Conversations with the Inspiring Keo Frazier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keo Frazier.

Keo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2003, I founded Focus, a word of mouth guerilla marketing company. At Focus, I took a unique approach to market research by engaging in innovative information gathering approaches such as utilizing street teams and interacting with customers in real-world, real-time settings to gather user experience data. Through Focus, I have conducted market research for major companies including United Airlines-TED, 1800 Tequila, Super Target and Wells Fargo.

My plan was to spend my early 20s and 30s focusing on building my company and career, but, after finding out I had cancer, I had to spend time focusing on my health. By the time I was 30-years-old, I had overcome cancer… twice. At 30-years-old, I founded KEOS Marketing, a digital firm that grew into a full-service marketing company. Shortly after founding KEOS Marketing, I learned that I again had another tumor – for a third time – all before I was 35-years-old.

Regardless of this adversity, I continued to pursue my entrepreneurial endeavors.

I grew up in Denver, Colo. attending school in Aurora Public Schools. I attended Crawford Elementary School, West Middle School and Aurora Central High School. Early on in my education, I was labeled gifted and talented and thus was in private programs and always achieved honors in academics.

I have tried, throughout my life and career, to positively impact Denver. From a young age, I showcased my innovation through my own desire to be a leader as a young adult. I would always step-up to show my leadership – by creating and leading different groups at school, in sports or at Church – instead of waiting for someone else to take the lead.

I attended college at Cornell University with a major in Psychology. During my time at Cornell University, I was named to the Order of Omega and Quill & Dagger Honor Society. I have earned several awards while attending college, one that stands out the most is the Most Outstanding Senior Award—an award granted to only three soon-to-be graduates every year. I graduated from Cornell University with high honors.

While at Cornell, I was heavily involved in student activities, joined Kappa Kappa Gamma and became the Vice President of the women’s fraternity. I was also an officer on the Panhellenic Board and led the school Gospel Choir, to name a few.

As a testament to my hard work and dedication, I have been honored to receive eight awards in the last seven years all proving my strength and courage, perseverance and dedication to succeed. I have been earning awards since I was in my early 30s. The awards and honors include:

• Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business, Real Estate Winner, 2017
• Denver Business Journal Outstanding Women in Business, Finalist, 2016
• ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential XYZer, 2016
 • ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top 250 Private Companies, 2013
 • GO Magazine’s Leader of the Pack, 2013
 • Associated Builders and Contractors, Engineering News Record Marketing Excellence in Marketing Award, 2013
 • ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top 50 Minority Owned Businesses, 2012 and 2013
• Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Winner, 2012

As an innovator, strategist and entrepreneur, I have spearheaded and executed a multitude of marketing and branding projects for major corporations and organizations across Colorado and nationwide, including my own companies. My marketing expertise spans real estate, place-making, arts & culture and higher education industries.

In 2003, when I was just 25-years-old, I founded Focus (2003-2006), a word of mouth guerilla marketing company. At Focus, I took a unique approach to market research by engaging in innovative information gathering approaches such as utilizing street teams and interacting with customers in real-world, real-time settings to gather user experience data. Through Focus, I conducted market research for major companies including United Airlines-TED, 1800 Tequila, Super Target and Wells Fargo.

In 2008, at the young age of 30, I founded KEOS Marketing Group (April 2008-April 2016), where I provided digital brand management marketing services for real estate, retail and place-making communities among others. Through this company, I shaped the marketing and branding for companies including United Airlines, Forest City Stapleton, Five Points Business District, the City and County of Denver, Xpedx, University of Colorado, and University of Denver among others.

After eight years as an entrepreneur, I took a role at Shaw Construction (Sept. 2013-April 2016) as their Senior Director of Marketing. At Shaw Construction, I lead Shaw through a bread evolution. This included an overhaul of their brand identity, website and collateral and media program. I put Shaw on the map where they hadn’t been seen before. While doing so, Shaw Construction won several prestigious industry awards, and, surprisingly, I also won an Award of Excellence in Marketing for my efforts.

Nearly three years later, I joined real estate developer McWhinney (April 2016-July 2018) as their Vice President of Marketing, where I personally oversaw more than 40 projects across the nation. My first major project was to conduct a brand overhaul with the goal of elevating the brand in the real estate and greater business communities. The previous challenges that existed for the brand were felt across the company and into the larger industry. They led to confusion about the breadth and depth of McWhinney and the incredible placemaking role they play in the real estate community.

