This week, we focused on Building Strategic LGBTQ+ Collaborations, because visibility grows faster when we stop trying to do everything alone. Here’s what we built together: Monday: We created a Collaboration Map and identified people, businesses, organizations, podcasts, and events worth connecting with. Tuesday: We narrowed that list to strong-fit partners based on audience, values, credibility, and opportunity. Wednesday: We worked on making a clear, mutually beneficial collaboration ask. Thursday: We took collaboration into the community through events, guest appearances, sponsorships, speaking, and shared visibility. Today, we bring it all together with one final question: How do you make one collaboration lead to the next opportunity? The answer is follow-up. A great collaboration should not end when the podcast stops recording, the event ends, or the social post disappears. Afterward: • Thank your partner personally • Share and promote the collaboration • Tag and acknowledge everyone involved • Stay connected with the new people you met • Ask what worked well for your partner • Look for a natural next opportunity • Refer business back whenever possible Friday Action: Create Your Collaboration Follow-Up Plan Choose ONE collaboration, relationship, or community connection you made, or want to make, and write down three follow-up actions. 1. How will I support them? 2. How will I stay connected? 3. What could we potentially do next? That is how a single appearance becomes a relationship. A relationship becomes a referral. A referral becomes another introduction. And one collaboration can start building an entire network around your business. This Week’s Big Takeaway Do not just collect contacts. Build relationships. The goal is not to use the LGBTQ+ community as a marketing channel. The goal is to participate, contribute, support, and become genuinely connected to the communities you serve. That is where stronger visibility, credibility, referrals, and opportunities begin.

This week, we’ve been building Strategic LGBTQ+ Collaborations step by step. Monday: We identified potential partners. Tuesday: We narrowed the list to the strongest fits. Wednesday: We worked on making the collaboration ask. Today, we focus on what happens when collaboration moves beyond a conversation and into the community. One of the fastest ways to expand visibility is to show up where your audience already gathers. That could mean: • Participating in someone else’s event • Speaking on a panel or workshop • Being a podcast or livestream guest • Sponsoring a local LGBTQ+ event or organization • Hosting your own mixer, webinar, class, or community gathering • Partnering with another business for a shared promotion • Volunteering your expertise where it can introduce you to new people You do not always have to create the audience. Sometimes the better strategy is to contribute to an audience that already exists. Thursday Action: Find One Place to Show Up Identify ONE event, organization, podcast, group, or community opportunity where your business could become more visible in the next 30–60 days. Then decide how you could participate: Attend? Speak? Sponsor? Collaborate? Volunteer? Host something together? The goal is not simply to put your logo somewhere. The goal is to create a reason for people to meet you, hear your message, remember your business, and continue the relationship afterward. ☕ Coffee Chat Starts at 10:00 AM Eastern! We’re meeting in about an hour for today’s LGBTQ Success Syndicate Coffee Chat. Join us at 10:00 a.m. Eastern as we talk about partnerships, events, guest appearances, sponsorships, referrals, and practical ways to get your business more visible in the communities you serve. Come with one collaboration idea or opportunity you’re considering, and let’s see how the Syndicate can help you strengthen it. More Pride. More Profit. More Power.

Hey everyone! I am the guest speaker at the Social Queer Connects event at Lucy's Bottle Shop in Ballard on Thursday. It's geared toward entrepreneurship and queer business owners. I'll be talking about my company, myself and my story, and answering any questions anyone might have. I'm super excited and wanted to invite everyone. And I should be able to make the coffee meet up this week also 😁 I also was invited on stage at Alki Beach Pride and got some mic time to talk about my app. It was such a great experience. It's been a week full of wins and I wanted to extend the invite to not just this event but all of the social queer events. It's a great resource for professionals and networking. https://partiful.com/e/8OldPxahI8PKuleVRLX3?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaATxoZpwZG9mAmZkaWQWUMsuKQ6JEG7VCRMr8AYLpEH2b2ALOGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp_g_cJx7gCGsYfP40HRs8azvbQKcu_H-MHVH2CXtKdgfuCnPsMQgldw9lapy_aem_6sqdVAjsjpu0rj8qHH33zg