Interviewee
Misty Dykema
Simantel Co-Owner and Principal
Misty Dykema is Co-Owner and Principal of Simantel, an award-winning industrial consumer marketing firm, where she’s led teams for 18 years with a single creed: Really good marketing requires really brave leadership.
Name 1 fun fact about you, your agency, or market, that people might find interesting?
Our agency has been around for over 40 years, but the majority of our growth has happened over the past five. Since 2019, we’ve gone from 66 employees in five states, to 159 local and remote employees in 22 states (and counting)!
What were your two greatest accomplishments of 2023?
Our growth didn’t slow down in 2023. We deepened our commitment to Customer Experience by bringing on a Director of CX and expanded our service lines. We also officially outgrew our office – so we expanded into a second location that doubled physical office space and is just steps away.
Name the best things about being an Indie! (Independent Agency)
Our leadership team actually gets to be involved in the daily work. Many of our leaders started as writers, designers, project managers, researchers. They learned the advertising business from the inside and continue to carry that expertise into creating all-star customer experiences for our clients. It’s not uncommon to find them leading a workshop, spit balling a concept or even mocking up a design.
Additionally, through AMIN, we get to have the reach of a global agency, but are able to stay nimble and flexible to quickly meet clients’ needs. No shareholders, no hierarchy, no nonsense.
What do you wish clients could better understand to get the most out of their agency partner?
We know that our clients are being asked to do everything and to be everything to everyone. We understand they need both a 3-year roadmap and to get a quick campaign into market. And as their partners, we are here to work alongside them and make these things happen. When we’re involved in the strategic planning and budgeting process with our client’s team, it allows us to identify gaps and make sure they get the most out of their marketing dollars. And those are the partnerships that really thrive.
What does AMIN’s Mantra, “You’ve Got Allies”, mean to you in your own words?
It means having real, authentic partners – in the work, who are there to help you grow and who have your back. And we’re more than just colleagues – we’re friends. We know what sports each other’s kids play, we celebrate personal and professional achievements, we share wins (as well as failures) to learn together along the way. It’s so much more than paying to put a logo on a website. It’s the truest definition of collaboration.
What inspires you most as we move into 2024?
We’re excited this year to look within ourselves and our brand – to acknowledge and celebrate the dynamic truths that exist all around (and within) us and our clients – and to build connections between them to come up with something great. Our clients’ needs have become more and more complex (as marketers and as humans) so we’re getting really intentional this year about tapping into the many unique elements that, when they come together, can build something exceptional.
Would you rather be transported 500 years into the future OR 500 years into the past, and why?
Hot take: we’d stay in the present! The world is a better place now than it was 500 years ago – especially for women and minority populations (Simantel wouldn’t be where we are today otherwise). And we can’t even imagine what kind of new technology we’ll all be dependent on in 500 years. We’re living in a really exciting time now and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Your Network Of Allies
With AMIN, you don’t have to go it alone. You can gain global and local insight, tap into extensive industry experience, find help on the ground in major markets across the globe and, crucially, stay up to date on emerging trends. You can even have an opportunity to gain new clients. All of this is within reach – quickly, seamlessly and efficiently.
