Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Bode.
Hi Kim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I’m kidding, although I did have a mild obsession with Star Wars as a kid. What young girl didn’t have a crush on Hans Solo? Also, lightsabers are cool.
I digress. My story started in West Michigan and continues to unfold here. Although it may seem strange to some, I never felt the urge to leave the state. Truth be told, my path started very differently. I planned to enlist in the military and get a degree in criminal justice. A series of unfortunate or fortunate accidents occurred, and I ended up pursuing a degree in communications and public relations at GVSU.
When I started 8THIRTYFOUR, after working as a marketing director for a community-driven initiative for 7 years, it was because I wanted to lead and be responsible for my own path, not rely on others for my career advancement. I was also in my late 20s and thought I knew everything.
I hit my first stumbling block, more like a mountain, when my marriage fell apart. I knew I couldn’t support myself on only 8THIRTYFOUR alone. I had to close the doors before they were even fully open.
I went to work for someone who embodied everything wrong with West Michigan’s business community at the time—an old boy, one of the club’s original founders (or so it seemed), where women were not welcome. To this day, that is the only boss who ever made me cry; it was brutal.
I made the most of my time there and planned an event honoring First Lady Betty Ford, someone I looked up to. Did you know she was the first public figure to speak about breast cancer openly? I have a picture of her in front of a mobile mammography unit. She traveled the country to educate women about the risks. She also spoke openly of her struggles with addiction; she was a force.
I left the organization soon after the event, and get this—I worked for a marketing agency. I lasted there about seven months before the strong, terrifying women in my circle knocked some sense into me and told me to return to where I belonged – 8THIRTYFOUR.
I consider 8THIRTYFOUR the David to all the Goliaths out there. We’re the little guy taking on the big bad behemoth and shaking our fists at all the bullies in this world.
I’ve had people advise me on how I approach marketing and social injustice: “Don’t show them your hand. Keep things close to the chest. Don’t make yourself a target. Don’t jeopardize your business/revenue.” I know it’s well-meaning, but I didn’t start 8THIRTYFOUR to play it safe, to toe the line, or to do the easy thing. It’s just not who I am, and it isn’t the legacy I want for myself or the agency.
We dream big, take massive swings, and fight like hell – both for our client’s success and for what’s right.
Sometimes, being a leader means being the one who stands up first, who says what everyone else is thinking but is afraid to say. It means choosing the right thing over the easy thing, even when it costs you, even when it’s scary, especially when it’s scary.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh boy, where to start…
My story is full of bumps and giant potholes. If running a business was easy, everyone would do it. Being a business owner is incredibly lonely. I am reminded of this daily when I have no one but myself to turn to when it comes to tough decisions. No one cuts you slack, and no one cares about your ‘feelings’.
Your significant other will not know the crushing pressure you feel when looking at finances, dealing with employee issues, clients, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, insurance, telephones, equipment, technology, property management, growth, culture…you get the drift. They will say you internalize things and you need better work/life balance. They don’t understand it doesn’t exist when you own a business. The business doesn’t stop because you have decided you need a vacation or a ‘timeout.’
This loneliness led me to make one of the worst decisions in my life. I trusted the wrong person, and it backfired spectacularly, so much so I am dealing with it 2 years after things came to light. It has hurt me financially, emotionally, mentally, and it almost cost me my company.
Lots of well-meaning people suggested it might be time for me to pack it in, become a “consultant,” sell the 8THIRTYFOUR building, and give up. They may not have said “give up,” but that’s what I heard. If I did what they advised, then this person would win; they would succeed in destroying something I spent half my life building.
Small business owners are an odd group; most of us are pretty humble and unforgiving of ourselves when we make a mistake. On the flip side, we’re stubborn and will move forward in the face of ridiculous odds.
So here I sit, 16+ years after starting 8THIRTYFOUR, being interviewed about this crazy ride I’ve been on. It includes divorce, the loss of the 834 home (what the business is named for), embezzlement, death and more.
You will always make mistakes, but how you deal with failure will define you.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We like to call ourselves rebels with a cause.
8THIRTYFOUR isn’t here to play it safe. We’re the David staring down the Goliaths of marketing, shaking our fists at the bullies and breaking all the rules.
We disrupt outdated marketing approaches, get real results, and advocate for businesses who power our economy (while rarely getting the credit they deserve). It’s why we- threw out hourly billing; we don’t count minutes—we deliver results. Our model is simple: focus on impact, not invoices. We’re paid to solve problems, not to clock time. This means we’re laser-focused on what matters most—your success.
We specialize in:
– Branding that tells the truth
– PR that cuts through the noise
– Digital marketing with real impact
– Strategies built on genuine connections
We didn’t start this agency to play it safe or toe the line. We’re here to stand up, speak out, and fight like hell for what’s right. Some call us underdogs. We call it doing business the only way we know how – with everything we’ve got.
From startups to established brands, we’re more than an agency. We’re a voice for those who need one.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Since, I can’t pick just one, I’ll share my top 4.
1. If Everyone Likes You, You’re Doing it Wrong: This has been and continues to be the hardest lesson or reality for me to come to grips with. There are people who don’t like me, and some of it is warranted. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, as we all do. Part of being a business owner is admitting it and doing better.
I’m vocal, opinionated, blunt, and absolutely not afraid to stand up for what I believe in or call out injustice when I see it…and that pisses people off. They draw conclusions that I am callous, cold, mean, and hate children. Only one of those is true.
When you own a business, you have to make the best decisions for that business, and those decisions can be absolutely brutal.
You’re going to have to get used to people not liking you. It’s part of the gig.
2. Surround Yourself With the Truthtellers: I have friends who tell me to get my head out of my a**. These are the truthtellers, the ones who won’t shy away from the hard conversations. They’ll give you guidance, hand you a glass of wine when you need it, and sit with you when things seem unbearable.
3. Avoid the Numbness: You need to feel things, and at times, you need to grieve. If you can let someone go and not feel anything, you’re in trouble. It’s supposed to be hard, and you should be seriously upset about it. These are human issues. People are involved, and you’re irrevocably impacting their lives. It doesn’t mean you’re making the wrong decision; it means you’re affecting another life. That’s serious.
4. Celebrate: Ironically, this is the hardest for me. It’s hard to celebrate when you can’t get past the mistakes and failures. Stop being so hard on yourself, the best thing you can do is look forward. Accept the past, learn from it, take time to acknowledge, and if you can, celebrate the good stuff. Life is too short to live in pessimism.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.8thirtyfour.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bode834
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8thirtyfour
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbode/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@8THIRTYFOUR
- Other: https://www.smallbizmusings.com/
