When launching a business.
When marketing yourself.
When posting on social media.
Instagram gurus warn you’ll encounter judgment. “You’ll find out who your real friends are.”
But that’s not been my experience at all as I create Deeper Meaning.
Reactions have included:
“Finally.”
“You’ll be great at that.”
“What took you so long?”
"Good luck" and "I'm proud of you," from unexpected sources.
“This is your purpose," from a boss turned mentor turned big bro.
(A friend even did an astrology reading that confirmed it.)
Folks from yesteryear have jumped in to help.
New companions have shared ideas over Google Meets, coffee, and negronis.
I’m so grateful for each and every one of them.
The lesson right now is one I’ve seen repeated over and over throughout my life but can never seem to fully integrate:
People see us differently than we see ourselves.
I recently saw my father in a new light when I attended his 50th reunion.
A jokester. A leader. A small-town, Miller Lite football hero.
A man I resemble but can never be, whose traits I seem to have commandeered for different applications.
For better or worse, maybe we’re all still exactly who we were in high school.
I’m still the kid who fearlessly led the tenor saxophone section, who filmed zombie movies on miniDV tapes, who, for whatever reason possessed me, dressed up as George Washington and took photos with the cheerleaders to celebrate Constitution Day.
A kid who would have been bullied in an ‘80s movie, but in real life somehow never was...
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from the queer community: people don’t change. We just become more ourselves.
I think that’s why I’m so passionate about brand storytelling. Because each and every organization I’ve ever worked with has possessed something truly compelling. And it didn’t need to be created or invented.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see something others miss.
A few years back, a therapist asked me to picture my dream life.
“What does that look like?”
The same as always... diving deep into meaningful, creative work with people I consider friends.
“That sounds like a really beautiful vision,” she said.
Deeper Meaning is a Philadelphia-based brand strategy and creative studio founded by Wade Shields. Documentary-style research and storytelling helps organizations communicate what makes them special without feeling salesy, cheap, or hollow.
Wade Shields is the founder of Deeper Meaning, a brand and creative marketing studio headquartered in Philadelphia. He’s a filmmaker, creative director, and brand strategist who uses techniques from documentary filmmaking to help organizations uncover what they mean to the people they serve.