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!

2X Exits | Built $MM Businesses over 20 years | CEO Coach | Helping founders grow revenue, profit and valuation

20 years ago, if someone had told me that I would run multiple, multi-million dollar companies, simultaneously, I would have laughed. But here I am.

Over the last 2 decades, I’ve built 2 multi-million-dollar ARR companies and led them to successful exits.

Was it easy? Hell, no.

My transition from an Engineer to an Entrepreneur was hard. 
Being good at our craft and good in business are 2 very different things.

Tejora Technologies was my flagship; I built it to over 200 employees and 30+ clients across the US, UAE, and India, and profitably exited in 2022.

Our systems and strategies enabled me to unlock its value when I was ready to exit. 
I could secure a full buyout and walk away in 3 months because it was built to be cash-rich and founder-free.

In 2007, while growing Tejora, launched Elixir Fitness, diving headfirst into the retail sector. Double the challenges and double the learning. 
 
Successfully exited Elixir Fitness in 2012 to focus fully on Tejora. 
Biggest takeaway? Building and selling a business is an art and a science.

Now, in my 3rd venture —I help founders do the same:

Build businesses that generate profit — and become buyer/investor-ready.

Wealth creation is at the center of everything I do.

Working together, we will: 
- Scale the business in ways that increase enterprise value
- Build a team that can run without you
- Create clarity that successors can trust, and buyers will pay for.

After all, businesses aren’t sold. They’re bought.

So —here are 4 ways I can help you build an Exit Ready business.

1) CEO Coaching & Advisory: 
Work with me 1:1 to increase revenue/profit, maximize valuation, and make your business attractive to buyers or successors.

Book a Free Clarity Call: https://topmate.io/surabhishenoy/1314664

2) Subscribe to My Newsletter — CEO Mastery
Every Thursday, I share actionable strategies on scaling and valuation. This is my best content — and it’s free.

Subscribe Now: https://surabhishenoy.com/newsletter-subscribe/

3) Take My Course — Founder’s Freedom Blueprint
The first condition of any exit? Your business must run without you.
FFB helps you get there — with systems, delegation, and founder freedom.

Get it here: learn.surabhishenoy.com

4) Follow me here on LinkedIn for tips throughout the week.

To know more about me and my story, please visit: https://surabhishenoy.com/from-engineer-to-ceo-to-ceo-coach/

Thank you for being here,

Best, 
Surabhi

Surabhi Shenoy

Control felt safe.

Until it didn’t.

For years, I called it “being a hands-on founder.”
First in.
Last out.
Every call.
Every decision.

It looked like commitment.
But it was 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.

Fear of dropping the ball.
Fear of being judged.
Fear that if I let go, everything would fall apart.

My wake-up moment came after yet another 15hr day.
I wasn’t leading. I was gripping.

And gripping is not growth. It’s survival.

So I changed my operating style.
I delegated from clarity, not panic.
I built systems instead of heroics.
I worked from design, not fear.

That shift didn’t just change my companies.
It changed me.

If this hit home, you’ll love my newsletter — 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆.

2300+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/d5BWB_Cx

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp one sharp, actionable system to help you 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

🎁 BONUS: Read To Lead: 30 Books Every Founder Must Read.

And if you’re still reading this…
maybe it’s time to loosen the grip a little.

Your business doesn’t grow because you hold on harder.
It grows because you design it to.

In my Tech company, salaries were our biggest expense.

Every month, I would stare at the P&L and think:
“If we can optimize this one line…our entire bottom line will improve.”

But how do you do that
- when salaries only go up,
- talent is scarce,
- and clients want better outcomes at lower cost?

Here’s what we did...
(Save this if you’re scaling a services business in 2026)

12 levers to optimize your salary costs:

1. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗳𝘆 every role as revenue‑producing, revenue‑enabling, or overhead, and review the mix quarterly.

2. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 cost per engineer per month, per billable day, and per key output (story point, feature, project).

3. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 utilization, blended rate, and gross margin for each team and major client, not just at company level.

4. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 clear salary bands and promotion criteria so raises follow level changes, not tenure.

5. 𝗖𝗮𝗽 % of revenue for non-billable roles, and require a business case to exceed it.

6. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 every engagement bottom up (fully loaded cost + target margin) and enforce hard floor.

7. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗲 delivery processes, templates, and technical patterns to juniorize.

8. 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 a hiring / backfill justification that shows impact on revenue, margin, or a specific constraint being relieved.

9. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 the fully loaded cost of attrition (recruiting, ramp, discounts, quality risk) and use it in leadership decisions.

10. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 in a small set of retention levers (growth paths, 1:1s, coaching, sane workload) that are cheaper than constant hiring.

11. 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 a simple monthly cost and margin dashboard to your leadership team and discuss variances and corrective actions.

12. 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 team leads on unit economics and empower them to make local decisions that protect utilization and margins.

Cost control is not frugality.
It’s financial leadership.

The founders who win aren’t the ones who spend less.
They’re the ones who spend deliberately.

If this resonated, then repost. 
Someone in your network needs to start controlling costs today.

And if you want systems like this every week, subscribe to 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

2400+ founders already read it. It’s free.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

#CEOMastery #Founders #CostControl

Black-and-white image of Andrew Carnegie sitting with folded hands. Large quote on the left reads: “Control your costs. Control your costs. Control your costs. Gentlemen, control your costs.” The bottom banner shows Surabhi Shenoy’s photo, a call to subscribe to CEO Mastery, and a QR code.

He didn’t say, “5GB MP3 player.”

He said, “1000 songs in your pocket.”

That line was Steve Jobs at his best, turning tech into pure feeling.
Not a slogan.

A masterclass in clarity.

Steve Jobs didn’t describe what it was.
He described what it meant.

You could see it.
You could feel it.
You got it instantly.

That’s the power of sticky ideas.
And that’s what 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 teaches.

A great idea isn’t enough.
It has to spread.
It has to stay.

The Heath brothers found 6 traits behind ideas that stick:
SUCCES (yes, one S)

1. Simple
2. Unexpected
3. Concrete
4. Credible
5. Emotional
6. Story-driven

Most founders miss this.
They sound smart... but forget to make it memorable.

They say:
“We optimize digital workflows for operational scalability.”

When they could say:
“We cut delivery time in half, no extra hires.”

Or:
“We build AI-driven marketing automation systems.”

Instead of:
“We help close 30% more leads, without bigger ad spend.”

Or even:
“We provide leadership coaching.”

Instead of:
“We help leaders escape daily firefighting so that they can focus on growing business.”

See the difference?

One sounds impressive.
The other makes an impression.

If people can’t picture it, they won’t remember it.
And if they don’t remember it, it never happened.

I put together a cheatsheet:
𝟲 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 👇
Built for founders who want their message to spread... to customers, teams, and investors.

Save it.
Use it to clarify your pitch.
Or get your team’s buy-in without the blank stares.

-- 

If you enjoyed this post, 
You’ll love my newsletter: 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 

2300+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, shares ‘6 Rules to Make Your Ideas Stick,’ inspired by Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. The visual breaks down the SUCCES framework — Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story-driven — with examples for founders on how to make their message memorable. Designed for entrepreneurs who want to communicate clearly with customers, teams, and investors. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter.

Everyone’s chasing speed. 
Very few chase clarity.

But that’s what separates the frantic from the focused.

Charlie Munger knew this decades ago. 

Speed without clarity creates rework.
Decisiveness without reflection creates waste.

He built a billion-dollar clarity by thinking 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 than everyone else— and acting 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 once he knew what mattered.

Last week’s 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 was the concluding part.
I unpacked the final 5 filters from Charlie's playbook:

- How to stay independent when the noise rises.
- How to stay humble when you’re winning.
- How to stay adaptive when everything shifts.

Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/d68wNYVQ

If your decisions feel heavy, or your team keeps “almost” aligning, this edition will hit home.

And if you haven’t yet, 
Subscribe to CEO Mastery now.

2300+ founders read it every week. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to increase your revenue, profit, and valuation.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, shares ‘Charlie Munger’s 10 Mental Filters for Founders,’ a framework on decision-making clarity for business leaders. The visual outlines ten principles — Risk, Preparation, Allocation, Patience, Focus, Independence, Intellectual Humility, Analytic Rigor, Decisiveness, and Change — to help founders think slowly, act wisely, and scale sustainably. Designed for entrepreneurs who value clarity over speed and want systems that compound results. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter by Surabhi Shenoy.

A $1 million contract.

I knew I had just one shot.

Win it, we leapfrog.
Lose it, we slow down. 

Being an engineer, I was strong technically.
But I wasn’t trained in negotiation.
Or persuasion.
Or high-stakes selling.

I had one week to prepare.
So I turned to the place I always turn when I’m under pressure.

A book.

I picked up 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
One lesson hit me hard: people decide with emotion first.

So I rebuilt my entire pitch.
I focused less on features.
More on the 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺.
The 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
The 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 behind their decision.

That shift changed the whole room.
And I walked out with the $1 million deal — giving away a few things in kind. 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺.

That $1M deal was just one moment. 
But moments like that stack. 

And almost all of them were shaped by ideas I learned from books.

Books built me. 
They guided me through tough decisions, stressful leadership calls, and every major transition in my career and life.

So I put together my top 30 books...
and the exact business takeaways I’ve applied from each one.

A curated list.
Clear insights.
Real-world applications a founder can use today.

And if you want to build this kind of thinking into your 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮, 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆. 

It’s the newsletter I wish existed when I was scaling my first company — one practical mental model, system, or strategy every Thursday.

Subscribe now: https://lnkd.in/d5BWB_Cx

I will send the "𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥" guide along with the next edition of CEO Mastery.

The kind of founder you become depends on the ideas you feed your mind. 

Start today 🚀

♻️ Repost this to help a fellow founder.
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily CEO insights

“Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, introduces Read to Lead — a curated guide of 30 books every founder must read. The animated GIF shows a phone screen and bold text ‘READ TO LEAD,’ inviting founders to sign up for the free guide via QR code. The resource highlights 30 books and 30 business lessons with real-world takeaways that helped Surabhi scale multiple companies. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter and founder learning resources.

65% of all startups fail for one reason.

Not because the idea was weak.
Because the founders fight.

Most founders don’t see it early.
The warning signs are quiet.
The damage shows up years later.

I’ve studied partnerships that lasted decades and partnerships that collapsed under pressure.

The gap is clear.

Strong co-founders pass five simple filters long before they build together.

Here are the five that matter:

1/ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁 – steady under stress
2/ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – calm when things break
3/ 𝗘𝗴𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 – low drama, high clarity
4/ 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 – same pace, same ambition
5/ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 – real commitment, real stakes

Founders who pass these filters save years of conflict.
They protect trust, decisions, and momentum.

And these filters show you who someone really is before equity ties you together.

If you’re choosing a co-founder, this week’s newsletter breaks each filter down so you can build safer and scale smoothly.

Read it here > https://lnkd.in/dMX5QUZh

To get more such in-depth insights, subscribe to CEO Mastery now.

2400+ founders read it every week. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to increase your revenue, profit, and valuation.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

In last week's CEO Mastery Newsletter, I shared how to choose a co-founder.

Got a reply, “I already got one… it’s not working.”

This is the part most founders never prepare for.

In the early years, urgency holds everything together.
You move fast.
You skip hard talks.
You assume alignment because nothing feels broken.

Then the business grows.
Life grows.
And the cracks you ignored start widening.
Decisions feel heavier.
Small tensions linger longer.
You sense the drift before you can name it.

Here’s the part we rarely admit:
Strong partnerships don’t stay strong by luck.
Something underneath keeps them steady as things get more complex.

in tomorrow's CEO Mastery edition,
I'll share the secret I learned from working with a co-founder for over 20 years.

If you build with a co-founder or want to get one, 
you don’t want to miss this one.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝟰 𝗣𝗠 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗶 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

2400+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Every Thursday, you will get 1 sharp, actionable system to:
✔️ Grow revenue
✔️ Maximize profit
✔️ Increase valuation
✔️ Reduce founder dependency

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom  #CoFounderDynamics

Graphic teaser for CEO Mastery newsletter by Surabhi Shenoy. Text reads: ‘How to REALLY work with a co-founder to achieve long-term success. I’ll unpack it in tomorrow’s CEO Mastery.’ Includes QR code to subscribe. Light beige background with bold blue and red text.

You don’t need to do more.

You need to be 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.

A founder I coached had it all.
Strong pipeline. Smart team. Big goals.

But his leadership team?
They got fragments of his attention while he drowned in busywork.

We worked through the 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 together. 

Here’s what changed in just 6 weeks:
→ Cut 12 hours/week from his calendar 
→ Delegated 3 major workflows 
→ Built a 90-day plan that team could execute confidently

The results were transformational.

The company finally had a 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘌𝘖 again.
Decisions moved swifter.
Momentum returned.

Freedom isn’t about doing less. 
It’s about being fully available for the work 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 can do.

