Sponsor Magnet: Attract, Price, & Execute Dream Partnerships

What happens when a B2B consultant who's never called himself a "creator" ends up with his face on a banner seen by over a million people? Jay Acunzo breaks down how he turned cold, cobbled-together sponsor arrangements into a systematic revenue engine — without ever sending a rate sheet.

Why Jay refuses to call himself a YouTuber, podcaster, or newsletter writer — and how he still built a sponsorship engine anyway

The "stacking" strategy that turned a Mailchimp partnership into content he wanted to make anyway

How reigniting a cold relationship with Wistia turned into a 4-webinar series that outperformed their biggest marketing expense of the year

The licensing lesson that got Jay thousands of extra dollars he never would've asked for

Why goal-based proposals beat rate sheets every single time

Follow our guest:
Jay Acunzo — https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

Grab my book, Sponsor Magnet, to learn how to transform your influence into income: https://sponsormagnet.com

Want one-on-one sponsorship coaching? Join Wizard's Guild: https://wizardsguild.com

0:00 Meet Jay Acunzo: The B2B Consultant Who Isn't a "Creator"
0:31 Premise & IP: What Jay Actually Sells
1:36 Why Jay Refuses to Call Himself a YouTuber or Podcaster
2:30 How the Sponsorship Wheel Rewired Jay's Thinking
3:55 The Problem With Reactive, "Slap-a-Logo-On-It" Sponsorships
6:04 The Mailchimp Deal: Stacking Sponsorship on Top of What You Already Do
8:36 Reigniting a Cold Sponsor Relationship With Wistia
11:03 Pitching "Fix My Webinar": Turning an Idea Into a Sponsored Series
13:34 Being the Guinea Pig for a Brand's First Creator Partnership
15:54 The Licensing Lesson That Made Jay Thousands More
19:57 Why Goal-Based Proposals Beat Rate Sheets Every Time
23:08 Behind the Scenes: Shooting "Shenanigans" With Wistia
26:25 The Results: Doubling Wistia's Average Webinar Numbers
29:56 The Payoff: A Banner in Front of a Million Users
32:19 Sponsorship Done the Creator Wizard Way

For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com

There's a new reason brands are paying creators, and it has nothing to do with follower count. Kaleigh Moore, an AI search strategist who works with B2B brands, breaks down how AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) works, and how you can pitch it to land bigger sponsorship deals.
Why AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are now citing creators the same way they'd cite a magazine or news outlet
The 3-4 word "named framework" trick that helps LLMs recognize you as an authority
Why LinkedIn, YouTube, and Reddit are the three highest-signal platforms for AI citations
How to price AEO work when there's no established market rate yet
The AI usage rights clause you need in every contract before granting a brand training access to your content
Follow our guest: Kaleigh Moore — Website: https://www.kaleighmoore.com/
Grab my book, Sponsor Magnet, to learn how to transform your influence into income: https://sponsormagnet.com
Want one-on-one sponsorship coaching? Join Wizard's Guild: https://wizardsguild.com
00:00 What Is Creator AEO?
00:34 The Elevator Pitch for Brands
01:26 Why Hire Creators Over In-House Content?
02:56 Real Example: A Niche Podcaster Landing Big Deals
03:47 Three Tactics to Start Earning AI Citations
05:30 The Highest-Signal Platforms for AI Search
06:44 How Brands Like HubSpot Are Recruiting Creators
08:10 Can You Guarantee AI Citations? The Honest Answer
09:16 Best Deliverables to Pitch to Brands
10:19 Negotiating ROI for AEO Campaigns
11:15 Advice for Creators Without a Track Record
12:36 What If You Don't Have a Defined Niche?
13:56 How to Price AEO Work
15:33 The AI Training Rights Clause You Need in Contracts
17:23 Helping Brand Decision-Makers Make the Internal Case
20:01 Kaleigh's Own Pivot to AI Search Strategy
21:50 Where to Follow Kaleigh
For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com

Ever wondered what it's actually like to run a creator business with your spouse? I sat down with my wife (and OG YouTuber) April to break down every step of doing sponsorships together — the pros, the friction, and everything in between.

