Patty Edwards-Lindstrom is founder and president of Creative Logic, Inc. She relocated to Peoria from Champaign just over six years ago. Lindstrom was born and raised in Streator, crediting her upbringing for instilling her with a solid work ethic and the tenacity to follow a dream.She graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication, and has worked in the marketing and design field for twelve years.Her career began as an art director for a major manufacturing firm. She also worked in the newspaper’s marketing department, and was instrumental in the growth of two other small and successful companies prior to founding Creative Logic, Inc. Lindstrom serves on the board of directors of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Junior Achievement, and the Pediatric resource Center at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She also contributes her time and talents to United Way, The Salvation Army, Crittenton Care and Counseling Center, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Powell Press Project, and other community organizations.Lindstrom has received local, regional and national acclaim for her work, and is currently a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Direct marketing Association and the American Management Association. In 1997, she was named as one of Peoria’s 40 Leaders Under 40 winners. She’s married to Brent Lindstrom.
How old were you when you first began entrepreneurial activities?
I began my foray into the free market at age 8 by creating my own “niche marketing effort.”
All the children in the surrounding neighborhoods had lemonade and Kool-Aid stands. I thought, “What can I sell that is different and, therefore, create a market (so to speak) for?” Homemade chocolate chip cookies and popcorn balls were it. Kids and their moms came from four to five blocks away when my mom and I were baking. The profits were always good because there was no capital investment—Mom footed the bill.
You were born and raised in Streator. How did you happen to start your business in Peoria?
I always believed I would start a company. It was simply a matter of when and where.
A little over six years ago, I relocated from Champaign to Peoria to help with the startup of another small company. Early on, it was clear to me that the direction the company was headed did not match my long-term plans.
Also, during my first year in Peoria, I met Brent Lindstrom and we developed a strong friendship. When I left my fulltime position to begin challenging my entrepreneurial skills, Brent and I had just started dating.
Our relationship, along with many other personal and professional relationships, kept me from heading to a large metropolitan area.
Together we have been able to dig our heels in and really become part of this community, and we love it! We feel there is no lack of opportunity for young leadership in the Peoria area.
You started Creative Logic, Inc. in your apartment in March 1994. had you been self-employed before that time? How did you decide to take the giant step of starting a business on your own?
Other than various commissioned works that were mostly to challenge myself creatively, no, I had not been self-employed prior to that time. It was something I had thought about for more than ten years and I was ready.
I had help positions ranging from art director to director of new business development, absorbing vast degrees of knowledge by continually challenging myself and those I teamed with.
I am not a believer in status quo—there is always a way to do it better. I had learned to lead a team and be part of a team.
I had worked in an advertising department of a major manufacturer, the marketing department of a newspaper, and was instrumental in the growth of two other startups. Now was the time.
I could clearly see there was a market for corporate identity and helping companies build brand equity—both are strengths of mine.
The market was there, and I had the experience, the skills and the motivation. It was simply a matter of following my vision.
Once I set my mind to something I become very focused. That focus, along with a well-defined vision, helped start my business.
My biggest concern in the beginning was covering my rent, paying my bills, and still being able to enjoy life a little. Ironically, there has never been downtime. I have always remained focused on our long-term goals.
A well-defined strategy acts as our road map—the key is action and implementation.
What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome to begin your home business?
It’s difficult for me to think of something I would consider an obstacle. My nature is to view things as challenges and to find ways to surpass them to the next challenge.
I haven’t experienced anything yet that had held me up from doing what I wanted to do.
Sometimes things may take a little longer than I would like, but I always find a way to meet the challenge and move on.
What training have you had in design work and marketing?
Formally, I have a bachelor’s degree in visual communications from Illinois State University. I have continually honed my creative skills since age 5. Getting a college degree in a creative field was only natural.
Beyond the formal education is a determined effort to continually seek to understand. Early in my career, during employment at the Pantagraph in Bloomington, I became fascinated with market research. What can be done with the information gathered on an audience was amazing to me.
It was then I knew this was the key to translating creative problem solving skills and design as a business tool into what would later become Creative Logic, Inc. Getting inside the minds of our audience and our clients’ audience, combined with the ability to continually build knowledge and understanding of a market, is the key.
One basic principle I learned early in my career was that the key to improving almost anything is to start by examining what is right about it. When you learn to examine what is right about your product or service, the important features that are missing gradually become clear.
The same dynamic principle holds true when working on any project. Unfortunately, most people, when faced with a similar challenge, begin by critiquing and analyzing, focusing instead on the negative, and much of the time miss discovering the singular features that make a work truly meritorious.
