Aster Arch

I help coaches go from vague to premium by building a distinct language system that sells. In just 30 days, we build a Signature Language System™ that includes:

•  A proprietary language bank to keep their messaging consistent
•  A compelling name for their coaching program or offer
•  Named frameworks, models, and metaphors
•  Memorable phrases and taglines

By naming the steps of the transformation, the coaches offer looks and feels like a proven system, not a vague promise. That structure gives buyers confidence. It signals clarity, expertise, and repeatable results. And it makes the offer instantly referable, recognizable, and ready to sell.

Communications Consultant

•  Expanded and enhanced executive profiles (internally and externally) by creating clear, strategic, engaging, thought leadership content for keynote addresses, videos, presentations, blogs, social media, webinars, and partner/customer/media events. 
> The increased executive profile elevated the partner business, which became a pillar of SAP strategy.
•  Established and drove reputation of “advocacy & amplification” team with employees, partners, and customers.
> This led to greater support for the team and furthered the recognition of partner value.
•  Create event content (email marketing, and presenter and panel talking points) 
•  Wrote customer success stories. 
> Showcased positive relationship between SAP and partners in serving customers.
•  Supported partner public relations with strategy, direction, and content development.
> This educated and empowered partners to use public relations to grow their businesses.

Senior Editor, Partner Advocacy and Amplification 

•   Managed SAP’s global review process of partner press releases – with zero escalations.
•  Improved partner press releases for quality and clarity to increase media pickup.
•  Managed internal SAP reviews and approvals across multiple stakeholders.
•  Diplomatically integrated feedback from multiple SAP stakeholders into partner press releases to ensure accuracy and reduce legal exposure. 
•  Streamlined review process for SAP employees and partners to make it faster and easier.

Senior Editor, Public Relations and Marketing

OxiCool, Inc

•  Managed all communications, marketing, and branding activity for this clean-tech start-up.
•  Maximized the brand story (of the founder and company) to secure ongoing venture capital.
•  Coached CEO/founder in effective storytelling and messaging for media and speaking engagements.

Vice President Communications and Marketing

bswift, an Aetna company

• Developed end-to-end communication strategy, to deliver a single, clear user experience
• Drove focus on clear language to improve user experience when shopping, comparing, and buying health plans
• Created “Best Practices Guide” for account teams to improve client websites
• Led content strategy to deliver information where consumers needed it in the sales funnel

Director, Content Strategy

Aetna

•	Led in-house creative (copywriters, web managers, proofreaders to improve readability and consumer focus 
•	Cross-trained staff for greater business knowledge and to expand contributors’ value
•	Led development of department workflow process that improved productivity and reporting
•	Worked with internal clients to meet their business goals while protecting the company brand
•	Led content streamlining and re-writing of Aetna.com (Brought external work in-house to save approximately $600,000)

Director, Content and Communications (creative agency)

•	Architect of Aetna’s plain language initiative, which brought national attention to the company as a thought leader and led to the inclusion of clear communication in the new brand voice
•	Created award-winning employee newsletter on clear communication 
•	Formed editorial review board that solved language/brand voice problems
•	Consulted on user experience in creation and improvement of industry-leading Health Assessment and Payment Estimator digital tools

Digital Engagement (Content Creator, Web Manager)

•	Created content that increased visits and page views, and helped win a Webby Award
•	Delivered content and tools to DiscoveryHealth.com to further the reach of the brand
•	Ghosted articles for doctors (in Better Homes & Gardens) that increased name recognition

Writer/Editor/Digital Producer for InteliHealth, an Aetna company

You’re a coach with an offer that works.
But too many sales call feel like a 30-minute explain-athons that end in ghosting.

You're paying the Language Tax...
The hidden cost of vague, forgettable messaging that drains revenue AND confidence.

Here's what it looks like:

- Content with views but no conversions.
- Ghosted sales calls and endless explaining.
- Weak referrals – even fans struggle to explain what you do.

Every unclear phrase costs you...

- trust
- time
- and $3K–$10K per lost client 

This isn't just a marketing problem; it's a revenue leak.

I help coaches, creators, and experts eliminate the Language Tax and recover lost revenue by transforming your expertise into a Signature Language System™. 

This isn’t copy polish; it’s a revenue rescue mission to ensure your words work as hard as you do.