🔥 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹:
𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝟱𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳. 

Get it here: https://lnkd.in/duAd48XD

This is a 5-module, 60-minute video course that you can apply instantly.

It's time to take the first step toward a calmer, more focused way of leading. 

And if this resonated, please repost ♻️
Some leader in your network needs this reminder today. 

Question for you: 
If you got 10 hours back this week, where would you put them — clients, strategy, sales, hiring, or your team? ⏱️

Black Friday Sale visual promoting Surabhi Shenoy’s Founder’s Freedom Blueprint online course. The text reads: ‘Founder’s Freedom Blueprint — Step out of firefighting, into focused leadership. 50% OFF.’ The image includes a QR code linking to learn.surabhishenoy.com. The program teaches founders how to delegate, build leadership systems, and regain focus using Surabhi Shenoy’s 5-module, 60-minute framework for freedom and growth.

Ever replayed a conversation in your head… 
wishing you’d said what you really meant?

Most people don’t avoid difficult conversations because they’re weak. 

They avoid them because no one taught them 𝘩𝘰𝘸 to have them.

A managing partner I coached kept clashing with her co-founder. 

Every big discussion ended the same way: she went silent. 
Not from agreement… 
but from fear of saying it wrong.

Turns out she didn’t need courage. 
She needed tools.

When she learned how to structure the conversation,
separate facts from stories,
and make it safe to speak,
she finally said what she’d held in for years.

Founder conflicts rarely explode overnight. 
They build—one unsaid thing at a time.

That’s why 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 is powerful.

When stakes rise and emotions spike, people default to silence or aggression. 
Both break trust. Both slow growth.

The solution isn’t bravery. It’s skill.

Here are eight steps to speak the truth without drama.

1. Start with Heart: know what you want.
2. Learn to Look: spot silence or pressure.
3. Make It Safe: use contrast and purpose.
4. Master Your Stories: separate facts from your tale.
5. STATE Your Path: facts → view → invite.
6. Explore Their Path: use AMPP to draw them out.
7. Move to Action: agree on next steps.
8. End with Alignment: leave with shared clarity.

Simple when you read them.
Transformative when you apply them.

📌 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁: 𝟴 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Save it and share it with your team.

Use it to prevent small issues from becoming big problems.

Found this valuable? 
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily CEO insights 

-- 

Want to become the CEO your growing business deserves? 

📥 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 —
My weekly newsletter, trusted by 2400+ founders. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to help you move from Stuck to Scaling. 

I write from my personal experience of building, scaling, and exiting 2 MM$ businesses and now coaching founders 1:1.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach and 2X founder, shares ‘8 Steps to Master Difficult Conversations’ — a framework inspired by the book Crucial Conversations. The visual outlines how leaders can communicate with clarity and safety: 1) Start with Heart, 2) Learn to Look, 3) Make It Safe, 4) Master Your Stories, 5) STATE Your Path, 6) Explore Their Path, 7) Move to Action, 8) End with Alignment. Designed for founders, executives, and teams to resolve conflict, rebuild trust, and lead with calm authority.

Care too little and people leave.

Care too much and performance drops.

Every founder I know walks this tightrope.

You want to be kind.
But you also want to be clear.
You want to support your team.
But you also expect high standards.

And most days, it feels like you’re choosing between being the “nice boss” or the “tough boss.”
But 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳 teaches something different.

You don’t have to choose.
You have to combine.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆.
That’s the whole game.

When you 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 
you protect feelings but kill growth.

When you 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦, 
you get results but lose trust.

And when 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 
you build a team of silence and second-guessing.

But when you do both?
People feel safe.
People feel supported.
People know exactly how to win.

Because clarity is care.
And candor is love in leadership form.

If you want a team that grows with you, not around you start with conversations you’ve been delaying.

Save the cheatsheet: 7 Rules of Radical Candor 👇
Share it with your team.

--
If you enjoy this kind of depth,
You’ll love my 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 newsletter.

It's Free and trusted by 2400+ growth-focused Founders.

🎁 Get instant access to my guide: 30 books every founder must read.

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

Found this valuable? 
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily CEO insights

Radical Candor summary for founders — 7 rules to lead with care and direct challenge, inspired by Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor. Includes principles like caring personally, challenging directly, praising clearly, correcting behavior, giving real-time feedback, asking for criticism, and making expectations visible.

One change moves revenue fast.

