Last week I announced my rebrand, and thank you for everyone who sent me celebratory messages.
But… I didn’t do this alone. (My gifts are in systems thinking, and not visual branding).
So I’d like to introduce you to the team that worked with me on the rebrand, and more importantly, how I found and why I hired them.
I’m doing this for two reasons:
- Each of them are consummate professionals at what they do, and they all come with a “Jessica-seal-of-approval” if that means anything to you! But seriously, after having been burned by some providers I hired when I started, the work caliber of these businesses was top quality and I felt seen and taken care of.
- I didn’t find a single one of these providers through social media. I think I’m only on one of their newsletters! How I found them? Relationships.
I’m going to use these examples to provide you with 5 ways that you can strengthen your sales pipeline through the power of relationships.
Meet the Dream Team
How did I find Courtney? She found me, as a student in my Define your Foundations cohort. (Another newsletter reader shared my business model essay with Courtney.)
I spent the day with Courtney during my European vacation last fall, and shared with her the direction of my brand while we walked the campus of Oxford. I decided to work with Courtney after she sent me a video of her brand messaging guide and her process, including surveys, voice of customer research, and a brand guide before we embarked on copy. I felt seen and taken care of, while Courtney took my gobs and gobs of writing and turned it into sharp web copy.
Your Takeaway: Join programs and communities! You never know who in those programs will want to work with you… while you’re learning something else. (I’ve hired a number of my own cohort members for things from graphic design to animal communication).
How did I find Sharon? One of my business BFFs Amelia Hruby shared she was doing a rebrand and she had hired Swail Studios. And when I checked out Sharon's site, I saw a portfolio including two other people she'd worked with, and I know they have incredibly high brand standards. I hired Sharon within 2 weeks, even before seeing Amelia's rebrand. I was thrilled with the level of sophistication and ways to apply my brand (and FYI, my book publisher and website team were also blown away by the comprehensive deliverables).
Your Takeaway: Evergreen Social Proof. Encourage people to share about your work, and have an up-to-date portfolio.
How did I find Krishna? I’m in the midst of transitioning from a purely delivery-based model to a creator-based business model with courses, cohorts, and the membership in addition to my 1:1. Plus, some might call me… prolific… in creating content. I wanted to stay on Squarespace, but hadn't found the provider that fit my aesthetic and content-forward approach, and my creator friends had all moved to Ghost, Webflow, and Framer. So I asked the Lab, filled with creators, and got Krishna’s name. Her portfolio was awesome, her proposal process was indicative of how we’d work together (e.g., crisp, sharp, and delivered on time with the right level of detail), and we embarked on the journey.
Your Takeaway: Make sure people know HOW and WHEN to refer you. I was pretty specific with what I was looking for, and I got the perfect referral. Do your clients and partners know when to refer you (and, when not to refer you?)
Educational Email Course: Rebeca Arango
How did I find Rebeca? Rebeca and I have known each other for a few years now, as we were both in a community together. I’ve hired her before for copy projects, she’s joined my programs before. But I didn’t even know that I needed an Educational Email Course (though I knew I would need to re-do my welcome sequence). So when Rebeca heard about my rebrand and was launching the EEC as a new service, she approached me and asked if I wanted to do it. I said yes immediately, and now I have a powerful lead magnet (with 40 new subscribers from an audience swap).
FYI - get the Predictable Revenue Roadmap and check out her work!
Your Takeaway: Take the lead and suggest opportunities that help your clients meet their goals. Was I looking for this? Nope. Am I pleased I invested? 1000%.
How did I find Leanne? Leanne and I did a services swap way back in 2022 (I think? It was a long time ago). And since then, Leanne has been my go-to for all things graphics, including two other brand expansion projects. She’s sent me birthday cards, had dinner with me when I came to Boston, and even flew down to come to an event and stayed at my house. She’s invested in our relationship for years, and sure, maybe I could have come up with banners myself. (I tried though, not pretty). But I knew I wanted her to be involved in some form.
Your Takeaway: Do the uncommon relationship building activities that drive uncommon relational depth.
So, which of these takeaways do you want to incorporate into your business?
And if you’re like “this sounds great, but how do I even make the time, space, or stay focused on building these kinds of relationships?”, I have a program perfect for the summer.
Introducing: Relationship Rhythms
A 9-week system for trust-based outreach that builds your pipeline without pushy emails or endless coffee chats.
This program is designed to be delivered flexibly over the summer, so you build momentum while also stepping away from the computer.
We’ll start June 16, with more details to come, but if you’re intrigued you can join the waitlist and be the first to know when the program opens.