We'll build language that:

- Commands premium prices (no over-explaining).
- Converts without convincing (value is undeniable).
- Makes you impossible to confuse, overlook, or undersell.

Here's how my Signature Language System (30-day 1:1 engagement) systematically builds your market-ready language toolkit:

✅ Architect Core Language
Develop a stand-out program name and proprietary Signature System (your unique, easy-to-explain method).

✅ Forge Unstoppable Differentiation 
Craft a Positioning Glove and Memorability Matrix to make you uniquely unforgettable and immune to price comparison.

✅ Master Sales-Ready Content
Get a high-converting tagline, key phrases for those "So what do you do?" moments, and a Sales Copy Kit to attract ideal clients.

✅ Activate Your Rollout Playbook
Launch new language across LinkedIn, offer docs, and sales calls, seeing results from week one.

Proof It Works:
Brian Martinez, a top fitness coach, transformed his sales, booking multiple $500–$1,000 clients in 30 days. His secret? Not changing his funnel, pricing, or service — just his words.

My background ghostwriting for Fortune 100 execs, doctors, and top-tier coaches taught me this...
Brilliant ideas often get buried in jargon. The problem isn't expertise; it's weak language.

I help ambitious experts stop explaining and start enrolling by shaping brand language that sells as if your next client is already convinced.

If your message isn't pulling its weight, you're paying a silent tax. Let’s fix that.

DM me "LANGUAGE TAX" today. 
We'll find where your message is leaking money and permanently close that gap.

Brian Berkenstock

Before anyone gets themself all overheated…

I’m not saying everyone needs a college degree.
Some of the smartest, most capable people I know are self-taught.
What I am saying is that education wasn’t meant to just make us employable.

Education has serious problems that need fixing, for sure...
But that doesn't mean we should treat “educated” like a dirty word. 
Or think learning is a waste of time.

There's a difference between reasonable critique and thoughtless contempt.

Your offer’s confusing | I make it clear and memorable | This means positioning, branding, and messaging that connects | Cats can be fuzzy, your offer cannot

Our Kids Will Be Rich and Stupid

There's no HOOK for today's post.
Just some...hesitation.

I'm doing something a bit out of the ordinary for me.
Sharing a personal story.
(With the help of Sandra Macele and her Authority cohort!)

I've been trying to walk a delicate line on LinkedIn.

On one side is BUSINESS.
On the other is SOCIAL.

The biz side is a piece of cake.

I have oodles of experience.
A solid offer.
And killer testimonials.

The personal/social side has been a challenge.

I like the social sharing aspect of LinkedIn.
And getting to know people beyond their banners.
But I don't like "trauma dumping." 
Which feels both revealing and artificial at the same time.

I first need some guardrails for myself.
Here's where I landed...

I'll try to share stories to inspire or help us look at things in a new light.

Let me know how I did.

A Life of No Regret

Do you want a “catchy” program name or one that goes KA-CHING?  

Amateurs chase “catchy” because they don’t know what makes people buy. 

So they pile on adjectives, layer in excess words, and sprinkle in “elevate” for good measure. (Then they wonder why nobody remembers or buys it.) 

Meanwhile, offer names that sell aren’t "cute." 
They’re clear because they hit the right nerve.
They sound like something you’d brag about owning. 

This carousel walks through 7 rules for naming that make people stop, smile, and say, “Wait, what’s that?” 

Swipe through "Name Your Program."

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

Name Your Program

A coach said, “I used ChatGPT to name my offer." 
("Okaaaaay," I thought.)
Said it sounded great, until the realization hit that it could name anyone’s offer.

This is the silent cost of AI-created content.
(The Language Tax you pay and don't realize.)
You can publish AI content, but you can’t OWN IT.

An offer name may work thematically, but FAIL EMOTIONALLY.
That's because AI can fit a mold, but it can't build a mission.

That’s when this coach hired me.
Not to make the offer name fancy, but to make it "ownable."

AI names what exists.
I name what stands apart.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

AI Can't Write Sticky

Don't beat yourself up!
This communication stuff is hard.
For example, many folks think "clarity sells."
It doesn’t.

Clarity only works when people already CARE.

If they don’t care, “explaining it better” won't help.

That’s why your “clarity” doesn’t create clients.

In my new carousel, I show why clarity fails (and what creates conversion).

