CEO
tina@buzzmg.com
About Tina
People often wonder if it is possible to build a successful career doing what they love. Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group®, is currently celebrating her 11th year of doing just that. Embracing her passion for fashion and her fascination with pop culture, Tina began writing reviews on companies and their products that target youth for the New Girl Times, a newspaper for young girls when she was just 16. Realizing the obvious disconnect between teens’ desires and companies’ misdirected outreach, Tina developed an innovative and creative strategy to merge the gap. She decided to submit her reviews and suggestions directly to the companies and was amazed by their overwhelmingly positive responses. They were hooked on the precocious insight Tina was able to deliver and thus, Buzz Marketing Group® was born. Along with Buzz Marketing Group’s® worldwide network of more than 9,000 teen consultants (“BuzzSpotters”®), Tina has created innovative marketing strategies, focus groups, and youth marketing research campaigns for numerous beauty, entertainment, fashion, financial and lifestyle clients. These clients include, just to name a few: St. Martins Press, SonyBMG, And1, Sesame Workshop, and Time Inc. In the meantime, Tina earned a B.A. in Communication Arts and graduated with honors from Hood College in May 2002. She is currently in a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business for marketing management.
Tina has also been spotlighted in numerous national print media publications. Her list of honors include: the Essence 40 Under 40 Award, Billboard’s 30 Under 30 Award, the Voices Black Women Business Leaders Top Ten List, and AOL’s Black Voices Black Female Entrepreneurs Award. Tina has also been appointed to the Kids for Kids Advisory Board, the National Board of Directors for the Friends of Orphans, The Business Women’s Network, and serves on a Christopher Reeves’ Foundation Advisory Board. Moreover, Tina has been recognized as an “Architect of Change” at the 19th Annual Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women and Family, and named as Youth Culture’s “It” Social Anthropologist.
Additionally, Tina regularly speaks to various professional audiences across the country. She was chosen as the keynote speaker at the Miller OE 800 Making it Real Business Series, NARM Research Forum, Retail Merchandiser Store-Specific Merchandising & Marketing Conference, Essence Magazine’s Women Shaping the World Leadership Forum, the internal Nickelodeon conference addressing tween and teen trends, and Smart Beauty II Conference. Also, Tina has been quoted and featured in such high profile newspapers and magazines as O Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Essence, Entrepeneur, CosmoGirl, Brandweek, Savoy, Justine Magazine, Ebony, Brass CU’s cover and Link Magazines. Tina resides in southern New Jersey with her vast collection of shoes. =)
5 Must-Haves of the Moment
1. Tory Burch t-strap sandals
2. Target summer dresses (yay Rogan!)
3. Hermes scarves
4. Starbucks green tea lemonade w/ melon + shot of energy
5. J. Crew flip flops
21 Questions
If you could go back into any decade, which would you choose?
The ‘90s! I would thoroughly enjoy some 90210, a little more Boyz II Men, and Clueless just as much as I did the first time around.
What is the one object in your home that you're embarrassed to own?
A mixing bowl. Most people can’t believe that I cook and I love doing it. I also bake, and apple pie is a specialty of mine.
What was your favorite meal growing up?
My dad’s spaghetti. I’m not a fan of any other spaghetti but Dad’s!
Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Up until a few months ago, it would have been Mykonos, Greece. But now I would have to say Hawaii. It was just breathtakingly beautiful.
What is your greatest addiction?
Duh. Shoes.
Where is the worst place to be stuck waiting?
Let’s go back to the college days…bus stations, train stations, AIRPORTS! All bad. With an iPod, though, it’s not so bad now. Oh, and an iPhone.
Name one celebrity that has no right being a celebrity.
I can name so many, and it wouldn’t be right to out one of them when there are SO MANY that should be listed. Let’s just say there is now an A-list and everyone else. B-Z combined.
What hobby have you always wanted to pick up?
Crocheting. My mom taught me when I was like 9 or 10, and now I forget! I need more lessons, Mom!
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Turn on the Today Show. I have to know what’s going on in the world from the moment I wake up.
How do you relieve stress?
For 12 years, it was by hitting a field hockey ball. For those of you who haven’t tried it, you should. Relieves an unbelievable amount of stress. Now that I can, I work out. That helps a lot, and I love to read, sit on my porch, cook, or just watch bad reality TV.
What book would you suggest for everyone you know to read?
The Kite Runner. To me, that book shows the best and worst of humanity, and opens up a place many of us are scared of. I’ll never look at Afghanistan the same way again. It relieves so much fear, and to me, shows us all that as citizens of the world, we share so many commonalities.
When flying, are you a window person or an aisle rider?
Window. Only. Ever.
What is your favorite childhood cartoon?
Jem & The Holygrams! Ask me to sing the theme song and I promise I will!
Where was the first place you were employed and what did you do?
Contrary to popular belief, BuzzMG was not my first job! I worked for a place called QM Reader’s Service selling magazines. Not the coolest of jobs, but I had a lot of good friends there, and I was so proud of my little paycheck!
If you had to be in a music video would you be a backup dancer or backup singer?
My dancing skills are up for interpretation, so I’d say singing. Or neither. Maybe I could do some styling?
Did you ever play a musical instrument; if so what did you play?
Piano, for like, 10 days.
If you could choose to posses a superhuman power what would it be?
Teleportation. I love to travel and it would be nice to just instantly be in Rome for the day and Hawaii for the sunset.
If you could open your own restaurant, retail store, or on-line website what would it be like? What products or services would you provide?
It would be a tea shop called Teana’s. I’d serve tea and little munchies.
What was the last concert you attended?
John Legend/Robin Thicke. I have to say that I am really not a concert person, though. I think I have event ADD or something. Too much sitting still in one place.
What have you done for the environment lately; do you have any “Go Green” advice?
I buy my fruits and vegetables from local farmers, I use environmentally friendly lightbulbs, and I recycle. My next big project is a compost. I am also working on a garden.
What is one fun fact you can say about yourself?
"I have friends named Yes, No, and Ok!"
