202 | 5 Laws of Successful Business Collaborations
It's not just about what you gain but how you contribute.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:
Danielle shares 5 Laws of Successful Business Collaborations and how to set yourself up for successfully working with other businesses! Say goodbye to the solo journey, and dive deep into an abundance mindset!
It's not just about what you gain but how you contribute. Get ready for a shift in perspective as Danielle unravels the secrets to crafting collaborations that leave a lasting impact.
Self-Made is a Lie
Success is not achieved alone; collaboration is essential for growth.
Embrace the power of community, mentorship, and shared knowledge.
Abundance Mindset
See others in your industry as collaborators, not just competitors.
Recognize that there is more than enough business for everyone.
Triple Win
Ensure collaborations benefit all parties involved: you, your collaborator, and your community.
Only pursue collaborations that offer a win-win-win situation.
Aligned Values and Community
Research and verify aligned values before collaboration.
Don't ignore red flags; prioritize integrity over follower count.
Become a Super Connector
Foster connections between others without expecting immediate returns.
Aim to become a go-to person by adding value to your network.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Danielle: Hey, hey, hey, welcome back to another episode of the business babes collective podcast. My name is Danielle and I am your host, and I am really excited for today's episode. Today is our collaboration series, part two episode. So if you did not listen to last week, definitely go back and listen to last week's episode where I shared about the talk that I did in front of around 200 entrepreneurs at an in person event that I was a speaker for.
[00:00:29] Danielle: And I was talking about how I was able to grow my audience to have a reach of over a hundred thousand entrepreneurs. And I really. felt like I needed to do a little mini series on the podcast because what I was talking about really resonated with a lot of people, um, at the event and I got a lot of great feedback.
[00:00:51] Danielle: So I wanted to kind of expand on the talk because I only had. A certain amount of time that I was able to speak on these things and I [00:01:00] feel like I have so much more to say on this. So last week I shared why collaborations are our number one growth strategy. So this week I'm going to be sharing the five laws of collaboration.
[00:01:12] Danielle: So these are five laws that I made up. But it is after doing hundreds and thousands of collaborations over our, um, well, I've been an entrepreneur for over 12 years and we've had our community for over eight years and we've done hundreds of events. And for each event that we host, we have so many different collaborations happening at one time.
[00:01:35] Danielle: Um, we also do collaborations all the time, whether it be online or offline. And so this is something that I'm just really, really passionate about sharing because I feel like there is. So much. Untapped potential with collaborations. I feel like a lot of people are really honed in and focused in on you know social media and ads and all of these like [00:02:00] Strategies and these I don't know quick hacks to Grow their audience whatever that is and there's nothing wrong with social media and nothing wrong with ads but I just feel like collaborations and building community and relationships is such a Incredibly beautiful way to build a community because it's super authentic and it's also really sustainable Which I talked a lot about last week So again, listen to last week's episode because it really kind of sets the stage For what we're going to be talking about in this series.
[00:02:32] Danielle: So I'm really excited. But before we dive in to the episode, I wanted to remind you that we are currently working on a launch right now. It's a secret launch and it's something that honestly keeps getting better and better every single time that I share about it. Every single time that I talk about it, um, we continue to add incredible value.
[00:02:57] Danielle: To this community. So [00:03:00] I just believe that this is going to be such a game changer to support you in scaling your business. We have interviewed over 20 community members so far, and I actually have 10 more calls this week. Um, we're doing little coffee, uh, market research calls, which are super fun and really diving in and asking really specific questions.
[00:03:23] Danielle: to people that have been a part of our community and it's been so eye opening and so amazing just to hear their perspectives on what they are working on in their businesses, what they're struggling with, um, what kind of support they feel like they need. And so we are really just making sure that this offer is so incredibly.
[00:03:43] Danielle: curated specifically for what our community needs most right now. So if you are an entrepreneur who is past the beginning stages of your business and right now you are in this stage of you're making money and you're growing your business, but you know that there's so much more [00:04:00] potential that you could be tapping into, um, and creating with your business.
