Once, I thought I had a partnership in the bag. Big brand, big budget, and it came through someone I’d met at an event. I’d told them I was looking for a brand to sponsor a series of events (I love a good series) 😅 and they into’d me to their company immediately.

A few weeks in, I realized something was off. The person leading the partnership didn’t actually have the influence or interest to push it forward. They liked the idea of it, but not the work that came with it.

Emails went unanswered, internal approvals dragged, and I found myself spending more time keeping it alive than building anything meaningful. On paper, it was perfect. In practice, it wasn’t.

I still get chills thinking of the time and money I wasted. That person didn’t care about the events or what it could do for them or their brand. I don’t think that’s a bad thing either, they had other things going on but it was still tough to navigate. That experience taught me that having the right person on the inside is non-negotiable.

Since then, I’ve been more intentional about who I invest in from the start.

💡 Partnerships start with people. Finding the right ones takes more curiosity, more visibility, and a little faith that the right person will see you at the right time.

The right brand only matters if you have the right person inside. That’s why you need to see Linkedin as more than a job board.

I see it as a living map of corporate influence and I treat it like a database. Searching for brands is obviously part of the strategy but I think you have to be a bit more intentional.

First, search for job titles and keywords that define the people who can actually champion your work.

While everyone is trying to connect with the Director of Social Impact, Head of Partnerships or VP of Communications you should look for roles like Partnerships Manager, Brand Marketing Associate, Social Impact Manager, Community Engagement Lead, or Influencer Marketing Manager (or some combo).

These are the people who live in the day-to-day, not just the strategy. They are literally paid to connect the brand to the world.

After you’ve done that type of search on the brand page, you want to do a general search for things brand marketers are talking about. Think recent fun partnerships, social updates, current events, etc. Most people are still searching the brand page only, and that’s a mistake. You’ll be introduced to new brands and people just by reading through these posts.

This general search works across platforms.

💡 If you understand who’s driving the work, not just who’s approving it, you’ll always find your way in.