The Training Most Brand Strategists Don't Have

I'm a certified brand strategist.

But here's what makes my fractional services different:

I was trained to use Myers-Briggs when working with executives and boards.

Not as a personality test for team-building exercises.

As a diagnostic tool for shadow work.

Most brand strategists start with external brand:

• Logo design
• Messaging frameworks
• Visual identity
• Market positioning

I start with: "Who are you? And how are you getting in your own way?"

Because here's what 25 years of Fortune 500 survival + 10 years of addiction recovery taught me:

Professionals who aspire to greatness get derailed by patterns they can't see.

These patterns show up as founder burnout signs that everyone misses because they look like business decisions.

And you can't build an authentic brand around an identity you haven't made conscious.

That's why my fractional CMO/CTO services are more powerful than hiring a President or traditional strategist.

I diagnose shadow problems, not just business problems.

What Myers-Briggs Actually Reveals (When Used Correctly)

Most people think Myers-Briggs is about:

• Whether you're introverted or extroverted
• How you make decisions
• Communication styles for better teamwork

That's kindergarten application.

When I use Myers-Briggs with executives and boards, I'm diagnosing:

Pattern 1: How They Get In Their Own Way

INTJ (2.1% of population):

• Strength: Strategic foresight, pattern recognition, systems thinking
• Shadow: Work 18-hour days avoiding the question "Am I valuable if I'm not producing?"
• How they sabotage: Burn out managing humans doing work AI should do
• Brand challenge: Position as machine, lose humanity

ENTJ:

• Strength: Decisive leadership, execution at scale
• Shadow: Need control to feel valuable
• How they sabotage: Hire people they can "save" then resent them for needing saving
• Brand challenge: Come across as aggressive when they think they're being direct

INFJ:

• Strength: Visionary insight, empathy at scale
• Shadow: Codependency disguised as leadership
• How they sabotage: Overdeliver to prove value, undercharge, burn out
• Brand challenge: Invisible because they're afraid of seeming self-promotional

ENFP:

• Strength: Innovation, possibility thinking
• Shadow: Adrenaline addiction to new ideas
• How they sabotage: Start 10 projects, finish none, wonder why they're exhausted
• Brand challenge: Seen as scattered when they think they're being adaptive

I don't use Myers-Briggs to say "you're an INTJ, here's how to work better with ENFPs."

I use it to say: "You're an INTJ. Here's the shadow pattern destroying your business. Let's make it conscious before we build your brand."

The Ghosts In The Darkness: Every Type's Shadow Pitfall

I call them "Ghosts In The Darkness" - after the killer lions movie.

Every Myers-Briggs type has a pitfall. If you don't know it's there, it will jump out and get you.

They're that powerful.

If you don't know you have harbored resentments, you will lash out.

The team member gives feedback. You explode. You wonder why they quit.

The ghost jumped.

You didn't see the resentment harbored under "I'm fine."

That's why I start with Myers-Briggs shadow diagnosis.

The ghosts live in the darkness. We shine light before we build strategy.

Because you can't build authentic brand on unconscious shadows that lash out.

INTJ Ghost: "Am I valuable if I'm not producing?"

How it shows up:

• Works like machine to avoid the question
• 18-hour days = running from fear
• Burns out calling it "strategic intelligence"

The burnout sign: Founder working 18-hour days for 700 days straight

If you don't see this ghost: You'll work yourself to collapse

Shadow work: Face the fear. You're valuable without constant production. Encode intelligence, don't replicate burnout.

ENFJ Ghost: "I need to save people to be valuable"

How it shows up:

• Hires people to rescue (codependency)
• Resents them for needing saving
• Blames hiring instead of pattern

The burnout sign: "I hire people I want to save"

If you don't see this ghost: You'll repeat the cycle with more expensive people

Shadow work: Stop rescuing. Value yourself without saving others. Hire independent talent who don't need your approval.

ENTJ Ghost: "I need control to feel safe"

How it shows up:

• Micromanages to feel secure
• Team never levels up
• Wonders why delegation fails

The burnout sign: Can't delegate, everything needs your oversight

If you don't see this ghost: You'll scale headcount but not capability

Shadow work: Face the fear of losing control. Trust is built, not controlled.

