1. The Evolution of Brand Gems

This episode explains the why behind Brand Gems and introduces the host,  Andrea Wade. Hear how Andrea will leverage Brand Gems to showcase her love of marketing, pop-culture and business to provide insights, motivation and ideas that you can use in your professional and personal life.

[ EPISODE 1 TRANSCRIPT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON MY WEBSITE ]

Click here: https://diamondbrands.media/
Episode 1 Transcript: https://diamondbrands.media/brand-gems-episode-1-transcript/

Transcript

[0:00 - 0:24]
Hello, I'm Andrea Wade and I am the host of Brand Gems, the podcast. Thank you for tuning in. I know that there are many things and people competing for your attention, so I don't take your time for granted. I'm excited that you've decided to join me on this adventure. Let me share a bit more about me, who I am, my experience, and why I've started Brand Gems.

[0:25 - 0:39]
I'm a business consultant, marketing strategist, and brand architect. I understand in my soul that unforgettable moments, meaningful missions, and consumer mindshare are essential to driving engagement, action, and results.

[0:40 - 1:09]
I work with corporations, nonprofits, and individuals to help them strengthen engagement with and connection to various audiences and customer segments. If you want to reach a different audience, better engage with or provide more value to an existing audience or customer base, or if you need clarity as to who else should know your brand, where else to go, or what else to do with your brand service or expertise, or if you are overwhelmed trying to figure it all out, I can help.

[1:10 - 1:42]
My first step is being curious. Seeking to understand my curiosity came honest from a young age. I was an only child through high school. My dad worked nights, and my mom, who was still in high school when she had me but had aspirations of finishing college, went to school at night and on weekends and worked during the week. That left a lot of time for me to keep myself busy and entertained. I started exploring initially via books and magazines. Sorry folks, no internet back then.

[1:43 - 2:07]
Once I got a little older, I was able to take the bus and explore outside. I was all over Los Angeles, the beach, Westwood, Beverly Hills, any chance to get out of the house, and I was gone. Most of the time, I went by myself. I had the explorer gene, and as long as I could scrape together bus fare, off I went. Middle and high school were completely different experiences.

[2:08 - 2:43]
I got a scholarship to attend a private, all-girls school, and I was able to expand my adventures over the summer through exchange programs in Colombia and Greece. When it came time for college, I joked that I went as far away as I could go while still being in the country. I left the warm sunshine of Los Angeles for the real weather having city of Boston. This California girl learned really quick that sunshine doesn't always mean warm. I made my decision to spend my junior year in Spain, Madrid to be exact. In part, because it sounded awesome, but also to avoid another Boston winter.

[2:44 - 3:08]
These early experiences set the foundation for how I approach the work I do today. It all starts with curiosity and a true desire to understand. Through my experiences. What I've learned is that by being open to differences, I am able to find commonalities that make genuine connection possible. So how did this lead to me starting a podcast? I started listening to podcasts during the pandemic.

[3:09 - 3:32]
Like many, I felt stuck, and I yearned to get out, to explore, to interact with others, to hear their thoughts and point of view. Podcasts connected me to different ideas. They kept me company on long walks. They fed my sense of adventure and exposed me to other worlds, thoughts, and ideas. How had I slept on podcasts?

[3:33 - 3:57]
When I started thinking about launching a podcast, I decided I wanted to talk about business things, companies, people, organizations that interest me. I thought my perspective would be unique, given my experience as well as my fascination with pop culture. I'm someone who appreciates an article in Ink or Forbes magazine as much as an episode of Bridgeton or Emily in Paris. Don't judge me.

[3:58 - 4:37]
Having a podcast would also take me back to when I was in business school getting my MBA. We read case studies of different companies and organizations and then got to weigh all the facts to come up with our own ending per se. So what if I took my curiosity, applied it to different business examples, and used my expertise to connect key elements, highlight helpful tidbits to inspire, motivate and educate an audience? Well, that is Brand Gems with Brand Gems, you get a look into how I think and process information, resulting in a new idea or helpful insight that you can adapt for your benefit.

[4:38 - 5:39]
Why now? I think about the time passing, the rapid pace of change, and the impact. Amazon, which was launched in 1994, is 28 years old. Google is 24 years old. Podcasting, which still seems so new, was actually launched in 2004. So 18 years ago. I should have started a year ago. But starting is the essential action, and now is the time. Why a podcast? I get excited when I can help people paint a clear picture of the possibilities, solve a problem or identify a goal and help them achieve it. Usually, a client knows what they want to do, but they aren't sure how to go about getting there. Does that sound familiar? You have a problem you need to solve, or maybe an idea or interest or something you'd like to do, but the house seems fuzzy. Maybe you feel overwhelmed with the options and possibilities and aren't sure where to begin?

[5:40 - 6:25]
When I work with clients, we identify a plan, put in place the steps, and clarify the actions needed to take in order to achieve the result. As I talk to people and review information, images appear in my mind. The steps process phase to get from one point to another. Think of it as a road map for the journey. I see things. There is magic in helping clients identify and navigate the path. In my work, it's always helpful to have an example or a case study to make concepts more concrete, not so abstract. If someone has faced a similar challenge and been successful, then it makes sense to learn from their example.

[6:26 - 7:05]
Brand Gems is a podcast that explores the story behind amazing people, products, and organizations and the little things the gems that made all the difference in their success. It will be full of examples. Through these examples or case studies, I'll cover key milestones in the businesses or brands evolution and show that these challenges and dilemmas are similar to what you may face when transitioning from one point to another or seeking to grow or expand into a new area. I'll also have episodes that dive a bit deeper into important concepts that influence success.

[7:06 - 7:24]
Listen to Brand Gems to find inspiration and lessons to help you with your personal, professional, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Some episodes will highlight case studies of the companies, brands, or organizations we all know, while others will drill down on concepts that are important to keep one motivated.

[7:25 - 8:05]
Brand Gems is where my business expertise, coaching ability, and strategic vision all come together. My goal is for the episodes to transform to result in that light bulb clicking on when you hear something that resonates. I can't wait to share with you. I hope this speaks your interest and that you tune in for future episodes. I want to be a valuable resource for you as you contemplate your challenges, opportunities, or Pivot points. If you need a spark of inspiration to shake things up, motivation to keep going, or a roadmap for your journey, Brand Gems is for you.

[8:06 - 8:34]
This podcast has been incubating in my mind for almost two years. I've forgotten how hard it is to do something new, to take on something that you had no experience with. So I put it off. I didn't want to be bad or to sound silly. I was scared to get it wrong. So I'd start and stop and start and postpone and start. This time I kept going. Why did I want to do this? I didn't need to do this. But I did.

[8:35 - 8:57]
This podcast is me shining a light to let others who are as interested as I am in business, innovation, and entrepreneurship know that we have a place to convene and gather. I promise to keep showing up and sharing. I know the possibilities for Brand Gems are endless, and I can't wait to see where the journey takes us a week, a month, or a year from now.

[8:58 - 9:17]
As I officially introduced Brand Gems to the world, I exhaled for this leg of the journey world, meet Brand Gems. There you have it. Brand Gem number one. Put that scary, audacious goal out into the universe. Say it out loud. Write it down. Let the adventure begin.

[9:18 - 9:24]
Thanks for listening. Until next time. This is Andrea Wade with Brand Gems.

- END OF EPISODE 1: THE EVOLUTION OF BRAND GEMS -