How One Man’s “Savage Wisdom” Inspired A Movement And A Book

Few people ever place a hashtag on a piece of digital content they produce with the intention of starting a global movement. Most of us just throw a series of them on our Tweets, Instagram posts, or TikTik videos in the hopes of raking in some extra views, likes, comments, or shares, and maybe – if we’re lucky – something we put out into the digital space of the internet will go viral. Adam Cam certainly didn’t expect to ignite anything when he put his own take on the personal development movement online, and yet that is exactly what happened when one follower commented on one of his videos about Adam’s mix of savagery and wisdom.

Taking inspiration from the follower, Adam spawned the tagline of “Savage Wisom” to epitomize his authentic self and his messaging, one free from the fear of judgment from others, and started using the hashtag #SavageWisdom on his videos and content posts to unify his community of followers.

With the hashtag now being viewed and reshared over 11.5 million times since its original posting, Adam has been inspired by the movement the hashtag has created, even going so far as to pen his own book around the hashtag’s meaning as a way to inspire others. We sat down with Adam to talk about his upcoming book “Savage Wisdom”, the hashtag behind it, and the global following that inspired it.

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today, Adam. Can you tell us about what originally inspired the hashtag “#savagewisdom” for you?

Thanks for having me! And sure, absolutely. 

In the mid-2010s, when I was in my late twenties, I was what you’d call a ‘social chameleon’ – I would change the way I behaved depending on the people I was around. At the time I thought it was great, being able to mingle with anyone, but I didn’t know the damage it was doing to my own self-worth. Every time I talked differently or behaved differently, I was essentially telling my subconscious mind that the “real Adam” wasn’t good enough. This led to severe anxiety and a deep internal feeling of just not being good enough.

I knew something had to change. My anxiety was progressively getting worse. I felt miserable, so I invested in a personal development mentor who introduced me to a whole new way of thinking. I became obsessed with my own personal development, spirituality, and the power of the human mind. So I dedicated every spare moment to studying and every spare penny to investing in mentors, courses, and books. I’d found that it was myself holding me back from living a truly fulfilling life. The missing link was my own authenticity.

Showing up every day as my truest, realest self – no matter who is in front of me – allowed my confidence to grow and my personality to flourish. I began to attract better people, opportunities, and experiences into my life. I felt as though I was finally stepping into my power, and that is essentially the core message of Savage Wisdom; to accept yourself for who you are, and be unapologetic in your approach to life. Over the years I learned a lot and had the privilege of having some amazing mentors, however something with the language used in the personal development/spirituality scene didn’t quite sit with me, so I decided to spice it up and add my own flavor to it. Hence, Savage Wisdom was born.

Why do you think none of them really clicked with you?

I’m from East London. I’ve always been a bit “rough around the edges”. The lingo used in the personal development/spirituality scene is mostly what I call “fairy dust and unicorns”, and the more I delved into that space, the more I felt my “edges” being rounded. I needed something that resonated with me on a deeper, more personal level.

And “Savage Wisdom” is the result of that?

Yes, 100%! It’s funny how the name actually came about. On one of my TikTok videos, someone commented “Daaaamn that was savage! …But very wise!” When I saw that comment, it was like a bolt of electricity surged through my body. It resonated with me so much, and within a few seconds a lightbulb went off in my head, and I shouted “Savage Wisdom!”

From that moment I used the hashtag #savagewisdom on all my TikTok posts, and in only a few months the hashtag has been viewed over 11.5 Million times. As the popularity of Savage Wisdom grew, I dedicated an entire collection for my brand, Just Aura, to the name. A selection of Gemstone Bracelets with quirky, brash, yet meaningful affirmations attached to them. When it launched, the collection sold out in 48 hours.

Savage Wisdom has begun to take a life of its own, and I’m overwhelmed, and even a bit emotional, with the movement and impact it has created.

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your book?

I’d be more than happy to!

First things first – I’m not an author. In fact, I got a ‘D’ grade for English in college, so both my spelling and grammar are pretty poor, but I don’t care about that. I wanted to write this book fully on my own: no editors, no ghostwriters, no proofreaders, no big publishers. None of that. As a society in the modern world, we get so caught up in everything being “perfect” that we lose sight of what is actually real. I want the readers of Savage Wisdom to understand that none of us are perfect… and that’s okay. We should embrace our flaws, and be unapologetic about them, which is why I’m happy to publish a book with errors.

The book is divided into three major sections. 

The first section I call “the slap in the face,” and mark my words, it’s one big wake-up call.

The middle part of the book is the “perspective shift”. Life is all about how we perceive it, and the ‘lenses’ we use to view it. This is where I rip those lenses off of you, smash them on the floor, and chuck them in the bin in order to give you new lenses that offer you a new optimistic perspective of your life.

The final part of the book is what I call the ‘big loving hug’ that I give the reader. I don’t wanna give away too much, but this part of the book is very interactive!

The book as a whole is very visual and easy to read. I’ve created, structured, and written the book to be as entertaining, visually pleasing, and easy to read as possible, while still giving the reader massive amounts of life-changing value.

What would you say to people who don’t want to read your book or be a part of your movement?

Keep doing you. I know that the way I speak or get my message across isn’t for everyone, and that’s totally fine! The way I market myself and my brand is straight down the line and true to who I am as a person. I’m very clear about the kind of people I want in my community. I call it the ‘Savage Tribe’. If you’re easily offended or have really thin skin, our tribe probably just isn’t the place for you. We’re real, we’re 100% ourselves, 100% of the time, and we’re unapologetic about sharing that. There’s no fence-sitting here. You’re either in our tribe, or you’re not, but everyone in our community loves this, too, because they’re all like-minded people and vibe well together.

Just like when I decided to be true to myself and my authenticity, there were people who didn’t like it. There still are people who don’t like it or resonate with who I am, and that’s perfectly fine! I respect those people, it simply means that they’re not aligned with me and my message.

By repelling those people, I create a deeper connection with the people who do resonate with me.

When can readers expect to hear more about your upcoming debut book “Savage Wisdom”?

The book is scheduled to be released May 31st, 2021, and is available to pre-order now exclusively from www.JustAura.com. As a way to show my deep appreciation and love to everyone who pre-orders before May 31st, every order will receive a signed copy of the book, plus two other gifts.