We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elliot Carlyle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elliot below.

Elliot, appreciate you joining us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

In learning to make space for yourself, you learn to make space for others. My best friend often says, “you were building your brand before you knew you were building your brand.” She’s right in that. I can’t say that I was ever focused on building a brand from the beginning. Building a brand wasn’t in my consciousness. I wanted to work and I wanted to show what I was capable of accomplishing both alone and with a team. I’ve always been one to bring people together. As my career evolved and took on many shifts, I realized there was common thread in all the transitional moments. I was being tapped to create something that didn’t exist or help revive something that did exist but need to pivot to complement the times. The solutions would always require a team of people who could add perspective, value, and strategy that in many instances disrupted the norm. You can’t innovate authentically if you don’t embrace change.

A connected example for me is the HERE WE ARE Program, which was built in 2019 in collaboration with NYC Jewelry Week. I acknowledge that it took the willingness of the co-founders, JB Jones and Bella Neyman, to build something that the jewelry industry had not seen. It became a platform that gave visibility and voice to designers & makers who have been traditionally under-served and underrepresented. To be given the opportunity to build something from the ground up that has become a launching pad for so many undiscovered creatives in the face of adversity, exclusion, and inequity is no easy feat. However, I’m excited to see the success that is apparent when you take time to chart the course.
Another program I’ve been tapped as a consultant to build is the CFDA Connects initiative by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The initiative was launched in 2021 to recognize, promote, and provide business development support to select Regional Fashion Organizations (RFOs), their Fashion Weeks and the Designers based within these key US markets. Today, there are 14 organizations I am able to work with who serve creatives & professionals who have experienced exclusion based on geographic location. The CEO of the CFDA, Steven Kolb, asked “what can we do to help regional fashion weeks?” CFDA Connects became the answer. The RFO leaders that have founded these organizations are some of the most passionate and fervent people you could ever meet in the industry. Why? Because there is a true inner strength you have to pull from when you’re building strictly on passion. Unlike New York City, fashion isn’t respected or even recognized as an economic driver in many, if not all, of these cities. The program exists to “amplify fashion across America” by granting access to leading industry experts & resources, helping to increase awareness of their Market and Designers, amplify their mission, expand their reach and strengthen their connection to the pulse of business, commerce, media and trade in the American fashion industry and globally. This, too, is another angle in solutions to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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

I’ve taken over a decade of experience in branding, marketing, public relations, creative direction, and even public speaking to build an international creative consulting agency, Currently Global, Inc. Here, I deliver strategy, development, and representation solutions that “empower your flow in business.” I work with entrepreneurs, corporations, and brands across industries, including: fashion, entertainment, jewelry, sports, and lifestyle to create unforgettable experiences. Together, we elevate brand awareness using creativity, innovation, and strategy. I make brands more purpose-driven, intriguing, consistent, and enigmatic.

I’ve always put myself in my work. I’ve used myself as a case study. I’ve used my own platforms to experiment from social media to my web site. Most of the clients that have worked with me have chosen me because of something they saw me do for myself. That’s just the simple truth. NYC Jewelry Week reached out to me because of an Instagram post. I’ve been booked as a national speaker because someone tuned into a Facebook Live and was inspired. I’ve even been wedding coordinator because a client came to a fashion show I produced and was impressed. It just happens while I’m flowing. This is why, contrary to any different opinion, I’ve always just been focused on the work. I believe in doing work that works for you. This is how I define flow. That’s the sweet spot. What can you produce that produces for you again and again without your involvement?

I tend to attract creatives & professionals who are already experts in their field. They just need a shift. I started my career as a college dropout and I return to that “space” often. I’m different. My path has been “unconventional” and I’m aware of this but I embrace this trajectory as a gift. I believe I’m able to inspire many underdogs because the truth is, I’ve always felt like one.

At the end of the day, if you’re in a creative field even as a professional, we’re making it up as we go. There are no roadmaps to individuality. There are no landmarks to authenticity. You are always building and becoming at the same time. In that, you have to always trust the journey.

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

I don’t necessarily have a “backstory” for this lesson, but it’s a very big one that becomes a challenge for any passionate, creative leader. When you are building anything that is truly growing, you will get to a space where you will need help. How you are able to engage that help depends on your ability to trust. You have to trust yourself and others. In working with creatives you are always exchanging with people who are immensely connected to their work. When it comes to branding, often times, it is like coaching people through a divorce when they have to rebrand or pivot in a different direction. The trust, care, and empathy, that is required in navigating clientele through these moments can be taxing but when it’s done right, the results are multi-dimensional. I know what it’s like because I’ve been there. I’ve worked solo and I’ve worked with teams. I have to remember this all the time when it comes to maximizing in your gift. People can’t help you if you don’t fully let them. I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. I’ve been the helper who wasn’t trusted to help, and I’ve been the one needing help and had to trust. Sometimes I did; sometimes I didn’t. It’s a growth process every day.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The answer to this question that I get all the time has never changed: social media. I don’t traditionally market or advertise. I don’t create those “now accepting new clients” graphics or things I see other professionals do. It’s just never been my thing. My peers often critique me for not promoting more, but I like the organic flow that I have. I share what I’m doing. I share what I’ve done. I share where I’ve been. I sometimes share where I’m going. People who want to be part of that movement just reach out. The way they see that movement is based on their perspective. I’m not concerned about it very much. I believe what you are looking for is looking for you. You’ll just know it when you see it. My clients know I’m their solution. It’s a synergy and it can be seen and felt. I believe that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elliotcarlyle.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/elliotcarlyle
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamelliotcarlyle
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/elliotcarlyle
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/elliotcarlyle

Image Credits
Pepper Magazine Edwin Pierrot