INFJ Ghost: "If I charge full value, people won't like me"

How it shows up:

• Undercharges to stay likeable
• Overdelivers to prove worth
• Revenue up 166%, still burned out

The burnout sign: Revenue up but exhaustion increasing

If you don't see this ghost: You'll profit less while working more

Shadow work: Charge what you're worth. Stop proving value through overwork. Boundaries = self-respect.

ENFP Ghost: "New ideas = avoiding execution"

How it shows up:

• Starts 10 projects, finishes none
• Gets bored when execution gets hard
• Blames "lack of systems"

The burnout sign: Exhausted with nothing complete

If you don't see this ghost: You'll be busy but never successful

Shadow work: Pick one thing. Finish it. Feel the discomfort of execution. That's mastery.

INTP Ghost: "I'm smarter than execution"

How it shows up:

• Analyzes forever, never ships
• Perfects the plan while competitors execute
• Wonders why market doesn't recognize brilliance

The burnout sign: Brilliant strategy, zero results

If you don't see this ghost: You'll be right and broke

Shadow work: Ship before perfect. Market rewards action, not analysis.

This is the complete framework I use to diagnose shadow patterns in executives.

Each type has different ghosts. All destroy if unseen.

The Angela Pattern: When Professionals Can't See Their Own Shadows

I recently analyzed a burned-out founder's confession on LinkedIn.

700 days of 18-hour workdays. Revenue up 166%. Hiring a President to "operationalize her vision."

Everyone analyzed her business problem.

I analyzed her shadow problem.

Here's what Myers-Briggs reveals about her pattern:

Likely Type: ENFJ or INFJ (based on language patterns)

Shadow Revealed In Her Own Words:

"I hire people I want to save" = Codependency
Translation: I need to rescue others to feel valuable

"People call me a machine" = Adrenaline addiction
Translation: I work to avoid feeling

"I can't afford high-level talent" = Self-worth deficit
Translation: I don't believe I'm valuable enough

"No one teaches you this part" = Denial
Translation: I don't know what I'm doing and I'm afraid to admit it

"I need someone with 10-20 years experience" = External solution for internal problem
Translation: I'm hoping business strategy fixes my psychology

This isn't a hiring problem. This is a shadow problem.

And hiring a President won't fix it.

Because the President she hires will:

1. Hire more people (codependency continues—now she's "saving" the President's team too)
2. Create more processes (adrenaline continues—more work to avoid feelings)
3. Confirm she "still can't do it alone" (self-worth deficit deepens)
4. Add payroll without fixing patterns (denial continues)

She'll be burned out again in 18 months.

With higher expenses.

Because nobody used Myers-Briggs to diagnose her shadow first.

What Most Brand Strategists Miss

I read the typical personal brand strategist approach:

"A personal brand strategist helps you craft a captivating brand story, optimize your online presence, and create an emotional connection with your target audience."

All true. All incomplete.

Missing piece: "Who are you when no one's watching? And what shadow are you running from?"

You can't create an authentic brand story when you don't know your own shadow.

You can't optimize your online presence when your offline identity is codependent.

You can't create an emotional connection with your audience when you're disconnected from yourself.

That's why traditional brand strategy fails executives:

They build brand on top of shadow instead of clearing shadow first.

The Integration Most Don't Have

Most brand strategists offer:

• Brand positioning
• Visual identity
• Messaging frameworks
• Content strategy

I offer integration:

Layer 1: Myers-Briggs Shadow Diagnosis

Question: Who are you? And how are you getting in your own way?

Process:

• Myers-Briggs assessment (not team-building, shadow work)
• Identify cognitive architecture (INTJ, ENTJ, INFJ, etc.)
• Diagnose shadow patterns (codependency, adrenaline addiction, self-worth deficit)
• Make subconscious conscious

Example:Angela: ENFJ/INFJ likely
Shadow: Codependency (hiring to save), self-worth deficit (undercharging)
Pattern: Rescue → Burn out → Blame hiring → Repeat

Until shadow is conscious, brand strategy won't work.

