Award-winning brand strategist Diamond Spikes, founder of DS Creative Design Studio, shares why great branding puts people first and data second. She and Taryell Simmons discuss making the customer the hero, building community loyalty, scheduling wellness before work, and how niching down helped her land six-figure retainers.
Welcome to this episode of Rise Urban Nation hosted by Taryell Simmons. In this dynamic conversation, we are joined by Diamond Spikes (Sanders), an award-winning brand strategist and founder of DS Creative Design Studio. Diamond shares her insights on empathetic branding, the power of putting people before data, and how creative entrepreneurs can niche down to scale their businesses sustainably.
Diamond sharing how childhood empathy toward her brother helped her understand the power of emotional connection.
The foundational rule of empathetic branding: putting people first and data second.
Analyzing Apple's brand narrative, where the customer is the hero and the company acts as a trusted guide.
The Lovecraft Country analogy demonstrating the necessity of laser focus through chaotic seasons.
How going viral with social media kits unlocked the path to multi-six-figure full branding retainers.
Empathetic Brand Strategy: Prioritizing human emotions and customer pain points before crafting visual assets to ensure long-term alignment and impact.
Target Audience Nuance: Segmenting communication across channels like LinkedIn and Instagram to reach diverse demographics without diluting brand voice.
Community Brand Loyalty: Cultivating deeply loyal customer relationships through consistent engagement, transparent live interactions, and shared cultural identity.
Intentional Life Design: Implementing rigorous time audits and scheduling personal wellness first so work adapts to life rather than overwhelming it.
Specialization and Scaling: Niching down into a specific offering or demographic to command market authority, eliminate competition, and elevate pricing.
Schedule personal wellness and major life priorities before allocating remaining calendar hours to business tasks.
Master a single specialized service to build undeniable market momentum before expanding your offerings.
Cultivate internal emotional stamina to navigate business valleys without losing sight of your core mission.
Position your customer as the central protagonist in your brand storytelling rather than focusing solely on features.
Diamond Spikes is an acclaimed creative entrepreneur, brand strategist, and founder of DS Creative Design Studio, recognized with the 2022 Best in Atlanta Award and featured in Vogue, Forbes, GMA, and Black Enterprise. A Spelman College alumna with a background in studio art, Diamond helps businesses cultivate deeply resonant identities through empathetic design. You can connect with her on Instagram at @TheDiamondSpikes, on LinkedIn as Diamond Spikes, and explore her services at https://dscreativedesignstudio.com.
Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. You all have a special treat today straight from Atlanta. Diamond is here. How are you doing this morning, Diamond?
Diamond Spikes: I am good. The weather is nice here.
Taryell Simmons: Diamond has a wealth of knowledge and experience in branding and design. She won Best in Atlanta in 2022 and has been featured in Black Enterprise, Vogue, Forbes, and Good Morning America. She is about to bring a million dollars worth of knowledge to us today. For the people who do not know, who is Diamond?
Diamond Spikes: That is a great question. My name is Diamond, and I recently got married, so my last name is now Spikes. I was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma, grew up abroad in Germany and in Louisiana, and spent the majority of my formative years in Atlanta since 1999.
Diamond Spikes: As a person, I am very empathic. As a baby, when my brother was depressed, I laid my head in his lap to bring him peace. As a teenager, I did not fully appreciate it, but as an adult woman, it allows me to understand how and why people connect. At the core, we all want connection and love.
Taryell Simmons: I connect with that. Growing up, I was very attuned to energy. How do you use that in your day-to-day life?
Diamond Spikes: It allows me to meet people where they are and understand their needs. We all grow up differently and interpret words differently. I make sure to sit in conversations to ensure mutual clarity. I see things as they are. At Spelman College, where I studied studio art, I drew photorealistic portraits because I see what is actually there rather than what people assume is there.
Taryell Simmons: You built that into your business through empathetic branding and design. What does that mean?
Diamond Spikes: Most people think branding is just design, like logos and visual collateral. Before that stage, there is research and strategy: understanding stakeholders, values, mission, purpose, vision, and the target audience. We put people first and data second. Data is only as good as the person analyzing it. Deploying empathy means intimately understanding your audience's daily lives, preferences, and pain points, much like you would with a close friend.
Taryell Simmons: That people-first, human-centered design model ensures people thrive rather than just survive.
Taryell Simmons: How do you apply empathetic branding when serving two distinct audiences, such as young adults aged eighteen to twenty-four and university programs?
