This week on The Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza and Matt Palmquist welcome Yaw Sam, CEO and co-founder of Brand Geniuz, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, social media, branding, the creator economy, and building something meaningful right here in the Rio Grande Valley.Originally from Ghana, West Africa, Yaw moved to the United States and made the RGV home. He earned both his undergraduate degree and MBA from UTRGV, then turned his passion for marketing and content creation into Brand Geniuz, a Mission-based content marketing agency he co-founded in 2020. Today, the company works with businesses across Texas through social media strategy, content creation, video production, digital advertising, and branding.Yaw has also taken his experience back into the classroom as a UTRGV lecturer in Social Media and E-Marketing, helping the next generation understand how modern brands are built. In 2024, he delivered a TEDx talk titled “Small Actions Build Brands,” centered on how everyday interactions and consistent value can shape powerful personal and business brands.The conversation also explores Yaw’s growing vision for the creator economy in South Texas. As a co-founder of SocialFest, he is helping create a platform where creators, entrepreneurs, marketers, students, and businesses can learn how to turn attention, content, and community into real opportunities. SocialFest drew more than 1,000 attendees in its first year and continues to grow as Yaw and his team work to position the Rio Grande Valley as a destination for creators and brands.From arriving in the Valley from Ghana to becoming a UTRGV graduate, educator, entrepreneur, and one of the RGV’s emerging voices in digital marketing, Yaw’s story is ultimately about recognizing opportunity and then creating more of it for the people around him.------Follow G IG / @gghoops Follow Matt IG / @ptwist610 Welcome to **The Saddle Up Podcast**, the unscripted RGV show where real stories, sports, culture, community, and Vaquero pride all meet at the same table.Hosted by **G Garza and Matt Palmquist**, Saddle Up brings you conversations with former athletes, coaches, alumni, community leaders, entertainers, business owners, and difference-makers connected to **UTPA, UTB, UTRGV, and the Rio Grande Valley**. Every episode is built around honest conversation, good laughs, untold stories, and the people who continue to shape the Valley’s past, present, and future.Whether you are a UTPA alum, UTB alum, UTRGV supporter, Vaquero fan, RGV native, sports fan, or someone who loves authentic conversations, this episode is for you.Subscribe to **The Saddle Up Podcast** for more conversations with the people who represent the Rio Grande Valley with pride.**Find Saddle Up Podcast on:**YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts.**Follow us:**Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saddleuppodcast?mibextid=LQQJ4dInstagram: https://instagram.com/saddle_up_pod?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/79B4Gl7miBWwpD4kM1tKIVApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saddle-up-podcast/id1666138276Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/04f3f96f-9dcb-4c42-a91c-a87dfc38655b/saddle-up-podcastiHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-saddle-up-podcast-107415364/**Keywords:**Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza, Matt Palmquist, UTRGV, UTPA, UTB, UTRGV Athletics, Vaquero Athletics, Rio Grande Valley, RGV podcast, best podcast in the RGV, funniest podcast in the RGV, UTRGV alumni, UTPA alumni, UTB alumni, RGV sports, South Texas podcast, college sports podcast, Valley stories, RGV community, UTRGV football, UTRGV basketball, UTRGV baseball, UTRGV athletics podcast#SaddleUpPodcast #UTRGV #UTPA #UTB #RGV #RioGrandeValley #VaqueroPride