See why clarity without desire is one of the costliest traps in coaching.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging

Clarity is Only Half the Story

After a year of working with coaches and consultants, I’ve noticed a pattern. Those who convert best don’t sound smarter, they sound TRUER.

They find ways to make their words carry conviction. You can FEEL that they’ve lived what they’re saying.

AI can echo expertise, but never experiences.
It can list benefits, but not capture beliefs.

And that gap between “what sounds right” and “what feels real” is everything.

That’s why I don’t just write clearer copy. I build positioning and language to make your brand unforgettable. 

The kind of words no one but you could own.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

OK, I'm saying it, "You don’t need better AI prompts."

Every day I see people blaming AI for “Not getting it right.”
But it’s not the tech. It’s the thinking.

AI can follow instructions, but it can’t read our INTENTIONS.
AI can clean up our sentences, but it can’t clarify our THINKING.

AI doesn’t know who you’re talking to or what they care about.
AI can’t sense the tiny moments when readers stop believing you.
 
If we don’t know what we’re trying to be or prove, no prompt can save us.
If a message isn’t clear in the writer’s head, no algorithm can untangle it.

AI makes sentences.
Thinkers make sense.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

Brian vs. AI. (Good gravy, it's not even close!)

Some coaches hire a naming expert and get a list generated by ChatGPT. 

Here's what goes into building brand language that actually sells.
My process starts with a simple rule: No AI until the human work is done.
 
Generative AI is a powerful tool, but a terrible strategist. It can't understand nuance, hear the energy or excitement in your voice, or uncover metaphors you don't even know you use. That's my job.

Before any algorithm gets involved, I'm deep in the trenches with:

I. Recorded Calls 
I listen to your client calls to find hidden language that may resonate and connect.

II. Semantic Maps

I visually cluster your concepts to find the sweet spot between what you DO and what your clients NEED.

III. Brand Archetypes 
I align your name not just to your offer, but to your identity (Like Sage, Hero, and Rebel).

IV. Mouthboards 
(My alternative to visual moodboards). I collect your linguistic inspiration — podcasts, book titles, song lyrics — to define and refine your unique tone.

AI can't notice the metaphor hidden in an offhand comment. And it can't pull inspiration from your cultural identity or that phrase your grandmother used to say.

My 3-phase process does that and more:

1. FOUNDATION // The Deep Dive 
I don't start with words, but with structure. I pressure-test your offer to ensure the foundation is solid before we build language on top of it.

2. EXCAVATION // The Human Work 
Through live sessions, The Naming Forge, and The Language Lab, I excavate, shape, and polish concepts rooted in psychological and emotional truth, not rehashed buzzwords.

3. ACTIVATION // The Launchpad 
I don't just hand you a name and walk away. Through the Concept Reveal, Precision Polish, and Language Launch, I give you assets and a plan to implement.

This is a complete Signature Language System:

> A system to productize your offer and raises your perceived value. 
> A Positioning Glove that fits only you, separating you from the crowd. 
> A Word Bank that makes content creation effortless and authentic. 
> Strategic Phrases for calls, podcasts, and DMs to elevate confidence. 
> A Launch Playbook to unveil your new brand language with impact.

This isn't about simply naming an offer. This is the foundation of an ownable brand, which gives your life's work a voice that can't be ignored.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

A “good enough” name for your offer is NEVER good enough.
Especially when competitors use the same AI tools.

With so many people using the same tools, we risk language becoming like wallpaper — clean, correct, and instantly forgettable.

The difference between “content” and “communication” is ownership.
AI can help you write faster, but only humans can write something that sticks.

AI builds patterns.
I build signatures.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

NO! Your brand is not “fine.”
It’s familiar, which is a tragic weakness.

Every brand that feels “okay” borders on being irrelevant.

People wait for something obvious to "go wrong" before they fix their brand...

> A drop in sales
> A quiet pipeline
> A client saying, “We went in another direction.”

Look closely and you'll see most brands don’t collapse suddenly. 
They drift into oblivion.

A voice that once felt BAZINGA now now feels BLAH.
A story that once sold now sounds stale.

A brand audit can help you FIND YOURSELF before the market misses you.

Swipe through the carousel to see what drift looks like, and why awareness — not aesthetics — is the first step back to strength.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

How to Audit Your Brand

You know how you have a great offer…?
But you struggle to explain it clearly.
Or in a way people remember.

Well, I fix that. 

That’s all I have to say today.