[00:04:03] Danielle: And you not only just want the strategy of how to do that, but you also want. support. You want accountability. You want connections. You want exposure. You want also access to coaching and mentorship. And you also want to be a part of a community of inspiring people. Then get yourself on the wait list because this is going to be.
[00:04:26] Danielle: I'm just going to go ahead and say it. I think it's some of the most exciting launch we've ever, ever, ever done in the business. And so you do not want to miss out. You want to make sure you are on our VIP list. So go to our website, business babes collected. com. You'll see a link there to join our VIP list.
[00:04:45] Danielle: Um, so keep your eyes peeled because we are going to be doing a workshop on November 8th at 9am. So if you want to write it in your calendar, 9am PST. T on November 8th, we're going to be hosting a workshop and I'm going to be sharing [00:05:00] all the juicy details about what we're launching and how you can be a part of it.
[00:05:04] Danielle: Ah, I can't wait to share it with you. And it's really going to be a way that you as a listener of this podcast, if you've been a listener for a while and you've been enjoying these episodes and. I know I get to sometimes connect with you over Instagram DMs or, you know, you guys will leave a review on the podcast, which is, I appreciate so much and I'm really grateful, but this is a way that we can just connect so much deeper.
[00:05:28] Danielle: And for me to be able to really. support you and connect you with our community members and really kind of dig inside of your business and help you to scale to the next level because truly that's what I want for you. I want you to grow a successful and a sustainable business. One that isn't just built off of hype and you know, tactics or, um, hacks or, you know, trying to go viral on social media, but one that it truly has.[00:06:00]
[00:06:00] Danielle: longevity and one that really lights you up and that you feel like you're making an impact. You feel like you're making a difference and also that you're doing it in a community of other people to support you when those hard times come. Because you know, business is not easy. There's definitely times where we have struggles and we have things that happen that are super challenging.
[00:06:22] Danielle: And so I want to be able to be there for you and support you. And so I feel like this is going to be such a perfect way. for me to be able to do that in a really accessible way. So anyways, that's all I can really share at this time, but get on the wait list so that you don't miss out on the launch and everything that we have planned.
[00:06:40] Danielle: So now let's go ahead and dive into our episode today. Welcome to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I'm your host, Danielle Wiebe. In this podcast, you'll learn tangible business tips and strategies on how to grow successfully and sustainably. We'll also interview seasoned entrepreneurs [00:07:00] so you can listen in on their stories and see behind the scenes of what it took to grow and scale their business.
[00:07:06] Danielle: Let's dive in. As we discussed the wild, exciting, crazy, challenging rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship. Okay. Let's dive into the five laws for successful collaborations. And again, these are laws that I. It personally made up, um, based off of the hundreds and thousands of collaborations that we've done as a business and just things that I've learned.
[00:07:30] Danielle: And so I wanted to share those with you. So number one is the understanding that self made is a lie. So the concept of this like, that person is self made and I understand that they're trying to say basically they didn't have funding or they didn't come from money and all those things. I, I get that. But I really don't like the idea of calling someone self made because how many millionaires do [00:08:00] you know that did it?
[00:08:01] Danielle: Absolutely on their own. So they didn't have any employees. They didn't have any, um, communities or mentors or other people connecting them or collaborating with them. Like no one achieves anything big. all on their own. There is such power in community and in supporting each other because we all have our own strengths.
[00:08:24] Danielle: We all have our own weaknesses. And so when we come together and we, when we work together and collaborate. It is so powerful with what can happen. So understanding that you don't need to do it alone is so important when it comes to having a mindset that's ready for collaboration. So before you even go into the collaborative space, it's important to have an open mindset and understand that there's people that know more than you in certain circumstances and there's.
[00:08:55] Danielle: always something you can learn from someone else. So knowing that you don't have all the [00:09:00] answers, knowing that there's always opportunities to learn new things is really, really important. And then also to know that when you partner together, you can achieve so much more. together. And so that's number one is that self made is a lie.
