I’ve had a lot of questions about our collaboration with Sophie of Joplin, Missouri so I wanted to share all the details with you about how it actually went down. Then, I want to encourage you to do the same.

Let me explain…

The answer is pretty short, really. How did I get the collaboration with the Sophie brand?

I asked for it. 

Literally, all it took was one email explaining how the collaboration would benefit Sophie (free advertising, marketing, photography and video to use on all social media outlets, not to mention potential sales!) And, in turn, it benefits me as well because I gained access to cute clothes, lots of style posts and a day filled with fun, creative adventures through collaboration with other local artists: Lydiah Christine Photography, Andy Lane – Video, Shaylea Brown – Makeup & Art Direction, Allyssa Sentlinger – Hair.

Now, I would be lying if I didn’t say it cost us ~$200-$300 for production, but was it worth it?

Absolutely. 

Why? Because leverage. Stick with me…

With leverage, I am doing something to achieve a certain result. In this case, I am using the collaboration with Sophie to gain a wider audience in the style industry, and depth within ALDS.

What does that mean?

Width: Sophie chose to broadcast ALDS images on their TV commercial, on their blog and through social media outlets. Hint: A wider audience doesn’t necessarily mean more dollars coming to me, it’s just more eyes. Therefore, we need depth.

Depth: ALDS has since created a lasting professional relationship with the owner of Sophie and now receives compensation for monthly blog posts. All because of one email.

It’s cool to gain a ton of followers, but who ultimately cares about followers if your business isn’t growing? I don’t care if I have seven followers on instagram, or seven thousand if it means I’m only getting extra likes instead of extra relationships. The depth is within the relationship. How are you going to take care of and engage with those seven followers? It’s not a quick game.

You see, you have to remember to focus on the bigger picture. Yes, this was an investment, but look at the return! Remember to say ‘yes’ to the things that stand true to you and your business and gives you depth in the long run.

Now, on a lighter note, check out the fun, behind-the-scenes of our entire ALDSxSOPHIE shoot!

What do you guys think about this? Are you chasing width instead of depth? Been there.

Let me know your thoughts. Your comments are my oxygen!

-ash

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