Meet Matt Dulin: Chef/owner GetRight’s bakery & plant nursery

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

Hi Matt, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think of risk, I think of sacrifice. What you are willing to give up or give in to in order to make your goals happen. In this way of thought, all risk is very calculated. Not in a risk to reward ratio but more so in a, “What will you gain from the process?” mind set. The way I have calculated risk has always been by measuring how I will develop my skillset to become a better, fuller and more adaptable version of myself. I have always loved food. At first as my crutch to find comfort within a broken home but it soon began developing into a creative outlet, another form of expression during a youth where I struggled to find a true voice. By the time I hit my junior year in high school I was working full time in kitchens, learning the ways of the brigade, finding a good mentor and sticking to their side until I felt strong enough to move forward and hold my own, seeing how it mimicked the philosophies learned in my time playing football and other team sports. The first risk I took into this profession was to accept the advancement from the dishwasher to the line cook status. From then on, I was given responsibility, a commitment of my time to be there on evenings and weekends and holidays, while the rest of the world mingled. I had made an agreement, perhaps unbeknownst to me at the time, that I was sacrificing much of a social life and the Monday to Friday 9 to 5 type of life for a chance to learn this craft more in depth. That’s where I started to get a glimpse into how this could all develop. After a few years, this risk seemed to have led me to what I felt was a dull existence. I began sensing that feeling that many will come to in their lives, that feeling of getting stuck in place. Unsure of what direction seems enticing, when you can see that your end point is in the same position that you are now. I felt that there was more to be discovered. I wasn’t ready to settle into the prescribed existence just to accrue a higher monetary value to my name. I didn’t care about any of it. So I did what many of the greats have done before me, I jumped into the unknown, uncertain of anything that would come next. I started traveling the country on a bicycle, leaving my home of Denver, CO to find a better understanding of life. I needed to see the country. I needed to experience the world to develop something that I felt I would be happy to share. So I sold my belongings down to a backpacks worth of goods, bought a rode bike and hit the road. First to a goat farm in New Mexico. Then further on to Arizona. Soon I was in Hawaii living and working on a coffee farm in Kona. Learning the processing of this prized beverage from the seed to the cup. I began to fall in love with the process of all things. I was able to see first hand how much involvement from so many different people there is to get some of our most utilized products. I was deepening the appreciation for what I viewed as mundane before. My perspective was changing. I knew this was a key time in my life but I still didn’t have a solid direction. Soon I was in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. Working on yet another farm, this time dealing with organic produce. My bond to vegetables and fruits was strengthening. There was a new found appreciation to things that weren’t bought within a store but rather picked by my own hands from a field only feet away from my living quarters. It had been about of year of farming and traveling before I began to oddly desire being back in a kitchen setting. The place I had fled from in order to experience these great things. Now I was wanting back in? I needed the money, so I decided to quit the farm and start working at a local restaurant down the road. I left a note on my bed to the farm owner, stating that I was leaving and I never returned. Once back in the kitchen I had a new perspective on what I was doing. I was able to share my recently acquired knowledge. I was able to receive new knowledge at a quicker pace. It’s then I knew that the kitchen experience didn’t have to be a stagnant one. Though my time there was a romantic experience, I knew there was more to be learned. So once again, I took off on my bicycle, leaving the Washington coast with my sights set on Savannah, Georgia. I felt free. I was floating through life without a tether to any one or thing. I was able to come and go, as a nameless person if I chose. I loved it all, until I didn’t. Towards the end of the trip as I neared my goal in Georgia, I began to crave human interaction. Gas station niceties didn’t cut it for me any more. I needed depth within the conversations. I didn’t enjoy feeling like a ghost any longer. With every place I visited, I saw people who had created their visions in their home towns. These little shops, cafes, farms and homes all required the persistence of someone putting in the work in one spot for an extended period of time. I knew that I’d have to set some roots if I wanted to create a good community around me. I began to see that in life, ultimately there is no place to go. All paths lead us to no where. So I just needed to make sure my path was something that my heart was in. The new