Layer 2: Recovery Principles Applied

Question: What patterns from addiction show up in your business?

Process:

• Identify codependency (rescue missions)
• Spot adrenaline addiction (18-hour days to avoid feeling)
• Diagnose denial ("no one teaches this")
• Reveal external solutions for internal problems (hiring President to fix psychology)

Example:Angela's business language = addiction language
"I hire people I want to save" = enabling (codependency)
"I'm a machine" = adrenaline addiction
"Can't afford talent" = self-worth deficit (same as "I don't deserve better")

Recovery framework first. Then brand strategy.

Layer 3: Brand Strategy (Only After Shadow Work)

Question: Now that shadow is conscious, what's your authentic brand?

Process:

• Define authentic identity (post-shadow work)
• Create brand positioning that reflects truth
• Build messaging that doesn't trigger shadow patterns
• Design systems that prevent shadow-driven decisions

Example:Angela post-shadow work:
Brand: Leader who values boundaries over rescue
Pricing: Reflects actual worth (no more undercharging to prove value)
Hiring: Independent talent who don't need saving
Operations: Systematize AI work, keep strategic work

This is authentic brand. Because psychology is clean.

Layer 4: Execution (Fortune 500 Systems)

Question: How do we operationalize authentic brand at scale?

Process:

• Executive Information Systems (I created at Navistar for C-Suite)
• Synthetic Intelligence (encode cognitive architecture)
• Widget warfare (control resources competitors need)
• Fractional specialists (domain expertise without full-time politics)

Example:Angela with clean shadow + executive systems:
No President needed (shadow work removed codependency)
Synthetic Intelligence (encodes her strategic intelligence)
Fractional specialists (domain expertise without rescue dynamics)
Executive systems (dashboards that turn chaos into clarity)

This is sustainable scaling. Because foundation is solid.

Why This Makes My Fractional Services More Powerful

Traditional Fractional CMO/CTO:

• Optimize marketing
• Build technology systems
• Create processes
• Manage teams

Problem: If executive has shadow driving decisions, optimization fails.

My Fractional CMO/CTO Approach:

Step 1: Myers-Briggs Shadow DiagnosisBefore we touch marketing or systems, I ask:

• What's your Myers-Briggs type?
• What shadow patterns show up in your business language?
• How are you getting in your own way?

Step 2: Recovery FrameworkApply 20 years addiction recovery wisdom:

• Spot codependency patterns
• Identify adrenaline addiction
• Break through denial
• Stop external solutions for internal problems

Step 3: Brand StrategyBuild authentic brand on clean foundation:

• Position reflects truth (not shadow compensation)
• Pricing reflects value (not self-worth deficit)
• Messaging connects (not codependent people-pleasing)

Step 4: Executive SystemsImplement Fortune 500 proven systems:

• Executive Information Systems (Navistar proof)
• Synthetic Intelligence (encode cognitive architecture)
• Widget warfare (competitive positioning)
• Fractional specialists (no politics)

Result:

You don't just get marketing optimization.

You get shadow work + strategy + systems + execution.

That's why burned-out executives who hire me don't burn out again.

We fixed the psychology before we built the systems.

The Professionals Who Get In Their Own Way

After 25 years working with Fortune 500 executives and 20 years in recovery, I've seen the pattern:

High-achieving professionals aspire to greatness.

But they sabotage themselves with patterns they can't see.

Myers-Briggs reveals the patterns. Recovery wisdom fixes them.

The INTJ Who Works Like A Machine

Aspiration: Build empire through strategic intelligence

Shadow: "Am I valuable if I'm not producing?"

Sabotage: 18-hour days for 700 days, burns out, hires President hoping they'll "take things off my plate"

What they actually need: Face the fear. You're valuable without constant production. Encode intelligence, don't replicate burnout.

The ENTJ Who Hires People To "Save"

Aspiration: Build company that impacts millions

Shadow: Need control to feel valuable, rescue others to prove worth

Sabotage: Hire "potential" people, micromanage, blame them when they fail, hire "proven talent" and repeat

What they actually need: Stop rescuing. Value yourself without saving others. Hire independent talent who don't need your approval.

