Exploring Life & Business with Dylah Ray of The Botanical Bakery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylah Ray.

Hi Dylah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career has taken some winding paths, but I’ve always tried to center community building at the heart of what I do. I got to do a lot of that working at The United Nations, some non-profits, and on political campaigns. Somewhere along the way though, I got lost in both a corporate job and marriage that were deeply unsatisfying, and I lost my way for a bit. It took a global pandemic for me to look around, ground myself again in what mattered the most to me, and start fresh.

During the pandemic, I kicked my longtime passion for baking up a notch and began to weave in my love for nature and gardening into my kitchen experiments. Being forced to take this time to pause and reflect made me realize a lot of what I had been missing: slow meals with loved ones, long talks over dessert, and taking the time to stop to enjoy nature and appreciate life’s beauty.

I opened The Botanical Bakery of Denver in late 2022 to provide a community gathering place for people to come to take a pause from their hectic lives, enjoy a beautiful pastry in a relaxing environment and connect with others. Just as important as our baked goods, we offer workshops, open mic nights, and events that we hope inspires creativity and connection.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been much smoother than it could have been. I’m extraordinarily grateful that I had the opportunity to open up my first brick-and-mortar inside Birdsall & Co, a longstanding local garden boutique that is co-owned by my best friend and her mother. Not only do I get to go to work every day with my best friend in a plant store/bakery (total dream job!), but Morgan and Annie are incredible businesswomen who’ve been able to make the transition into small business ownership a whole lot easier.

Having role models and a support system is so important in getting started, and I’m very thankful for their guidance and hope to be able to help other women get started in business in the same way someday. Being a single mom and trying to open a business has been a struggle at times. I want to be operating at 100% in the business world, and 100% as a mom, and sometimes it’s been tough to accept that I might not be able to simultaneously ace both in a given week.

That being said, we’ve created an incredibly intentional environment in the bakery, and I could not ask for better staff or working relationships that have enabled me to bring my whole self to this effort and feel fulfilled and competent at home and work. Plus, my daughter is a great taste tester!

As you know, we’re big fans of The Botanical Bakery. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Botanical Bakery of Denver is nestled among the houseplant jungle paradise that is Birdsall & Co.

You’ll find botanically themed baked goods (try our signature pansy cookies!), Denver-roasted coffee, and The Botanical Collective – our delightful shop of curated merchandise from local artists, focused on female makers. We host frequent workshops and gatherings like a monthly open mic night, as well as flower arranging workshops, live music, and kids’ classes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.botanicalbakeryofdenver.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebotanicalbakeryofdenver/?hl=en