Sponsor Magnet: Attract, Price, & Execute Dream Partnerships

"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

What happens when a $6,000/month brand deal falls apart at the finish line? I'm walking you through the entire Perplexity partnership from the very first LinkedIn DM to the moment it collapsed — including the actual proposal, real pricing, and every package I put together.
The exact video pitch I sent instead of just replying to their DM (and why it worked)
How I structured a 4-tier proposal ranging from $4K to $16.5K/month
Why I include a "measuring success" page in every proposal I send
The moment they came back with a custom package request — and how I built "Package 1.5" on the fly
What actually happened when the deal fell through, and why I'm not mad about it
The mindset shift that turns you from a commodity into a true brand partner
This one's different — it's a radically transparent look at a deal that didn't work out, not just the wins. If you've ever had a partnership die right before the finish line, this is for you.
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 I Lost a $6K/Month Perplexity Deal
00:28 The Cold LinkedIn Message That Started It
02:14 Prepping for the Call the Right Way
05:04 Building the Proposal: What I Heard
06:56 Package 1: LinkedIn Essentials ($4K/mo)
07:31 Package 2: The Amplified Package ($7.5K/mo)
08:56 Package 3: Community Builder ($12K/mo)
12:03 Package 4: Full-Funnel Partnership ($16.5K/mo)
12:56 Why I Include a "Measuring Success" Page
16:02 Their Counter-Offer and Building Package 1.5
18:33 The Contract Stalls, Then Falls Apart
19:05 Lessons Learned From a Deal That Died
For collaborations or partnerships, shoot us a note: inquiries@creatorwizard.com

How Elizabeth turned 4,000 Instagram followers into $10,000 in sponsorships in under two months — without a big platform, a media kit, or any sponsorship experience before meeting Justin.

Why year one and year two of her live event barely broke even (and what changed in year three)

The "marketing consultant mindset" that separates creators who keep sponsors from creators who lose them

Why 30-35 cold pitches converted to zero deals — and what finally worked instead

How to pitch retention campaigns instead of conversion when your audience is small

The 3-tier sponsorship package structure that made it easy for brands to say yes

Elizabeth is a business coach based in Virginia who runs an annual in-person event in Virginia Beach. Three years in, and this was the first year her event turned a real profit — all because of the sponsorships she landed after meeting Justin at a mastermind.

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 From 4K Followers to $10K in Sponsorships
1:01 Meeting Justin and Going to Sponsor Games
1:48 Year One: Beginner's Luck
2:16 Year Two: The Lessons in Failure
4:50 The Marketing Consultant Mindset
7:28 Breaking Down the Event's Profit and Loss
9:19 No Creator Is Too Small
10:23 Structuring Sponsorship Packages
13:20 Pitching Retention Over Conversion
16:01 The Marketing Push That Filled the Room

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

Learn how to use a book to build your brand: https://www.creatorwizard.com/lulu
Thanks to Lulu for sponsoring this episode!

Ever wonder what goes into planning a live event where attendees walk away with actual brand deals? In this behind-the-scenes team call, Justin sits down with his event producer Sarah and coaching program director Bianca to plan Sponsor Games 2027 — and get real about what worked, what didn't, and what needs to change.

Whether to chase niche industry sponsors or stick with broad creator-economy brands

Why the brand deal giveaway needs to be baked into the programming instead of bolted on

How to fix the "chicken or egg" problem of surveying attendees before ticket sales roll in

The behind-the-scenes story of landing a surprise Hard Rock Cafe sponsorship

Whether Sponsor Games might be leaving San Antonio for a new city in 2027

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 Behind the Scenes: Planning Sponsor Games 2027
01:16 Meet the Team & Last Year's Wins
01:54 Should We Bring In Niche Industry Sponsors?
04:29 Why Newer-to-Influencer Brands Are Easier to Land
06:55 The Logistics Nightmare of Giving Away Brand Deals
08:32 Fixing Our Attendee Survey Strategy
09:22 Was the Brand Deal Giveaway Actually Worth It?
12:58 The Fix: Bake It Into the Programming
14:29 Revisiting Our Northstar Goal
16:09 How Do We Actually Pull This Off?
19:54 Rethinking the Sponsor Agreement Structure
21:13 Why We Need Sponsor Testimonials
23:01 Are We Inserting Ourselves Too Much?
26:11 Building Multi-Year Sponsor Relationships
28:36 Niche vs. Broad: Choosing the Right Sponsors
30:17 Surveying Past Attendees for Better Pitches
32:00 Finding Adjacent Brands Creators Actually Use
34:20 The Hard Rock Cafe Deal Story
35:45 Are We Moving to a New City?
36:50 Positioning the Sponsorship Pitch for 2027
38:48 Lulu's Return as Title Sponsor
40:36 Staying True to What Actually Works

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

Ever send a pitch, follow up once, and then just... stare at your inbox wondering if you blew it? In this episode, Justin breaks down five specific follow-up approaches you can use when a brand goes quiet after your pitch — so you can stop second-guessing yourself and start getting responses.

Why "just circling back" is killing your follow-ups (and what to say instead)

The channel-switching trick that gets replies in minutes, not weeks

How to use the ROPE method to make your follow-up impossible to ignore

The "lunch and learn" pitch that positions you as a resource, not a beggar

When it's actually time to let a lead go (and how to do it without burning the bridge)

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 Your Follow-Ups Aren't Working
00:28 Approach #1: Stop Just "Circling Back"
02:01 Approach #2: Change the Channel
03:16 Approach #3: Get Specific with the ROPE Method
06:26 Approach #4: Offer Something Unexpected
10:47 Approach #5: Knowing When to Let It Go

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