Last month, I had the chance to attend the Coach Builder Summit in Nashville — and it was more than a conference. It was a reset. Not just professionally, but personally.

This event brought together coaches, guides, strategists, and marketers from all over the world, and it reminded me why I do this work and why Lifedge even exists in the first place. We’re not here to win awards. We’re here to help our clients succeed by communicating clearly, showing up with purpose, and keeping the heart of the message at the center of it all.

What Hit Me the Most

There were two speakers who really stayed with me.

Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, shared not just the story of the organization — but how they’ve built trust, connection, and long-term impact by being radically transparent. I’ve recommended charity: water’s messaging approach to multiple nonprofits over the years, and seeing him in person brought it full circle. What struck me the most? He’s a strategist through and through. Every donor interaction, every campaign — it’s built around answering the question: How do we make this meaningful for the person on the other end?

Then there was John O’Leary. Yes, the person behind the movie Soul On Fire, who survived burns on 98% of his body as a child. He challenged us to stop coasting through life and instead, live on fire. Be grateful, be present, and be generous. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get emotional. It wasn’t just inspiring — it reminded me that marketing is ultimately about people. Stories. Real transformation. That’s what we’re communicating, every day.

Strategic Insights We’re Bringing Home

We didn’t just sit and take notes — we came back from the Coach Builder Summit 2025 with ideas we’re already integrating into the work we’re doing at Lifedge. 

1. The StoryBrand Soundbite Strategy & The “PEACE” Messaging Framework

Donald Miller introduced a tighter, more practical version of the StoryBrand framework:

• Problem
• Empathy
• Answer
• Change
• End Result

This isn’t about dumbing down the message — it’s about cutting through the noise. Helping our clients communicate with fewer words but more clarity. It’s going to influence how we write websites, social media posts, emails — all of it.

2. Cognitive Load Is Real

If someone needs to work hard to understand what you’re saying… they won’t.

We talked a lot about “cognitive load” — the mental effort it takes to understand your marketing. If it’s too high, people check out. For example, saying “West Michigan’s premier service provider of roofing for commercial and residential, with the best shingles in the market” doesn’t mean much to a homeowner with a leak. But “Leaky or old roof? Stop worrying — we’ll fix it fast and do it right” speaks directly to their pain.

We’re applying this to content across the board — making it easier for your audience to get what you’re saying in three seconds or less.

3. Content Pillars that Actually Connect

Laura Higgins and Amy Porterfield both emphasized how much content should be grounded in real stories and personal experiences — not just “tips” or surface-level advice.

We’re going to be focusing on three core types of content in our strategy:

• Hot takes – short, strong points of view that challenge assumptions (i.e., “Spending more on ads won’t fix your funnel”).
• Heart-driven content – the “why” behind your brand, your mission, your impact.
• “How I/we did it” stories – not hypothetical tips, but actual behind-the-scenes of how we helped someone like your ideal client.

It’s a better way to create trust and connection, and we’re building this into our upcoming calendars for clients right now.

A Personal Moment That Shifted Me

At one point, Donald Miller said something that hit me hard:

“We don’t do marketing for awards. We’re here to help real businesses grow. You don’t have to be clever, you have to be clear, and that is how you will help your clients make more money.”

I needed to hear that. I’m someone who likes to do things with excellence. But if I’m honest, sometimes I can get pulled toward proving something. That statement grounded me again. We’re here to serve. To simplify. To help people grow. That’s it.

This marketing work isn’t about being clever. It’s about being clear.

What This Means for You

Here’s what we’re already working on as a result of the Coach Builder Summit 2025:

• Messaging audits – We’ll be evaluating our clients’ core messaging and headlines to lower cognitive load and boost clarity.
• Content alignment – Social posts, blogs, and emails will lean into story, purpose, and simple problem-solving.
• Stronger funnels – We’re introducing “curiosity → enlightenment → commitment” as the new structure for landing pages and email sequences.
• Training tools – We’re building internal prompts and calculators to help us streamline clarity, faster.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t just another event. It was a recalibration. A reminder that marketing is about trust. That businesses don’t grow because they say “we’re the best”, they grow because they connect with the right people, at the right time, with the right words.

If you’re a current client, we’ll be weaving this into your strategies right away. If you’re not yet working with us and want to see how this could help your brand, let’s start the conversation today.

Thanks for walking this journey with us.

Have a great day,
– Oscar Quesada