The INFJ Who Undercharges And Overdelivers

Aspiration: Make meaningful impact through authentic work

Shadow: "If I charge full value, people won't like me"

Sabotage: Revenue up 166%, still burned out. Overdeliver to prove worth. Resent clients for "demanding too much."

What they actually need: Charge what you're worth. Stop proving value through overwork. Boundaries = self-respect.

The ENFP Who Starts Everything, Finishes Nothing

Aspiration: Innovate across multiple domains

Shadow: Adrenaline addiction to new ideas, avoid execution discomfort

Sabotage: Start 10 projects, get bored when execution gets hard, blame "lack of systems" for incomplete work

What they actually need: Pick one thing. Finish it. Feel the discomfort of execution. That's mastery.

In every case: Shadow drives sabotage.

And traditional brand strategy won't fix it.

Because you can't build authentic brand on unconscious shadow.

The Training That Creates The Integration

Why can I do this when most brand strategists can't?

Because I have all four:

1. Certified Brand Strategist

Formal training in:

• Brand positioning frameworks
• Messaging architecture
• Visual identity systems
• Content strategy

Plus: Trained to use Myers-Briggs with executives and boards

Not for team-building. For shadow diagnosis.

2. 10 Years Addiction Recovery

Lived experience with:

• Codependency patterns
• Adrenaline addiction
• Denial mechanisms
• External solutions for internal problems

Applied to business: Same patterns, different substance.

3. 25 Years Fortune 500 Survival

Operational intelligence from:

• Navistar (created Executive Information System for C-Suite)
• Illinois Bell AT&T breakup
• Y2K infrastructure crises
• 2008 financial collapse

Result: Executive systems that actually work under chaos.

Plus brand restoration work like Wisconsin Voices after identity hijacking.

4. Carl Jung Integration

Psychological frameworks:

• Shadow work ("make subconscious conscious")
• Archetypes (brand positioning that resonates)
• Synchronicity (pattern recognition before it's obvious)

Applied: Business problems are shadow problems at scale.

Nobody else integrates all four.

That's the moat that makes my fractional services unchallengeable.

What This Means For Executives And Boards

If you're hiring a brand strategist or fractional CMO/CTO:

Ask them:

1. "Do you use Myers-Briggs? For what?"

Wrong answer: "Team dynamics and communication styles"
Right answer: "Shadow diagnosis. To identify how you're sabotaging yourself."

2. "What's the difference between brand strategy and shadow work?"

Wrong answer: "Shadow work is therapy. Brand strategy is business."
Right answer: "You can't build authentic brand on unconscious shadow. Psychology first. Strategy second."

3. "How do you identify codependency in business?"

Wrong answer: "That's not my area. I focus on marketing."
Right answer: "When executives hire people to 'save' or undercharge to prove value. Classic codependency showing up as business decisions."

4. "What executive systems have you built under crisis?"

Wrong answer: "I optimize existing systems."
Right answer: "I created Executive Information System at Navistar for C-Suite during collapse. Fortune 500 proof."

If they can't answer all four, they're not integrating psychology + strategy + systems.

And you'll get surface optimization without foundation work.

Which is why you'll hire them, burn out anyway, and hire the next fractional expert in 18 months.

The Angela Case Study: Integration In Action

Angela's burnout post revealed shadow patterns:

Business symptom: "I hire people I want to save"
Myers-Briggs diagnosis: ENFJ/INFJ shadow (codependency)
Recovery principle: Stop playing martyr. Problem starts/ends with you.
Shadow work: Face the question "Am I valuable without rescuing?"
Brand strategy (post-shadow): Leader who values boundaries over rescue
Executive system: No President. SI + fractional specialists.

Traditional approach: Hire President → Burn out in 18 months

My approach: Shadow work → Clean foundation → Strategy → Systems → Sustainable scaling

Difference: Foundation.

When shadow is conscious, brand is authentic.

When brand is authentic, systems work.

When systems work, scaling happens without burnout.

