Recently, I spoke with Natalie Horner, a dedicated rural startup mentor with Startup Colorado and SCAPE, and owner of Peppered Labs, a B2B marketing company based in Durango, Colorado. From Midwest roots to rural Colorado, Natalie’s journey includes several diverse entrepreneurial ventures, extensive experience in different facets of the marketing industry, and a deep passion for supporting the startup community. Natalie speaks to the importance of embracing creativity, adapting to change, and the invaluable role of mentorship and support, especially in emerging rural communities.
The Interview:
The Early Days: From Design to Brand and Marketing Strategy
Griffin Connolly: So, Mrs. Horner, let’s start with your background. You have a degree in graphic design, which has clearly influenced your career path. Can you tell us a bit about that and how it led you to where you are today?
Natalie Horner: Sure! My formal education is in graphic design and photography. It was during my early career that I became interested in marketing and startups. I was fascinated with the strategic side of things—how design can drive engagement and growth in business. I worked at small agencies and startups, where I learned a lot about the interplay between design and strategy. Eventually, I ventured into entrepreneurship. I’ve had a couple of ventures, but now I own and operate Peppered Labs, my latest endeavor.
Griffin Connolly: That’s quite a journey. Looking back, Peppered Labs is your second marketing business. Can you compare your experience now to when you started your first business in 2016?
Natalie Horner: When I started The Collaborative Design in 2016, I was transitioning out of a traditional agency role in Denver. I knew my value and figured I could run my own business by bringing in contractors and experts. However, at that time, I was still stuck in the traditional agency model—retainers, large scopes of work, and not being clear on who my ideal clients were. I ended up working with clients in consumer spaces, e-commerce, and B2B and found that relationship-oriented companies that were seeking growth were where I was able to provide the most value.
With Peppered Labs, I decided to work exclusively in the B2B space—industries like construction, manufacturing, engineering, and tech. What’s different now is that I no longer operate on a retainer model. Instead, I take on one client at a time, allowing me to deliver high-quality work without the back-and-forth that’s common in agency setups. It’s about focus, not speed.
From Design Skills to Entrepreneurial Success
Griffin Connolly: It’s interesting that you’ve taken such a unique approach. Do you think your graphic design degree played a role in your success as an entrepreneur?
Natalie Horner: It’s definitely been helpful. While I don’t believe it’s a prerequisite to own an agency, having a design degree has allowed me to understand the fundamentals of design thinking and envisioning multiple solutions to one problem. In my past roles, like when I was a marketing director leading a team of designers, it was advantageous to know how design works. But more than the technical side, design teaches you creative problem-solving—thinking about solutions from different angles. That’s a skill that’s been invaluable in my entrepreneurial journey. Whether it’s a design challenge or a business problem, I apply that out-of-the-box thinking to find the best solutions.
The Importance of Community
Griffin Connolly: You’ve mentioned pivoting to a B2B model. Being based in a smaller town, how has the community aspect played a role in your entrepreneurship?
Natalie Horner: Community is everything, especially in B2B. It’s not just about sales; it’s about relationships, especially from entrepreneur to entrepreneur. Being part of a strong network helps you grow, stretch, and become a better leader. COVID taught us all how much we need that community. I’ve been part of entrepreneurial groups, and I mentor others now. I mentor young entrepreneurs, run workshops, and I’m also a state mentor for Colorado. It’s about giving back as much as receiving support.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking laterally to a partner, above to a mentor, or if you are the mentor, that circular community aspect should always be present. We need to seek it out in every phase of our lives because it makes us better.
Griffin Connolly: Can you talk more about your mentorship through the organizations you’re involved with, like the Startup Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs (SCAPE) and Startup Colorado? Why are they important to you?
