Hi friend,
I write this because it took me years to score brand collaborations.
But some of my students score it within months after completing Authentic Influence, my 12-week program that helps executives and founders build a brand online.
Note: Apply for Authentic Influence's next cohort
here.
Here's how you can do it.
Step 1: BTS work
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
Before we get to 'hacks', this is the one thing you cannot hack your way into. If you could, everyone would make thousands of dollars.
But there's a reason they don't.
And there's a way you can.
And that is -> putting in the work.
Showing up lots.
Daily reps.
You don't need a lot of followers, but you have to start writing online on LinkedIn consistently for a few months to see the needle move.
Opportunities don't come to those who rarely show up. Consistency is everything online (and in my opinion, in life too).
Step 2: Be aligned
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” - Carl Jung
I can't ever give tips without putting in a paragraph about self-awareness because it is just so important. I mean, most people are functioning on a surface level, which is why they are dissatisfied.
Big things happen when you break free from that.
So be aligned with
- who you are
- what you stand for
And this will make collabs so much easier.
You know why? That's what the next step is about.
Step 3: Resist quick dopamine
I say no more than I say yes.
And no, this is not me after having 250K LinkedIn followers, but I've been following this since my early days of freelancing.
Because
- a personal brand that promotes everything stands for...nothing
- promoting something for quick cash dilutes trust too
- trust takes a long time to build and can crash down with one wrong move, one wrong post
“Play long-term games with long-term people.” - Naval Ravikant:
I've said no to gambling apps that wanted to pay me more than what I charge simply because I don't resonate with it, and my personal brand isn't built around it.
Step 4: Have brands come to you
It's much easier to do this than to fetch brand deals.
In fact, even if you're a freelancer...wouldn't it be blissful if opportunities came to you instead of you applying to 100 places?
The only way to do this is by doing Step 1 for long enough.
And once that is done...
Step 5: The one thing most creators don't do
Be transparent about your pricing.
I'm from India, where haggling is in our DNA. And that's something I don't do as a customer or a business owner.
If you haggle, you're out. Simple.
I value others' work and expect the same.
Having transparent pricing helps in
- weeding out those who will haggle
- saving time (no 'quick calls to discuss a collab')
- saving time by quickly passing the link for every enquiry
Here's the link that I send to those who enquire.
Step 6: Do step 1 until step 4 happens
“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.” - Steven Pressfield
And until then, maintain your integrity and create a bloody good body of work.
Nothing beats a good body of content.
Finally
Note: Apply for Authentic Influence's next cohort
here.
Don't ask me how much to charge.
While I reply to nearly all emails, I don't answer questions that are easily Google-able. Because there are no excuses today, and "I don't know" is not an answer in the age of Google and AI.
Start low, slowly rise.
All the best!
Love,
N
If you like this, you'll enjoy reading I Made $18,750 in Under 8 Hours