I believe I will always be a student, learning from everyday experiences in the business world and beyond. My intentions are to begin my executive MBA either this fall or next, depending on the current status of my business. Later in life I would like to finish my master’s degree in fine art.
How long before you hired employees? How did your role change when you expanded your staff?
Laurie Rackus-Uttich became my first partner in this business within a month. She worked with me from my home for a year and a half. In 1996 she and her husband relocated to hi hometown of Denver.
She continues to work with us from her home office in Denver today. She believes in our vision, is committed to the business, and has been a part of our growth over the past four years.
We have steadily added to our staff. My role is to put together highly creative teams and challenge them and myself to continually surpass the needs of our clients. This allows us to grow personally and professionally.
My role is also to keep us focused on our vision and maintain an even and steady pace of growth. My role hasn’t changed, but grown. I’m continually learning the art of delegation and management.
I give my team responsibility and hold them accountable for close follow-up and attention to detail.
How would you describe your management style?
Very open, aggressive, purposeful and focused. There is always a purpose to my management decisions. I’m a coach, with the end goal being that my partners grow and expand in their own capabilities. This is not always easy, and growth has its challenges. But it is so rewarding when they understand what our purpose is and move forward on their own.
I’m a teacher as well as a student, and always learning how to be a better coach. I respect all the players and the talents they bring to the table.
You have an ongoing intern program with Illinois State University, your alma mater. How do you feel that internships enhance your business?
Internships are an important opportunity to give back. We have had exceptional interns from a number of institutions, including my alma mater. Each has played a part in our growth, and we in theirs.
I look at each of these opportunities as a chance to challenge a young mind.
Our interns are not given odd jobs (what they refer to as grunt work), but are very involved in our projects on a daily basis.
What were the indicators that you needed to move our business to quarters other than your apartment? To what do you attribute your tremendous growth since you founded your company?
From inception, my intention was to create a highly inventive space that reflects and stimulates creativity. Our growth is a direct result of the quality of our work and the innovative and effective solutions we create for our clients.
We have been effective in differentiating our clients and their products and services from those of their competition. We have taught our clients to “discover what their customer wants.” Our growth is due to the success we bring to them.
What do you feel have been your strengths in growing the business? Your weaknesses or biggest challenges?
My design and creative problem solving abilities have been my greatest strength.
My ability to listen and understand my clients, their needs and how we can aid in their growth plans has been extremely important, also. And the ability to teach our clients to think beyond usual and customary parameters—again challenging status quo.
I have often been inspired by two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most profound creative principles: to think like God and impose no limitations, and, “The ultimate creative thinking technique is to think like God—if you’re an atheist, pretend how God would do it.”
Our biggest challenge has been to balance our growth. We are regularly asked to take on more comprehensive work by our clients, have continually grown by referral, and constantly pursue new opportunities in the defined areas of our strategic growth plan.
Any one of these areas presents challenge—the three combined make it necessary that we balance the growth. We will not sacrifice our goals and vision for the future by taking on more than is prudent. I demand quality, and will not sacrifice the quality of our work for quantity.
What has surprised you most since going into business for yourself?
The amount of opportunity that exists.
Have you had, or do you have, a mentor?
I have had no one mentor to date. I am inspired by numerous people in many different roles with varying levels of responsibility—all over the world. I maintain an open mind and continually seek the opportunity to stretch myself and learn. I have a great deal of respect for true leaders who “walk the talk.”
I have been and am currently involved in a number of community organizations. Through these experiences I have found that many of the people who inspire me most are quiet leaders.
I am proud to work alongside many of them.
Why did you choose to have offices at 417 S.W. Washington Street on Peoria’s riverfront? Describe your current facility.
I have always had an interest in history and am intrigued by the character of old buildings. I knew this area would take off and that I wanted to be part of the progression.
We began talking with Dan and Kim Phillips when they were moving the Illinois Antique Center down to its current location on the riverfront. At that time no one else was down here—and the plans for what currently exists were still in the infancy stages. I readily saw the potential and wanted to be part of it from the very beginning.
We moved into our current location in March 1996 after a complete renovation took place to accommodate ourselves and CGN & Associates (another young company in aggressive growth mode).
We designed our space to be a reflection of our belief in form following function. Our office has the feeling of an artist’s studio in Soho. Our studio is warm, yet contemporary, a combination of old and new creating a unique working environment.
What plans do you have to move to a larger facility? What other future plans do you have for Creative Logic?
We will move into a larger space in the next three to six months. Currently we are working out the details and will remain in the riverfront area. We love being part of the aggressive growth of our city.
We will also move from a local and regional emphasis to a national and international focus. Our print-base has been a solid foundation and our multi-media work is growing.
