Yesterday, Natasha and I hosted a free workshop where we shared everything we’ve learned about how to grow a business through partnerships.  When we start Sutra, we were totally broke - literally going through bankruptcy - reeling from a failed startup experience.

We had no investors, no safety net, and very little resourcing.  What we had was a big vision, a lot of resourcefulness, and A LOT of heart.  Not having money forced us to be deeply relational in everything we did.  To move forward we had to connect with people’s hearts.

Every connection we made and every opportunity we created, stemmed from partnership—building trust, showing up generously, and staying in the game long enough for meaningful collaborations to emerge.

Ten years later we’ve had over 65,000 people use our platform.

In this workshop, we wanted to explore how partnership—especially the kind rooted in relationship and shared values—can be a heart-centered and effective strategy for growing your audience and increasing your impact. Our own path has taught us that partnership is not just a growth tactic; it's a way of being in the world. It's how we’ve grown Sutra organically and sustained it over the years.

If you're not already using Sutra, this week also offering a huge discount on all Sutra plans. Through Friday, June 7th, all of our annual plans are 30% off for the first year for new customers. You can learn more and check out the discounted plans here.

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Initial Reflections on Partnership

To begin the conversation, we invited participants to break into triads and explore their own relationship to partnership. What does partnership mean to them? Where does it feel alive, and where does it feel challenging?

When we returned to the group, the insights shared were rich and layered. One participant reflected on the importance of honesty—how foundational it is for any successful collaboration. Another spoke about needing to align with shared values and a larger purpose. Someone else emphasized how trust and long-term commitment create the conditions for powerful outcomes.

There was also a powerful distinction that emerged between relational partnerships and transactional ones. In the affiliate marketing world, partnerships are often metrics-driven and superficial. What we’re talking about here is different. These are partnerships rooted in mutual respect, integrity, and co-creation.

Why Partnerships Matter

When I think about why partnership is so important, what immediately comes to mind is the way it can open doors you couldn’t access on your own. It’s one of the few strategies that allows you to tap into a trusted, pre-existing audience in a way that feels warm and personal. In this era, where algorithms and ads are becoming less reliable, relational trust is one of the most valuable currencies you can have.

Partnerships create acceleration. It’s like catching a tailwind—your message travels faster, farther, and with greater credibility. You’re not starting from zero. You’re building on someone else’s years of trust, and if that trust is transferred to you, the effect is exponential.

I shared how, in my own journey, some of the biggest breakthroughs came not from campaigns or launches, but from a single conversation or relationship. And oftentimes, that moment of connection was preceded by months or even years of follow-up. It was a partnership that had been patiently nurtured.

There’s also the power of resonance. When you align with someone whose values match yours, you activate something in the field that goes beyond marketing. You create a space where people feel seen, safe, and inspired to engage. One participant reflected on this, saying they’ve noticed a big difference between partnerships where the connection is authentic and ones that are more surface-level or transactional. In the former, things just flow. In the latter, there’s often friction.

Another thing that came up in the group is how partnerships extend your impact. You're no longer operating within the confines of your own reach. You're entering into a shared field where your work can be amplified, reshaped, and given new life through the lens of someone else’s platform or perspective.

And credibility—this can’t be overstated. When someone you admire introduces you to their audience, they’re essentially vouching for you. That kind of endorsement is powerful, especially when you’re building something new or stepping into a bigger version of yourself.

All of this points to a deeper truth: partnership is not just a strategy. It’s a way of being. It invites humility, consistency, and a commitment to long-term relationship building. It’s not always fast, but it’s lasting. And in today’s world, where attention is fleeting and authenticity is rare, that kind of connection is gold.

The Dream 100 Strategy

One of the most practical and focused strategies I shared during the session is the Dream 100, a concept from Chet Holmes’ The Ultimate Sales Machine book. It’s about identifying 100 people you want to be in relationship with—not in a transactional way, but as a long-term vision for connection, collaboration, and mutual benefit.

