One of the best ways to expand your business is through collaboration.
We’ve all had that experience where we meet someone and we get along really well and our missions are aligned and we say, “We should do something together!”
Most of the time it doesn’t ever get off the ground. Or if you do it often ends up frustrating for you both.
Working with others isn’t always easy, but when it’s done well, the results can be PHENOMENAL!
So, let’s start with my absolute favorite thing about collaboration – it opens you up to SO MUCH MORE.
More creativity, more opportunity, more abundance. When you partner with someone you genuinely like, respect, and admire, the possibilities become limitless.
I’m not talking about just any type of random collaboration, but Conscious Creative Collaboration.
Conscious – meaning you both agree to come to the table and have a conscious conversation about each of your values, what’s important to you, expectations and what are you each bringing to the table.
This is often the overlooked step to a successful collaboration. One person is expecting to make a million dollars and the other is doing it because it would be fun to play together. Or, I’ve seen where one person has a big list and someone else doesn’t so everyone gets territorial. It’s so common. Get it all out on the table so there won’t be any disappointing surprises.
Creative – There are SO many ways to collaborate.
It’s fun to play with others who share the same excitement, passion, and purpose. Maybe you both attract the same Soul Tribe and ideal clients so it makes sense to share and introduce each other to your communities.
Or maybe you discover a common fascination with a particular topic and you want to explore it together. Recently, I have been having conversations with a colleague about exploring an area that we both are passionate about. We have different approaches and talents but we are totally aligned on a soul-led approach to business.
Here are a few ways to collaborate together when you share a common passion, purpose or fascination:
- Create a workshop together.
- Interview each other for your podcasts, or tv shows.
- Have potent conversations about a particular fascination on a Facebook live or Linked In Video.
- Create a product or program together.
- Contribute bonuses to each other’s products or programs.
- You can take the lead and generously introduce your colleague to your Soul Tribe in an article, or quote from their book.
- Support each other on social media by liking, and sharing each other’s posts.
- Share each other’s products and programs with each other’s communities – for an affiliate commission or just for the fun and value of doing it!
Even though we may fall in love with someone’s work and feel like you’re business soulmates… Quite often, it’s better if you just become thought partners and champions for each other rather than creating something together.
Sometimes it’s better to collaborate with someone who has strengths or assets that you don’t have. For example, one of you might have the bigger list but the other one is an incredible writer and loves to write content.
There are things I’m great at, and things that fall decidedly outside of my wheelhouse. But when I join forces with someone whose strengths level out my weaknesses, we become unstoppable!
And that’s the beauty of it – you can collaborate in whatever way works for YOU – your life, your business, your energy, your brilliance. There is no one-size-fits-all method. It can be whatever you want it to be.