agenda was now to set roots, build a foundation, and begin offering something that was truly my own. This part of the process took many years. I self published a book about my bicycle journey, I got engaged in Arizona and then separated, I moved around from Colorado to Arizona and California. Picking locations that didn’t quite pan out but still offered very valuable learning situations. I continued developing my craft in restaurants as well as beginning to learn how to manage and teach. This time commitment was necessary for my growth within the industry but was probably even more detrimental to the relationships within my life. Taking more and more of my time away from those who lived outside the realm of my work in the kitchen. The life I tried building in Arizona fell away, only to land me in another relationship that didn’t work out, as well as I was spiraling into debt, in California until ultimately returning me home. I was 30 years old. My entire life was again dwindled down to the essentials in order to fit inside of my Jeep as I drove back from San Francisco to Denver. I was vowing to build myself up in Colorado. I knew that I had connections here that could help me grow but only if I was rooted and ready to settle. I couldn’t keep running. Not having the foundation set up anywhere was showing me how limiting my efforts could be while I had no place to jump from. This risk was mentally the most difficult because I’ve always just been able to depart, the moment things were undesirable. Now I’d made the agreement to see it through and continue to build. I took all of the lessons and inspirations I’d gathered from the last decade of my life and put them into my dream business model. I consolidated everything into a “this is what I want to offer.” model and created my brand. GetRight’s. Based off of the pen name/alter ego I’d made for myself during my travels. Now, it was time to build. 3 years into staying in Colorado and I had developed a good reputation amongst my peers. I was known as a positive force, disciplined, hard working, efficient and a great resource to have on the team. I wanted everyone to know what I was all about. I wanted others to understand that I thought anything was possible and that I was going after some big dreams and encouraged everyone to follow suit. I had the blog and website that had been a place to share and create but nothing was really happening as far as the business goes. I began building an inventory of plants so that I could start selling online. I wanted things to happen but I wasn’t fully invested in it yet so likewise it wasn’t gaining much traction. Luckily for me, covid came knocking and gave me a gutcheck feeling of, “is this really what you need to be doing?” I was being shown that our time here is fragile and that a dream will only fade away if it’s not acted upon. So I decided that if there were any time to take the jump, it’d be then, leaving one shaky situation to start another. It made the transition a bit easier because everything was already falling apart. To begin building a new project or rebuilding something already in place seemed to be the same workload so I opted for the route that was truest to my heart. I took the leap. Working full time only on my project. GetRight’s bakery & plant nursery. I began selling sourdough breads and house plants through an online storefront and delivery service. Starting strong but then trailing off within weeks, I saw that people weren’t enticed by breads alone. So I went against my initial vision of simplicity and began offering pastries. This is where the business really took off. Soon came opportunities for collaborations and popups in markets. A chance to see how the product and brand is received by the public. A chance to interact and see where the biggest areas for improvement were. I’ve seen it through it’s ups and downs, only making about $300 a week in the beginning to now seeing sales of $1,500 a week all from a home based bakery and greenhouse. Sitting in the uncertainties and continuing to forge the way when times are rough have led me to a good position in life. I’ve been full time for almost one year and forecast only more growth as the brand continues to gain awareness. Every week of this operation, decisions are made that can effect how the momentum carries forward. The thought processes are now observed a bit more in depth in efforts to keep the ever changing business model successful. While I can’t say that there’s ever a solid knowing in what will be the best direction to go, moving from a consistent foundation of an intention to share my gift is about the only thing that matters. With this, I hope that regardless, the community will receive the message, no matter which way it is portrayed. Without taking all of the risks in my life, even 20 years ago, I would not be at my current point in life. I’ve trusted the winding path. It has taken me to odd places, of which I’ve often questioned it’s benefits but know that the value and depth it added to my character was key to my success in my life and work.