From foggy to focused: how I helped a wellbeing coach build her strategy, sharpen her story and stand out … “without a sniff of a buddha”
When Sarah and I first reconnected, she wasn’t for “wellbeing fluff” or “empowerment copy” that could belong to just about anyone in the coaching space. She wanted clarity and honesty.
We’d crossed paths before, years back, when I was in another consultancy and she was advising the leadership team. This time, we were reintroduced with a different brief: Sarah knew the power of her work, but was struggling to put it into buyable words. Her audience is high-flying, A1 types, and if they couldn’t quite grasp it, who would? This was definitely a problem worth solving.
The coaching space was noisy - and she didn’t want to sound like everyone else
Sarah had built something deep, credible and human - a science-backed coaching practice that helped high-responsibility people (founders, operators, creatives, CEOs) relieve overwhelm, reignite health and reframe transitions. But her work was getting lost in the sea of vague wellness chat and glossy coaching speak.
Early on I asked for some guidance of what she didn’t want to sound like. “Nothing woo-woo,” she replied.
“Got it,” I said. “So not a sniff of a Buddha.”
We started with positioning - but it quickly became strategy
We kicked things off with my Positioning Power Sprint. A two-session deep dive designed to sharpen a brand’s story and shape what makes it different. But once we started pulling Sarah’s brand apart, it became clear this wasn’t just about messaging. It was about strategy.
We went back to the root of what Sarah offered - not “coaching” in the abstract, but real, structured support for people who look like they’re holding it together… and secretly aren’t.
We gave it a name - The Hidden Cost Gap - capturing the disconnect between how people appear and how they actually feel.
Together, we then mapped:
Who her work was really for - beyond a job title or sector
What made her offer different - practically and emotionally
How to talk about that work without softening or overcomplicating it
We landed on an emotive, rhythmic line that summed up her work in a memorable way: ‘Coaching designed to restore what performance depletes.’
And we got to the heart of why high-flyers need her style of coaching, articulating a universal truth: ‘Behind high achievement, there’s often quiet exhaustion.’
Crucially, we didn’t just decide on words in a vacuum. We tested. Sarah took early messages out into the world - into conversations with peers, ideal clients, friends. We tightened and evolved the language in real time, based on what actually landed.
The result? Living Strategy™ - a brand that works like her work does
What began as a sprint became a strategy - and eventually, a system.
Together we built out:
A full brand strategy and messaging bible - including tone of voice, core beliefs and audience insights
A clear positioning statement and competitive white space
The P.R.I.S.M. Process™ - a five-part proprietary framework that captures how her work restores clarity, energy and direction
A sharp sales deck she can send to orgs and individuals
A clearly structured offer architecture for both business and private clients
A full website rewrite (structure, copy, clarity)
And aligned LinkedIn messaging that reflects it all
This became her Living Strategy™ - a strategy that doesn’t just live in a slide deck but actually fuels every part of her business, every day. It grows with her. It sharpens what she sells, how she sells it, and what she says when people ask, “So what do you do?”
What Sarah said
“Working with Ben has been transformational. Together, we unlocked so much more than just messaging - it was real, tangible strategy I started using within days. His process is challenging in the best way - reflective, strategic and honest.
“He has this rare instinct for cutting through the noise and getting straight to the nugget. Honestly, it was kind of scary - like he was in my brain, slicing through the waffle to reveal what I actually stood for.
“The result? Crystal-clear strategy, sharp messaging, and tangible products. It was fast, focused, and genuinely fun. And most importantly, the work converted new business almost immediately.”
Why this matters
A lot of brands aren’t failing - they’re just fuzzy. The work is good, but the story’s tangled. The founder’s brilliant, but too close to it. That’s where Living Strategy™ comes in. It clears the fog, cuts the fluff, and gives you a sharper way to show up - in language, in structure, and in real life.
If you're secretly stuck in the fog and tired of sounding like everyone else, you don’t need another workshop. You need a sprint that sticks.
Want to build your own Living Strategy™? Check out my services or drop me a message and let’s get things moving.
Running low, navigating change, or worried your performance is at risk? Let Sarah help you find the right starting point.