Why Most Fractional Services Fail

They optimize tactics without fixing foundation.

Example scenarios:

Scenario 1: Fractional CMO Without Shadow Work

Executive: "I'm burned out. Revenue is great but I'm exhausted."

Fractional CMO: "Let's optimize your marketing funnel and hire a team."

Result: Executive burns out managing new team because codependency wasn't addressed.

6 months later: Same problem, higher payroll.

Scenario 2: Fractional CTO Without Shadow Work

Executive: "We need better systems to scale."

Fractional CTO: "Let's implement project management software and hire developers."

Result: Executive micromanages systems because control issues weren't addressed.

6 months later: New systems, same burnout.

Scenario 3: Brand Strategist Without Shadow Work

Executive: "We need stronger brand positioning."

Brand Strategist: "Let's create messaging that connects with your audience."

Result: Messaging sounds inauthentic because it's built on unconscious shadow.

6 months later: New brand assets, no connection with audience.

In all three: Surface solution without foundation work.

That's why they fail.

My Fractional Approach: Foundation First

Discovery Call (2 Hours):

Traditional fractional: "Tell me about your business challenges."

My approach: "What's your Myers-Briggs type? Let's diagnose your shadow first."

Questions I ask:

• When you work 18-hour days, what are you avoiding?
• Who are you trying to save? Why?
• What would you charge if you believed you were valuable?
• What truth are you avoiding by blaming circumstances?
• Are you living a hand-me-down dream?

This reveals the foundation cracks before we build anything.

Month 1: Shadow Work + Recovery Principles

What we do:

• Make subconscious patterns conscious
• Identify codependency, adrenaline addiction, denial
• Apply recovery frameworks to business
• Clean the foundation before building

Deliverable: Clear understanding of shadow driving decisions

Month 2-3: Brand Strategy (On Clean Foundation)

What we do:

• Define authentic brand identity (post-shadow work)
• Create positioning that reflects truth
• Build messaging that doesn't trigger shadow patterns
• Design pricing that reflects value (not self-worth deficit)

Deliverable: Authentic brand strategy built on conscious foundation

Month 4-6: Executive Systems + Synthetic Intelligence

What we do:

• Implement Fortune 500 proven systems (EIS from Navistar)
• Encode your cognitive architecture into Synthetic Intelligence
• Apply widget warfare competitive positioning
• Hire fractional specialists (domain expertise without politics)

Deliverable: Scalable systems without scalable burnout

Ongoing: Fractional Advisory

What we do:

• Monitor for shadow patterns resurfacing
• Optimize systems based on growth
• Maintain boundaries under pressure
• Evolve brand as you evolve

Result: Sustainable scaling because foundation stays clean.

Stop Reading. Start Diagnosing.

If you're a burned-out executive thinking:

"I need better talent / systems / strategy"

Ask first:

"What shadow pattern am I running from that makes me think hiring/systems/strategy will fix this?"

Because here's what 45 years of lived experience taught me:

Professionals who aspire to greatness get derailed by patterns they can't see.

And you can't build an empire on unconscious shadow.

Myers-Briggs reveals the pattern.
Recovery wisdom fixes it.
Brand strategy makes it authentic.
Executive systems make it scalable.

That's integration.

That's why my fractional services work when others fail.

Not because I'm a better marketer or technologist.

Because I diagnose shadow problems, not just business problems.

— Charles K Davis
Certified Brand Strategist | Fractional CMO/CTO | Cebu, Philippines
Trained To Use Myers-Briggs With Executives And Boards
20 Years Recovery Wisdom | 25 Years Fortune 500 Survival | Carl Jung Integration

P.S. If you're an executive or board member thinking "this sounds like therapy, not business strategy," you're proving my point. The separation between psychology and strategy is why you're burned out. Integration is uncomfortable. It's also the only thing that works. Not for everyone. Only for leaders ready to see their shadows.

P.P.S. At C-suite advisory level, I'm not "have it your way." This is not Burger King. You either do shadow work first, or we don't work together. Because I won't build brand strategy on top of unconscious patterns. That's malpractice. And I don't do malpractice.

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