[00:09:16] Danielle: Number two is tied to number one. It's similar, but a little bit different. So it's having an abundance mindset. This one I think is really hugely important when you collaborate and when you start to work with other people. because if you see everyone else in your industry as competition instead of people that you could potentially collaborate with and work with, then that is a problem.
[00:09:43] Danielle: I have entire episodes on this topic. So if you're curious about an abundance mindset, or you want to learn more about this, then search. It within my podcast on abundance mindset, and you will find some episodes specifically on this. And I [00:10:00] also talk about why you should collaborate with your competitors.
[00:10:03] Danielle: So I won't get into too much detail within this episode, but in order to have an open mind and be a successful collaborator, you need to be open to the idea that there is more than enough business for all of us. So instead of getting caught up in this like catty competition or, um, wanting to be better than everyone or copying your competition, whatever, just focus on what value do other people bring to the marketplace?
[00:10:33] Danielle: What do you bring? Because you're always going to do it in your unique way. And so I've talked about this a lot about how I have gotten to the place in my business where I don't care if someone does the exact same thing as me, if they run a community for women entrepreneurs. Those are actually the people that I want to collaborate with the most because we have so much to learn from each other.
[00:10:55] Danielle: We have so many mutual connections or people that we can refer to one another [00:11:00] and we are doing our businesses always in a slightly different way. And so really just recognizing the fact that even people that are your direct competition. There's no reason why you can't support each other. There's no reason why you can't collaborate together As long as you share in values, which we're going to talk about in a little bit as well Okay, law number three is the triple win So when you go to collaborate with other people you want to make sure that it's the win a win for the person you're collaborating with It's obviously a win for you as well, and it's a win for your community.
[00:11:38] Danielle: So the people that are following you on social media, the people that are on your email list, or just people that you've worked with, your clients, your customers. So it needs to be a win for everyone. That is the only way that I will say yes to a collaboration opportunity is if it's a triple win. If we're missing one of those wins, then I [00:12:00] always say no.
[00:12:01] Danielle: All right, number four, law number four is aligned values and community. So This one is really important getting to know the people or businesses that you might want to collaborate with before you pitch the collaboration, making sure that they have aligned values because their reputation will affect yours and vice versa.
[00:12:26] Danielle: So don't ignore red flags. I see this happen all the time where people get really excited because they want to work with these people with these large followings or these big networks. And they start to kind of like go through the process of maybe connecting with those people or collaborating. And then they start to recognize these red flags, but they continue to ignore the red flags because they are so blinded by the fact that this person has X amount of followers, or they have a large community, or they're like famous in their industry, whatever that looks like.[00:13:00]
[00:13:00] Danielle: I want you to not ignore those red flags. Pause. Take a step back and do more research before you actually decide to collaborate because I have been in that position before where I have just pushed through and gone through with the collaboration even though I saw the red flags. And I promise you that it's never ever worth it.
[00:13:22] Danielle: So learn from my mistakes and don't make your own mistakes when you see those red flags, make sure you actually take note of those because even if the person has a massive community, if it's not aligned with values, it's not going to be a successful collaboration and you're not going to get the results that you want to have.
[00:13:43] Danielle: Okay. Number five, the fifth and final, uh, law of a successful collaboration is. Your goal should be to become a super connector. So become someone who wants to connect other people together. There are so many [00:14:00] super connectors within our community. I am so grateful for these women because, you know, someone will come to one of our events or within our mastermind and within one of our calls in our community.
[00:14:13] Danielle: And they'll be like. Hey, I'm looking for this specific thing. And then someone else will be like, Oh, I have a connection for you. And they'll go ahead and like take that person's email and connect them with someone who can help them. It is so amazing and so encouraging to see and. Be that person, become that person for other people because you will become a go to person.
[00:14:38] Danielle: And when you can start fostering those connections with other people and you start to grow your own network, your network will become extremely strong and that will open up so many opportunities for referrals, for cross promotion. You will always be the first. first person people think of when they think of what you specifically do with [00:15:00] your business.
