Member Spotlight
Kristy Armand
Healthy Image Marketing Agency was named the Greater Lake Charles Chamber's Small Business of the Month for September and you all have received state and national recognition in previous years for business growth and achievement.
Tell us what that means to you as the founder of a small, woman-owned business. What inspired you to take the leap? What makes it all worth it?
The awards and recognition are greatly appreciated and humbling. We’re usually behind the scenes, creating visibility for our clients, so stepping into the spotlight gives us a rare opportunity to pause and appreciate how far we’ve come. For me, it also validates the very personal journey behind Healthy Image. I never had a grand plan to start a business or build an agency. While working in healthcare marketing, physicians and medical groups began asking me to consult for them. As a single mother raising three children, I needed the extra income, but I also loved having something of my own and the freedom to work harder to create more opportunity.
That often meant fitting work around my children’s schedules and putting in many late nights. Failure wasn’t an option, and I knew my children were watching how I handled adversity.
What began out of necessity became an opportunity to take control of my future. I loved working directly with clients, understanding their goals and finding creative ways to help them succeed. As business grew, I eventually had to choose between the security of my career and taking a chance on Healthy Image. My children gave me both the motivation and courage to take that leap.
Today, the business that began at home has grown into a full-service agency with three partners and a talented team serving over 100 clients across multiple industries. We’ve weathered recessions, hurricanes, a pandemic and tremendous changes in our industry, growing through hard work, relationships and the trust of our clients. Gratitude has been a constant throughout our journey. No matter how much we grow, we never take a new client, a new project or an achievement for granted. We know every opportunity represents someone choosing to put their trust in us, and we’re genuinely grateful for every one.
I originally took the leap because I needed to create my own path. More than two decades later, I’m proud that path has become wide enough for others to build their futures on too.
Through Healthy Image Marketing and Thrive magazine, which you also founded, you help others tell their stories. What do you hope people see in the stories and businesses you highlight?
Storytelling has always been at the heart of Healthy Image and Thrive. We want people to see beyond accomplishments to the people behind them: the risks they took, the challenges they overcame and the difference they are making. Southwest Louisiana is filled with people doing remarkable things. By sharing their stories, we celebrate what’s good about our community, encourage support for local businesses and hopefully inspire others to make a difference too.
You’re an Annual Member of the Community Foundation. What does being part of the Foundation and investing in the future of Southwest Louisiana mean to you?
I believe we are always stronger together, and the Community Foundation provides an easy, yet powerful, way for us to join forces for the betterment of our community. Plus, being part of the Community Foundation gives me another way to give back to a community that has given so much to me. I’ve seen firsthand how the Foundation brings people and resources together to address needs and create lasting change. For me, investing in Southwest Louisiana means helping ensure the next generation has an even stronger place to live, work and build a future.
Thrive Magazine highlights a different focus of the Just Imagine SWLA 50 Year Resilience Plan each month. Why is it important to you to help tell Just Imagine's story and support this work?
Just Imagine SWLA is about looking beyond where we are today and being intentional about the community we want to become. I grew up here and this is something I strongly believe in. Through Thrive, we have an opportunity to help people understand that vision and recognize that everyone has a role in making it happen. I love being able to play a small part in keeping the Just Imagine conversation – and its momentum – moving forward.
You recently attended An Evening with Willie Mount. As a fellow businesswoman and community leader, what about Willie’s story, leadership or legacy resonates with you personally?
What resonates most with me about Willie’s story is the way she combined leadership with a genuine commitment to her community. She broke barriers, built a successful career and has always stepped forward to serve when her community needed her. Personally, she was a mentor and a role model, opening many doors for me. It’s always been inspiring that she doesn’t define success only by what she accomplished personally, but by the difference she could make for others. Her legacy is a powerful reminder that real leadership is about using the opportunities you’ve earned to create opportunities and a stronger community for those who follow.
We know you enjoy spending time with your family including your six grandchildren! Tell us things you enjoy doing together. What SWLA treasures do you like to share with them?
Spending time with my family, especially my six grandchildren, is one of my greatest joys. I love making memories with them and sharing the things that make Southwest Louisiana home: our food, festivals and our strong sense of community. I also hope I’m setting an example for them that you can work hard, make family a priority and still find time to give back to your community. I want them to understand the importance of working to make things better. Life isn’t a spectator sport. It’s our responsibility to get in the game.
What gives you hope or excitement about the future of Southwest Louisiana and the role that small businesses and local leaders can play in moving our community forward?
What gives me hope is the momentum I see across Southwest Louisiana and the people committed to building on it. Small businesses and local leaders have an important role in that future because we are personally invested in this community’s success. I believe giving back is part of the responsibility of doing business here. Whether through creating jobs, supporting local organizations, volunteering our time or sharing our expertise, every business has something to contribute. When we each do our part, we create a stronger community and more opportunities for the next generation.