Being a refugee from a camp in Ghana, West Africa, India Sage Williams’ journey shifted when she emigrated to the United States. In her early life, she grew up in humble beginnings, without knowing her biological family. After having turmoil, and having to deal with emotional and physical abuse, she was adopted and the clouds began to subside revealing the ray of sunshine that will lead her to a better life. Deciding to go to Delaware State University, to study Mass Communications with a focus on TV, Radio, and film production she began to get her feet wet in media taking up roles as a producer, reporter, and host of the talk show ‘Everyday People with India Sage’ and a weekday morning news program, ‘UP with India’ on Wilmington Information Television Network (WITN 22 News). She went on to work at CBS News Network, CBS News affiliate, CBS 3- KYW, and Allhiphop.com. Being a black woman of a darker complexion in the media industry she often recalls moments of her childhood when she was taunted for having darker skin. She has also referenced struggling as an adult to find beauty products created for and by black women that complimented her shade and tone.
Presently a journalist, Brand Strategist, Author, and Entrepreneur India is to help entrepreneurs, small business owners with brand development. We sat down to talk with India to talk about branding and business.
How did you build your brand from scratch?
Any GREAT strategist will tell you that your brand’s identity should come from an authentic place. And the best place to develop the starting point for your brand identity is its purpose. I built my brand from the core of WHAT my purpose is and align it with WHO I believe I am here to serve in this world. My mission is to help people become their best selves, elevate their consciousness, and put them in a position to reciprocate that helping hand to uplift someone else. That journey has led me to a path that now allows me to help women grow their personal and business brands through strategic branding analysis and implementation. I started building my brand identity as a college sophomore at Delaware state university and utilized various avenues to promote, advertise and market my brand to my base of supporters online and offline. I started my journey as a broadcast journalist in the field of mass communications, tv, radio, and film. Over the years, my love and passion for strategically crafting and sharing unique stories, married with my enthusiasm for marketing and promotions helped me to grow my niche. It gave me an edge in the digital marketing industry. Early on I knew how powerful digital media marketing was coupled with offline marketing and the interaction of the two has expanded the reach of my brand across states and countries. I scoped out my mission and vision, I identified my core values, I researched my industry and I examined the needs of my target market. I learned who they were and catered to what they needed from me. I sharpened my greatest asset and utilized it as the unique value that sets me apart and packed my brand with an undeniable look, feel, and presence that others can vouch for. The guiding compass for my brand and all that I do is my ability to use communications to challenge thoughtful conversation around self-discovery and professional development. My life is a teachable moment and I integrate that concept within my digital content and show entrepreneurs how to do the same.
In your book, “You have the eye for Branding, you offered some really great advice. “The greatest advice I have ever been told is if you have a great idea you need to do something with it or else you will look up one day and see someone else doing it.” I found that to be some amazing words of wisdom.
Will you elaborate on how you applied this to your brand and how it made you successful?
Absolutely. I am a firm believer in taking calculated risks. But it did not come overnight. Believe it or not, this outgoing social butterfly that you see today has been nurtured over time. I had to learn how to step outside of my comfort zone and use the gift God gave me and do with that gift what I was called to do. A mentor of mine challenged me early on in my career to go after my goal wholeheartedly and turn them into a reality. The worst that can happen is that you fail but there is nothing better than applied experience. It gets you much further than no experience at all. I believe the least you can do is try. Unless you will wake up one day and see the very idea that you envisioned being brought to life by someone else. This message is not to scare you into thinking “if someone else is doing something that means I can’t” but it is to inspire those of you to get on with what you know you have the capability, talent, skill, and drive to do… you’re just being too afraid, lazy or hard on yourself to make it happen. I love to encourage my branding clients to talk about their overall vision and show them how POSSIBLE it is to make it happen. They know if they just develop the plan and roadmap to get there, they eventually will. Nothing is different from you and the people you look up to accept the fact that they made a plan and stayed consistent. If you can think of it; you can make it happen. It’s really just up to you.
Many people fail to create a vision and mission statement because they believe they are for big corporations. Tell us why the entrepreneur with a handful of customers should create a vision and mission statement and the significance of having one for your brand.
This is CRUCIAL! Without a mission, you have no idea what you are committed to doing and who you’re committing to. Without a vision, you are just aimlessly working. You can’t hit a moving target if you have no idea what or where the target is and no real way of measuring if what you’re doing is actually working and helping you get closer to hitting the target. Your mission and vision are the guiding compasses to your entire brand strategy. Whether or not you and your company will survive the test of time comes down to your brand’s mission and vision.
Furthermore, your mission and vision give your business a purpose beyond just making money. That is the primary goal of the business. Your brand’s goal is to connect with like-minded human beings that recognize and align with the values your brand represents. These humanized qualities of your brand attract your ideal target market and help you to make strategic decisions on how to attract more of them, their friends, families, and colleagues as well.
What is YOUR brand story?
India Sage Williams is on a mission to help women and women of color grow their personal and business brands through strategic branding analysis and implementation. Her experience in mass communications and branding, gave her a unique edge in the digital marketing industry teaching women entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators how to claim their space in their respective industries by utilizing their authentic voice and value to disrupt the noise. India is the founder and creator of the “Inside The Sage House” live series and uses her platform as a vehicle to amplify these narratives. Inside the Sage, House shines a light on the passion, purpose, and performance stories of women leaders and innovators across the globe. Using communications to challenge thoughtful conversation around self-discovery and professional development is the guiding compass for India’s brand. She builds concepts of teachable moments within her digital content and provides useful information on how to build a brand identity around the core of one’s purpose on her social media feeds. Her ultimate vision is to uplift the purposeful stories and brands of women leaders and entrepreneurs to contribute to and elevate the consciousness of humanity. Making a difference one brand at a time. India is the author of “You Have An Eye For Branding” the ultimate guide to building your brand from scratch. A commitment she put into the text to help at least 5,000 women go from zero to one.
Describe India Sage Williams in one word.
RESILIENT – able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
Owning your own business is tough and you will always need all the help you can get to get the results you wish to have. Check out India’s platform for all things branding. You would not regret it.
