We recently connected with Madison St. Hilaire and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Madison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Maddy Marie’s began from the desire to create gluten free alternatives that leave the consumer wondering if they are truly gluten free. My sister Shelby has celiac disease and growing up she struggled with her health. Discovering that she needed to avoid gluten was a game changer in her health journey, but the gluten free options were extremely limited. At 8 years old, I wasn’t much help in solving this issue when I made my first flatbread consisting of flour and water baked in a toaster style oven and topped with jam… let’s just say thank goodness for the jam! Over time though, I really began enjoying the challenge of gluten free baking and creating an experience that didn’t leave the fun and enjoyment out of baked goods for my sister. Witnessing the joy she experienced from having a variety of gluten free options made me excited to share.
I began selling my gluten free tortillas to a local restaurant for their breakfast burritos and the feedback from happy customers ensured me that my sister was just one example of people looking for quality gluten free options. I further began selling tortillas at local farmers markets to spread the word and continued to gain momentum from there. I started to understand the need for quality gluten free “base” products like tortillas, breads, buns, etc.. in the market and felt this endeavor was worth pursuing. Now, I am able to take what began in my childhood home as a necessity for my sister’s health and share creative gluten free products for people to not only nourish their own bodies, but also simply enjoy what they are eating.

Madison, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Madison (Maddy for short) and I am the founder and owner of Maddy Marie’s, a dedicated gluten free bakery located in Mancos, Colorado. I started my business in 2020 when a local restaurant approached me about providing gluten free tortillas after losing their supplier. Having grown up baking gluten free and finding a passion for creating alternatives for my sister who has celiac, I agreed, crunched the numbers, jumped in and haven’t looked back. At Maddy Marie’s we make and sell gluten free tortillas as well as sourdough bread, ciabatta, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls and more. We provide local grocery stores and restaurants with gluten free options and we also sell to consumers via our website where we offer shipping.
Many individuals are required to eat gluten free for their health and others chose to eat gluten free to support a healthy life style, decrease inflammation, improve digestion, etc… Since gluten free baked goods do not contain gluten, the stretchy, gooey substance that gives traditional baked goods their desirable texture, gluten free products can have the reputation of poor texture and a lack of flavor and durability. That’s where Maddy Marie’s comes in, providing a variety of gluten free products that are made with high quality ingredients and therefore, offering quality results. It is incredibly rewarding when customers share their excitement about finding tortillas, bread and more back on their menu and how our products have given them cuisine options they have missed.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I have had to work to unlearn would be over penny pinching. A budget is crucial when operating a business and saving/spending wisely is a vital part of success, however, I have had to learn that though saving is good, spending where necessary and valuable can actually save money too. When I first started my business, I was operating on a very tight budget and it made sense to only purchase what I needed for ingredients and supplies for the short-term foreseeable future. I would never purchase more than a couple months’ worth of ingredients to keep things low risk. As I grew, I maintained this process to manage costs, reluctant to purchase extra supplies to aid in the operation or have a surplus of ingredients stocked up. My plan back fired when several of my ingredient suppliers were out of stock and I was soon out of stock as well. I ended up purchasing smaller packages of ingredients and spending more than necessary to fulfill orders, simply because I was running my inventory too tight while trying to avoid immediate excess costs. It pays to have what you need to not only continue operating smoothly, but also to aid in the production process. Time is money, and I have learned that the right tools are vital and worth allocating funds towards within the budget as these purchases help with growth. Though it used to feel unnecessary, investing in the right tools and having an inventory cushion allows me to produce more, provide a higher a quality product and increase my available time.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I am so fortunate to have great customers and support for my business! I believe my reputation in the market was built from a mutual passion and understanding for gluten free as well as community participation and relationships. I understand what customers are feeling when they express the challenges of sourcing safe baked good options and being able to relate has helped me build a reputation in the local market. Having experienced firsthand alongside my sister how frustrating food options can be with celiac disease, I feel that I am able to comprehend the glimmer of light our gluten free items provide.
Another aspect of building a reputation involved community participation. Prior to starting Maddy Marie’s I was heavily involved in my local community as a musician. I built many relationships playing music at different establishments and when I began my business, my prior involvement allowed people to put a face to the name. A friendly face and previously established character were a beneficial foundation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maddymariesglutenfree.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddymaries/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddymaries

Image Credits

Diane St. Hilaire and Madison St. Hilaire (for pictures of products and Shelby).