Today we’d like to introduce you to Vianka Cotton.
Hi Vianka, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I literally started the Peak City Fitness Festival unemployed and broke! In December 2022, I left the fitness industry, completely burned out, exhausted, and quite frankly over it. I decided that I was going to take my skills as a former studio GM and run my own freelance marketing and social media marketing freelance business! Looking back at on it, this set me up to be broke, but it was the best decision I made.
I began working with a local smoothie shop filming social media content, setting up Meta and Google ads that eventually took me to organize their events, and specifically their one-year anniversary. We invited gyms and wellness folks all over the town for the anniversary celebration and it was a hit! So much so, gym owners asked me could I do this on a larger scale. I had no idea if I could, so I reached out to the mayor of Apex.
He was at the event, and he told me exactly how I could do it! I called up an old friend from high school, Jasmine Brown, and I pitched the fitness festival idea to her. I literally said, “Hey, I’m trying to do something crazy all I need is you to back me.” Without any hesitation she said, “Let’s go!” From there the idea moved to what it is today! Peak City Fitness Festival started as a small idea that turned into the business Peak Fit Events. Remember my old friend? We formed a joint partnership with her nonprofit, FACTS for Youth, to expand our festival reach. To empower folks about fitness, wellness, and finances.
We do the Triangle Yoga Festival, Peak City Fitness Festival, Fitness Networking for Wellness and Fit pros, and Fitness Speed dating! It has truly been a journey.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth, HAHA, it has been everything but smooth! But I wouldn’t change a thing! There has been so many frustrations, complaints, betrayals, rejection, let downs, and negative responses from community and corporate leaders. I never thought bringing free and accessible fitness to the community would cause so much friction, but this is what happens when you are changing the culture.
…There were times where I thought, I can’t do this! I am too much of an empath to run a business! There has all been times that I felt like crashing out on social media as well, but one thing I can say is that running this type of unconventional business has made my skin resilient. Jasmine has been a crucial part in the growth and success of our fitness festivals; we truly are a balanced team. She has shown me how to keep going despite how I or others feel about what we are doing.
Once I stopped caring and trying to control how people saw me and this business, that’s when I really started to thrive and the relationship between my business partner and I got better.
What we are trying to do is change the culture of fitness, and the current culture of fitness is “a dog-eat-dog type of world”. We are literally telling the community to collaborate without looking for money in return. That’s a tough ask. But we don’t believe in competition, we believe in collaborating, and we believe that collaborating is the wave of the fitness future, and it will result in more benefits than the community could ever imagine.
You can’t really think how this serves me, or what is in it for me when you are building community, you have to think how the community can be stronger and benefit everybody!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We organized fitness events and fitness festivals. We are the creators behind Peak City Fitness Festival, Triangle Yoga Festival, Fitness Networking for fitness and wellness pros, and Fitness Speed Dating. We create and curate the best fitness events in Wake County, by making the fun, accessible, and building community amongst coaches, trainers, politicians, and gyms/studios.
Relationship building and community building, we do it like no one else. We believe in collaboration not competition, we aren’t a brick in motor nor or we are seeking clients or memberships at this time, we are literally providing spaces for people to come together fitness, networking, eat healthy, and have the time of their lives.
I am proud of how this idea has blossomed to what it has today. We are changing the culture of fitness, and I feel like we are leading the way.
What’s next?
Our plan for the future is branching out to other towns and cities and taking our events to the next level. We would love to partner with businesses in Raleigh and even in the Town of Raleigh to bring something really cool and exciting to the city!
While I can’t say everything, what can I say is that we are growing and we are committed to elevating our brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.peakfitevents.com and www.factsforyouth.com
- Instagram: @peakfitevents, @_factsforyouth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnessfestnc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vianka-cotton-912aa554/