*****							

👋 I’m BrianB.
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

I'd like to coin a new word today — "blanding." 
That’s the combination of "branding" and "blending in."
It's what AI does so well.

Can AI make your messaging faster and easier?
Yes.
 
Does it make your language/brand unique and "ownable?"
It does not. 

AI can do many cool things, but it’s not built to MAKE YOU STAND OUT. 

AI is built on averages. 
It studies what’s come before and predicts what’s likely to come next. 

That’s not branding, it's blending.
(C'mon, Help me out here. Let's all call is "blanding" from now on.) 

Ask AI to “Make my offer clear” and it WILL clean up your sentences. 
But it can’t see the gap between what you MEAN and what an audience HEARS. 

AI can handle grammar and punctuation — though it’s quite heavy handed with the em dash, isn't it? — but AI doesn’t do well with things that matter to your brand, like empathy and tension. 

No matter how many times you say, “Make this sound better,” AI can’t fix what it doesn’t understand. And that's the human element.

That’s why I don't worry when people say, “I’ll use AI for my positioning, branding, and naming.” 

AI can polish words. My process architects meaning. 

So shoot me a DM if you’re tired of sounding like the bland dreck AI spits out. 

***** 

👋 I’m BrianB. 
💡 I build positioning systems to make your offer unforgettable 
🎯 Names, frameworks, processes, and taglines people remember 
💬 DM me if your brilliance needs better packaging 
🐾 My cats and my kids like me!

The Brand Sensei

The Brand Sensei is a growth partner for small and mid-sized businesses who want to build effective, AI-powered marketing and brand systems that drive sustainable growth - all without the big team or big budget.

We offer:

- The SMTR BRND Method: A proven step-by-step framework for developing your brand strategy, maximizing customer engagement, and accelerating revenue growth using AI and digital marketing.
- Monthly Strategy Sessions to review your progress, solve challenges, and optimize your brand and marketing performance.
- A community of growth-focused business leaders who are implementing advanced marketing strategies to scale their companies.
- Access to AI marketing training, tools, brand templates, customer insight frameworks, and our annual Brand Masters Summit.

Book a discovery call at https://brandsensei.com to learn if you qualify.

Founder / Fractional CMO

Annansi

RECENT: Future of Retail Sessions • CSU College of Business Fall Speaker Series • Retail Innovation Week • Global South Tech • Global Entrepreneurship Week • The United Nations • Columbia University • Harvard University (2010) • SXSW Interactive Conference and Festival • The Smithsonian Museum • Google.org

Keynote Speaker

• Developing strategies for emerging brands to grow their visibility, engagement and sales by using customer insights, data, and digital tech including AI

• Workshops and training for founders and marketing teams on the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence (A)I for brand and business growth

Clients include:
→ SwatchOn (retail B2B ): brand strategy, customer research & segmentation, Web3 engagement strategy
→ PUMA (retail B2C): customer research and profiling, engagement strategy
→ Bayer (health B2B, B2C ): Product positioning, messaging, go-to-market strategy, launch
→ Sysdyne Technologies (construction B2B): re-branding
→ Party City (retail B2C): digitization
→ Novartis (health B2B, B2C): division branding, positioning

Digital Brand Strategist & Customer Experience Specialist (on demand)

Various Startups

✛ Streamlytics
✛ PopCom
✛ CRE Capital
✛ The Bridge Fashion Incubator (TBFI)

Startup Investor & Advisor

IPG Health

Drove strategic initiatives resulting in the successful launch and growth of domestic and global brands, overseeing $8+ million in business. Assessed market opportunities and crafted brand strategies to achieve objectives.

VP, Engagement Strategy

JUICE

Guided clients and department leads (creative, account, project management, etc.) to conceptualize, adopt, and optimize fully integrated marketing campaigns.

VP, Director of Customer Experience

Ogilvy

Served as strategy lead for diverse B2B and B2C brands, orchestrating the planning and execution of fully integrated multi-million-dollar campaigns.

Director, Digital Strategy

McCann Health

Senior Digital & Content Strategist

Saatchi & Saatchi

Digital Supervisor

Dress Barn

Manager, Digital & Content Marketing

Various

Clients: Captain Morgan, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Party City, PUMA

Digital Marketing Consultant

Helping brands to grow Visibility, Engagement, and Revenue using AI and Digital Tech || Strategist, Technologist, Data/Insights Nerd || Ex- @Saatchi, @Ogilvy, @McCann

Ever feel like everything is moving fast and your business is two steps behind? 