I encouraged everyone to take a moment to think about who’s on their Dream 100. These could be potential collaborators, clients, thought leaders, or funders. People who inspire you. People whose work lights you up. People whose audiences you feel aligned with. It could be someone well-known, or someone quietly doing beautiful work in your niche. The point is not their status—it’s the resonance you feel.

One participant reflected that they often get stuck thinking their dream collaborators need to be "big names" or have massive platforms. But when they tuned into their heart, they realized they were more interested in people who share their values and are doing deeply meaningful work. That’s the essence of this exercise.

The Dream 100 isn’t just a list—it’s a lens. It helps you notice opportunities for generosity. You might see someone post something and offer to help. You might reach out and say, “Hey, I’d love to support what you’re doing.” It starts small, often with an act of service.

We also explored how this strategy applies not just to partnerships but to visibility more broadly. Who are the people whose communities you’d love to show up in? Who could host a conversation with you, or feature your work in a newsletter, or introduce you to someone else?

And most importantly, what can you offer them that makes it easy to say yes?

That’s where relationship-building meets creativity. Maybe you can:

• Offer to interview them
• Create a social post about their work
• Build something that aligns with what they’re creating
• Offer free support or a quick win based on your expertise

This isn’t about manipulating your way into a collaboration. It’s about recognizing shared values and moving toward them with clarity and consistency. As I said during the call, one of the most important things is just to stay in the field. Stay in touch. Keep showing up. Your presence, over time, creates openings.

One participant said they had landed a dream client simply by sending occasional emails over the course of two years—emails with no ask, just appreciation and helpfulness. That’s the Dream 100 in action.

So, this week, I encouraged everyone to write their own list. Not 100 names at once—that can feel overwhelming. Just start with 10. And then ask yourself: what’s one small way I could add value to each of these people?

That’s how momentum starts. Not with a pitch, but with a presence.

From Connection to Collaboration

One of the themes that kept coming up during the session is how easy it is to stop at connection. You have a great conversation with someone. There’s alignment, inspiration, a sense of possibility. And then… nothing happens.

This is something I’ve experienced personally—and heard echoed by others in the group. We get excited, we resonate, but we don’t take the next step. Why? Often, it’s because we feel like we have to figure out the perfect collaboration, or we're unsure of how to move forward without being too pushy.

That’s why I framed the solution around prototyping low-stakes collaborations. These are small, low-risk ways to explore working together—without the pressure of committing to a big project or launch right away. Think of them as experiments. You’re testing the waters, learning about how you work together, and building relational trust in the process.

I shared how many of my most meaningful and impactful collaborations started with something very small. A free session. A co-hosted conversation. A casual brainstorm that turned into something more. Over time, those seeds grew into deeper partnerships—courses, summits, or long-term collaborations.

What matters most is to keep the momentum alive. Don’t let the energy dissipate. After the initial connection, propose a small next step. Offer something concrete. It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to move the relationship forward.

During the group reflection, one participant mentioned how they had been sitting on a great conversation for months, not knowing how to follow up. Hearing this idea of prototyping gave them permission to suggest something simple and immediate. Another participant said they loved the reminder that collaboration doesn’t have to be high-stakes—it can be a playful experiment.

Prototyping also takes the pressure off. You don’t need to know where it’s going. You’re simply creating together, and from that co-creation, the next step often reveals itself.

So the invitation I extended was this: think of one person you’ve connected with recently, and reach out to suggest a small collaboration. Make it easy. Make it generous. And see what unfolds.

Types of Partnership Prototypes and Real Examples

Throughout the session, I shared examples from my own journey to illustrate how these low-stakes prototypes can turn into meaningful, high-impact collaborations.

Live Conversations: One of the simplest and most powerful starting points is to host a live conversation. These are incredibly lightweight to organize and require very little prep on the part of the partner. I’ve done this with people like Dan Ariely and Jennifer Garvey Berger. The conversations are genuine, rich, and relational. They offer immediate visibility to both audiences and are a way to begin building momentum with minimal effort. As I mentioned on the call, a live conversation is not just a visibility strategy—it’s a relational strategy. When people see you in dialogue with someone they respect, it builds a bridge of trust.

Workshops: Another format is co-leading a workshop. This takes slightly more preparation, but it can be a beautiful way to combine strengths and deliver value. I’ve done this with people like Jessica Bockler from AlefTrust. We each brought different skills and energy to the experience, and together, we created something that neither of us could have done alone. These workshops help build credibility, foster relationship, and allow both partners to show up in service.

Online Summits: These require more coordination, but they create a powerful container for cross-pollination. We’ve hosted summits like the Transformational Learning Summit and Facilitate the Future. They brought together speakers from different networks, allowing for a collective amplification of reach. One of the key insights I shared was that summits aren’t just about audience size—they’re about building long-term partnerships. A well-run summit can create multiple layers of collaboration—before, during, and after the event.

Conversational Courses: This is where Sutra’s unique strength shines. I shared how we’ve taken recorded conversations with thought leaders—like Charles Eisenstein, Dan Ariely, and Thomas Hübl—and turned them into conversational courses. These courses blend structured content with reflective prompts and participant engagement. They’re scalable, evergreen, and repurpose existing materials in a way that continues to offer value over time. I emphasized that conversational courses are one of the most efficient ways to create a course. The material is often already there—you just need to structure it and invite people into the dialogue.

Joint Cohort Courses: These are more intensive and typically require deeper alignment and coordination. I talked about how we co-created a course with Meg Wheatley—an experience that was incredibly collaborative, meaningful, and also revenue-generating. These cohort-based courses emerge out of deeper trust and can be a powerful expression of long-term partnership. They represent a culmination of earlier prototypes and often involve shared content creation, marketing, facilitation, and revenue-sharing.

Each of these formats has a different level of effort and impact. Some are one-off experiments. Others become long-standing partnerships. But all of them begin the same way—with a small step, a shared intention, and a willingness to explore together.

What I hoped to make clear in sharing these examples is that partnership isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can find the level and format that works for where you are right now. Whether it’s a short dialogue or a full-blown course, what matters is that you take the step. Because when you do, you open the door to something much bigger than you could have planned.

Principles for Effective Partnership

As we moved deeper into the conversation, I wanted to highlight some of the principles that have consistently shaped my approach to partnership. These aren’t formulas or hacks—they’re ways of showing up that make partnerships not only more effective but also more meaningful.

Strategic Generosity was the first principle I named. This means offering value without asking for anything in return. It means genuinely showing up in service—whether that’s offering to help someone with a launch, giving feedback on an idea, or spotlighting their work in your community. One participant shared how they had done free behind-the-scenes work for someone they admired, and it ended up opening unexpected doors. This kind of generosity builds goodwill, trust, and relational capital.

I also spoke about the importance of Hustle + Heart. There’s no shortcut for this. You have to follow up. You have to stay in touch. You have to keep showing up—not in a pushy way, but with presence and intention. One of the participants shared how they’d followed up multiple times with someone over the course of two years before finally landing a partnership—and it was completely worth it. That’s the heart part: being in it for the long game, because you care.

And then there’s Audience List Building—not as a vanity metric, but as a practical outcome of good collaboration. Every time I’ve done a summit or a course or a workshop with a partner, we’ve seen our list grow. It’s one of the most concrete returns on investment from partnership. But it only happens when the foundation is solid—when there’s alignment, when the experience is valuable, and when there’s an invitation for people to engage.

These principles aren’t about extracting value. They’re about creating a shared field where both people can thrive. They’re about building a reputation for being someone who’s easy to work with, who follows through, and who adds value without strings attached.

One participant shared a beautiful metaphor—they said that approaching partnership with strategic generosity is like planting seeds in multiple gardens. You don’t know which ones will sprout, or when. But if you keep watering them with care and attention, something beautiful will grow.

