I’m a strategist, storyteller, and survivor.
My journey started in high school, reporting for the school newspaper and chasing stories that mattered. That passion carried into college, where I wrote for the student paper and worked in radio promotions at Houston’s Mix 96.5.
I earned a BA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Theology and Communications from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where I attended on scholarship. While in undergraduate school, I studied abroad in Reading, England and interned in New York City for the Senior VP of Promotions at Columbia Records, part of Sony Music. That experience gave me a rare look into the inner workings of major label promotions and the power of story in building global brands. At the time, Columbia was actively promoting artists across multiple genres, including Mariah Carey, The Fugees, Nas, Jeff Buckley, and Tony Bennett. It shaped how I think about brand-building to this day: behind the emotion and connection, there’s always a strategy. It may look like magic from the outside, but it’s built on methodical planning, smart positioning, and hard work.
I later spent two years as a college marketing representative for Atlantic Records, part of Warner Music Group, promoting rising artists like Matchbox 20, Jewel, Sugar Ray, and Duncan Sheik. That role taught me how to build buzz from the ground up—through grassroots outreach, campus events, and direct fan engagement.
As part of my graduate studies, I studied in Vienne, France and completed a graduate internship at CNN’s London bureau—an experience that deepened my interest in global media, messaging, and cultural perspective. While I was overseas, I secured a major-market opportunity in broadcast journalism back in the States—but around the same time, I was approached by a sports-focused internet startup to lead their marketing and public relations efforts.
When I returned from London, I made the decision to take a risk and join the startup. The dot-com boom of the late 90s was in full swing, and I saw the potential to be part of something new. The company didn’t survive the crash, but that experience gave me my first taste of branding, digital media, and startup grit. It taught me how to move fast, lead without a playbook, and adapt on the fly.
After returning to Houston, I worked at a PR agency where I supported clients across multiple sectors and gained valuable insight into how structured messaging strategy, media execution, and client collaboration operate in a fast-paced agency setting.
I was then hired as Director of Brand Marketing at Labrada Nutrition, where I played a key role in brand marketing and worked closely with CEO Lee Labrada on a wide range of initiatives. I contributed to strategy, national promotions, and campaign execution in collaboration with a talented internal team and outside partners. I helped secure a book deal for Lee, supported major product launches, and co-created the “Get Lean Houston” initiative—helping position him as the city’s first official Fitness Czar.
In 2005, I launched my own firm—GC2 Public Relations—later rebranded as Gabe Creates Buzz. I worked with clients across real estate, health and wellness, restaurants, and education, developing brand positioning and publicity campaigns rooted in strategy, story, and connection.
But everything changed in 2010 when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 35.
I shifted my focus to advocacy and founded the Blue Cure Foundation, using my media and marketing background to amplify a mission I deeply believed in. Over the years, I’ve given a TEDx talk, written a book (Unexpected Diagnosis: Prostate Cancer and the Wake-Up Call to Live Healthier and Happier), launched a podcast interviewing top physicians, appeared on major news outlets, and counseled thousands of men and families.
Now, I’m returning to where it all started—with a renewed passion for helping others tell their stories, grow their brands, and drive meaningful impact.
I combine decades of experience in communications, PR, and marketing with a forward-thinking approach that includes AI-enhanced strategy and digital tools. Whether I’m helping a brand find its voice, launching a message that cuts through the noise, or creating buzz around a meaningful mission—I’m all in.