Why April trusted me completely with the business side of sponsorships from day one

The exact 8-step "Sponsorship Wheel" we use for every deal — pitching to publishing

How we split creative vs. business roles (and the fights that taught us to stay in our lanes)

What it was really like making over $100K/month on sponsorships — and why that wasn't actually the goal

April's grief journey after losing both parents, and how it reshaped her relationship with success

Why niching down beats chasing views, and the almost-viral video that made $0

Grab my book, Sponsor Magnet, to learn how to transform your influence into income: https://sponsormagnet.com

Want one-on-one sponsorship coaching? Join Wizard's Guild: https://wizardsguild.com

00:00 Doing Sponsorships as a Couple
01:43 Step 1: Pitching Brands
06:20 Step 2: Negotiation
08:04 Step 3: Contracts
09:11 Step 4: Concept Development
13:24 Step 5: Production Growing Pains
21:57 Step 6: Handling Brand Feedback
24:34 Step 7: Publishing & Engagement
27:01 Dealing With Hate at Your Peak
32:20 Redefining Success Beyond Views

For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com

Turn your book idea into reality with Lulu Publishing.
Start publishing for free today: https://creatorwizard.com/lulu
Thanks to Lulu for sponsoring this episode!
Every creator pitches brands the same three things: awareness, repurposing, conversion. In this episode, I break down a fourth angle almost nobody uses — churn — and show you exactly how to turn it into a pitch that gets read instead of deleted.
The ARC framework and the overlooked difference between acquisition and retention
What churn actually costs a brand every single month (and why it terrifies them)
Why your audience might already be a brand's existing customer base
The exact word-for-word pitch script for a retention-based sponsorship
Three places to find out if retention is a budget priority for any brand you want to work with
Grab my book, Sponsor Magnet, to learn how to transform your influence into income: https://sponsormagnet.com
Want one-on-one sponsorship coaching? Join Wizard's Guild: https://wizardsguild.com
00:00 The Pitch Almost Nobody Uses
00:44 The ARC Framework Breakdown
02:18 What Churn Actually Means
03:26 Your Audience Is Already Their Customers
04:08 Sponsor: Lulu Self-Publishing
05:29 The Exact Retention Pitch Script
06:55 How Kit's Haley Approves Sponsorship Budgets
07:30 Finding Retention Budget at Any Brand
08:18 Apply for Sponsorship Coaching
For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com

"I don't get a lot of brand deals because I refuse to dance on TikTok." Justin hears this excuse constantly, so he's putting it to bed with Bill Flitter's story — a 20-year advertising vet who landed a massive sponsorship for his youth sports startup in just two emails and two weeks.

Why a complete outsider to "selling" sponsorships closed a deal faster than most seasoned creators

The moment a sponsor said "yes, go for it" with no limits — and why that stunned Bill

The exact proposal structure (three tiered options) that made the pitch easy to say yes to

How a personal, hyper-local PS line added instant credibility with zero track record

The mindset shift — from "I need this deal" to "I have something of value" — that changes your pricing, follow-up, and confidence

Follow our guest: Bill Flitter, founder of Sideline (fan engagement and loyalty platform for youth sports tournaments) here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billflitter/

Grab my book, Sponsor Magnet, to learn how to transform your influence into income: https://sponsormagnet.com

Want one-on-one sponsorship coaching? Join Wizard's Guild: https://wizardsguild.com

00:00 Why "I Don't Dance on TikTok" Isn't the Real Problem
00:37 Meet Bill Flitter and His Youth Sports Startup, Sideline
04:02 The Cold Email That Started It All
05:07 "Now What?" Navigating the First Sponsor Call
09:01 Naming Rights, Surprise Coupons, and the Campaign That Worked
14:06 The Mindset Shift: From Needing the Deal to Having Value
16:00 Why Silence Isn't a No — The Follow-Up Strategy That Pays Off
17:13 Adding Credibility With Zero Track Record
19:28 What To Do When a Brand Goes Quiet

For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com