This month, we turn the Consultant Spotlight on Peggy Lyle, District Director for the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District. Peggy is always looking for new ways to advance the city of Ft. Collins and make an impact in the creative industry.
A native of Santa Fe, Peggy is passionate about the arts and creative approaches to business and communications. With 20+ years of event production, marketing, and programming for Downtown Fort Collins and The Rhythm Co., she’s aided musicians, performers, galleries, artists, non-profits, small businesses and events navigate promotion, audience cultivation, programming and business strategy. Highlight Projects/Boards: Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest, FoCoMX, Colorado Brewers’ Festival, FC Gallery Walk, Downtown Fort Collins Creative District and TriMedia Film Festival.
5 Questions for Peggy Lyle:
1) What’s new with you? Spring has arrived and the creative juices are flowing. With Artup Week Fort Collins just behind me I have launched head on into the next set of projects like FoCoMX 10th Annual festival, and the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District work plan. As a matter of fact, we are producing an ART + LAW: Fort Collins workshop coming up Friday, April 13th, where artists and musicians can learn about the Colorado Attorney for the Arts program and get their arts’ focused legal questions answered. It’s always good to know you have a lawyer on your side. I certainly hope the creative business community comes out to join us on April 13th.
2) Thoughts on the local creative environment for 2018? I think that momentum is rising for creatives. They are embracing their power to be change agents and successful entrepreneurs while seeking a place at the table. I continue to see creative entrepreneurs hunger for business education and resources and the quality of ideas ramping up each month. It seems to me that perhaps younger generations are inspiring older ones to take their dreams seriously and with a new digital world more things seem possible. That hunger is resulting in Fort Collins being a leader of the creative industry in Colorado and I am excited to continue to ride this wave!
3) What do you enjoy most about consulting? It sounds cliche, but I genuinely love helping and teaching people to succeed. I love the little things like talking through a client’s dilemma, sharing a new perspective, connection someone to a new resource and being a cheerleader for their dreams.
4) Favorite creative networking spots in Ft. Collins? The Music District programs, shows at the Carnegie Center for Creativity, The Downtown Artery any day, Hot Dish Monthly Art Nights and at shows (concerts and gallery shows). Finally, just sitting on a patio in downtown Fort Collins, you see so many people allowing connections and ideas to pop up!
5) One piece of advice for anyone looking to start or grow their creative business? Remember it’s a “business” that requires a solid idea, lots of energy, a targeted customer and a competitive edge. Creative businesses can be real and profitable without compromising your art!
Find out more about Peggy Lyle and her work at Downtown Fort Collins Creative District