But you must pick right.

Early in my career, I worked as a software test engineer.

The job was simple:
Change one input.
Watch the output.
Trace the real cause of failure.

A controlled test never changes 5 variables at once.

But founders do it every time growth stalls.

New hire.
New offer.
New funnel.
New pricing.
New strategy.

𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Then wonder why months of effort don’t translate into movement.

The problem usually isn’t ambition.
It’s misdiagnosis.

After years of working with founders, I’ve learned that revenue gets stuck in only a few places.

Seven, to be precise.

The 7 Revenue Levers:

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 (create demand + conversion):
1/ Positioning
2/ Offer
3/ Pricing
4/ Lead flow

𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 (multiply scale + consistency):
5/ Sales engine
6/ Customer lifetime value
7/ Growth assets

And here’s the part most founders miss:
In almost every business, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯.

Fix the wrong lever → no change.
Fix the right one → everything starts to move.

Want to know how to choose and fix that 1 revenue lever?

Read this detailed newsletter: https://lnkd.in/diKEY-jr

--

If you enjoy this kind of depth,
You’ll love my 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 newsletter.

It's Free and trusted by 2400+ ambitious Founders.

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to:
✔️ Grow revenue
✔️ Maximize profit
✔️ Increase valuation
✔️ Reduce founder dependency

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom #RevenueGrowth

Cheatsheet titled ‘7 Revenue Levers – Diagnose Before You Scale’ by Surabhi Shenoy. Visual framework showing why growth stalls, the tester’s mindset, and where revenue breaks. Highlights seven revenue levers in two groups: Positioning, Offer, Pricing, Lead Flow, Sales Engine, CLTV, and Growth Assets. Includes diagnostic questions, icons for each lever, and a QR code to subscribe to CEO Mastery.

Growth needs depth.

Depth needs reading. 

People say they want to grow.
But very few sharpen that one skill:
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Not doom-scrolling.
Not information snacking.
Not shallow content that vanishes in minutes.

I’ve always been a voracious reader.
And I realize many aren’t.
They like the speed.
They move fast.
And reading feels “slow.”

But slow 𝘪𝘴 the point.

Reading gives depth.
It builds clearer thinking.
You retain far more information.
You understand concepts better.
You can recall ideas later in seconds.
And you, not algorithm, decide what to read.

What if you don’t have time for books?

Read things you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 finish.
Read some long-form articles.
Read a thought-provoking newsletter.
Read anything that stretches your thinking...
(instead of just entertaining your mind.)

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘾𝙀𝙊 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮. 
For founders who want to grow fast but don’t have time for books.

Each week, I send one deep insight you can apply the same day.
Revenue. 
Profit. 
Valuation. 
People. 
Systems. 
Leadership.

The real levers that move a business.

Who is this for?

- Founders who're pressed for time.
- Leaders who want sharper decisions.
- Executives who want depth without overwhelm.
- Anyone who wants to think better, and build better.

When you subscribe, I’ll send you my guide “𝟯𝟬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱.”

And here’s the real value:
Each book comes with an article. 
I break down the idea, the takeaway, and how it shaped my decisions... so you get the wisdom in minutes, not hours.

If this speaks to you, read one long-form piece this weekend.
A book.
A newsletter.
A well-written article.
Give your brain the upgrade it has been asking for.

If you're already in the habit, what's your favorite book?

🔁 Repost if you believe reading still matters.
🔗 Join CEO Mastery by clicking “View my newsletter” above 👆

Founders want to read more.

They know books sharpen judgment.
Improve decisions.
Strengthen instincts.

But they don’t have time to sit with a 300-page book.

Ironically, the moment you need books the most… 
is the moment they stop reading.

I lived this.

Growing up, I read constantly.
But once I started building and scaling companies, reading disappeared.

Hiring. Delivery Clients. Fires.
There was always something more urgent than picking up a book.

Yet every time I felt lost as a founder…
I knew the answer was sitting in a book I hadn’t opened.

After my second exit, as I began building CEO Mastery…
I made myself a promise:

To carve time for 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 again.
To study founders, operators, mental models.
To pull patterns from the people who built iconic companies.

That’s what I do now.

I read deeply.
I take obsessive notes.
I combine them with my own experience scaling (and exiting) two companies.
And I turn them into systems founders can apply instantly.

