RelationshipOps of the Week #10.
Brand Voice Consulting Firm
|
Dec 26, 2025
“Heck, my biggest client ever came from an old employee of mine who’s now at a company I had never even heard of.”
Justin Blackman.
Back in my copywriting days, I used to work on a few (test) projects with an online business education company, Mirasee. As part of the onboarding, they sent over a couple of resources so I’d enough context to start writing.
One of them was the “Mirasee Voice Guide”.
“HOLY SH*T!?!”
… I was shocked as I slowly scrolled through the 100-page guide because I’ve never seen one that documents a company’s and founder’s voice as detailed as it does.
I was curious about the person or company that wrote it, so I looked up the title “The Brand Ventriloquist™ Voice Guide…”.
That’s when I found… Justin Blackman.
After working with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) as the Loyalty and Partner Content Manager, he saw the gap in marketing guides, which mainly focused on details such as color codes, font sizes, etc.
Which is not really useful, at least for copywriters.
That’s why he started his agency that focuses on building The Brand Ventriloquist™ voice guides, and later turned that knowledge into the Brand Voice Academy and his own consulting firm.
So you might be wondering…
“How’s it gonna do with relationships?”
Because more than just the go-to guy for personality-packed copy, Justin has also quietly become one of the most interesting email marketers I know of… not in the clickbait-y sense, but in the long-game relationship-building way.
And that’s how he makes his clients remember, trust, and buy his products and services.
So, if you’re curious how someone like him thinks about relationships, let’s get into it.
Full 360 Degrees.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Justin Blackman:
“Nearly all my best contracts are a result of knowing people. Staying connected with former colleagues, old bosses, and even friends from high school have brought clients to my inbox that I might never have dreamed of. Heck, my biggest client ever came from an old employee of mine who’s now at a company I had never even heard of.
And you’d be amazed how many came from people who were “lower on the food chain” when I met them.
So, while the relationships were the cause, I want to point out that building connections in a full 360 degrees was the catalyst here. You never know where your former intern is going to wind up in 5 years.”
I Wish I Had One.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Justin Blackman:
“I wish I had one. A lot is just the usual social media stuff and staying connected with people who’ve earned a spot in my life. Not just on LinkedIn, but the more personal channels too.
I suppose one thing I do differently is this: when I think about someone, I let them know. It doesn’t have to be a work thing – it could just be a random memory about a conversation or event. Sometimes even a joke.
When someone is on my mind, I reach out. I don’t do it for work purposes, but you’d amazed how often it comes around.”
Connect Skyward.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Justin Blackman:
“I’m a pretty reserved person in social situations and I keep my friend groups small. I’m well-known but not always known well. And while I don’t consider it a flaw, I’m sure it would have worked in my favor if I had learned to push my social comfort zone earlier and expanded my network beyond the tight circle.
There are dozens of old acquaintances and colleagues now in influential positions who I wish I knew better.
I mentioned before that I build my relationships in 360 degrees – and I do. But younger me found it easier to connect down rather than up. I think it evened out over time, but it would have benefitted me faster had I pushed myself to connect skyward.”
Key Takeaways.
Justin Blackman has been the person I go to when I need ideas or bumped into problems around brand voice, and have previously bought his course, Write Like Anyone. So if you’re interested to learn more, check out his work here.
Once again, we thank Justin for his contribution to this week’s article. If anything, here are the few key takeaways from his story…
Big wins start small. Nearly every major client win came through personal connections, often from unexpected people he once managed or met early in their careers.
No fancy system. His only real “system” for staying in touch is reaching out whenever someone comes to mind and sometimes it’s just to share a joke or memory.
Connect skyward. If he could go back, he’d nudge his younger self to stretch socially and connect with more senior peers, not just those below or beside him.
That’s all for this article, I hope that’s valuable to you.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Justin Blackman.
Back in my copywriting days, I used to work on a few (test) projects with an online business education company, Mirasee. As part of the onboarding, they sent over a couple of resources so I’d enough context to start writing.
One of them was the “Mirasee Voice Guide”.
“HOLY SH*T!?!”
… I was shocked as I slowly scrolled through the 100-page guide because I’ve never seen one that documents a company’s and founder’s voice as detailed as it does.
I was curious about the person or company that wrote it, so I looked up the title “The Brand Ventriloquist™ Voice Guide…”.
That’s when I found… Justin Blackman.
After working with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) as the Loyalty and Partner Content Manager, he saw the gap in marketing guides, which mainly focused on details such as color codes, font sizes, etc.
Which is not really useful, at least for copywriters.
That’s why he started his agency that focuses on building The Brand Ventriloquist™ voice guides, and later turned that knowledge into the Brand Voice Academy and his own consulting firm.
So you might be wondering…
“How’s it gonna do with relationships?”
Because more than just the go-to guy for personality-packed copy, Justin has also quietly become one of the most interesting email marketers I know of… not in the clickbait-y sense, but in the long-game relationship-building way.
And that’s how he makes his clients remember, trust, and buy his products and services.
So, if you’re curious how someone like him thinks about relationships, let’s get into it.
Full 360 Degrees.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Justin Blackman:
“Nearly all my best contracts are a result of knowing people. Staying connected with former colleagues, old bosses, and even friends from high school have brought clients to my inbox that I might never have dreamed of. Heck, my biggest client ever came from an old employee of mine who’s now at a company I had never even heard of.
And you’d be amazed how many came from people who were “lower on the food chain” when I met them.
So, while the relationships were the cause, I want to point out that building connections in a full 360 degrees was the catalyst here. You never know where your former intern is going to wind up in 5 years.”
I Wish I Had One.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Justin Blackman:
“I wish I had one. A lot is just the usual social media stuff and staying connected with people who’ve earned a spot in my life. Not just on LinkedIn, but the more personal channels too.
I suppose one thing I do differently is this: when I think about someone, I let them know. It doesn’t have to be a work thing – it could just be a random memory about a conversation or event. Sometimes even a joke.
When someone is on my mind, I reach out. I don’t do it for work purposes, but you’d amazed how often it comes around.”
Connect Skyward.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Justin Blackman:
“I’m a pretty reserved person in social situations and I keep my friend groups small. I’m well-known but not always known well. And while I don’t consider it a flaw, I’m sure it would have worked in my favor if I had learned to push my social comfort zone earlier and expanded my network beyond the tight circle.
There are dozens of old acquaintances and colleagues now in influential positions who I wish I knew better.
I mentioned before that I build my relationships in 360 degrees – and I do. But younger me found it easier to connect down rather than up. I think it evened out over time, but it would have benefitted me faster had I pushed myself to connect skyward.”
Key Takeaways.
Justin Blackman has been the person I go to when I need ideas or bumped into problems around brand voice, and have previously bought his course, Write Like Anyone. So if you’re interested to learn more, check out his work here.
Once again, we thank Justin for his contribution to this week’s article. If anything, here are the few key takeaways from his story…
Big wins start small. Nearly every major client win came through personal connections, often from unexpected people he once managed or met early in their careers.
No fancy system. His only real “system” for staying in touch is reaching out whenever someone comes to mind and sometimes it’s just to share a joke or memory.
Connect skyward. If he could go back, he’d nudge his younger self to stretch socially and connect with more senior peers, not just those below or beside him.
That’s all for this article, I hope that’s valuable to you.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.