👋🏽 Doors Opening

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — your weekly dose of actionable insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

Yesterday I attended Publish NYC, a summit put on by Colin and Samir. It was a blast. Saw a lot of familiar faces and had some really interesting conversations with people around brand partnerships and selling.

Those convos, plus a creator who reached out this week asking about sponsorships, got me thinking about something I need to hammer home for you when it comes to securing brand deals.

So I’m sharing with you my method for closing $10K+ brand deals.

Let's dive in.

💼 Brought to you by Gusto 

Helping creators plan for the future

Here’s something a lot of creators don’t think about until it’s too late: retirement.

When you leave a 9–5, the 401(k) usually disappears right along with it. 

That happened to me, and honestly, I had no idea how to keep contributing. Years of compound growth… gone.

That’s why I was pumped to see Gusto just acquired Guideline. It means you can now handle payroll, benefits, compliance, and set up retirement plans (like 401(k)s) all in one place. 

So whether you’re solo and want to start saving again, or you’re building a team and want to attract talent with real benefits, this makes it way easier.

It’s one less thing to stress about, and one more way to build for the long run.

✍️ Spotlight

The one move landing creator brand deals

I've sold sponsorship deals with brands like Visa, Pinterest, Notion, Shopify, Teachable, and more. Some were one-offs. Others turned into long-term partnerships that lasted over multiple months.

And this is what I realized most creators get wrong when they ask me: "How do I land deals like that?"

It's not because I have some secret backdoor into these companies. It's not because my audience is magically bigger than yours. In fact, it might be smaller!

It's because I treat selling like an entrepreneur. And entrepreneurs don't stop after one pitch. They follow up.

Let me level with you:

• Deals aren't won in the first email or DM.

• They're won in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, even 7th touch.

• They're won in the nudge.

Now, when I say "nudge," I don't mean hitting someone with the dreaded "Just following up…" line. That adds zero value. It gets ignored.

Instead, you need to treat each follow-up like a small, intentional push forward.

Something that surfaces at the right time, makes their life easier, and reminds them of the value you bring.

Think of it this way: how many emails or DMs do you leave unopened when life gets busy?

Exactly. Brands are no different. They're not ignoring you because they hate you. They're ignoring you because they're buried.

Your job? Nudge them until one of those messages lands when they finally have the headspace. That's when you get the reply. That's when you win the business.

The SURF framework for follow-ups

When I looked back at the nudges that actually closed deals for me, I realized they all had something in common.

They weren’t random check-ins. They hit on one (or more) of four elements.

That’s how the SURF framework was born…

S – Surface at the right moment

Circle back when there's a natural trigger (budget cycle, product launch, event).

“Saw [Brand] just announced [new campaign/product]. I mocked up a quick idea for how I could help amplify it with my audience. Dropping it here.”

U – Uncover new value each time

Drop a stat, a resource, or a relevant example of your work.

“Just finished a collab with [similar brand] that drove [specific result]. Here’s the one-pager with numbers. Thought it’d be useful as you plan Q4.”

R – Reference something current

Tie it to a trend, a news story, or something happening at their company.

“Saw your CMO’s keynote at [industry event], which nailed the point about [trend]. That’s exactly the space my content is leaning into! Attaching a quick mockup so you can see the fit!”

F – Frame an easy response

Make it so simple to reply they can do it half-asleep. Yes/No. This/That. Quick call link.

Your challenge

If you're not following up, you're leaving money on the table.

One of those nudges could be the one that lands when the brand finally has budget, headspace, or need. That's when they say yes. Follow up every 2-3 weeks or so.

You want to be a creator and make money doing it? Congratulations, you're an entrepreneur. And what do entrepreneurs do? They sell.

So follow up like your creator business depends on it, because it does.

🎪 City Happenings

What’s Next:

After a super successful (and fun) Creator Walk the other week, I am planning for another one mid-late September! Stay tuned to upcoming newsletters + Instagram for updates.

But we do have an exclusive event in the works with Teachable for mid October. Apply to join below (please note, capacity is much more limited than our typical events for this one!).

🫡 Perks & Recs

Tools and resources that'll help you build, scale, and streamline, with exclusive discounts when I can swing them.

• Stanley: New AI tool that's actually useful. Connects to your LinkedIn, analyzes your past content, and helps craft high-performing posts in your voice. Perfect for creators who want to nail LinkedIn but don't want to overthink it. And it’s free.

• Teachable: A platform I recommend to creators who want to monetize their expertise. Whether you’re teaching marketing, music, or Minecraft, Teachable makes it simple to create, launch, and sell courses without overcomplicating it.

• beehiiv: What I use to write this newsletter (85 weeks and counting). Clean interface, great analytics, and email delivery that actually works. 20% off your first 3 months.

📚 Resources

LAUNCHING SOON: "F*ck It, Create It" Course (Early Access)

I've been heads down working on our first creator education course: "F*ck It, Create It."

It's designed to break through the mental barriers that keep you stuck in planning mode instead of creating mode.

I’m looking for early testers to help shape the course. Jump in early and get a limited-edition hat plus access to resources, challenges, and community accountability.

2 FREE resources to accelerate your creator growth

The Creator Goal Setting Guide: A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2025.

The Creator Accountability System: Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2025 (I’m using this now to send one newsletter a week!)

✌🏽 Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Please

Thanks for reading! Now go follow up on those brand emails sitting in your inbox.

Brett