Oftentimes, the difference between an organizational misstep turning into a public relations nightmare or just a slight bump in the road (or even an opening to new roads) is the person in charge of PR.
Houston-born Vannessa Wade has been that PR genius turning lemons into lemonade for her clients for the past 12 years here in her hometown and in the nation’s capital.
An alumna of Smiley High School and the University of Houston, Wade initially wanted to become an investigative reporter. But a fateful encounter following a class presentation put her on a PR path she’s been riding for over a decade.
Connect the Dots PR
Wade’s company, Connect the Dots PR, provides media coaching, speech writing, authentic brand cultivation and article idea pitching to media outlets.
“Those are some of the things that we do. So, when people see interviews, whether on television or with the Defender, usually there’s a PR person behind the scenes helping drive that narrative, um, and helping them to get the publicity that they’re looking for,” said Wade.
The proof is in the pudding. Her clients’ list reads like a Who’s Who of organizational giants: Space Center Houston, Samsung, Travelers Insurance, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston, Howard University, Texas State Alliance of YMCAs and more.
“I’ve worked with NASA. I’ve done things with the White House. So, it’s been a lot of cool experiences,” shared Wade, whose cool experiences began before owning her own company, and have continued on.
“Some people don’t know that I have sickle cell disease. I’ve done some things with the sickle cell community, bringing a voice to a disease that people don’t know what it is, if you have it, how it works, and all those things. Being able to bring light to something so personal has helped me open up even more.”
Wade’s clients, friends, and professional peers all appreciate her expertise, genuineness, and relatability.
“Vannessa Wade is a brilliant thought leader and an amazing communicator,” said Christopher Allen, owner of Shoot Your Shot Education LLC, a business that provides hands-on mobile photography training through interactive events and experiences. “As long as I’ve known Vannessa, I know that she’s a fighter for her clients, family, and friends. On a personal level, her kindness and generosity over the years make me want to give her millions of dollars. I can never repay her for the information, wisdom, and love she’s allotted me over the years.”
“I have enjoyed Vannessa through our friendship that blossomed from being her Zumba instructor, and I truly admire who she is as a person,” said Keandra Poole. “She’s an amazing person, inside and out. She always gives good wisdom and advice. She can always see things from other perspectives. And she’s not afraid to show her love for french fries and laughter from day to day. I hope she continues to be successful, and that I am able to grow with her.”
Cool experiences
“One of my favorite moments was being in college and working for Music World, which was the home of Beyoncé at that time. I remember Mr. Mathew Knowles, after a meeting, telling me, ‘You really know what you’re doing, but you’re too quiet.’ I didn’t know what that meant,” Wade said. “We’re talking 20 years ago. I see it now, because a lot of times I think people tend to just do the work, and you feel that accolades will come, the recognition will come, the contracts will come. And those things are true, but you also have to let people know who you are and what you’re doing.”.
And the people now know what she’s doing.
In 2024, Wade’s cool experiences continued, including being named one of the Houston Association of Black Journalists’ top PR Professionals.
“It was a no-brainer to honor Vannessa at this past HABJ Sneaker Ball,” said HABJ President Nakia Cooper. “She is a consummate professional and a valuable part of the organization. Her work speaks for itself.”
Last year, she was also featured on the nationally syndicated BET show “Fatal Attraction.”
“One of the producers reached out and said, ‘Hey, we’re looking for some Houston journalists and professionals to come on air and talk about crimes that have been committed in the Houston area.’ And I was thinking, ‘Hmm. It’s called Fatal Attraction. I know how these stories will play out,’” she recalled. “But again, I ended up agreeing and saying yes, and shot about five episodes.”
But such experiences don’t usually fall in people’s laps unless they, like Wade, have put in the hard work.
On call
That includes responding to client last-minute emergency calls that can come at any hour of the day.
“Usually, I put on my shoes and my smile, and I head on out the door because in PR realistically, there’s so much that happens behind the scenes that we just can’t control,” Wade said. “I’ve been called about fires at power plants before, and it’s not a situation where I can’t show up. Either I’m going, or someone else from my team is going, and we’re handling those situations as best we can.”
Though Wade has enjoyed “small business” success, she believes there’s plenty to go around.
“Support small businesses. Just because they have a team of three does not mean that they aren’t capable of giving you what a team of 15 could do,” Wade said. “They’re definitely going to listen to you and want to hear your story and not treat you like a number. So, there are moments when bigger indeed is not better.”
