Dr. Kimberly Kong + Deke Dunne’s Mantra: “Don’t Be Shitty”

This month, we’re bowing to 11 badass local couples making moves (with righteous intent) and leaving their mark on the District. Among several questions, we ask how they’d remix the concept of power couple. What emerged is a collective belief that the energy you bring, the responsibility you share (to each other and your community), and the joy of the journey all greatly matter. We also learned love and humor coexist well. Thank you for the laughs and inspiration.

Dr. Kimberly Kong, Co-founder of Nom Digital Marketing + Deke Dunne, Bar Director + Bartender
of Allegory

Power Couple, Redefined
We’re not trying to redefine any genre. We’re just focused on having the most fun and loving relationship possible.

Strike A Balance
What’s balance? Ha. We spend as much time together as possible but we’re both very career driven so it’s more about being flexible and understanding of each other’s goals. 

Couple Mantra
Not really, but if we had to choose it’d probably be, “Don’t be shitty.”

Lessons Learned
We inspire each other all the time — Deke is a much cleaner person now.

Conflict Resolution Tips
If tensions ever do arise, communication is key. Always listen and be respectful because your partner’s feelings are always valid.

Caffeine Dependency
Kim’s more of a morning person and Deke’s a night owl, but our caffeine consumption is comparable; substantial.

Daily Hustle
Unwavering understanding and support. There’s so much less tension when you both have an intimate understanding of what the other person’s going through.  

The Meet Cute
We met at Chance for Life and then saw each other again at a Mardi Gras event a few days later.  It didn’t take long until we slid into each other’s DMs.

D.C. Date Spot
We like to keep things fresh so our favorite spot is a spot we’ve never been to before.  

Celebrity Hall Pass
Deke’s is Ryan Reynolds and Kim’s is Devon Aoki.

Our Song
We have polar opposite musical tastes but we find common ground while headbanging to Bring Me The Horizon.

Follow Dunne and Kong on their personal IGs @deke_dc and @bykimberlykong.

Follow their businesses here: @allegory_dc and allegorydc.com and @nom_digital and nomdigital.net, respectively. 

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