MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | KIMBERLY GRAHAM, CPSM
Posted on Jan. 18, 2024 / Member Spotlight / Subscribe 0
Meet Kimberly Graham, Marketing Director at RSC Architects and recently accredited CPSM. Read on to learn how Kimberly’s involvement in SMPS has helped advance her career and foster friendships, and hear what advice she has for new marketers and others interested in pursuing CPSM certification.
Tell us about yourself – where do you work and what is your role?
Kimberly Graham here! I’m the Director of Marketing at RSC Architects, a fifty-person architectural, interior design, and construction administration firm located in northern New Jersey, where I lead strategic pursuits, build brand awareness, champion marketing best practices, and manage the firm’s marketing efforts. I’ve been at RSC for three years now, and enjoy the fast-paced, diverse work I get to take on every day – a career I’ve grown into after over a decade in the industry at both mid-sized and international architecture and engineering firms.
I’m also an active member of the SMPS Mentorship Program and New Jersey Affiliate, recently achieved my Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) certification, and have served as a past New York Chapter board member/NJ Affiliate Director. You can even find me featured on a few episodes of SMPS New York’s “The Marketing Department” podcast – if you haven’t listened, go check it out!"
Kimberly spoke at the 2022 Northeast Regional Conference at Lake George on a panel entitled “So You Want to Start a Podcast: Steps to Make Your Thought Leadership Stream-Worthy.”
How did you get into marketing?
Like many SMPS members, I fell into the industry by chance – Marketing in the A/E/C world was not on my radar when I graduated college! I began working as an Administrative Assistant at an architecture firm after graduating during the recession. Because I had a degree in English literature, I quickly began filling in and writing cover letters or working on SF 330s (everyone’s favorite!) when an extra hand was needed, and my career took off from there. I really grew to love how being persuasive and compelling in proposals and marketing collateral could translate into project wins and new relationships.
Can you talk about a project or initiative you’re currently working on? What do you like most about it?
RSC has a long and impressive 50+ year history of providing architectural services within New Jersey, and there are so many stories to tell. I’m currently in the process of reimagining our website to authentically communicate our brand and share our processes, knowledge, and services. Storytelling is a big part of what I like to do as a marketer, so it’s been a fun project to manage!
I’ve been a member of SMPS since 2018, so five years total! My aunt, who is the whole reason I’m in the industry to begin with, told me countless stories about the fun she had at SMPS events and the lifelong friendships she made, but I didn’t know of any events more local than the broader New York City area. When a colleague suggested I join the Mentorship Program and show up to a New Jersey Affiliate event, I jumped at the chance to meet others whose careers looked like mine and who I could learn from. Fast forward five years and I can say I’ve pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, taken on leadership positions both within the organization and at work, advanced my career, and made my own group of lifelong friends – definitely the biggest benefits of my membership!
SMPS-NY Liberty Ball, 2022
You recently got your CPSM – congratulations! What impacted your decision to go for it, and what was that process like?
I learned about the CPSM process and the benefits of certification not too long after I joined SMPS and got involved in the New Jersey Affiliate in 2018. I always had it as a lofty goal, and put it off for a few years to explore a Director position and to serve on the SMPS board. Once my term was over, I knew that I had to continue the momentum of investing in myself both professionally and personally, so taking the exam became my next big effort. The process was intense! I really immersed myself in the Markendium material, participated in our Chapter’s Boot Camp, and devoted a full fifteen weeks to both comprehending the material and applying it at RSC. I really wanted to prove to myself that I could master the exam and become more well-rounded in my day-to-day by learning the aspects of marketing that were outside of my usual skillset.
I highly encourage anyone who is interested in pursuing their CPSM certification to join their local Chapter’s CPSM study group! The New York/Upstate New York Chapters’ Boot Camp was an invaluable resource – studying alone is of course necessary, but having a group of people to talk concepts out with and to discover new ways of remembering and processing information was crucial. The camaraderie – and commiserating! – made the process so much more manageable and rewarding.
Also, don’t give up when it gets tough. Power through, remember you’re investing in yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask others to fill in knowledge gaps and help you learn the material that is a bit foreign to you. Enjoy the learning process!
You are also a mentor in the SMPS NY Mentor Program, and you’ve been a protégé in previous years. What’s your favorite part about being in the program?
Just one favorite thing? That’s tough! The SMPS-NY Mentorship Program is the first “committee” of sorts I got involved in after becoming a member, even before joining in the New Jersey Affiliate fun. I keep coming back because each year the entire group, mentors and proteges alike, commit to helping one another, sharing professional insights, and building relationships – it’s really such an uplifting environment. It’s also been so beneficial to me to receive guidance from my mentors about my work experiences in a way that is unbiased and is focused on my professional growth and development, and to pay it forward with my proteges, who also teach me so much about the industry and how to be a better marketer. Definitely consider joining the program if you’re not a part of it already!
What are some of your interests outside of the marketing world?
For sure travel – I’ve enjoyed visiting the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Maine, and Aruba within the past year or two, and am looking to take some more road trips and add some more stamps to my passport in 2024. Another Kim fun fact – I always have at least two books in my purse at any given time! I’m always reading something fiction-based and something career-focused.
Lastly, do you have any advice for someone starting out their career in AEC marketing?
It’s hard not to ramble on this one, but I’d say get curious and ask questions to improve your skillset, get involved in a professional organization like SMPS, volunteer on committees, step outside of your comfort zone, and commit to continue learning throughout the course of your career!
NJ Affiliate Picnic
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