abracadabra Marketing Agency (photo of myself holding the cookbook)