BrandCast Community - Our Story

"Hey! Would you be willing to do this together?"

That was the magical question Azim Akhtar asked me when last year, on April 25, 2020, when we realized that we were both receiving tons of LinkedIn messages from students, new immigrants and early professionals, asking for help. These were individuals who had been furloughed or let go given covid19 economic impact. Or they were new graduates and new Canadians, finding themselves in the job market, unable to land one. They were looking for resume advice, interview guidance, industry knowledge, and network introductions.

Azim certainly didn't have to ask me twice.

We decided to open up our calendars for eight 1:1 coffee chats for 30 minutes each that month. To our surprise, all 8 spots were filled within 2 hours. We were excited to see how many people were willing to talk to us.

The 1:1 sessions were AMAZING! We were absolutely blown away by the intelligent questions and thought-provoking discussions we had. For the first time, we both experienced the "Helper's High".

That night, I couldn't sleep. I remember tossing and turning, thinking about how this could have a bigger impact! If we could help 1 person, and they helped 1 other person, and then they passed it on, and again, and again...we could build a community of helpers! Wouldn't that be something.

In the middle of a global pandemic, that motivation is all we needed to keep us going. That sense of hope, and a desire to help others.

You see, that is what Azim and I have in common. We always wanted to give back to our communities, and this felt like something we could do to give back. It was in the form of knowledge, experience and expertise we had gained in our career.

We planned a few more coffee chats and a panel discussion, all of which continued to surprise us with incredibly high attendance from current and aspiring marketers! Since day 1, we decided to be brutally honest with advice and guidance and tell it the way it is, so marketers can get the most value out of our discussions.

In May, like true marketers, we decided to brand it. We had a few other options, but BrandCast just...fit! You know it was meant to be when Azim replied back in ALL CAPS!

Since then, we have hosted 10+ events with industry leaders and incredible marketers, hosting 600+ attendees, across 5 countries. We have also led more than 45 one-to-one coffee chats, and have built an organic community of marketers who are coming together to help each other out.

As we continue to build BrandCast, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on our journey. Here is what I have learnt so far:

1) Do it GENUINELY: We did not start BrandCast with the intention of creating a side hustle or to make money. We had one simple goal : Help Others. Genuinely. We were both lucky to have people who helped us on our career journey. And we wanted to do just the same.

2) Focus on Relationships. Not just an Audience: We try to keep up with our community - checking in on them, helping them, congratulating them on successes, engaging with their posts, sharing their stories and asking them for help when we need it. We wanted to build true relationships and friendships along the way. In 2020, where the world was pulled far apart, we were only trying to bring our community closer together.

3) Be Aligned on Values: Azim and I are very different people. And yet, we are more similar than you would know. We both come from humble beginnings, a grateful heart and of course, a desire to help others. We were willing to stay up late at nights (it helps that we are both night owls), or work after hours because we knew BrandCast was making a difference to help the community. Nothing else mattered.

Last but not the least, I want to say a genuine THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us along the way. From family, coworkers, mentors, coaches and of course, our community of marketers. We couldn't have done it without you.