Meet Kimberly DeShields-Spencer of UImpact in Frisco

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly DeShields-Spencer.

Kimberly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I began my entrepreneurial journey nearly 22 years ago, I was young, excited, scared and ready to take on the challenge before me.  There was a woman in my life who desired to be a professional speaker. I didn’t know that world at all, but I was ready to learn. As I dove in, I began to meet some of the most amazing people, and I became a sponge soaking up as much as I could to help her become a known speaker.  Within one year, I went from 1 client to 15 professional speakers. By the end of year 3, I was working with 45 professional speakers. At that time, I built  a professional speaker management agency that found and contracted speaking engagements for our clients. We also handled all their marketing, branding, travel arrangements, book orders, pursued press-related opportunities, organized press tours, and managed their calendars for them.

It was a great business and my love of helping people define, create, and own their voices through their branding and marketing really excited me. However, I realized that by handling everything for our clients, we placed them at a disadvantage. They never saw our processes. They did not know how to position themselves in their own markets. Essentially, they did not really understand how we did what we did. While we were highly successful, I realized that going forward I wanted to make sure any client I work with will know how to effectively brand and market themselves. I knew I needed to pivot.

That realization propelled me into the best decision I have ever made, which was launching UImpact. However, this time I wanted to show my clients how to craft, hone, and market themselves. But instead of doing this in the standard cookie-cutter way, I wanted to base things on who each client is.  I have learned the more your business reflects who you are, the more you shine, grow, challenge yourself, and take ownership in what you are building. So, we are a leading branding and marketing agency for corporations and businesses who want original and creative branding/marketing solutions that are intellectually provocative and impossible for clients to ignore or forget. The goal I strive for with each client we work with is to ensure they know they matter and that what they are putting out in the world matters.

Additionally, we specialize in constructing, elevating, and monetizing brands to reach outstanding awareness and actualization. We love to be interactive and hands-on with you through our process. I learned that when starting out, the more we know our clients, the better we can understand their voices. Through our strategic consulting services, creative expertise, and experiential events, we help you build influence, maximize impact, and ultimately design a brand that matters in your field.

I wouldn’t change anything for the journey I have been on and still am on. Naming my company UImpact defines who I am as well. I want to make a real impact in each person’s life that I am meant to work with. That is my goal and daily intention.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Easy? Oh no! I’ve had some struggles along the way-and at each level of growth, new struggles are presented.

I’ve had to learn a few lessons. One of the most important ones I’ve come to understand is I can either listen to what people tell me I should be doing, or I can listen to what feels right for me. When it comes to marketing, I’ve had to learn to adapt the method to fit my voice and style. In doing that, I may approach solutions differently than others, but I approach them in ways that represent who I am.

Another lesson I learned is to never measure where I am by where someone else is. Your journey in business is your own. I had to understand that my obstacles, wins, losses, and disappointments were all necessary to help sharpen my way of thinking and implementing. It was never about how fast I arrived. My journey necessitates focusing on what I learn and how I develop along the way. Once I really understood that, I approached my struggles with new insight. I knew that struggling-whether it was learning new processes, dealing with “interesting” people, experiencing failed launches, losing contracts I really wanted, or whatever-was necessary.

Lastly, I learned the value of knowing about every single process that takes place in your business. Early on, someone stole an enormous amount of money from me (a former team member). People I’d hired for their skill stole content from me because I didn’t know what they were doing. So, I made sure that I armed myself with the knowledge of how to run all aspects of my company, so I had a working understanding of what to do. This literally saved my business in the early years. Yes, I still hire people who are proficient in areas I am not, but I always make sure I have a working knowledge of that area.

If I may say this-don’t look for a smooth road. A bumpy road helps to inform your growth and brings things out of you that you never thought were there. My greatest lessons have been forged in the struggles I’ve experienced. I went from being a really introverted person to being someone who is comfortable dealing with hard situations. I had to grow. I had to push past insecurities. That came with a bumpy road. Instead of looking for the easy road, focus on the journey ahead of you-regardless of what is presented.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I can say that we are more than your standard marketing company. We care more about you, your vision, your goals, and what you desire to put in the world. Yes, logos, branding and all that stuff are important, but we start with understanding who you are. UImpact is a branding and marketing agency for businesses and organizations that want to enhance their visibility, grow into new markets, develop a brand image, and scale their current position. We believe that any agency can make you look good. We want to make you matter. It is our goal to create compelling brand and marketing solutions that are designed around the voice of your business. We believe in creating persuasive, compelling, evocative brands that stake a claim, take a position, and have an opinion.

By nature, I am very strategic, and I am a firm believer in implementation (so if you are not ready to do the work, we may not be a great fit for you). Through our brand strategy services, results in pragmatic business solutions are achieved. These solutions help clients who have struggled with challenges including: launching a new brand, repositioning an existing brand in a crowded market, audience development, and organizing a portfolio of brands or products.

• We develop relevant, tangible, solutions through:
  Brand Positioning
  Launch Strategy
  Content Development & Strategy
  Brand Voice and Messaging
  Cultivating Visual Markers
  Brand Architecture

We have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of creatives, nonprofits, and businesses over the last 20+ years. Some of the ways we work with clients are through: consulting and hosting experiential events that are also educational and full of substance that yields results. Lastly, I would say we are known for being a company that cares about each of our clients and their experiences-and we emphasize personalizing the experience of working with us to each of them.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
To be honest with you, I don’t believe in luck. I feel that God has really blessed me with the gifts He’s given me to build the type of business and life I have.

I was once asked this very question by a dear friend. She said she wished she had my “luck” when it came to business. She said I was “lucky” to have the life I have with my family and business.

I told her there was no luck at all. I shared with her that I get up every morning at 4:45am and I spend time with God praying for my family, my friends, and each client I work with individually. I spend time writing down anything that is laid on my heart and then I get to work. There are great days and there are not-so-great days. Some of my plans work and some fail miserably. Contracts I think I will win may go to someone who is more well-known than I am. There is no luck and no special formula.

I have learned that you have to stay in your lane and really grow within the gifts that you are given-no matter what. When you jump around trying to make things work that are not a part of your gifts-that is where frustration and disappointments show up.

I believe you must grow where you are planted. Don’t lean on luck-work on the skills you have and grow the ones that you need sharpen. When you grow your skills, you will start to attract what is meant for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.uimpact.net
• Phone: 469-305-2624
• Email: info@uimpact.net
• Instagram: @KimberlyUImpact
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KimberlyUImpact

Image Credit:
Fixed Focus Productions
Ashley Strong Photography

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