[00:15:00] Danielle: When you become a super connector, people will start to refer business your way. You will not be able to stop it. It's absolutely incredible what happens when you Give to other people. And the key here too is, and this is really, really important. So hear me, hear me here. Give to people and provide value for people without expecting anything in return.
[00:15:26] Danielle: I know that we live in this world where we think that You know, I do something for you and you have to do something for me. And it has to come from that person. And if someone does something nice for me, then I have to do something nice back to them. And yes, of course, there's the law of reciprocity and that often will happen.
[00:15:45] Danielle: If you do something nice for someone else, that person wants to do something nice for you. I think the main here thing here that I really wanna hit home on is that I really want you to have, again, this goes back to abundance mindset. I really want you to have an abundance [00:16:00] mindset in that you know that if you just share and you're generous and you connect people and.
[00:16:07] Danielle: You treat people well and you are a super connector and all of the things that we talked about today That that will come back to you, but that doesn't necessarily have to come back to you from that exact person I think people know when you're doing something out of a space of Hey, i'm going to connect you with this person, but like you better do something back To me, and it just doesn't feel good, right?
[00:16:33] Danielle: So be the type of person who gives without expecting anything in return. And then when it comes to pitching your collaborations, you're looking for that win, you're looking for it to be a win for the person that you're working with and for you and for your community. And if you've been that generous person, you know, it's going to be so much easier for you to go in and actually pitch a collaboration because.
[00:16:58] Danielle: You have already added [00:17:00] value to that conversation. You've already added value to that relationship. And then when you pitch a collaboration, which we're going to be talking about in future episodes, so stick with me here. Um, but when you pitch a collaboration, then you are continually adding value because when you pitch that collaboration, you're going to pitch it from a perspective of that is a huge win for them as well.
[00:17:21] Danielle: And so we're going to be talking about that in future episodes. So stay tuned and. Thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for listening to this episode. Thank you for being a part of this podcast community. I'm grateful for you. And there you have it. It's the five laws of collaboration. So I hope you took some notes and next week I'm going to be sharing some creative ways that you can creative ideas where you can collaborate with other people, other business owners, whether you are a product based business owner, a.
[00:17:52] Danielle: service based business owner, or maybe you have an online business, whatever that looks like, I'm going to share ideas for all of you to [00:18:00] collaborate with each other. So I'm, I can't wait. Um, and also if you want to see a collaboration in action, we're actually hosting a collaborative virtual event starting on October.
[00:18:11] Danielle: 30th. So if you want to join us, you can snag a free ticket by going to business babes, collective. com slash rise together. That's business babes, collective. com slash rise together. We also will have a link in the show notes. Come be a part of our five day rise together event. It's going to be action packed 15 top business experts.
[00:18:35] Danielle: And we are going to be talking about. Things like confidence and motivation to take action on your big business goals. You're also going to learn effective strategies. So you're going to get the tactical about how to boost your visibility, your credibility, and your income. And then also discovering new creative ways to collaborate with other business owners to scale your business.
[00:18:56] Danielle: And so this is a live interactive event, which [00:19:00] means that you can be a part of the action. So come ask your questions, engage, connect, and you are not only going to be learning so much from this event, but you're also going to be connecting with other business owners. If you're feeling a bit lonely, if you're feeling like, Oh man, I've been doing my business on my own, I want to connect with another community that I can.
[00:19:23] Danielle: Learn from and be supported by, then come join us and don't miss this opportunity to join us live. So you can reserve your ticket again. It's free by going to business babes, collective. com slash rise together, or click the link in the show notes. Okay. I can't wait to see you there. I hope you enjoyed this episode.
[00:19:42] Danielle: Thank you for joining us and I'll see you in the next one.
[00:19:48] Danielle: If you love this episode, make sure you screenshot, post and tag us on Instagram at business babes. Co want to know when the next episode goes live, subscribe on your podcast app. And while [00:20:00] you're there, give us a review until next time, keep dreaming big, setting goals and taking action.