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve been cooking professionally for 18 years. I’ve been baking for 8 years. I’ve been managing kitchens for 8 years. I would not have been able to start this business if I first didn’t feel like I had a product that was good enough to offer. After years of development as well as constant reworking and refinement, I feel that my product is to that place and will continue to get better with time. Throughout my time cooking, I learned most of the essential values within a fine dining setting amongst cooks and chefs of Michelin star caliber. Though I personally never worked at a restaurant with stars, those who had carried with them a discipline that was easy to understand and mimic. I tried my best to absorb everything possible from those who walked the walk. The unwavering desire for quality, flavor, texture and experience were at the forefront of all actions. The understanding of these fundamentals led me to my current place, within my own kitchen. What I offer now is a humble experience. I don’t wish to offer any pretension nor many gimmicks. With age I’m falling in love with classic recipes and the process involved in making things perfect. I’m resistant to the high consumption culture and wish to have a business model that begs people to slow down a touch. To enjoy in the simple delights. A morning pastry, a flaky croissant, the aroma of fresh baked bread, a house adorned with lush green foliage. I offer products that I hope seduce the senses into giving more attention than just seconds. My desire is that I can impart a feeling of warmth, ease, and happiness with the goods that I sell. My biggest lesson for this business has been to only create and offer what products I love. If I don’t enjoy a certain pastry, I wont make it just due to its popularity. The lack of love from me will only be passed on to the product and ultimately to the customer. I try to keep the joy and excitement present in what I cook and bake so that hopefully these feelings too are transferred to those who indulge in them. My goal with this business is to one day have a brick and mortar/destination type of bakery. Ideally nestled within a mountain valley where people can disconnect from technology for a bit and immerse themselves into something deeper for a time. Until then I will keep it a small operation that allows for organic growth to happen without sacrificing the quality of the products, or the time for living life outside of work operations. My wife and I are expecting our first born child in a few months and having the time to be a part of family life is a necessity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had friends visiting Denver……. I’d send them to the mountains in Leadville for a day hike along the Leadville 100 footrace course and then to an overnight stay at a bed n breakfast in Buena Vista. Have a soak in the hot springs before heading down to the Arkansas River to take a guided raft trip down some moderately intense white water rapids. Drive back to Denver in the afternoon and grab dinner at Hop Alley for some spicy fried chicken, dumplings and fried rice. Next day head out to grab coffee at any of these places,(Crema, amethyst, corvus) and take a walk along the Platte river on the edge of downtown. Stop by Milk Market or Union Station for some lunch from any places within the market or better yet at any of the taco trucks selling near construction sites scattered throughout the city. Places to eat dinner: Uncle Ramen, Bruto, Wolfs Tailor, Dio Mio, Safta. Go to Boulder for some hiking and float down the creek. Hang out for dinner at Basta or Sherpa’s. Walk Pearl St mall and enjoy the street performances and fun shops. Visit the many farmers markets on the weekends and see what the community has to offer. See a comedy show at Comedy Works in Denver. Ride the free bus up and down 16th st mall in Denver. Go to the clocktower cabaret show. Check out a smoke and paint shop where you can smoke a joint and paint a picture in a safe setting. Grab some ice cream from Littleman Ice Cream shop in the highlands neighborhood. Breakfast burritos from Burrito Giant in Denver or Bonfire Burritos in Golden. Hang out along the creek in Golden, take a tour of the Coors beer factory and then float the creek that supplies the water for their beer. Go to Cheeseman or Wash Park with a good blanket and just soak up some sun for a few hours. Take a nap, read a book, people watch.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are too many shoutouts to list. First and foremost, my wife Lindsey. Constantly supportive and almost too positive. Her outlook always keeps me in check when the stresses of running a business weigh heavy. Chef Brian Konefal. The greatest mentor I’ve had. The timing of our paths crossing was serendipitous and I owe much of my success in the realm of food to you and Paula. Thank you for teaching me what it meant to “make it nice.” Chef Alex Figura. Thank you for introducing me to sourdough breads. This being the catalyst for everything that I take part in now. Without witnessing the inherent respect you had towards baking, it would not have passed on to me and grown into what it has now in my life. Chef Tommy Lee. Thank you for allowing me the chance to create this dream in Colorado. Without the reputation of the restaurant and the support of the staff I wouldn’t have been able to create such a strong foundation after my return home. Your continued support is truly something.

Website: GoodyGetRight.com

Instagram: instagram.com/GetRights_plantnursery