About the Author

Martin Gomez is a creative director and the co-founder of Working Creative. He is a former agency owner, design school professor, and as a freelancer, has worked with household brands for Canada’s top marketing agencies. 

I always tell the story the same way: when we first started Fancy Boys, we had two clients - a local Ottawa construction company and The Killers. But that wasn't entirely true. I'd done work for The Killers at my previous job and was still freelancing for them, but they'd never heard of "Fancy Boys." Nobody had, and we needed to change that.

Nobodies of Ottawa Unite

Back then, Ottawa had a wealth of small creative companies, and I kept running into Dom (pictured below) at networking events. He was another founder (his company was called N-Product) and in the same boat as me but with a product, some buzz, hunting for his next big project. We came up with the idea to throw a joint brand-launch event. We knew it would be fun, but it had to be unmissable. We had locked down a friend's skateboard shop as the venue and another friend's taco stand for food, but it still needed that “you-had-to-be-there” spice.

The great craft beer wave of the 2010s was just starting to swell, and we thought a one-night-only custom beer tasting would be the perfect “you-had-to-be-there” spice - if we could land the right brewery. Beau's All Natural Brewing Co was riding highest on that wave with impeccable branding and uber-selective marketing, making them a dream collaborator for both of us. We decided the best approach was to just show up at the brewery.

The Complete Lack of a Plan

When their events coordinator came out to meet us, I could tell we weren’t the first to come pitch an idea. I came clean with, “We don’t even know what this thing is but we have a skate shop, tacos and we want to work with you to make something unmissable.” 

She laughed and led us inside, showed us where staff parked their skateboards under a taco-themed system they used to log brew cycles, and said, "We're in."

That spontaneous pitch launched a partnership that created a taco-themed beer, custom skateboards based on their label art, a brewery skate video, and an event where skate-kids mingled with Shopify executives.

Beau's quickly became our best client, leading to website redesigns, multiple events, and a go-to partnership for every wild idea we had for years afterward.

The Importance of Partnerships When You’re Starting Out

Looking back, I realize our success hinged on something I've used consciously ever since: the power of creative partnerships to lower perceived risk. 

Lowering the Perception of Risk

The most powerful aspect of the partnership approach was how it gave Beau’s a low-risk opportunity to experience our work style, communication, and creative thinking without committing to a major contract. Dom and I made it clear we were looking for more partners—not just free beer.

By the time Beau’s was considering agencies for their website redesign, we weren't just another proposal in the pile - we were family. (A known entity at least.)

I don't have it in me anymore to throw parties or shoot skate videos, but I still use this partnership approach constantly. 

The simplest version is asking someone you admire for feedback on your work or an idea you're developing. This sounds like a small thing, but it creates that same low-risk collaboration that can evolve into paying work. It could be a product idea, an event, or even a newsletter… ;)

How to Start With a Collab

There are lots of ways to create these collaborative opportunities with dream clients:

• Volunteer your creative skills for a charity event their company sponsors

• Follow that up with a joint case study that highlights their brand and your creative solutions

• Organize a small event and invite them to participate as thought leaders

• Throw a party! (In all seriousness, with the right partners it’s easier than you think.)

• Create a small content series featuring POVs from their industry (and invite them to contribute their insights)

• Develop a resource guide relevant to their industry (and invite them to contribute their insights)

• [Personal favourite] Connect them with another client of yours for mutual benefit (becoming the valuable connector)

The key is finding that sweet spot where they get immediate value while you get a chance to demonstrate your value.

The One-Question Interview

Working Creative: How differently do you evaluate agencies/creatives you’ve already worked with (versus new)?

Jordan Bamforth: Each project [with an agency] is a way to build upon the last, and I've found that there is a payback that compounds over time. As a client, there are so many opportunities to leverage those investments that you've made in your partners. If you have to brief a new freelancer or agency there's a learning curve, but when you're working with someone you have history with you can get into the meat of the project that much quicker.

Bonus Question:

Working Creative: What do you imagine/picture/visualize when you hear the words “Working Creative”?

Jordan Bamforth: May the odds forever be in your favour.

Thank you!

If you made it this far you just read our very first issue of the Working Creative newsletter! It’s been a long few months getting to this point and the real work lies ahead, but it’s so empowering to feel support from a network of professionals (you all) from day one. We won’t let you down!

Do you have an idea for a partnership or a way to combine forces with your dream client? I’d love to give you feedback on your idea!

Reply to this email or contact me at [email protected]

Further Reading

We’re going to be basing these first issues of the newsletters around the five strategies from our ebook The Five Most Effective Ways I Learned to Get Creative Work I Love and the strategy from today’s email ties into Effective Thing #2: Creating Genuine Connections and Effective Thing #3: Making Every Interaction a Preview.

Parting Thought

The hip hop music industry has perfected the art of strategic creative partnerships for the purposes of increased impact. If you’re an artist just starting out, getting a feature credit on an established artist’s album can often kickstart a career. Similarly, an established artist lending their clout to an up-and-comer by featuring on their track will have the same impact.

I’ve always had a soft spot for a different kind of feature you don’t see as much these days; The Posse Cut. When a whole bunch of artists and groups come together for one song that features them all equally. Maybe they still do these but I’m in my 40s and it’s my job to be scornful of all hip hop post-1996.

This one’s going out to you Dom (and all of you up-and-comers). Let’s bag those dream clients with partnerships, wits and charm.

Header photo credit: Andrew Szeto