That’s the mindset. That’s the practice. And it’s how long-term, transformational partnerships are built.

Making Partnerships Easy for Others

If you want people to say yes to collaborating with you, make it easy for them. Be the driver. One of the biggest insights I’ve gained from doing dozens of collaborations is that people are far more likely to say yes when you take on the responsibility of creating clarity and momentum.

This means doing the work upfront. Prepare the promotional materials. Write the copy. Design the visuals. Create an outreach plan. Suggest a timeline. The more you can take off their plate, the easier it is for them to participate—and the more likely they are to say yes.

During the session, I showed an example of a promotional asset kit from the Transformational Learning Summit. It included Instagram graphics, email blurbs, social captions, and scheduling links—all packaged in a clean, organized way. This wasn’t about making it look flashy—it was about reducing friction. When everything is ready to go, people can just plug in and show up.

I encouraged participants to think of themselves as the one setting the frame. It’s your idea, your invitation—so make it as smooth and thoughtful as possible for your partner. That might mean scheduling the tech check. That might mean drafting the invite email. That might mean creating Canva templates they can quickly customize.

One participant shared that they hadn’t realized how much easier it would be to get buy-in if they simply owned the logistics. They’d been waiting for someone else to take the lead, but after this session, they saw that they could step into that leadership role—without having to know all the answers.

Making partnerships easy isn’t just a tactical move. It’s a relational one. When you do the legwork, you show that you care about your partner’s time and energy. You’re saying, “I value this collaboration, and I’m willing to invest in making it successful.”

This, in turn, builds trust—and makes people more excited to work with you again in the future. It’s one of the quiet superpowers of partnership.

Participant Integration and Journaling

Toward the end of the session, I invited everyone to reflect through journaling. I asked three questions to help ground the conversation in action:

1. Who are 6 people you’d love to partner with?
2. What could you offer them that adds value?
3. What’s one small next step you could take to move something forward?

These prompts were designed to help surface clarity and identify actionable momentum. Several participants shared their reflections in the large group afterward, and their responses underscored the range and richness of how partnership can unfold.

One participant shared that they’d had an ongoing connection with someone for over two years, sending occasional emails without an agenda—just genuine appreciation and small offers of support. That slow, steady presence eventually led to a powerful partnership that was both impactful and aligned. Their story was a beautiful reminder that partnerships don’t always require urgency—sometimes they simply require consistency.

Another participant spoke about how they had a collection of summit recordings sitting on a digital shelf and realized during the session that they could repurpose them into a conversational course format. They were energized by the idea that this content could be revived and given new life through partnership.

Someone else talked about exploring partnership opportunities with funders—philanthropic organizations or donors who could underwrite experiences for grassroots leaders. It was an inspiring reflection on how partnership can scale beyond individuals to include institutions and systems.

Others shared more personal insights: the fear of asking, the hesitation of feeling like a burden, the challenge of believing they had something to offer. These reflections felt especially powerful because they touched on the inner work of partnership—the courage to reach out, the vulnerability of offering something, the willingness to risk a no.

I reminded the group that most partnerships don’t begin with a pitch—they begin with a presence. And it’s often the simple follow-up, the thoughtful offer, or the timely check-in that creates the opening.

This part of the session was about integration. It was about taking the ideas we had explored and bringing them into alignment with each person’s lived experience. Not every seed will sprout right away. But when you write things down, when you name your intention, and when you take even one small step—that’s when movement begins.

Closing Reflections

As we closed, I shared one of my core beliefs: partnerships are like islands of sanity in a chaotic world. When everything feels uncertain, when the algorithm changes or your ad account gets shut down, your relationships remain.

And they deepen over time—if you keep showing up.

Partnerships are not a quick fix. They’re a long game. But if you plant the seeds, nurture the soil, and stay present, they can transform your business and your life.

This session was a reminder to me, and I hope to everyone present, that you don’t have to go it alone. The road ahead is more joyful, more sustainable, and more impactful when walked with others.

That’s the power of partnership.

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