The rebranding process took nine months and included creating an entirely new brand look and feel; new guidelines, messaging, website; and all new marketing materials. The outcome of my team’s work better reflected the company’s mission and place in the industry.

During my two-and-a-half-year tenure at McWhinney, the company earned a variety of awards for projects I had been directly involved in elevating the company in the real estate and business communities.

I was instrumental in helping the company achieve some major accomplishments, some include:

• Lead communications about and strategic marketing execution for the catalytic unique downtown development and first pedestrian retail alley at Dairy Block
• Created and executed the vision for the rebrand of the master-planned community called Centerra in Loveland, Colorado
• Created new brand images that better align with each individual project for nearly 40 McWhinney developments across the nation, impacting two-thirds of the company’s portfolio

After five years away from my own company, and after overcoming several challenges in my previous roles, I decided to go back to my roots as an entrepreneur and consultant, opening KEOS Marketing Consultancy (July 2018-Present) to help companies with marketing strategy and vision as a fractional executive.

I currently focus on strategy and planning; I come into companies as a fractional executive where one cannot afford a full-time executive. My specialties include strategic marketing planning and visioning, branding through brandstorms sessions, brand management, brand messaging, copywriting/editing, PR and communications, social media messaging, event planning, and overall implementation and execution.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Three pillars that I have followed throughout my career are:
1. Always have a plan.
2. Be flexible and nimble.
3. Take risks, but calculated ones.

And, most importantly, if you aren’t having fun, stop doing it.

What should we know about KEOS Marketing Consultancy: Brand Experience Strategist? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have successfully founded and owned six businesses in which I utilized my own money – from savings and retirement income – as seed money. I did not seek any government funding to start any businesses. Some of these businesses flourished and others did not, however, each time I ensured I was backing my own success and my own entrepreneurial endeavors. When I sold each business, I also made sure the employees or contractors were set up for success by assisting them with organizing and registering their own LLC. It was and is always important to me to see others flourish on their own as well. Today, I continue to work with and refer those same past employees and contractors to continue to assist in their success.

In addition to creating successful businesses, I also started a word-of-mouth pay it forward campaign that I called the 100-hundred Dollar Giving Club. The 100-hundred Dollar Giving Club encourages people to anonymously give a $100 to someone who appears to be in need. It started with a simple act of kindness a couple of years ago when I noticed a mom needed a new stroller for her child. Just two years later, I have overheard people in Denver talking about the 100-hundred Dollar Giving Club without them knowing who started it. “It is the most beautiful thing to see those choosing to support our brothers and sisters who need us most”,

My new endeavor is a group called New Thinkers. This group brings together a cultivated, hand-picked, set of individuals who are seeking change and trying to solve world problems together to have a thoughtful conversation to do just that, but together. I fund each event and gathers this group for an inspiring, engaging talk, screening, musical experience or art experience from someone who is solving world problems through their passion. This endeavor has just started, but it has already sparked one social responsibility business from within the group.

“My charge in life is to make a positive impact. Whether this is at a micro-level by picking up other’s trash, at the human level by donating my time or money to those in need, or at the macro-level of influencing a brand in marketing that affects us all.” This blog post from KEOS Marketing Group encompasses who I am as a person. As someone who is a visionary but can also execute, I make an impact on every person I connect with and for every company, I have worked with. I not only see the big picture but I create it and makes it become a reality.

I am a leader in my community and in the business world. My passion is unspoken and my leadership is unprecedented. I hope that have touched the lives of many through my community support and involvement and through my business acumen.

Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Growing up, my life was different from most of the people I experienced around me. My mother raised me to always be focused and to push myself harder than the baseline. I maintained excellent grades, participated in many extracurricular activities, and held my future goals as priority over everything else–success was the only option. If I could identify one difference in my youth, it is that my mother raised me to have a business mind. Transitioning into a prestigious university–Cornell University–wasn’t hard because I felt I was well prepared and had already overcome enough adversity that I was ready to accept and take on every challenge that presented itself.

These characteristics have stuck with me and proven to be useful to today–in business and in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: KEOSmarketing.com
• Phone: 877-KEOS-LLC
• Email: keof@keosmarketing.com
• Instagram: @keosmarketing
• Facebook: facebook.com/keosmarketing
• Twitter: @keosmarketing
• Other: linkedin.com/in/keosmarketing

                                    Image Credit:
All images are from awards — ColoradoBiz Magazine, Denver Business Journal

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