The bottom line
Justin H. Mueller — The SMS Coach
Fractional A2P/SMS Compliance Strategist • Omnichannel Growth Architect • AI-Augmented CX Advisor • Bilingual (EN/ES) Educator
I help brands and platforms launch and scale messaging programs that are defensible, deliverable, and respectful.
To me, compliance isn’t a checkbox. It’s an organization’s operating discipline—the pattern behind how a brand protects customers, earns trust, and reduces avoidable risk at scale. My work turns fragmented requirements and carrier expectations into clear decisions, durable systems, and usable enablement—so teams move faster without cutting corners.
Clients bring me in when they need to answer: Are we safe to launch? Why are we getting filtered? What will fail first at scale—and what’s the most defensible path forward?
Best fit: teams that value clarity over shortcuts and treat customer trust as a growth asset—not a tax.
Not a fit: “growth-at-all-costs” programs, consent-lite strategies, or anyone looking for loopholes. I don’t provide legal advice; I support defensible decision-making alongside internal teams and counsel.
How teams typically start
Most teams don’t need “more consulting”—they need the right level of review at the right moment. These are the four paths I offer, designed to reduce guesswork and keep scope defensible:
SMS Disclosure & Policy Alignment Check
Start here if you want a fast, practical review of disclosures, policy alignment, and obvious risk gaps before scaling.
SMS Consent Architecture Review
Start here if you’re launching, redesigning opt-in flows, changing message types, or seeing approval/filtering risk. This is the best fit when consent is the central unknown.
End-to-End SMS Compliance & Consent Audit (Gated)
Start here for complex programs, multi-stakeholder environments, or scenarios where defensible documentation matters (often alongside legal review). Availability is by inquiry.
Fractional / On-Demand Compliance Advisory (Slack)
Start here if questions are ongoing and evolving and you need external compliance + deliverability judgment available on demand—without hiring full-time.
(Each offer has its own page with what’s included, what you receive, and what it’s not.)
Pick your lane
This site is a switchboard for three connected bodies of work:
The SMS Coach (primary)
A2P/SMS compliance, deliverability, approvals readiness, and scalable operating systems for messaging.
Songs Más Special
AI-generated music + original visuals—bilingual by design (English and Spanish). A practical sandbox for creative systems, attention engineering, and learning fast across evolving AI toolchains.
The Rebel Educator
Frameworks on AI, ethics, and “false barriers”—spotlighting open-source tools, freemium options, and ethical workarounds that expand access to quality data and capabilities. A recurring theme is separating artificial paywalls (productized friction) from legitimate value creation, and clarifying where the ethical line actually lives.
Each has its own page. This About page helps you choose the right door.
What I’m known for
Education-first compliance
I translate dense requirements into usable guidance. I simplify without dumbing down, and I build practical assets—one-pagers, mockups, flows, checklists—that reduce confusion and prevent rework.
Systems that outlast individual experts
I design compliance-by-default operating systems: intake, standards, review workflows, escalation hygiene, evidence practices, and training that keeps working when I’m not in the room.
Global reality, not local guesses
I’ve supported messaging operations across multiple regions and sender types (short code, 10DLC, toll-free, alphanumeric), with working fluency in major industry frameworks and expectations (carrier/provider norms and common regulatory overlays).
Early-signal pattern recognition
I publish when I see shifts emerging—where compliance, customer experience, and AI-augmented operations collide—so teams build for what’s coming, not what’s fading.
What I do (The SMS Coach)
I advise on programs where the stakes are real: filtering, approvals friction, complaints, escalations, and “we thought this was fine” surprises.
Typical work includes:
– Compliance audit + gap analysis + roadmap (fixed scope, outcome-focused)
– Program architecture & approvals readiness (short code, 10DLC, toll-free, registration and review expectations)
– Consent + disclosure design (copy standards, flow logic, evidence strategy)
– Content review standards & escalation hygiene (reduce chaos, reduce churn, reduce risk)
– Education & training (curriculum + enablement assets that stick)
– Omnichannel strategy (where SMS fits, how to avoid fatigue/complaints, and how channels coordinate cleanly)
Developer-adjacent, not code-first: I don’t write production code, but I collaborate closely with engineering teams to align implementation with carrier and regulatory requirements.
Boundaries, clearly stated: I’m an independent advisor. I provide analysis, recommendations, and defensible structures. Your internal teams and counsel make final decisions and implement.
Proof that matters (public-safe)
I keep details anonymized and defensible by design, but I’ve supported messaging and compliance work in top global enterprise environments, including household-name technology organizations, and I’ve received public professional recommendations from leaders in major cloud / enterprise ecosystems.
In practice, my work most often leads to:
– Fewer escalations through clearer standards, review processes, and proactive education
– Faster approvals by introducing compliant mockups and reducing back-and-forth
– Cleaner onboarding and handover by reducing tribal knowledge and formalizing operational hygiene
– More consistent deliverability by aligning consent, content, and program structure with real-world expectations
If you need deeper case specifics, I’ll share what’s appropriate in a private context.
How to work with me
Hourly billing tends to fail in this domain for a simple reason: teams often don’t know what they don’t know, and the highest-value work is closing hidden gaps quickly and correctly. I prefer structures that match reality and keep incentives clean.
1) Audit products (fixed or semi-fixed scope)
For teams that want clarity fast: current-state assessment, gaps, risk posture, and a defensible roadmap.
2) Advisory retainer (Slack-based)
For teams operating at speed: interpretation, reviews, escalation hygiene, and decision support.
3) Projects (deeper build-outs)
For teams scaling or rebuilding: program/campaign architecture, consent and content standards, approvals readiness, and defensibility-aligned growth strategy—coordinated across stakeholders.
4) Self-serve resources (fixed-price)
For teams that want leverage: checklists, templates, guides, and reference frameworks—designed to be usable without a long ramp.
Best starting point: complete the intake form. Share a short summary of your program (channels, geos, sender type, consent flow, and what you’re seeing), and I’ll recommend the simplest lane.
Why the other work belongs here
Songs Más Special and The Rebel Educator aren’t side projects in conflict with compliance work—they’re supporting evidence.
Creative systems force clarity under constraints: audience behavior, attention, iteration, and toolchain change. The Rebel Educator lens adds a second discipline: spotting when complexity is real vs. manufactured, and how to choose ethical paths that expand access without compromising integrity. Messaging compliance is where those worlds collide: truth, clarity, and systems under pressure.
Work with me / Follow along
Email: justin@justinhmueller.com (or jhmueller31@proton.me)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/justinhmueller
Tagline: Build with integrity.
