Meet Bethany Andell of Savage Brands in Museum District/Montrose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Andell.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Bethany. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
My mother, Paula Savage, started the company when I was born – 1973, so I literally grew up in the business. I never set my sights on working at or leading Savage – my dream was to become a set designer for feature films. And, after college, I did just that. Credits included Amistad, The Negotiator, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. However, five years into my Hollywood adventure, my mom called to tell me that “I was her succession plan,” and it was time for me to come home. With very little traditional business experience she was willing to send me to Rice for my MBA, and in return, I would commit two years to the company. That was 20 years ago. In 2012 I became the majority owner and fearless leader of Savage Brands.

Can you walk us through some of the primary challenges you’ve faced and had to overcome along the way?
1. Commoditization
We saw our traditional graphic design capability being commoditized – anyone with a computer and layout program called themselves a designer – there was literally a time that we lost some business because the CEO’s secretary said she could do the work. And, even more, prolific was the crowdsourcing online platforms that started selling design solutions for nothing – logos for $40, DIY website templates, etc.

So, like many industries that are constantly at the risk of being commoditized, we have always had to reinvent ourselves. My mother always had an entrepreneurial and risk-taking spirit, and that is deeply instilled in our culture – because they are always in front of us, we look at obstacles and challenges as opportunities. We look at experimentation as a way of life. If we don’t, we will become irrelevant.

2. Leadership Transition
My mother had successfully grown and led this company for decades, and I had to establish myself as a leader and instill trust with our employees, our clients, and in the industry. I had my own personal head trash wanting to prove that I had earned my position (that it wasn’t nepotism) and that I could build on my mom’s legacy and still create something that was my own – my mark on the world.

3. Understanding and Communicating Value
Related to commoditization, we are constantly having to educate clients about the realized value of brand and communications. Admittedly the world has come a long way but ensuring that “brand” has a seat at the business strategy table continues to be a challenge in our business.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Savage Brands story. Tell us more about the business.
Savage is revolutionizing corporate America by helping to unleash the good inherent in all organizations:
• We believe in leading with a purpose and a clear understanding of how you impact the world.
• We believe in putting people first.
• We believe in the interdependence of all stakeholders.
• We believe that what you say must align with what you actually do.
• We believe that all organizations can and should positively impact peoples’ lives.

Savage lives by our values of Smart, Fresh, and Human to build purposeful brands – brands that stand for something meaningful and resonate with people on a belief level. From awareness to advocacy, we powerfully connect with the hearts and minds of the people that make an organization successful and build tribal loyalty. Our process builds on the knowledge that the world’s best brands are built from the inside out – starting with a culture that supports and delivers on the brand’s promise every day. At Savage, our commitment to deliver on our purpose and living our values comes through in how we serve each other, our clients, our suppliers, and our community. In service to our purpose, we recently published the leadership book, “Get Your Head Out of Your Bottom Line… and Build Your Brand on Purpose” aimed at helping executives at business-to-business companies shift their focus from solely improving the bottom line to instead prioritize the company’s long-term health, culture and non-monetary impact on the world. 

A Little History
Savage was founded in 1973 by Paula Savage Hansen and is now majority-owned and led by Bethany. Savage began as a graphic design firm mainly focused on corporate identities. In the early 90s, Savage was one of the early pioneers of website and interactive design, earning us international recognition and relationships with companies such as Eastman Kodak, General Motors and Walt Disney. Our desire to explore fresh ideas, adopt new technologies, and develop innovative approaches has been foundational to our culture and instrumental to our growth and reputation in the industry. Savage now works with leadership teams and their organizations to articulate their Purpose, Mission, Vision, Values and Behaviors and bring it to life within their cultures and with their clients using brand building, storytelling and experience design.

Savage Good
In addition to our strong business experience in Houston, we believe passionately in the power of brand communications to inspire change. In 2010 Savage launched Savage Good. Savage Good is an initiative providing strategic creative services to non-profit organizations on a pro bono basis. Savage Good partners with non-profits at a strategic level to develop branding and marketing projects that provide hope, inspire change, and make a difference in our community. To date, we have provided over $400,000 in grants to organizations dedicated to curing disease, ending domestic violence, stopping bullying behavior in schools, creating an improved life for Houstonian’s living with Parkinson’s, providing premium education for underprivileged kids, and more.

What Makes Us Proud
Watching our clients have that “a-ha” moment when they find their core purpose
Finding out that our work literally impacts and even saves lives
Bringing heroism and nobility back to capitalism
Having a team that loves coming to work on Mondays
Our contribution to the community and industry

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel lucky that I was raised by a pioneer in this business. Beyond the fact that my mom was in a very small group of female entrepreneurs in the 1970s, she was also a pioneer. I was lucky to be raised by someone that was independent, fearless, and passionate. She put equal emphasis on doing good, having fun, and making money – central to our company’s culture. And, she gave me permission (it was almost an expectation) to learn, experiment, fail, and ultimately succeed.

I am not sure it was luck, but things clicked into place in an almost fated way to end up where our business is today. Somewhere between my moving into a leadership position, us wanting a better handle of the impact and value we could have in the world, tapping into the ethical responsibility of our business and having a seemingly chance meeting with our Chief Purpose Architect, Jackie Dryden, our entire trajectory changed and we became a purpose-led organization. I feel lucky that we connected all of the dots.

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