ALMetro360

..................................................................................................................................................................... K IMBERLY C ARVER S PIVEY DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A SMALL - TOWN , A LABAMA GIRL . S HE GRADUATED IN A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 55 IN S AMSON , A LABAMA WHERE HER NEXT - DOOR NEIGHBORS WERE HER GRANDMOTHER ON ONE SIDE AND HER UNCLE ON THE OTHER . A S A MATTER OF FACT , M S . S PIVEY CREDITS HER SOLID , FAITH - FILLED , FAMILY - ORIENTED UPBRINGING AS PROVIDING THE FOUNDATION FOR HER PRESENT SUCCESSES . rowing up I always felt loved and embraced. My parents were church-going and God-fear- ing and taught my older brother and me to put our trust in the Lord. Anytime I was stressed in my life my dad would give me scrip- ture to meditate on in order to calm and strengthen me.” Even hidden behind a mask I can see Kim Spivey is smiling, eyes bright and dancing, Ms. Spivey bounds into the conference room at our office building where we sit social distancing and discuss what it is that inspires and motivates her. My first impression is that she is punctual, prepared and sophisticated — exactly what I would expect from the author of a book with the subtitle “How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love.” By the end of the interview I would add that she’s warm and encouraging — the type of woman you want as a friend. After graduating from high school, Ms. Spivey earned a Bache- lor’s degree at Auburn University Montgomery with a concentra- tion in English and Sociology. She then earned a Master’s degree in Post Secondary Education from Troy University Montgomery. As well as being a blogger and freelance writer her name is attached to several publications in Alabama. And we haven’t even begun to discuss her day job! Ms. Spivey is also an Instructional Systems De- signer for the Air Force Negotiation Center assisting Maxwell’s instructors in getting their curriculum on- line is well as doing the copy editing for an in-house publication. One of the motivations for writing Bloom was a desire for others to be able to benefit from her own achieve- ments and failures. “It’s my hope that Bloom will be a safe refuge for women, an avenue to empower and en- courage, and a means to help transition into something better.” She also wrote it as a love note for her daughter as ex- pressed in the book’s dedication : “For my daughter, Amara. May you live your life with confidence to embrace your dreams and bloom into the woman God created you to be. My heart beats for you, Mom XO” Ms. Spivey refers to herself as a “modern-day feminist” which, to her, is another way of communicating that she is passionate about empowering women, “Women can hold their own and be strong in all that they do.” She is excited to see women continue to climb platforms that previously seemed unattainable. And though she says she wrote her book primarily with women in mind, she says she’s gotten a great deal of positive feedback from men who have been encouraged by it — not least of all her proud and supportive husband of six years, Brian Spivey. Bloom is for every woman who doesn’t want to feel alone in her struggles, who sometimes needs a word of encouragement, or needs tools to stay motivated and in the fight. In the words of Ms. Spivey’s mentor and friend, Karen Arrington, who wrote the for- ward to Ms. Spivey’s book, “We’ve got obstacles to overcome, stereotypes to smash, and hardships to release …Think of Kimberly as your boss mentor. Quiet the little voice of self-doubt and fear, and let’s turn the page.” n Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter DECEMBER 2020 27 “G