Misty Dykema

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. Misty began her career in client service before migrating to strategy and business development. From there, she moved to head up the company’s emerging digital service lines, including paid media, development, analytics, and marketing automation. Today, she continues to take a leading role in business development, overseeing and facilitating executive alignment workshops and Simantel’s content and brand positioning. Along with fearlessly leading Simantel’s marketing efforts, Misty is an America’s Board Member for The Advertising and Marketing Independent Network (AMIN); a leader in Bradley University’s Alumni Alliance for the Theresa Falcon Executive MBA program; and a Board Member of Central Illinois’ American Red Cross Chapter, serving the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She also hosts the award-winning podcast, Marketing Sweats, where she interviews fellow marketing execs and community leaders on the heart, soul, and sweat that goes into getting marketing done right. Through the years, Misty’s full-hearted leadership has evolved the culture at Simantel: She’s a leader who encourages hard questions, vibrant collaboration, and, above all, vulnerability and trust. And with such a fierce team at her side, Misty and Simantel promise unparalleled client satisfaction by facilitating structured, collaborative conversations around intended outcomes (not just marketing goals). Her work begins and ends with the core belief that inspired ideas can change everything—but getting there requires fearless energy to do hard things. On a personal level, this is the work Misty loves to do and—as a self-described “lifer” at Simantel—intends to for a very long time. In 2022, Misty launched her own consulting practice, The Misty Effect, where she guides participants through a six-part program designed to help leaders achieve their greatest purpose by stepping into self-love. Misty now offers 1:1 coaching, cohort-based training, thought-provoking workbooks, group networking opportunities, and more. Her focus includes mentoring fellow executive leaders who want “more” out of life and work (and all the blurry intersections in between). Her personal areas of expertise include market research, communication strategy, branding, digital marketing, media, marketing automation, measurement strategy & analytics, and facilitation/training.