The only partnering worth doing when you are a start up is partnering “up.”  Here is another blog of “do as I say, not as I do.”  When you partner “down”, you tend to lose unless you are partnered with someone who understands partnering “up” and most folks just don’t get it..  So what’s the difference and why choose “up?”

Partnering “up” is seeking out relationships that will enhance your business, your presence, and your skill set.  It looks like great opportunities where someone who is more successful than you is reaching out to you in a mutual exchange.  By “mutua”l, I mean they are giving you some fabulous opportunity to serve in exchange for something you really need or desire like connections, exposure, money, or distribution.  By “more successful”, I mean they have a bigger email list, fan base, and venue.

Here’s the caveat, however.  The exchange is not mutual.  The bottom line is the person or company partnering down with you is giving you a priceless opportunity. That means that you better return to them double what they expect and if they are offering that same opportunity to others, then you need to outshine all the others.  If you don’t know what they expect, ask them.  Whatever they tell you they expect, do double.  Great examples for my business have been:

Telluride Yoga Festival.  Aubrey game a brand new author (me) with a medium following in Cincinnati, Ohio the chance to be at a very prestigious yoga festival and do my thang.  In return, she communicated she wanted to offer to her festival attendees an awesome Ayurvedic experience.  Sounds straight up? Well no.  What she really wanted was for me to knock her legwarmers off. So, I rented a mountain top home, took 20 people with me, created a unique Ayurvedic offering, totally rocked it with the take-aways and post retreat communication for those at the festival who were interested.  I blogged about for months and continue to do so because it was AWESOME.  If Aubrey were to ask me for any favor on the entire planet, I would do it for her.  It was a huge financial investment on my end.  It was a huge leap of faith on hers.  The rewards have been immeasurable.  Telluride Yoga Festival>>>

Sedona Yoga Festival:  Mark and Heather Titus are making a huge investment in me taking up one of their presenter slots at the Sedona Yoga Festival.  They expect pretty much what Aubrey expects.  I’m doing the exact same for them with total passion and commitment.  Think about it…they are blasting out to thousands of people and I’m part of it.  What they are doing for me is incredible. I want them to tell me to jump so I can scream “how high?”   Sedona Yoga Festival>>>

Phil Bolsta:  He doesn’t really realize it, but he is slowly partnering with me.  I’ve loved this guy from other lifetimes, I swear.  He’s an incredible writer, blogger, and inspiration.  Phil wrote a blog that he shared with the world that led me to the most amazing PR person who actually agreed to have a conversation with me.  I sent him a thank you, he sent me more guidance.  He’s an archetype for me and he is actually communicating with me!  I’d do anything for Phil and am very conscious I am in his debt and need to return 10x to him.  To say thanks to him and because I LOVE his work, I have an online spiritual discussion group where we talk about quotes from Phil’s new book.  I’ve sold him a few books, and hope it gains traction because it is so worth reading. discussion>>>  I’m conscious of it.

The Business Backer:  The Business Backer gave this small and risky business that is walking though the Valley of Darkness as it’s known in entrepreneurial circles a $40,000 loan.  Are you kidding me?  It allowed me to re-brand EOM, re-build the website, publish my book, and re-model the Montgomery Studio.  If they need me to provide lunch time entertainment standing on my head, I will.

So you see, partnering up means YOU need to honor the relationship.  YOU need to see the opportunities that are presented to you as invaluable.  YOU need to help and serve those that are partnering with you and giving you opportunities.  While it might seem it is all about you, it is really all about them.  If you make them shine, you will shine and as a result, your small business will start to thrive.

Om, Pamela

*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.