Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly DeShields-Spencer.
Hi Kimberly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Honestly, I think I came out of the womb business-minded. (Laughs.) I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t trying to sell something, build something, or figure out a better way to do something.
I was the kid with the lemonade stand, the lawn mowing business, the babysitting business—you name it. If there was an opportunity to earn a dollar or create something, I was all in. Looking back now, I realize I wasn’t just trying to make money. I genuinely loved the process of building. I loved coming up with ideas, figuring out how to market them, talking to people, and watching something grow from nothing.
By the time I was old enough to choose a high school, I intentionally enrolled in one that specialized in business, technology, and innovation because I already knew entrepreneurship was where I wanted my life to go. While some people were still trying to figure out what they wanted to be, I was already thinking about what I wanted to build.
Since then, I honestly can’t think of a single season of my life where I wasn’t involved in business in some way. It’s never just been my career—it’s part of who I am. I’ve always been fascinated by strategy, branding, marketing, leadership, and especially community building. I love helping people see possibilities they didn’t see before. I love taking an idea that’s just sitting on a piece of paper and helping turn it into something real.
My first professional business was a speaker agency, and it was an incredible experience. I had the privilege of representing professional speakers across the country and helping organizations find the right voices for their events. It was successful, and I learned so much—not just about business, but about people, relationships, and what it takes to build trust.
Over time, though, something shifted. I realized I didn’t just want to spend my career finding speaking opportunities for people. I wanted to help people learn how to create those opportunities for themselves. I wanted them to understand how to position themselves, build their brands, communicate their value, and create influence that didn’t depend on someone else opening a door.
That realization became UImpact, and nearly three decades later it’s still the foundation of everything I do.
As I worked with entrepreneurs, executives, authors, and organizations over the years, I kept noticing new needs. I met brilliant women who were building incredible businesses, yet hardly anyone knew who they were. I met people with life-changing stories who didn’t know how to tell them. I met young girls who were incredibly capable but needed someone to help them see what was possible before the world told them what they couldn’t do.
I’ve never been someone who creates businesses just to have multiple businesses. Every company I’ve built has been born out of a problem I kept seeing over and over again.
Behind Her Brand was created because women deserved more visibility, stronger connections, and a community that genuinely wanted to see them succeed.
UImpact Publishing Group was created because I believe stories change lives, and too many important stories never get told.
SheCan Academy was created because I believe confidence, leadership, and purpose should be cultivated long before young women enter adulthood.
When people ask me what I do, it’s actually a difficult question to answer because the businesses look different on the outside. But at their core, they’re all doing the same thing.
I help people build.
Sometimes that’s building a business. Sometimes it’s building a brand. Sometimes it’s building confidence, leadership, community, or a legacy.
When I look back over the last 30 years, I don’t see a collection of different companies. I see one mission expressed in different ways—to help people recognize their value, build something meaningful, and create an impact that lasts long after they’re gone. And honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t know that entrepreneurship is ever meant to be a smooth road. If it is, I’d love to meet the person who’s had that experience. (Laughs.)
Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve had seasons where everything seemed to click, and I’ve had seasons where I wondered what in the world I was supposed to do next. The biggest challenge hasn’t been building businesses. I’ve always loved building. The harder part has been carrying the weight that comes with being the person responsible—for your family, your clients, your team, and the people who believe in what you’re creating.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last 30 years is that entrepreneurship is really a journey of reinvention. The business that serves people today isn’t always the business they’ll need tomorrow. Markets change. Technology changes. The economy changes. People’s needs change. If you’re going to stay relevant, you have to be willing to evolve.
I’ve reinvented myself more times than I can count. I’ve shifted business models, launched new companies, closed chapters that no longer aligned with where I was going, and built entirely new solutions based on what I was seeing in the marketplace. None of that is easy, especially when you’ve invested years into something. But I’ve learned that sometimes letting go of what was successful yesterday is what makes room for what’s possible tomorrow.
I’ve also learned that success doesn’t make you immune to hardship. I’ve navigated economic downturns, changing industries, personal challenges, and seasons where I questioned whether I had anything left to give. There were moments when I had to make difficult decisions, start over in certain areas, and trust that everything I had learned wasn’t lost—it was preparing me for what was next.
Another lesson has been learning not to tie my identity to my business. When you’re passionate about your work, it’s easy to let your business define you. But businesses will have good years and hard years. They’ll grow, pivot, and sometimes struggle. If your identity rises and falls with your business, it’s an exhausting way to live.
I’ve also had moments where I questioned myself. Every entrepreneur does. You wonder if you’re making the right decision, whether you’re pivoting too soon or not soon enough, whether people still see the value in what you’re building. But I’ve learned those questions don’t necessarily mean you’re failing. More often than not, they’re an invitation to grow.
Looking back, I wouldn’t erase the difficult seasons, even if I could. They’ve taught me resilience, strengthened my faith, and reminded me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about continuing to move forward with integrity, learning as you go, and being willing to reinvent yourself without losing sight of your purpose.
At the end of the day, I don’t think my story is about building businesses. It’s about building through change. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that reinvention isn’t a sign that you’ve failed. Sometimes it’s the very thing that allows you to keep fulfilling the purpose you were called to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Behind Her Brand really started with a simple observation.
For years, I had the opportunity to meet some of the most incredible women—business owners, executives, nonprofit leaders, authors, and women doing amazing work in their communities. Time after time, I found myself thinking, “Why doesn’t anyone know about her?”
