Welcome to the online press kit for Drew Gerber, CEO of Wasabi Publicity

Businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations today face a bewildering array of choices when it comes to spreading their messages. Should they go with paid advertising or email marketing? Hire a public relations firm or invest in someone to manage their social media and online reputation?

With the media landscape shifting rapidly, the key to successfully navigating change lies in building businesses and messages that connect with people based on authenticity and integrity, says Drew Gerber, CEO of Wasabi Publicity.

The old model of “put your best foot forward” no longer cuts it. Members of the millennial generation have grown up with thousands of choices at their fingertips and are sophisticated consumers of information. They seek leaders who share their values and aspirations.

“People are hungry for brands they feel connected with, brands they can relate to,” Drew says. “Behind those brands are real human beings with real struggles, real successes.”

Drew and his partner Michelle Tennant Nicholson co-founded Wasabi Publicity with the specific aim to highlight businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations working toward positive change. The serial entrepreneur launched PitchRate, a free service that gives ordinary people PR tools and expertise to connect with the media; Drew also created Online PressKit 247, one of the first platforms to allow individuals, companies, and organizations to put all their media materials online for journalists to access anytime, anywhere.

As an early adopter of the freedom and opportunity afforded by the global web economy, Drew is a thought leader on the changing media landscape, and a go-to person for those seeking to expand their impact. With three decades of PR, entrepreneurial, and human development experience, he helps clients find their purpose and definition of success, opening new vistas of possibility in the process. He even wrote a book about it: “Destination Aha! Becoming Unstuck in Life and Business.”

The way we view the world shapes everything in our lives, Drew says. Everything he does is designed to spark “aha” moments to help his clients, the media and others to see this connection.

“We have the freedom to choose the way we view the world, and that impacts not only our lives but the planet,” he says. “The quickest way to change the world is to change what people are talking about, and the quickest way to do that is with PR.”

It’s a lesson Drew has seen firsthand with clients who have turned to him and his team to expand their reach through traditional media, social media and other forms of communication.

As CEO of Wasabi Publicity, he leads a team that has been recognized by PR Week and Good Morning America for its innovative business practices and growth. Wasabi combines groundbreaking grassroots marketing and sophisticated public relations to serve its clients – including bestselling authors, speakers, corporations, and national and global nonprofits. It specializes in leveraging news and other time-sensitive opportunities to showcase clients’ expertise in top-tier media.

Drew is a member of Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only organization for senior-level executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Some topics he can share insights on include:

* How companies build brands known for integrity and authenticity.
* What does PR really do and how does it differ from advertising and other forms of marketing?
* How to measure success to make sure you are fulfilling what you want to fulfill.
* How to adapt for survival. The key to staying relevant and not getting stuck in a rut, Drew says, is to continually challenge your assumptions.
* Charting your publicity course on an ever-shifting media ocean.

“There are many different paths to choose from and each one creates a different kind of result,” Drew says. “We help people focus on the path that gets them where they want to go.”

Adopting a global perspective to spark innovation

Drew Gerber and Michelle Tennant Nicholson founded Wasabi Publicity in 2002 as a global creative and innovative team committed to making the world a better place. They designed it as a virtual company at a time when this was virtually unheard of in the corporate world, and invited talented people in a variety of professions from around the globe to come together as a team of innovators.

Drew moved to Eastern Europe in 2011 with the intention of growing his global outlook based on his love of travel and new experiences. As a CEO, he is committed not only to changing global conversations and challenging conventions, but also to having a positive impact in whatever community he calls home.

With homes in Budapest and Serbia, Drew calls himself a “monobond” – a vagabond who has put down roots and works to build up his adopted communities. For instance, when he renovated a home in the small Serbian village of Stara Moravica, he also started an IT training center to empower local people with better job prospects, employing several as part of Wasabi’s international team. He has volunteered in Hungarian schools and even taught English to the Hungarian military.

Drew’s book, “Destination Aha! Becoming Unstuck in Life and Business,” weaves together his global and community perspective with his commitment to help people think differently, sparking the “aha” moments that change our view of what is possible.

The Wasabi team includes veteran publicists, journalists, TV producers, web developers, designers, social media experts and thought leaders. They provide innovative excellence in services including:

* full web build-outs
* creative branding services
* crowd-sourced social media
* marketing that matters
* game-changing content creation
* meaningful media relationships

“The way we do business is as important as the business itself,” Drew says. “PR isn’t about getting people to do something; it’s about causing inspired action.”

Download a One Pager for Drew Gerber.

Find Drew at www.WasabiPublicity.com and www.DestinationAha.com.