My name is Kimberley Davenport. I am located in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, I have a position in Strategic Marketing. I have been in my current position for the past 3 years. Prior this I was in a leadership position for 3 years. I decided to take a step back from leadership, when my husband and I started our family. I have been married for almost 8 years now. I am the proud mother of a 2 year old son and a 3 year old fur baby. One of the most unique things about me is that I love DIY-ing. We purchased our home just over 3 years ago, and we have slowly put our stamp on it. The joke around here is that most people think the power tools in the house belong to my husband. They don’t – they actually belong to me. Don’t get me wrong my husband is pretty handy but as far as doing full blown DIY projects, – let’s just say he won’t be the one running to the Home Depot. I just love the instant gratification you get from doing something on your own. Also, the money savings are a big incentive to make me try to D-I-H (Do It Herself).
A long time ago, when I was struggling with work life balance, my mentor said to me – “No matter how tired you feel…get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.” I am not sure where they got it from but it has been my guiding principle. So much so that I made a pillow for my guest chair in my office and decaled this quote on it. As a constant reminder. It just struck me that even on my worst day – when I am frustrated, or worried, or angry, or stressed – I still owe it to myself to do my very best. And if I do my very best, then that is all anyone can ask. And the undertone of this stays with me daily – faith, hope, and love. Without any of those things – I would not be me.
Now that I my life has settled down, I am ready to get back into leadership. I look forward to learning the global perspective of leadership. Our organization has grown tremendously the past few years, we have brick and mortar facilities in 3 foreign countries and many customers from other countries utilize our services. This has created a tremendous shift in our international operations and being able to think with the inclusion of a global mindset will be powerful for me.
It is great to have you in class Kimberly. I love the DIH acronym! I think you will enjoy this class as it seems to line up with your goals well. I look forward to working with you.
–Brian