Forget surviving, you still want your brand to connect with the right people and soar! That’s where I come in.

As a seasoned marketing executive with over 15 years of experience, I have dedicated my career to driving business growth through innovative, data-driven marketing strategies. 

My passion lies in 

I've been in the trenches with big players like Mercedes-Benz, PUMA, and Pfizer and also bold startups like SwatchOn, guiding them in developing and executing multi-channel campaigns that not only generate qualified leads but also accelerate sales cycles and maximize customer acquisition.

Challenges I Understand:
❗️Struggling to stand out in a crowded market.
❗️Ineffective brand messaging that doesn't resonate with your audience.
❗️Difficulty integrating cutting-edge technology into your marketing strategy.
❗️Need for a data-driven approach to understand and engage customers.
❗️Desire to increase revenue while building a sustainable, beloved brand.

How I Help My Clients & Partners:
✅ Data-Driven Insights: Unlocking the power of data to create compelling, personalized brand stories.
✅ Digital Technology Integration: Seamlessly blending technologies into your marketing strategy for impactful customer engagement.
✅ Customized Brand Strategies: Crafting unique solutions that resonate with your audience and drive business growth.

Technical Proficiency:
From Adobe Creative Cloud to Google Analytics to ChatGPT to Web3 tolls, I help leaders understand and use the right technologies to drive brand growth.

I am excited about the intersection of creativity and data-driven decision-making, and am always open to connecting with like-minded professionals, discussing potential collaborations, or sharing insights on the ever-evolving landscape of marketing.

Eager for your brand to gain a competitive edge and dominate your market?

Let's chat!

G. Kofi Annan

What if everyone who rejected you was actually... right?

Hear me out.

My granny flew 5,000 miles to tell me I was ruining my life.
My professor compared me to an alcoholic.
My friends said my work wasn't worth $10.

They were all correct.

I spent years trying to conform.
Until my same rejected work sold for 6X more...to strangers.

The rejection was never about me.

This changed how I see every "NO" forever →

I help health brands grow clients/patients & revenue using a AI-enhanced acquisition system ✪ Fmr @Saatchi, @Ogilvy, @McCann

Finding Value in Rejection

The more you outsource your thinking to ChatGPT, the lazier you get and the more you risk losing your credibility. 

Customers, clients, and readers have access to ChatGPT too. 

They want your expertise, taste, and judgment. 

Don’t let one lazy tweet, post, or paragraph be the reason you lose their trust and kill your business.

Too many founders and owners wear exhaustion like a medal.

You built a business to help people. Now it's the thing breaking you.

60-hour weeks.
Answering texts at dinner.
"Always available" as a selling point.

But here's the truth:

Your clients and patients don't respect you more for being accessible.
They respect you more for being excellent.

And excellence requires edges.

The massage therapist who doesn't book past 6pm?
3-month wait list.

The nutritionist who doesn't answer weekends?
40% price premium.

The doctor who doesn't rush consultations?
Highest satisfaction scores in the city.

They're not working less.
They're working on what only they can do.

Everything else? It's noise disguised as necessity.

The highest-paid, most effective practitioners aren't the most available.
They're the most intentional.

What tasks are stealing your excellence?

My friend Camille is brilliant. MBA from Wharton. Built campaigns that saved millions.

But she gets ignored while people with less experience get the opportunities she wants.

It's not fair.

But in a world drowning in noise, intelligence without authority is just expensive advice nobody asks for.

That's why I'm partnering to launch Scaling Authority, a 4-month program to help seasoned professionals and ambitious entrepreneurs build authority at scale.

Your expertise is your most valuable asset. 

But if you can't make it land with authority, it might as well not exist.

If you're tired of being the best-kept secret in your space, this is your permission slip to finally change that.

Scaling Authority is limited to only 10 participants.

Early bird closes next Wednesday, Dec. 10th.

Read more ↓

View newsletter: Digital Brand Tips | By Kofi

My friend Camille is brilliant. She's got an MBA from Wharton. Built three successful marketing campaigns that saved her last company millions. Can di

Open article: The smartest person in the room often gets ignored. Let's change that! by G. Kofi Annan • 3 min read

The smartest person in the room often gets ignored. Let's change that!

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