Storytelling for Leadership & the Immigrant Entrepreneur Journey With Andrés Oliveros

Hello, amazing entrepreneurs! Welcome back to Wellness Marketing 101. I’m Boryana—marketing professor, mom of three, and founder of Black Sea Advanced Marketing Solutions, where we help health and wellness entrepreneurs build authentic, sustainable marketing foundations.

Today, we’re diving into a topic that every business, big or small, needs: storytelling for leadership. And to guide us, we have an incredible guest: Andrés Oliveros, co-founder of Astrolab, a professional development firm that helps leaders and teams communicate more clearly, memorably, and authentically.

We also unpack his experience as an immigrant entrepreneur, navigating a new culture, raising bilingual kids, and building a business in the U.S. market.

Who Is Andrés Oliveros and What Is Astrolab?

Astrolab was born in Mexico after Andrés, a former corporate lawyer, noticed a painful disconnect inside organizations:

• Executives communicated in facts, numbers, and directives

• Middle managers felt disengaged and unsupported

• Frontline employees—those closest to customers—were out of alignment with leadership

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This misalignment created confusion, frustration, and inconsistent customer experiences.

Astrolab focuses on solving this through business storytelling as a leadership tool. Their core mission:

Help leaders and commercial teams communicate clearly, inspire action, and build trust.

Andrés and his co-founder realized that while world-class storytelling firms existed in the U.S., none existed in Mexico at the time—so they created the first.

Since then, Astrolab has worked with major global brands such as:

• Unilever

• Coca-Cola

• Novartis

• Citibank

  
  

Their approach empowers leaders to connect through personal stories during:

• Presentations

• Sales calls

• Coaching conversations

• Networking interactions

• Team meetings

Because facts inform, but stories transform.

Why Storytelling Matters for Health & Wellness Entrepreneurs

As I always tell my students and clients:

Marketing is storytelling. Branding is storytelling. Leadership is storytelling.

Your audience doesn’t connect to features—they connect to people, experiences, and emotionally relatable moments.

For wellness entrepreneurs, your story is the foundation of your brand. But inside larger organizations, storytelling becomes even more critical.

Without aligned communication:

• Middle managers lose motivation

• Employees give inconsistent customer experiences

• Customers get frustrated and switch brands

We’ve all been there—speaking to a disengaged customer service rep and walking away thinking:

“I don’t want to buy from this company anymore.”

That’s why storytelling matters at every layer of your brand—from CEO to frontline staff.

The Immigrant Experience: Building a Business in a New Country

Andrés didn’t originally plan to stay in the United States. But after coming to Philadelphia to complete his Master’s in Behavioral and Decision Sciences at UPenn, two things happened:

1. His children began thriving in the U.S.

They arrived without speaking English, struggled at first, and slowly adapted.

Within two years, English became their dominant language—revealed when they spoke in their sleep!

2. He discovered opportunity for Astrolab in the U.S.

While his network was still in Mexico, he sensed a strong market for communication training in the U.S. He began intentionally building connections—exactly where we met, at a behavioral science networking workshop.

3. The family embraced rebuilding from scratch

Having previously moved from Monterrey to Mexico City, they learned to say “yes” to anyone offering connection.

This is a lesson for entrepreneurs everywhere:

Your network grows when you stay open, curious, and willing to engage.

4. Navigating the immigrant narrative

Andrés shared the emotional weight of raising immigrant children in a politically polarized time. Their strategy as parents:

• Teach resilience

• Equip their kids to process negative narratives

• Build supportive community

As he said beautifully:

“We’re not the first immigrants. We’re not the last. Most of us are just hardworking people wanting to build a life without losing our culture.”

Behavioral Science + Communication: How They Shape Astrolab’s Work

A key insight behind Astrolab is one I love:

What’s obvious to you may not be obvious to others.

Behavioral science shows us that humans are biased, busy, and overloaded with information. Even brilliant ideas often fail because they are:

• poorly communicated

• confusing

• too technical

• not emotionally engaging

That’s why storytelling is the bridge.

Andrés often uses the example of Ignaz Semmelweis—the physician who discovered hand-washing reduces death during childbirth. Despite being right, his idea was rejected for decades because people weren’t ready for it.

Great ideas don’t spread automatically.

Great stories do.

Astrolab’s Vision for the U.S. Market

Andrés hopes Astrolab will:

1. Help U.S. leaders tell better stories—and build inspired teams

Because clarity + connection = impact.

2. Partner with purpose-driven companies

Especially those that believe people and culture matter as much as strategy.

3. Bring diversity into leadership communication training

Blending Mexican roots, storytelling tradition, and behavioral science creates a powerful, differentiated approach.

Final Thoughts: Storytelling Is a Superpower

Whether you’re growing a wellness brand, leading a team, or building a business in a new country, storytelling is what allows you to:

• Build trust

• Clarify your value

• Inspire people

• Connect emotionally

• Stand out in a crowded market

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Andrés’ journey is a powerful reminder that your story is your strength. Your experiences are your toolkit. And your voice is your strategy.