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

Hi Amy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I new there we’re multiple demands for goods in our town and I wanted to fill a niche that was unmet.

My husband is a cyclist and loves bikes. Our friend who was a mechanical engineer specializing in bicycles and he turned us onto electric bikes, which were just hitting the market in the US and Paonia didn’t have a bike shop. I had NO background in bikes but I did have a lot of experience in the retail/wholesale fashion industry.

Paonia only had thrift stores for buying clothes or gifts and there was a demand for new, unique apparel and gifts. So 7 years ago I opened my store the “Cirque Cyclery”. I sold electric bikes, bicycles accessories and had a rentals and tours branch to the business. In addition to the bikes I had a full boutique of apparel and gifts for women & kids.

What should our readers know about your business?
My store has evolved so much over the years.. the first 2 years I was an electric bike shop with some gifts and accessories. Now, it’s a lifestyle boutique offering a wide variety of apparel & gifts for men, women and kids. I have learned that I must be deeply observant of the industry and my customers in order to deliver a very high quality product(s). Becoming acutely tuned in to what is selling & what isn’t is an essential part of my success as well as digging into the numbers regularly.

I’m very proud to represent over 40 small, women owned business and their products in my store. I curate products that hold high integrity in their manufacturing, labor and distribution. Supporting other women is a core value of mine and knowing that I support other women around the globe makes me most excited about what the Cirque has become.

The most important thing I’ve learned about my store is to trust my gut and honor my intuition. My success is the result of the relationships I have built. I must love what I’m selling and have a connection to its maker.. My store is the canvas…as long as I can express my creativity within it, I will keep going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
August. Tuesday: Grab a coffee at Paonia Espresso and rent electric bikes from SK Bikes
West Elk Wine tour from Storm Cellar to Stone Cottage
Farmers market on Tuesday nights

Wednesday: Eat breakfast at Sweetgrass and shop downtown Paonia on Grand: Refinery, The Cirque, Blue Sage Gallery, Trader Mags and Seven Trees. Check out all the gorgeous murals and walk the ‘art alley” and community garden behind town hall and at Poulos Park. Drive to Hotchkiss (10m) and visit the Church of Art and stop at Farm Runners Station for lunch.

Thursday: Pack a picnic – head to the river trail and swim at the river-park
Visit Paonia United Brewing and then Chrysalis Brewing for Award winning barrel-aged saison style beer. Buy some to-go and then head to hear live music for free at Pickin in the Park on Thursday nights. Grab dinner from local food trucks in the park

Friday: Hike Jumbo mountain while the morning is cool and hit Root & Vine for late breakfast and wine tasting w/in house Qutori wines or a good coffee > go to Orchard Valley Farms just downtown the hwy for vinegar and olive oil tasting. Put your feet in the river and eat some of their early season peaches. Catch a movie at the Paradise Theater.

Saturday: Get up early and take a drive out to the Black Canyon in Crawford BYO everything! Swim in Crawford Reservoir and watch the sunset. Swing by Big B’s for dinner and live music – taste their award winning Hard Ciders

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband Frederick Zimmer was the catalyst for the ideal !

We had purchased a great building downtown Paonia with business partners Mary George & John Maddox and together we had the energy & resources to renovate a new space. They were a constant positive force

My mom Pam DeLuca, gave me the background in visual merchandising for retail & wholesale business.

Susan Keenan gave me the faith that I could handle the highs and lows of the financials and encouraged me to unleash my creativity & go for it!

Website: www.cirqueboutiquepaonia.com

Instagram: cirquepaonia

Facebook: @cirquepaonia

Image Credits
Amy DeLuca

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