The Bigger Strategy Behind Pharrell's Something in the Water

Something in the Water was never just about music. In this conversation, Robby Wells breaks down the bigger strategy behind cultural moments, regional storytelling, and building events that make people feel ownership in where they live. Wells is a branding and cultural strategy leader who has worked behind the scenes on major Virginia moments like Something in the Water and Mighty Dream. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling, events, culture, commerce, and community impact, helping turn big ideas into experiences that make people think differently about their cities. From Pharrell's influence, Something in the Water, Mighty Dream, and Atlantic Park to Noodle, Newport News, skateboarding, city branding, and the next generation of builders, this conversation explores why culture can change how a city sees itself, and why emerging leaders need access, belief, and a real chance to take the ball and run with it. 0:00 Thinking bigger and being free to dream 0:17 Robby Wells joins the conversation 0:45 Moving from Los Angeles to Virginia 1:14 The assumption that Robby and Pharrell grew up together 1:59 How skateboarding shaped Robby's view of creativity 4:00 Skateboarding, hustle, and innovation 7:17 Atlantic Park and the skater mindset 9:10 Culture, commerce, and modern city-building 10:30 Why festivals can be bigger than ticket sales 11:33 Why some people only see the surface 13:01 Understanding the festival experience 14:00 Applying big-brand strategy to the 757 16:14 Why others have to take the ball and run with it 17:01 Elephant in the Room and what happened next 21:12 The gap between emerging builders and the establishment 24:32 Lionel Sapp, AI, and giving builders a real shot 25:56 Everybody wants to be invited 28:25 Bringing the future into the room 29:46 Thinking small, systemic doubt, and taking chances 32:28 How to give more people a shot 33:32 Risk-taking, doubt, and learning to move anyway 34:12 Free to Dream and why big ideas matter 36:01 What "Something in the Water" really means 37:54 Creating emotional ownership around an event 39:35 Could Something in the Water come back? 40:52 Why Newport News needed more than another music festival 41:49 Building the pitch for Noodle 42:55 Collective illusion and changing a city's story 45:05 Culture, science, music, and Newport News' opportunity 47:05 Handling negativity while building something new 49:45 How negative narratives become accepted 51:22 Using AI to imagine the future of Newport News 53:42 Why Noodle's programming came together so easily 54:49 Robby's first impressions of Virginia 57:15 The people who changed how Robby saw the region 59:34 Favorite food in town and closing thoughts   Watch more episodes of The Fervent Four Show: https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/ Learn more about NOODLE: https://www.noodlecon.com/ Follow Something in the Water: https://www.instagram.com/somethinginthewater/ Learn more about Mighty Dream: https://eitr.com/ Follow Innovate Hampton Roads: https://www.innovate757.org/