What a brand communications and optics strategist is, what the title means in practice, and what I will not do. Written out so you can vet it before you ever contact me.
Defining a Brand Communications and Optics Strategist
My Beliefs and My Approach
I call myself a brand communications and optics strategist. I keep a focus on the communication, connotations, engagement, compliance and stability of each brand, persona or product, and I specialize in illuminating authoritative intelligence and amplifying authentic experts.
The work is built on vetting, verifying and double checking. Looking at what a business is being told, what it is telling other people, and whether the two hold up under scrutiny.
What the Title Means to Me
Beyond the title itself, here is how I define the role and what each part of it means in the work.
A Faithful Fiduciary
Executing an approach to strategic consulting rooted in ethics, accountability and authority. Bearing the weight with accountability, compliance and liability for everything shared and every direction given.
A Security and Personnel Mediator
Clarifying and defining the stability and the strength of a project, and the protections required both internally and externally.
A Scrutinizing Advisor
Discovering and assessing what is in place, what is missing, and what could be changed out for something new. That allows for strategic clarity on the actions, the authenticity and the authority, along with the decisions and choices that have worked, that have not worked, or that were never developed to their fullest extent.
A Coordinating Conduit Consultant With a Conscience
Applying full transparency in reviewing and coordinating three time frames at once:
- Present, the utopian
- Past, the traditional
- Planned for, the future and the existential
Reviewing the existential, traditional and utopian together lets us build strategic plans that account for the past, the present and the future at the same time, instead of only planning forward.
A Preemptive Crisis Management Counselor
Identifying and timing the cycles and the authenticity of content, optics and message. Addressing threats, weaknesses, issues and negatives in advance, and avoiding brand force trauma, rather than pulling through with ego, hype or a false message to cover a real problem.
Reviewing what is already out there, analyzing which information is strongest, and evaluating how to respond with tact, professionalism and honor.
A Detailed Diagnostician
Discovering, defending and differentiating the facts from the opinions, and true engagement from false hype. Formatting the tone, tempo and pitch of a message so it resonates with authenticity and authority.
A Communications Director
Looking past the presuppositions, assumptions and false fronts that many businesses present. Presenting intentions, acknowledging perceptions and organizing the performance of a message so it has a better chance of landing the way it was meant to.
A Hermeneutical and Apologetic Style Speaker
Applying the objective and substantiated facts that make a defense for the views and the methods I hold. Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation. Apologetics is the study of speaking in defense.
A Pre and Post Production Producer
Working to build, balance and better the mix of seven fundamental operational touch points:
- Methodology
- Morals
- Messaging
- Materials
- Metrics
- Mobilization
- Marketing plans
Those touch points get analyzed through process architecture, strategic touch points and messaging methods, to build an initial action plan and blueprint for forward motion. Then how that fits the individual, and how to apply it to the next steps of promotion, advertising, media, investment and reach.
A Data Analyst and Data Scientist
Collecting, compounding, comprehending and organizing the data, content, message and brand so an intended message can be amplified and clarified to reach other ears.
What I Do Not Do, and Why
This section is longer than the last one on purpose. What someone refuses to do tells you more than what they promise.
No certifications, degrees or online courses as credentials
I do not believe in shortcut checkmarks used to give off the appearance of authority. What I know came through an array of experiences and education across the globe with many people, not through an overnight or fast track online certification.
No masterminds, no secrets, no courses, no funnels, no email lists
I work with people in the way that suits them. I do not box clients. Every project is built to the exact needs and requests of that client.
No false promises or empty claims
I have no idea whether your business can be ten times what it is, or whether it even should be. No million dollar or billion dollar mindset goals, and none of the other carrot dangling. First I have to understand what you have, what you know, what you can do, what you are about and what you will do. Then we can build a blueprint that suits your business, your reach and your goals.
No bragging about best sellers, likes, clicks, follows, reviews or awards
I look to connect with people interested in my views, my abilities, my approach and my authority. Not numbers and hype that can be purchased. If the hype resume is what you are after, we are not a good fit.
No false authorship and no author shortcuts
I wrote three books. All three run over 400 pages. They are not double spaced, not filled with pictures and not set in large fonts. One was self published, one was hybrid published, The Artist’s Guide to Success in the Music Business, and the third, Music Business For Dummies, was published by John Wiley and Sons. Two are published and distributed worldwide in paperback, ebook and audio. None of them used AI in any form.
That is not a brag. It is a response to how many people claim to be best selling authors while putting out a pamphlet. There is a podcast episode on Amazon best selling book claims that goes into it further.
No motivational coaching and no inspirational talks
Too many people calling themselves consultants, coaches and strategists spend the engagement on motivation and inspiration. I am here to inform you, educate you, create with you, build with you and protect you. I am not here to make you feel good about your business, or to use secrets, tips and tricks to get you to do work you already know you need to do.
If you need hours of encouragement every week to move on your own goals, we are not a good fit. There is an episode on this called More coaches on the sidelines than players on the field.
Not marketing, and not a social media influencer
Sound messaging brought to marketing makes the difference and creates stronger, more organic reach. Messaging comes first. I am also not an influencer. I do not share anything I do not believe, and I will not state something just to make a dollar.
No paid referrals and no quid pro quo referral networking
I refer a product, a service, a person or a process as though my reputation depends on it, because it does. I take no kickbacks, no referral fees and no profit of any kind on anything or anyone I refer.
No duality, no secrets, no hype, no hiding
I stand by what I state. I separate my opinions from facts, stay away from hype, and share with continuity regardless of who I am speaking to. I stand behind my consulting, my content and my direction as though I were being cross examined in a court of law and held personally responsible for every word.
No AI shortcuts in brand, messaging, content, graphics, research or writing
Used responsibly and professionally, AI can be a good tool. I do not use it to generate fast, unstable text, images or audio that is not authentic in form. AI is heavily abused by coaches, consultants and strategists who claim to have come up with ideas when what they came up with was a prompt. The full position is on the AI Usage Statement page.
No rights and no ownership taken on your work
I work as a strategist, advisor, counselor or consultant, which means I hold no rights to what we do together while we work together. If something grows beyond the scope of the work over time, that can be discussed. Otherwise the consulting is consulting and the ideas from it are yours.
No working with everyone
I work with people I find authentically sound and holding genuine authority. I am not flexible on that. Just as I hold myself accountable for what I share with you, I will hold you accountable for the work that is yours to do. I am not a one size fits all person.
No marketing of me required
If you want to share your experience, share it. If you are moved to write a review, write it. If you want to refer someone, I am glad to see whether they are a fit. If you want to follow or subscribe, by all means. None of it is required, none of it is requested, and I will not use your name, your likeness, your business or our work as an example unless you specifically want that.
You also have the option to not mention me at all and keep the work private. I have no problem being behind the scenes. I did that for a long stretch of my music and production career, and I talk about it in the episode Music business ghost drumming, being a ghost in the machine.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Most of what is written above comes down to one habit. Check it before you commit to it.
That is also the shape of the most common way people start with me. A run through session, where a third party strategist looks at what you are being told by others and advises you on the advice you are getting.