It wasn’t that these women lacked talent or experience. They just didn’t always have the visibility, the connections, or the platform to share what they were doing. I knew there had to be a better way.
That’s how Behind Her Brand was born.
People often think we’re just a magazine, but we’re really so much more than that. The magazine is one piece of what we do, but our heart has always been about building a community where women can learn from one another, encourage one another, collaborate, and grow together.
Everything we do is centered around helping women become more visible, more confident, and more connected. Sometimes that happens through a feature in our magazine. Sometimes it’s through one of our networking events, leadership programs, workshops, publishing opportunities, or simply introducing two women who should know each other.
I’ve always believed that relationships can change the trajectory of a business—and sometimes even a life.
I also think what makes Behind Her Brand different is that we’ve never tried to create a community built on competition. There is enough comparison in the world already. Our goal has always been to create a place where women genuinely celebrate one another, open doors for one another, and recognize that someone else’s success doesn’t diminish our own.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built over the years. I’ve watched women meet through Behind Her Brand and become business partners, clients, mentors, collaborators, and lifelong friends. Those are the moments that remind me why this work matters.
At the end of the day, we happen to publish a magazine, host events, recognize outstanding women, and provide opportunities for visibility—but that’s not really what we do.
What we really do is help women recognize the value they already have, give them a platform to share it with others, and remind them they don’t have to build their dreams alone.
If someone walks away from Behind Her Brand feeling more confident, more connected, and more encouraged than they were before they found us, then I know we’ve done what we set out to do.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That’s a hard question because I don’t think there’s just one lesson. Every season teaches you something different. But when I look back over the last three decades, there are a few things that have completely changed the way I think about business and leadership.
The first is that your purpose is bigger than your current season.
When we’re in the middle of a difficult season, it’s easy to think, “Maybe I missed it,” or, “Maybe this is the end.” I’ve had moments where I questioned what I was building, where doors closed unexpectedly, where things I had poured years into didn’t turn out the way I thought they would. At the time, those moments felt like failures.
Looking back, I see them very differently.
Most of those seasons weren’t endings at all. They were invitations to grow, to rethink, to let go of what no longer fit, and to build something new. That’s why I often say entrepreneurship is really a journey of reinvention. The mission may stay the same, but how you fulfill that mission will likely change many times throughout your life.
I’ve had to reinvent myself more than once, and if I’m honest, reinvention isn’t always exciting. Sometimes it’s exhausting. Sometimes it means admitting that what worked five years ago isn’t working anymore. Sometimes it means walking away from something you loved because you’ve outgrown it or because the people you’re called to serve need something different.
But I’ve learned not to fear change. I’ve learned to ask, “What is this season trying to teach me?” instead of, “Why is this happening to me?”
Another lesson I’ve learned is that people matter more than strategy.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I love strategy. I could talk about branding, marketing, positioning, and business growth all day long. But after 30 years, I can tell you that the greatest opportunities in my life didn’t come because I had the perfect business plan. They came because of relationships.
The people who trusted me. The people who believed in me. The people who opened doors, encouraged me during difficult seasons, challenged me to think differently, or simply reminded me not to quit.
You can build a business on transactions, but you build a legacy through relationships.
I’ve also learned not to tie my identity to what I do.
When you’ve spent most of your life building businesses, it’s very easy to let your work define you. You celebrate the wins, and when things don’t go well, you feel like you’ve somehow failed as a person.
I’ve had to learn that my business is something I steward, but it’s not who I am.
That’s been one of the healthiest shifts I’ve ever made because businesses have seasons just like people do. There are seasons of growth, seasons of waiting, seasons where everything feels exciting, and seasons where you’re wondering if anyone even sees what you’re building. If your identity rises and falls with every season, you’ll spend your life on an emotional roller coaster.
One lesson I wish every entrepreneur understood is that success isn’t about avoiding setbacks. It’s about learning how to keep moving through them.
Some of my greatest lessons didn’t come from my biggest successes. They came from disappointment. They came from ideas that didn’t work. They came from difficult conversations, financial pressure, unexpected obstacles, and moments where I had to completely rethink what was next.
Those experiences taught me humility. They taught me resilience. They taught me to listen more, assume less, and hold my plans with open hands.
And finally, I’ve learned that faith and action belong together.
I’m a woman of faith, and I believe deeply in prayer. But I also believe prayer should move us into action. I’ve learned to trust God while still doing the work—showing up, learning, adapting, serving people well, and being faithful with what’s in front of me. Sometimes we spend so much time waiting for clarity that we never take the next step. More often than not, I’ve found that clarity comes while you’re moving, not while you’re standing still.
When I look back over the last 30 years, I realize that the businesses I’ve built aren’t the thing I’m most proud of. It’s the person I’ve become while building them.
Business has taught me perseverance. It’s taught me compassion. It’s taught me to celebrate other people’s success, to stay curious, to keep learning, and to never become so attached to one way of doing things that I’m unwilling to grow.
If someone asked me what the greatest lesson has been, I think I’d simply say this: Don’t be afraid to outgrow the version of yourself that got you here. Honor that season. Be grateful for it. Learn from it. But don’t stay there if God is calling you to build something new.
That’s a lesson I’m still learning, and I hope I never stop.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behindherbrand.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindherbrand_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behindherbrand
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behindherbrand/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/behindherbrand