We are diversifying into the development of our own products, licensing programs, and other design-driven industries such as packaging, merchandising and display, environmental, tradeshow, exhibit and museum design. We will continue to form partnerships with companies to provide highly targeted concept and design support, to help those companies achieve their marketing goals.
In turn, we will continue to partner ourselves with people who share our vision by further diversifying into other locations in this country and beyond.
Any surprises in regard to the expectations of new marketing/designer graduates?
These students we have worked with are most often surprised and challenged by the creativity and intensity in pace.
It is necessary to make decisions and move forward in a timely manner. Students quickly learn they will no longer be allowed six weeks to complete a project. We are constantly seeking talent beyond the regional area to fill our needs for growth.
What makes your firm different from other marketing firms in the area? What are your specialties?
Clarity and vision. We don’t have a desire to be everything for everyone. We are exceptionally talented in corporate identity and helping companies build brand equity.
We work to customize and differentiate—one size does not fit all. We help our customers understand that a certain approach may have worked for their competitor, but our customers have their own unique set of challenges.
We begin by listening to our customers and seeking to understand. We teach them that the hey is to discover what the customer wants.
Our insights come not just from our employees, but also from the minds of the consumer.
We ask questions, do brand comparisons, market audits, visual audits—even observe a class of kindergartners.
The best ideas come from constantly listening to the people who really use your products and services, then applying better insight and bigger ideas.
Briefly explain what’s involved in the process of customizing work for the varying types of clients you serve?
We listen first, seek to understand, and then go to work. Each of our clients and their needs are unique.
This is one of the things I love about this business. You learn a tremendous amount while contributing to the growth of other businesses.
We provide a fresh outlook on a new or existing market by pushing the envelope, looking in different place for the answers, challenging status quo.
A few examples: we have worked with the marketing department of the eighth largest Steelcase dealer in the country—Lincoln Office.
We worked hand in hand with their internal marketing department through a marketing and image audit.
We helped in analyzing where they had been and where they were headed, so that the tools we would eventually create would assist them and their sales team in growth.
We worked with them to create a training package for their sales team that would eventually be utilized as a model to be presented to 44 dealers nationwide.
We partnered with a consulting firm in Atlanta, Ga., to create an identity that would set them apart from their competitors—frequently companies the size of Anderson Consulting.
The key was understanding why their customers were coming to them as opposed to a leader in the industry like Anderson.
We are currently working with a nationally ranked liberal arts college on a $125 million capital campaign.
Our job is to create all the marketing tools, a goal we will achieve by “branding” the campaign and creating a nostalgic connection to a long-standing tradition and fulfilling their financial goals.
How wide is your service territory? What size business do you serve?
Presently, 75 percent of our business is local and regional. We have done work for clients from coast to coast, ranging from Florida to the state of Washington.
The world is getting smaller and we’ve just begun to network internationally. We look to partner with companies whose products and services we believe in. In order to put our best effort forward, we have to believe in what we help to market.
We work with companies small and large—ranging from local businesses like a jeweler, bakery, or photography studio to corporate giants like Caterpillar Inc., Motorola, Panasonic and Oldsmobile. The common thread is that they each have a desire to be leaders in their industry.
You have a unique logo with a series of triangles? Does this have a special meaning?
Many have been intrigued by our logo. It’s a combination of mathematical logic and functional design.
The aim is to provoke questions about meaning, purpose and method—much like our philosophy of working with our clients.
It stands for a solid foundation supported by open communication. The triangles contain parts that make up the whole and create no closed forms—reflecting our philosophy of how we work internally. Your mind is the only thing that closes the gap.
What’s your philosophy concerning the business? What’s your personal philosophy?
Creative Logic, Inc. was created wit two goals in mind: to do quality work that delivers results, and to support the community.
I have always believed if you make those your top priorities, the money, the recognition, satisfaction, etc. will follow. So far, this premise has proven correct.
Our company has done exceptionally well in a market many told us in the beginning was saturated with competitors.
While we believe competition exists, we strive to create “the difference.” We have exploded into the market with excellent work, a fun attitude, and a successful business.
We look to hire individuals with extraordinary potential. When we work together we do great work—work that succeeds for our clients, brings recognition to our firm, and just plain makes us feel good about what we do for a living.
For me this is the dream of the company. I want people who work here to feel like they couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.
This is a difficult road to maintain. It takes a great deal of trust, faith and commitment.
My personal philosophy is: Ideas are a dime a dozen; people who put them into action are priceless. In the past I had a former employer tell me “to care, but don’t care too much.”
I really didn’t understand that, because in my mind you can never care too much.
We can’t go very far if we are not sincere, because how far we go depends on the feelings our team has about us. Success with customers is a direct result of success with our employees. TPW