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Meet Dr. Contrecia Tharpe of neuIMC

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Contrecia Tharpe.

Dr. Tharpe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My start happened as a single mother. I was in my early twenties with a young child and had to decide how to provide financially for my household using the tools, skills, and contacts that I had. Switching from a professional makeup artist to a publicist and marketer was the decision I made. At that time, Nashville’s urban nightlife was HUGE and I secured a Titan as a client. What I was able to do for him in such a short time created an interest with several players and their agents on the team. From there, I was able to secure more athletes and musicians as clients and so began my journey.

Still, the makeup lover, my company, then, was called Dolce Belletto, which meant beautiful paint. I began working as a consultant for major labels and A&R reps across the south and midwest, developed a passion for small and medium businesses, and began creating a portfolio for overseas work. In 2016, I began working with the national museum as a client and was offered a full-time Marketing and Communications position there. Taking it meant I had to let go of my clients. I pondered. Asked Jesus. Talked to God. I conferred with my parents and boyfriend. I went back for a second chat with God and decided to take the job. It ended up being the biggest lesson as an entrepreneur and confirmation that working for a company with ineffective leadership was not for me.

So, here we are three years later and I am back with my agency, building, growing, educating, and planning for an amazing ten years. I have also started working as a consultant and coach for small businesses that may or may not have a substantial budget for the type of services that I offer. I operate as Contrecia Tanyae’ for those services.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Entrepreneurship is not an easy road at all. However, as tumultuous as the journey is, it is one of the most worthwhile things I have done in my life. I shared a quote on social media recently that said “Entrepreneurship has, seemingly, become synonymous with ease. Over the last seven months, I have watched countless pieces of content pressuring others to create something and start a business.” Society has correlated job freedom with ease and it is one of the falsest narratives. As an entrepreneur, you experience knockdowns, uncertainties, inconsistencies, unknowns, and so much more.

My biggest struggle, starting out, was consistency with finances. I went from working in finance at a local medical college, knowing that every two weeks a paycheck for a certain amount would be deposited into my account to having to rebalance and determine how to make things work. As time went on, struggles became having to adjust clients’ expectations based on what digital society perceived your position to be, competing against people who got in the field because it looked easy, and scaling a company in a very large industry. I would also say that I struggled with conveying and showcasing my accolades, achievements, and my capabilities due to fear of it coming off as egotistical, prideful, arrogant, and bragging. That struggle just ended. What I realized was that there was always going to be a person upset with the way you present yourself and what you have going on, but never dull your light because someone else forgot their sunglasses.

I reside, professionally and agency wise, in a very gray area. I am not a large agency or firm that has hundreds of staff and many satellite offices, nor am I a novice that doesn’t understand the industry. I have over a decade of experience and a portfolio that speaks to my abilities, expertise, and hardwork.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with neuIMC – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
neuIMC is a full-service marketing, branding, and communications agency based in Nashville, TN. Specializing in marketing, branding, communications, public relations strategy development, implementation & management, we charge ourselves, as an agency, to aid our clients in the acquisition and retention of their targeted demographic, the development of tailored strategies, efforts, and opportunities, and the obtainment of defined goals and objectives. We facilitate a relationship with our clients that provide a solid foundation to build the perfect brand. We are known for our ideation to implementation process where we work with small and medium businesses on idea crafting, strategy and campaign development, execution, and management.

As a business owner, I am most proud of the growth my clients see over time. What I tell people is that marketing, public relations, and branding are not overnight things. We live in a ‘give me now’ kind of society, but the best things take time and consistency. What’s a great idea to us may take weeks, months, or even years to catch on. If the owner of DoorBot had given up when he was told no by the sharks, we would not have Ring. And that is where my pride as a business owner and professional rests. Having my clients press on, even when the world is saying no, just to have the world say yes eventually because of the consistency, cohesiveness, and clarity provided by the services and strategy my agency provides or provided.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future include satellite offices in the eastern region of the United States and relaunching neuDigital, our influencer relations division, and neuSports. I am also looking to get on speaker circuits for marketing, branding, public relations, communications, business development and entrepreneurship, and leadership.

Besides neuIMC, I have partnered with my best friend, Robert Sherrill, and we have founded and started The DREAM (Decreasing Recidivism through Education and Mentorship) Initiative (DREAMi). DREAMi is a company focused on reentry, education, and supportive services. Robert is a returned citizen and after experiencing the many hardships and pitfalls of reentry, we crafted a curriculum called Transition Pathways that uncovers the topics and areas that increases the likelihood of recidivism. We provide this curriculum to juvenile detention facilities, jails, and prisons across the nation. Straying away from the negative ideology of recidivism, we, as a company, are focused on the ability to change, which is called resistance and will be holding our first Discovering Desistance Conference in October 2021.

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Image Credit:
Photos by Jonathan Snorten, Nashville

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