Hi friends,

 Welcome to the next phase of CultureHype + the brand new CultureHype website!

 Things look pretty different around here, don’t they? This has been an ongoing project of mine for over a year (yes, over a year!) In Entrepreneurship Land, setbacks happen &, in our world, our clients come first. I wanted to take a moment to share with you what we’ve been up to, what I’m most excited about & brag about our awesome team. If you haven’t seen me out much, now you know why. I could not be more excited about the crazy thing I’ve built called CultureHype.

 So what is CultureHype?

 Some of you might not know my story, how I got here & ended up as an entrepreneur. I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version. I fell in love with music, art, fashion & culture at a young age. After studying Marketing & Business in college, I chose internships in the entertainment industry because I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I loved it, regardless of its crazy hours & high expectations.

What I wasn’t expecting to happen was becoming an entrepreneur. I leapt off the cliff & frankly never looked back. When my internship supervisor-turned-friend suggested that we should start a business together, I went for it.  I figured I might as well try, but I was terrified. Nearly seven years later, the new era of CultureHype is something more amazing than I ever imagined it would be! We’ve expanded our services, planned some epic campaigns & brought on huge clients like WFAA 8 & W Dallas - Victory. The heart of the organization has always been supporting & shining a spotlight on creatives but it’s evolved into so much more. Now, our creatives & corporate clients collab with each other, & (possibly my favorite part) we are a safe haven for creatives who want to express themselves as a part of what I call #TeamHype.

Building a tribe: #TeamHype

Over the last few years, I took a long hard look at myself. I realized I was still playing small. I was no longer 24 & I needed to stop being afraid of going after the bigger projects that I wanted. I put my big girl pants on & started to go after what scared me. I had to let go a bit, bring more people onto my team & delegate to grow. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but since January, CultureHype has grown by 75% as a business! My team has grown rapidly too. My tribe is my family. Whether I’m their first-ever “work mom”  as an intern or I’ve brought on someone who was unhappy in their former career & found a place to expand their creative wings with us, I love them all. Building a tribe that 100% believes in my vision is the most important thing I’ve ever done. Learning how to delegate & bringing on people that I trust who understand the big picture has been tough, but an integral part of our growth. 

Can someone say girl power?

In Dallas, I’m thankful to be surrounded by many women in the industry who support one another. The life of an entrepreneur is not easy, but having a group that you know you can count on is key. This growing list of women is also a part of my tribe. I love meeting new female entrepreneurs or aspiring industry professionals & introducing them to the rest of my tribe. It brings me life. Ladies, there’s enough to go around - help each other & have fun doing it! Coming to the table with a collaborative mindset is one of the things I credit to our growth & my company’s success.

What’s next?

When I think about the next phase of CultureHype, I feel confident & excited. This started as a creative space for artists & musicians, & it is certainly still that. You’ll notice we’ve been chasing after some new & bigger clients, because I believe that synergy between the corporate & creative worlds is incredibly important. Nothing brings me more joy than presenting a series like Living Room Live with W Dallas - Victory & using it to expose people to local music. Bonus: helping artists make money in the process! 

Some of you know us as a PR force behind your fav local creatives & small businesses, but the truth is we’re so much more now. My marketing background, tribe & creative rolodex has enabled us to take it to the next level. If you check out our services, we now offer everything from Project Management to Influencer Marketing, Event Planning & Programming! 

PR & marketing is a behind the scenes job & we live in a deadline-oriented/what’s next world. I often forget to celebrate myself & celebrate this crazy thing we’ve built. Our new website does just that: it celebrates creatives like us! Thank you to everyone who has joined me on this journey so far, my co-collaborators, clients, & team. I can’t wait to show you what we’re up to next. We love each and every one of you. 

xo

Amber

As part of our #TeamHype Spotlight series, we introduce the incomparable Sarah Badran. From CultureHype intern to founder of Creative Currency, Sarah has truly hustled her way to the top & created a name for herself throughout the Dallas scene. Sarah Badran is the true epitome of a go-getter & a great story to boot!

We interviewed Sarah & got to touch base on what the creative mastermind is up to, how CultureHype helped hone her talent, obstacles she overcame & how she engraves self-care into her hectic routine.

What skills did you acquire or build upon while working at CultureHype?

"Amber is the ultimate girl boss & she instilled a lot of knowledge & confidence in me. She allowed me to learn by asking an infinite amount of questions & getting to see the world of PR first-hand. She taught me how to be relentless in going after what you want & how not to get discouraged by this business. A degree can give you a fundamental knowledge of what you need to know but experience is everything. She always encouraged me to get creative & empowered my ideas; it truly gave me the confidence to branch out on my own & create my own company."

What was your greatest hardship as you transitioned from college to a post-grad lifestyle? How did you overcome it?

"Figuring out how to channel my talents & skills was probably the toughest part. I had so much ambition & passion that I felt I could do anything but it was tough to focus on one thing & project & start to build from there. Also letting go of the stigma that I needed to get a job right out of college or I was a failure. I interned with CultureHype my last semester of college and I continued to learn & build with the company after graduating. I always find joy in forever being a student of life."

As a founder of Creative Currency, has this new journey changed your perspective of the world of public relations at all?

"It was hard & scary to branch out at first. My strength had always been in events & that’s what I chose to focus on. I also wanted to work with an underrepresented sector of the music industry & try to be as innovative as possible with how to brand an artist. It has definitely made me realize that you have to wear many hats & that the industry is constantly evolving. You need to stay on your toes & not get stuck or complacent in how you view PR strategy."

What has been your most rewarding moment in life, thus far?

"One of my most memorable events is getting to work with the local hip-hop community to plan a red carpet event at The Bomb Factory to honor it. Getting to learn how rich Dallas's history is & being in the forefront of getting to showcase it was such a dope experience. I got to work with Erykah Badu, The DOC & even Micheal Finley from the Dallas Mavericks. I think the most rewarding aspect is getting to see an idea come to life & become successful. I love getting to inspire & help people through it all."

What are three things you’d like to improve on this year?

"Improvement is always key. I always take every downfall as an opportunity to learn & grow. The main thing I seek to improve on is balance. I tend to take a lot on & sometimes I may disregard my personal relationships or taking time to work on myself in the midst of it. I'd also like to get a better understanding of the direction I'd like to take my company in & not fear that change. I also hope to empower women & mentor as many as possible."

Public relations tends to take a lot of energy out of one. Do you implement any self-care practices into your weekly routine, if so what are they?

"When I take the time to take care of myself it usually is in the form of massages or getting my hair or nails done. It's still important to take care of yourself & continue to be confident inside & out. I also love to go to concerts. It helps reaffirm why I love this business so much and helps to keep my creative juices flowing! I also love to travel, eat good food & experience as much culture as possible.

If you had the opportunity, what would you tell the 18-year-old Sarah Badran from the past?

"I would tell her to start early if you can to get as much experience as possible. To not be so hard on herself & to learn to enjoy the journey. Trust in the process & her ability to do anything she puts her mind to. Never doubt yourself & learn to appreciate all the special moments that life throws at you."

What are a couple of your favorite tracks, currently?

"Everything Cardi B, she is my spirit animal."

Current On Repeat: 

"Kings Dead" Kendrick Lamar
"The Weekend" SZA
"Say Something" Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton
"Stir Fry" Migos
"Icon" Jaden Smith
"The Middle" Zedd and Maren Morris
"Mine" Bazzi
"All Night" Steve Aoki