With an impressive career spanning decades and industries, Cynthia Ham says her various jobs shaped her and her knowledge of Memphis. “As the city found its identity over the last 40 years, I found my true callings.”
Her journey began after graduating from then-Memphis State University with a degree in Journalism. She headed for Nashville in 1977 to work at Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry, returning to Memphis three years later to serve as Mud Island’s first Director of Marketing. Fast forward to 2024, Cynthia has been a part of the revitalization of Beale Street, taken a sabbatical in Mexico, worked in advertising and nonprofits, retired, and purchased a business. Please meet the new owner of Palladio and our newest FACE of Memphis, Cynthia Ham!
Tell us more about the jobs you’ve held here in Memphis.
Four years after my job with Mud Island, I became the first marketing director of the Beale Street Historic District when only two restaurants and bars were open. I loved the blues playing on the street again as the four blocks struggled to come alive for the first time since Beale’s heyday in the 30s and 40s.
By the time I was 32, I needed a break and some time away from Memphis to reflect. So, I hit the road with a girlfriend and traveled the U.S., landing in Mexico for the last stretch. After eight months of living a day at a time, staying in cheap motels, camping with cowboys, and always on the lookout for a new adventure, we were nearly broke. It was time to give up the wanderlust, go home, and figure out our next steps.
That trip gave me clarity about my love for Memphis despite its challenges, and I committed myself to “stick and stay.” Just as I was reconnecting, I wound up becoming executive director of Memphis in May International Festival, where I spent 10 remarkable years overseeing a big celebration to showcase Memphis’s culture and that of countries around the world. It was also a crash course in nonprofit management and fundraising.
The biggest marketing agency in Memphis, Archer Malmo, beckoned next, and along the way, I was thrilled to become one of the owners. After 15 years of running the public relations division and being at the beck and call of clients, I needed something new and more meaningful. I joined the nonprofit BRIDGES as president and CEO.
Your career has spanned marketing, sales, design, and nonprofit leadership. What lessons have you learned along the way?
- I don’t have to be right.
- I believe in the power of optimism in the face of challenges.
- The more I listen to diverse opinions, the more I learn.
What drew you to the nonprofit world of BRIDGES?
I was in search of something more meaningful and stimulating. I was comfortable with managing a nonprofit and working for a Board of Directors, thanks to my Memphis in May experience. Despite my lack of experience in youth development, the idea of diverse youth putting aside racial, economic, and social differences to work together for everyone’s benefit appealed to me.
Schools are almost as segregated as they were when I was in high school, and there are few opportunities for youth to think deeply together about the challenges Memphis faces. The mission resonated with me, but it was the youth themselves — and their perspectives on how to make Memphis better — that made me wiser and more aware as I rounded out my career at the traditional retirement age.
And after you retired from BRIDGES, what attracted you to Palladio?
When I left BRIDGES, I did interior design work on homes and offices in Memphis and across the country. I landed a fun assignment to concept and help design an urban grocery in Downtown Memphis, which became South Point Grocery. I also worked as a behind-the-scenes art director for an HGTV pilot, using my design skills and all I had learned about relationships along the way.
When I learned about the opportunity to acquire Palladio, I immediately visualized how it could be transformed into something Memphis had never seen. It got my creative juices flowing and reminded me that my love for design, decades of management, marketing, and financial experience — as well as my knowledge of Memphis — were a strong résumé for owning Palladio.
What is your vision for Palladio?
I want to build on decades of Palladio’s antiques, architectural finds, and garden offerings by adding an enchanting, surprising, and eclectic mix of furnishings and decor for the home and garden. I want our customers to feel energized by a showroom unlike any in the region. I hope customers will be inspired to express themselves in a well-designed and comforting home.
We also aspire to become a design hub with sources for custom upholstery, rugs, wallpaper, art, and more. Memphis is a creative community of fiercely independent people, and we want Palladio to reflect that vibe!
What fulfills you the most about your new job?
I’m fulfilled by how well our staff has embraced my vision and supported me. The redesign of our large showroom at the corner of Cox and Central is phenomenally satisfying, especially when we hear our guests gasp when they walk in the door.
Who or what is inspiring you the most right now?
I’m spending a lot of time concepting for the holidays at Palladio, ordering gifts and decorations, and recruiting high-quality vendors for our holiday open house.
Switching gears, when you have visitors to Memphis, where do you take them?
The National Civil Rights Museum, the Rock ‘n Soul Museum, STAX/Soulsville, and Graceland, of course.
What’s your best piece of advice?
Keep your ego in check and listen more than you talk.
Outside of faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
A lovely home interior to relax in, baggy linen dresses, and a sweet dog like Minnie.
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