I usually try to keep this stuff in-house, but I figured, “what the hell? Why not make a post about this to celebrate the people who make SoBros Network what it is?” I am going to brag on the SoBros team and they don’t even know it’s coming. Last Saturday, we held our quarterly business catch-up. The needle has never been higher than it was in 2021 – we somehow keep topping what we did the year before. Blah, blah, blah – shit you guys don’t care to read about. But, part of a successful 2021 is because of the collaborative effort put forth by everyone involved in SoBros Network – not just on the content side, but in the stuff you can’t see on the internet – supporting one another in times of need, team-building, solving marketing problems, technical glitches, helping me move into a new home…*ahem*
There’s a heart and soul to this team that deserves to be celebrated, and that’s why, four years ago, I decided to come up with the SoBros Network Core Value Awards as an internal way of celebrating the strong creators and the strong people who have, for whatever reason, decided to help me push this SoBros Network boulder uphill and chase my dreams with me.
Once we officially formed as a company, I did all the cliché and hokey business shit – mission statement, vision statement, core values, etc. I wanted it to come from the heart, though – looking at my own personal values and genuinely believing that if we carry them in our hearts, it will lead to the success of this company as we’ve defined it. Those values are: be humble, create fearlessly, GSD, and uplift others. In my opinion, humble people tend to be a little more grounded in reality and understand that it takes a lot of work to execute upon an ambitious vision. Creating fearlessly means that you aren’t afraid to be yourself and to pour yourself into your work – that leads to you being the best you, and creating the best content you can. Uplifting others and GSD are pretty self-explanatory. But, you get it – so, with that said, on to this year’s winners, and who on the team best represented each core value in 2021.
2021 SoBros Network Staff Core Value Awards
Be Humble: Rooster – In 2021, Phone It In became the second most downloaded podcast per episode on SoBros Network, behind only The Unofficial Titans Podcast. And, I almost feel bad about that because of how apprehensive it seemed to make Rooster when I told her just how many people were listening to the show (that is, by and large, successful because of her ideas, preparation, and sense of humor). But, that’s a testament to what makes Rooster so good – it’s about quality above all else, and the rest can fall into place.
Create Fearlessly: Brittany Fernandez – I think the best thing about Brittany’s work is that it screams “Brittany Fernandez” in a way that I don’t know any of the rest of us can replicate in our work. Whether she’s trying a new beer, writing a movie review, or reviewing a new restaurant in town, her voice and style is uniquely her own, and I don’t believe there’s anything in the content world she can’t tackle.
GSD (Get Shit Done): Steven McCash, Brandon Vick – It’s no secret that if you simply look at SoBros Network, you’ll notice Steven and Brandon producing stuff all over the website, and for the brand. They have been rewarded with opportunities as credentialed press at various events this year for it, and they each continue to produce content at a prolific level. Brandon wrote 153 articles and appeared on 42 podcasts in 2021. Steven wrote 74 articles and appeared on 45 podcasts in 2021. They are the #2 and #3 content producers for this brand – both in 2021, and now, all time as well.
Uplift Others: Cadbury – Cadbury has previously won the GSD and Create Fearlessly Core Value Awards for busting his ass to make sure our business operations were running smoothly, and for continuing to push himself to create new and different things for the brand. But, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for being the ultimate teammate that he is – he’s always down to help out on group projects, he develops ideas outside our usual routine content, he supports and shares the work of others on the team, and he’s just plain there when you need him. He has long been a major part of the heart and soul of this company, and he deserves his due for cranking up the positivity on this team.
Congrats. Everybody gets a big bag of truffles at our next meeting.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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