An Entrepreneur Who Writes

My grandfather used to refer to himself as a “cattleman” not a cowboy. My version of that is that I’m an entrepreneur and business owner who also happens to be a writer. 

I didn't know that 2025 would be the year I blew up on Substack!  I'm super grateful, especially considering that I'm a polymath on the topics I write about.

• Consciousness

• Trauma

• Politics

• Masculinity

• Mindfulness

• History

• Creativity/art 

• Branding

• Leadership

• God/Christianity 

• Grief

• Healing

• Power dynamics 

• Poetry

• Strategy

• Systems thinking

• Patriarchy

• Rural roots

And that doesn't include my obsessions with American football, and being a bourbon aficionado and a music and coffee snob. 

I acknowledge that all that variety of topics might obscure what I actually do for a living. Substack is my lab for all of the above, but it's not how make a living.

So here it is: what I do, who I work with, how I get paid, and a quick ask of my readers.

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What I Do

I am a brand strategist, business coach, and leadership advisor operating at the intersection of moral clarity, systemic awareness, and creativity. I help founders, CEOs, and thought leaders reframe their identity, distill their message, and align their business with their deepest values. 

I practice something I call Brand Poetry. It's the work of translating what someone’s soul is yearning to express into provocative, memorable, and repeatable brand language. 

I am also a cultural and leadership critic and an "activated white dude" who uses the tools of business, branding, and leadership to wage a deeper battle against dehumanizing systems.

Most of this work is delivered through Massive Change, the company I own with my partner, Virginia. 

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My Clients

My clients have three things in common: a strong sense of ethics, a project or body of work they care deeply about, and an intuitive sense that something in their message or presence needs to evolve. They often live in the crease between the material and the mystical and struggle to translate and scale all of that into profitability and reach. More specifically, my clients are:

• Founders/CEOs of purpose-driven companies who need strategic oversight of their branding, messaging, and marketing.
  

• Thought-leaders who need help turning lived experience into frameworks, offers, and language.
  

• Solo professionals who want to differentiate in a crowded marketplace, scale their practices, and increase their brand footprint.
  

• Corporate leaders who want coaching on their leadership presence so that they can grow their influence and lead more authentically.

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How I Make Money

My revenue comes primarily from these four areas:

Fractional CMO / Brand Strategy RetainersLong-term contracts with conscious companies or mature solo leaders who need my strategic mind and voice embedded in their team. I provide overall brand guidance, help develop and executive go-to-market plans, and ensure soul and strategy are aligned. Here is my fractional CMO deck.

Workshops and Immersive ExperiencesThese are small-group experiences focused on brand strategy, leadership presence, personal clarity, and cultural awareness. We explore identity, voice, power, and purpose through the lens of business and consciousness. Here is one of my current immersive offerings. 

Custom Coaching / Advisory Deep, bespoke work with founders, creators, and executives who need help navigating moral, strategic, or narrative crossroads. These clients often come to me for one thing (messaging, direction, clarity) and stay for the transformation.

Speaking + FacilitatingSelect gigs (paid or strategic) where I talk about branding, leadership, and systemic change - especially to organizations or industries that are PMS (Pale, male, and stale)

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My Ask

First, if you’ve ever liked, commented, re-posted, or sent my writing to someone who needed it, thank you! It is not taken for granted. 

If you know a founder, creator, or exec who’s sitting on a powerful message and needs a strategic partner to help shape it—please introduce us. That’s how most of my clients find me.

And if that someone is you, I’d be honored to hear what you’re building. You can book a call with me here. 

With gratitude,

Justin