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Hey honeys and hustlers,
Landing your first major brand deal as a creator feels like a milestone—proof that your audience, your craft, and your vision are being recognized. But what looks like a simple exchange of content for payment is actually a complex dance of negotiating your value, the brand’s goals, and how your creative voice can be the centerpiece for both.
When I secured my first big brand partnership with Castos to host a branded podcast, I quickly realized that success wasn't just about delivering what the brand wanted. It was about protecting what the target audience valued, understanding my role in the partnership, and creating something I could be genuinely proud of.
Here are the four most important lessons I learned—and why your audience's sixth sense matters more than you think.
Have your own marketing channels; don’t rely solely on the brand’s social footprint. I didn’t have a newsletter at the time I hosted Creative Architects because Castos had one with roughly 25K subscribers. That newsletter audience didn’t convert well into listeners of the show. I’m not saying the audience couldn’t do it, but it’s difficult to introduce a new component to a newsletter audience that is likely conditioned to read other content (e.g., product updates vs. stories). If I had to do it all over again, I would’ve sought out newsletters to pitch the show to for coverage and requested a sign-up form on the show landing page that created a segment for people who signed up that we both shared. I could’ve started building a newsletter audience and taken that audience with me when the show ended.
A brand should complement your strengths and address your weaknesses. I was the host and producer of the show, and scheduled each guest and marketed each episode. I worked with an in-house designer and editor on each episode. Not being solely responsible for YouTube thumbnails, podcast cover images, creating podcast cover art, and handling post-production freed up my time to focus on guest research and marketing. I didn’t realize my voice could sound that warm and inviting until I worked with an audio producer who helped me create the show's sonic branding. Many on-screen talent hosts have a producer who handles pre-production and guest outreach, which wouldn’t have been helpful to me, as guest outreach and pre-production are part of the rapport-building process that helps me do my job better as a host.
It should be clear what your role is and how success will be measured. Views could be impactful. Meaningful impressions could be impactful. Higher post engagement could be impactful. Leads and sales conversions could be impactful. You need to know what the brand cares about most and what you can reasonably deliver. I think it can be a dangerous road to sign deals with brands that consider only leads and sales conversions as indicators of success. The best-case scenario for many, regardless of audience size, is meaningful impressions, which requires knowing your audience and maintaining a consistent publishing cadence.
You should be pushing your boundaries as a creator to create something you're proud of, not just something that makes them money. Don't just chase the check. Chase partnerships that push you to create something you're proud of—because that's what will keep your audience engaged and open doors for even bigger opportunities down the line. If you are doing branded media content with a company, you should also consider how their current audience will receive you. Ideally, you want to convert their current audience into fans of you and your work. That doesn’t happen if their isn’t space for your voice and signature creative touch.
A brand deal is a portfolio piece for a creator.
The 6th Sense of Gen Z (and likely everyone chronically online)
Unlike freelance projects, where you can simply choose not to share them on your website or with your audience, brand deals are attached to your face. Audiences can smell when something is sponsored, disingenuous, or inauthentic. While it may seem like easy money to endorse a brand in a video, newsletter, podcast, or social post, the reality is that it’s a lot harder to actually be a long-term brand ambassador if you have no familiarity, affinity, or experience with the product. Your brand deals should build your reputation, not erode it.
🎧 New Episode on Honey & Hustle
I read a chapter of Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore for you.
Justin Moore, also known as the Creator Wizard, has made quite a name for himself as a leader in the space of creator sponsorships. This may be the preeminent guide to securing sponsorships, regardless of audience size. I’ve been following Justin for a while, and ironically (or not-so-coincidentally) had him as a guest on Creative Architects by Castos. He is a genuinely kind person who wants to see creators win brand deals that don’t devalue their work or stress them out.
If you’re looking to secure more brand deals this year, this is the book for you.
👩🏾⚖️ First Order of Community
Thank you to everyone who joined our Substack live on my birthday! We reached our first-ever livestream with over 100 participants in the chat! Don’t worry about my face, I was trying to capture the moment. Haha, if you want to see what all the hype is about, join us each week on Tuesday (including tonight) and RSVP for our virtual summit. It’s happening February 19th and 20th. We’ll feature 5 speakers, host giveaways, and we’re doing it for free. So join us! If you can’t make it, we’ll send the recordings to everyone who registers.
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