If you want access to this level of thinking, 
📩 Subscribe to 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 here: https://lnkd.in/didm2-bY

Every Thursday:
One sharp, actionable system to scale yourself and your business.
And because I want you to start strong,
I’ll send you a gift I’ve built over the last 12 months:

“𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱” — 𝟯𝟬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱

This isn’t a book list.
Not summaries.

Each book comes with:
 → A deeper article
 → A strategic framework
 → The exact lessons I applied while building my companies
This weekend, don’t start a new book.

Don’t add more to your “to read” list.
Instead, make 20 minutes for Read to Lead.

Because founders who win aren’t the ones who read the most books.
They are the ones who absorb the right ideas at the right time.

 Found this valuable?
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily founder insights

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom #ReadToLead

Animated graphic showing a smartphone preview of the “Read to Lead — 30 Books Every Founder Must Read” guide. The right side highlights the title in large blue text, with a message explaining that the guide includes 30 books, 30 lessons, and zero guesswork. A QR code invites viewers to subscribe to the CEO Mastery newsletter to receive the full guide.

We talk a lot about “psychological safety” these days.  

Somewhere along the way, we lowered the bar for excellence.

My leaders pushed me, were hard on me.  
I am a product of their “unrealistic” demands.
 
Today, safety has became the goal,
instead of the starting point.
 
And I’ll be honest — 
I miss cultures that expected greatness.
A culture of performance and excellence.
 
The kind where you’re proud of your work,  
where you stretch your abilities,  
where the demand lifts you higher.
 
I don’t believe psychological safety makes people weak.
I believe staying only in psychological safety does.
 
People don’t unlock their potential in comfort. 

They unlock it when they’re challenged. 

When they are seen and stretched.  
When they are supported and pushed.

And that goes both ways.

We should expect our leaders to push us.
 
And we should expect performance from our teams downward.

As Jeff Bezos says, 
High performance and professional pride is a necessity.

Learning to balance these two forces —  
support + standards —  is the real work of leadership.
 
This prefer the culture:
Where team does the best work of their careers.
 
Psychological safety is where we begin.  
Excellence is where we must aim.
 
Found this valuable? 
♻️Repost it to your network and 
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📥𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 —
My weekly newsletter, trusted by 2400+ founders. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system 
to grow in revenue, profit and valuation. 

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Every founder building something new hits the same wall:

“This isn’t how we do things.”
“Our manual process works fine.”
“We don’t want to change what already works.”

It’s rarely a product problem.
It’s a 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 problem.

People don’t resist new tools because they’re ineffective.

They resist because the familiar feels safer.

Even when the familiar is painfully inefficient.

And this is where many founders lose the pitch:
They start defending what they built.
They compare features.
They try to prove superiority.

The moment you enter comparison mode, you’ve already lost.

Jeff Bezos understood this early.

When critics attacked Amazon(.)com for what it couldn’t do compared to bookstores, he didn’t defend the gaps.

He reframed the conversation to what the new medium made possible.

That’s the mental model founders need when pitching today:
Not “Here’s how we replace your process,”
But “Here’s what becomes possible with a new way.”

If you’re building something new — 
AI, automation, internal tools, workflow upgrades — resistance is guaranteed.

How you frame your pitch determines whether they lean in or walk away.

Ask yourself: 
What can my product unlock that the old way never could?

That’s where decisions move.
That’s where adoption begins.

I wrote about this in depth in Edition 74, including:

- The mental model Bezos used
- Why comparison kills adoption
- A real example from a company I advise
- One question that transforms a pitch instantly

Read it here > https://lnkd.in/dF5d69WA

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If you enjoy this kind of depth,
You’ll love my 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 newsletter.

It's Free and trusted by 2400+ ambitious Founders.

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to:
✔️ Grow revenue
✔️ Maximize profit
✔️ Increase valuation
✔️ Reduce founder dependency

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom #MentalModel

A visual cheatsheet titled “Bezos’s Mental Model — Turn Objection Into Adoption,” showing old-world benchmarking, familiarity bias, feature-defense, and proof-over-possibility traps. The image presents the B.E.Z.O.S. Framework: Break the Comparison Lens, Expand What’s Possible, Zero-Friction Experience, Own a New Dimension, and Sell the Superpower. Includes real-world examples and a call to subscribe to the CEO Mastery newsletter.

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The Battle

Brian Berkenstock

Surabhi Shenoy

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Brian Berkenstock's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreBrian Berkenstock's LinkedIn Performance