Find the Right Brand Partner, Conquer the World

Let me tell you about our first brand partner. He’s one of the most iconic fashion designers in the industry and he’s given lots of folks their start — Refinery29 and Clare V., just to name a few. His name is Steven Alan, and he said “yes” to partnering with me at our very first lunch meeting. A little inside baseball for those of you not in the industry — I like to think of Steven as a modern day Marvin Traub. Steven has built a mini empire for himself, but he also happens to be a strong supporter of small brands and businesses with great ideas like us. My relationship with Steven has easily been an important part of my success with eponym to date.

If you’re selling into an enterprise, your first partners define the identity of your company. It’s crucial that you establish these relationships strategically. You want someone who’s established enough to help propel your company into the big leagues, but also someone who’s ready and willing to take some risk with you. Your first big partner should want your solution so badly that they’re willing to put up with a beta version or a V1. And not only was Steven that partner for us — as a founder himself, he was also someone who was incredibly patient and supportive as we grew from a team of 3 to a team of 40. That’s the kind of person you want on your side.

But how do you find that perfect partner? Persistence. 80% of sales are made on the 5th to 12th contact you make with your prospects, yet 48% of professional salespeople don’t follow up with a prospect. Scour your personal and professional networks and grab coffee with as many people as you can. Do your research. Look for people who are willing to take those risks. Maybe they’ve invested in startups before, or even worked at one themselves. Just never stop digging. Because finding this partner isn’t just practical — it’s essential to building the foundational elements of your business.