Brand Outreach Best Practices

The best brand collabs don’t come from cold DMs—they come from connection, creativity, and patience.

Before You Pitch a Brand, Read This

You’ve probably seen it—or maybe done it yourself. (No judgment.)

You follow a brand you love. You hit that DM button. And then BOOM—you say something like, “Hi! I’d love to collaborate.” (and by “collaborate” you actually mean “get paid.”)

It’s what I call a pitch slap.
No intro. No context. No connection. And (almost always) no success.

Here’s the thing: the most impactful collaborations don’t start with a pitch. They start with a relationship.

Let me tell you a story…

Years ago, I had a dream collaboration in mind. I wanted to partner with Working Mother Magazine on something big—like a registry of products and services for working moms.

But I didn’t message the Editor-in-Chief the minute we connected on LinkedIn.

Instead, I got curious.
I followed her content.
I showed up in her comments.

And when the time felt right? I shared my idea.

That partnership became one of Gugu Guru’s most successful collaborations ever—featuring celebrity moms, working parent experts, and a media brand that moms truly trusted.

All because I didn’t rush the pitch.
I built a connection first.

So, what does that mean for you as a mom creator?

👉 Have ideas. Absolutely.
👉 Know your value. Always.
👉 But don’t lead with a pitch or, worse “what’s your budget?”

Lead with curiosity.
Engage with the brand’s content.
Comment thoughtfully.
Share something you love about what they’re doing.

Then, when you do pitch?
It won’t feel like a pitch.
It’ll feel like a collaboration that was meant to be.

In our Collab Community for our paid Substack subscribers, you’ll get warm intros to brands who want to hear from you.

No cold DMs. No pitch slaps. Just real conversations.

Here’s how to connect with brands ASAP in our Collab Community: