Imagine if you took all of your amazing ideas, passion, talent, and drive and fit them into a small box that fits into the palm of your hand. Now, what if I told you that the only things you could fit inside that little box were what you could hold onto in your business? Whatever couldn’t fit into your own two hands had to go. That is what working alone looks like.
Now imagine what happens if you could spread your arms wide open and grab onto other outstretched hands? The amount you could carry and hold onto would quadruple, if not more! I’m talking about Oprah show giveaway haul capacity! That is what collaboration does for your business. It allows you to expand in so many different ways by partnering with others!
This year, I want to challenge you to think about how you can build your relationships and your revenue through collaborating. Here are a few ways you can get started no matter where you’re at in your journey.
#1 Know your goal
What do you want or need to accomplish this year? Don’t just think about the daily to-do list tasks or revenue goals, but the big accomplishments you are dreaming about. What is something you feel you could achieve by collaborating with others that you haven’t or can’t do on your own? Think about something you’ve perhaps done before, but know you could expand on and really blow out of the water if you were to team up this time. Make a list of some of your goals and brainstorm ways you could see adding collaboration into the mix to make them happen.
#2 Know what you bring to the table
Remember that you are already a rock star at so many things! You have talent and passion for what you do and experience that’s gotten you through your journey so far. This is important to remember for two reasons. First, you don’t need another you! Great collaboration comes from working alongside others with different skill sets and experiences of their own. You want to continue to work in your zone of genius and partner with someone who can do the same in theirs. Second, you have so much value to bring to a collaboration in who you are. Never hesitate in knowing if you are someone worth teaming up with – you have so much to bring to the table!
#3 Find your people + be bold together
The possibilities to collaborate can seem endless when you start to look around. You want to really hone in and find your people! Look at your current friend and business circle and reach out to those candidates with whom you really think you could make some magic. Figure out some of your common goals and how you may be able to work towards a new product, service, or initiative. Also, don’t forget to look closely at those who aren’t currently in your direct corner, but you can see the potential of connecting. Be bold and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and start a conversation. You never know where it can lead and the power your connection can have in your business.
#4 Move the needle forward
Not all collaborations are created equal! You never want to fill up your calendar with being busy in your business – you want to be productive! Those hard-working hours are already going toward so many things in life that if you choose to collaborate, you want it to be intentional. You want to choose things that are going to move you forward in success. What that success looks like can be different for everyone and come in the form of numbers, profit, confidence, exposure, driving mission, and other measurable things. Just be sure you are selecting the right goals to work towards and the right people to work on them with before committing to something!
Know that collaboration can look however you want it to! You can create relationships with brands both big and small and curate projects that lead you to work together in person or online. Decide what feels best for you and your goals, and work towards building collaborative efforts that make you feel fulfilled and excited about the year ahead.