Diamond Spikes: It goes back to intimately knowing each audience. You can serve multiple groups by tailoring your channels and messaging. For instance, universities belong on professional platforms like LinkedIn with formal messaging, while eighteen to twenty-four-year-olds engage on TikTok and Instagram with content tailored to their culture.
Taryell Simmons: How do businesses develop a strong, unique brand identity with that empathetic lens?
Diamond Spikes: Start by knowing who they are, the problem you solve, and what differentiates you from competitors. Once you articulate your position and follow up with resonant content, your audience engages. Brand identity is informed by brand strategy. Once mission, vision, values, and audience personas are established, the visual identity, copy, website, and packaging reflect that strategy seamlessly.
Taryell Simmons: Apple is a great example of brand loyalty where community trust translates across product categories. What are your thoughts on that?
Diamond Spikes: Apple embeds empathy into their branding and emotional connection. In their storytelling, they place the customer at the center as the protagonist, positioning Apple as the guide. The emotional benefit sits on top of the physical product specifications.
Diamond Spikes: Another example is my client, Hoop Mob. They built a massive, loyal community on social media through consistent engagement, live streams, and celebrating cultural nostalgia around Black women and bamboo hoop earrings. Consistency builds real relationships and customer loyalty.
Taryell Simmons: Brands often struggle when they lack that core foundation.
Diamond Spikes: Many brands throw spaghetti at the wall without a strategy. When you have a solid brand strategy, investors and customers understand your distinct value.
Taryell Simmons: How do you use empathy to cultivate work-life balance?
Diamond Spikes: It starts with knowing who you truly are: your personality, preferences, and boundaries. I run a challenge where clients perform a time audit, tracking their actual daily activities versus what they think they are doing. You must plan your life first, including self-care, rest, and personal time, quarter by quarter. Work must fit around your life, not the other way around. You can only show up for others as much as you show up for yourself.
Taryell Simmons: That reminds me of the Franklin Covey jar analogy: putting the big rocks in first so the pebbles, sand, and water do not crowd out what matters most.
Taryell Simmons: Tell us about your journey growing a direct-to-consumer creative business to multi-six figures.
Diamond Spikes: In late 2019 and early 2020, I transitioned from running a hair business and doing freelance branding to focusing entirely on creative entrepreneurship. By the end of 2020, my business reached six figures. Building momentum requires unwavering focus and sticking to your plan without constantly shifting goals.
Diamond Spikes: I relate it to a scene in Lovecraft Country set during the Tulsa Race Massacre, where a character walks through fire and explosions with total focus on her mission. Focus is staying on course when chaos happens around you that you cannot control.
Taryell Simmons: How does niching down help entrepreneurs scale?
Diamond Spikes: I began specifically with social media kits. I shared my work in Facebook groups, went viral, and became known as the premier provider. Niching down does not limit revenue; it establishes you as a specialist. Clients began asking for full branding services, allowing me to scale vertically. You want to be a specialist rather than a generalist. Over time, we transitioned our niche from the service itself to the specific audience we serve.
Taryell Simmons: What were your early entrepreneurial steps?
Diamond Spikes: My dad had a business, and in sixth grade, I fell in love with business planning. In high school, I interned for Tega Johnson, who sold lace wigs and beauty products. Seeing her success showed me what was possible. Later, during a summer job at the CDC, I researched suppliers, invested in hair inventory, and sold out immediately.
Taryell Simmons: Mentorship and exposure make a huge difference. What is a major life lesson you have learned?
Diamond Spikes: You have to see through the noise. Early in entrepreneurship, client chargebacks caused me to panic, leading to a three-year valley. I climbed out by developing a clear strategy and executing it calmly. To succeed, you must manage your emotional stamina and focus on what you can control.
Diamond Spikes: For aspiring creatives: pick one thing you enjoy, stick to it until you build momentum, and invest heavily in personal development. You must grow into the person capable of holding the success you desire.
Taryell Simmons: What is your vision for the future of the design industry?
Diamond Spikes: While the industry has historically lacked Black female leaders, I see more people of color claiming space, having their voices heard, and setting industry standards.
Taryell Simmons: Where can listeners find you?
Diamond Spikes: Connect with me on Instagram at @TheDiamondSpikes, on LinkedIn as Diamond Spikes, on Facebook as Diamond Sands, and subscribe to our newsletter at https://dscreativedesignstudio.com. Remember to lead with empathy and build a life that makes sense for you.
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