Natalie Horner: I grew up in rural Kentucky. I did a lot of international travel and lived in a lot of cities as a young adult, but coming back to a rural community in Colorado felt like coming home. SCAPE and Startup Colorado are focused on helping rural entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Startup Colorado, in particular, empowers entrepreneurs in rural communities by providing the connections, resources, and support needed to build thriving businesses. I joined these organizations to support others in any way I can, whether it’s running workshops, speaking at West Slope Startup Week, volunteering, or meeting one-on-one with entrepreneurs. It’s important to me because rural communities often don’t have the same resources that larger cities do.
While more mature businesses are my key demographic professionally with Peppered Labs, my heart and soul will always be with the startup community.
Griffin Connolly: Looking back on your entrepreneurial journey, especially when you transitioned from The Collaborative Design to Peppered Labs, is there anything you would have done differently?
Natalie Horner: If I could go back, I would have found a great mentor early on. When I was running Collaborative Design, I didn’t have that kind of support. Now, I have an amazing mentor, and it’s been game-changing. Mentorship is invaluable—it gives you perspective, feedback, and support when you need it most.
The Challenges and Fulfillment of Entrepreneurship
Griffin Connolly: Can you speak to what you have found most fulfilling about your entrepreneurial journey?
Natalie Horner: For me, it’s the creativity. I love creating something out of nothing, and entrepreneurship is very much that. Whether it’s a new business or a new brand for a client, entrepreneurship allows you to listen to the market, identify opportunities, and build something that meets a need. It’s rewarding to see the fruits of your labor, and even more so when you can say you built something with the help of your community, mentors, and your own hard work.
Griffin Connolly: What are some of the struggles you’ve faced in your journey and what did you learn from those experiences?
Natalie Horner: Well, in 2016 I started a cold-pressed juice business in Kentucky. It was a partnership with my brother, and we saw an opportunity in a market that wasn’t saturated yet. The timing was perfect, and we had early success. But to scale it, we would have needed outside capital, franchising, and long-term financial commitments that I wasn’t ready for. In the end, I decided to walk away. It wasn’t the right path for me.
That experience taught me a lot about marketing, grassroots efforts, and knowing when to move on. Don’t be so stubborn you try to force something to work when it’s not. It takes a lot of courage to bow out. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one for my life at the time, and an invaluable experience.
The Role of AI and Future Trends
Griffin Connolly: As someone who has worked in the marketing industry for many years in different capacities, what trends have you noticed since you first started? How is the landscape changing?
Natalie Horner: The biggest change is AI. It’s everywhere, and it’s changing how we work. AI allows us to do bulk production faster, but the key is still having a solid human-driven strategy at the forefront. You can use AI to scale and reach more people, but true creativity and problem-solving will always require a human touch.
There is also an ever-rising trend towards the importance of niching down and having a specialty. Becoming a true expert in your niche allows you to duplicate your systems and processes and leverage tools like AI to scale faster and reach more people.
Griffin Connolly: Do you think AI could ever fully replace human-driven marketing, or is that personal interaction always going to be important?
Natalie Horner: I think personal interaction will always be important. People value authenticity and trust, and that comes from human connection. If a brand tries to disguise a bot as a human, it feels misleading. But if you’re transparent on your website—like saying, “Hey, I’m a bot, but I’m here to help”—that builds trust. AI is a tool, but it’s the human creativity behind it that makes the difference.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Griffin Connolly: One final question for you: I run a Student Launch Club at school, if you could give us one piece of advice as aspiring entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Natalie Horner: Find a good mentor, or more than one! And don’t be afraid to experiment and iterate. Just because your first venture may or may not be a massive success doesn’t mean it’s your only shot. Write down your vision, seek out people who have done what you want to do – or something similar, and learn from them. The worst thing someone can say is, “I don’t have time.” But if they say yes, the insights you’ll gain are priceless.
Griffin Connolly: I appreciate that insight. Thank you so much for your time today.
Natalie Horner: You are so welcome. Good luck with everything Griffin!
Read my interview with Kate Sieker, supporting the entrepreneurial community in Phoenix, AZ here.