ABOUT THIS EPISODE
We made over 1 million in brand deals and neither of us has ever hired a manager. Managers take 15 to 25% of every deal, and for educational creators specifically, we think there's a strong case for keeping that money and learning the job yourself.
This episode breaks down the six things a manager does, why we've chosen not to outsource any of them, and how to build the systems to manage your own brand deals without losing your mind.
What We Cover:
- Why management makes sense for celebrity-style endorsement deals and less sense for educational creators
- What you lose when a middleman sits between you and the brand
- Why the brands you choose are a reflection of you, and why that decision shouldn't be outsourced
- The commission question: whether deals you sourced yourself still get a cut
- Job 1: Finding deals, inbound and outbound
- Job 2: Calculating your base rate before any brand conversation
- Job 3: Negotiating, and the myth that managers keep it from getting personal
- Job 4: Contracting. Not writing them. Reading them.
- Why brand-side managers often don't know what's in their own contracts
- Job 5: Project management, from Notion to an Apple Note
- Job 6: Getting paid, and the contract language that delays it
- What a $13,500 one-off deal cost Kate in hours
- Why retainers cut the admin load in half
- What to do if you decide to hire a manager anyway
Your Challenge: Pick the one job you're avoiding most. Build the system this week.
Episodes Referenced: Episode 4, Season 1: The Obvious YES Pitch Episode 5, Season 1: What You Should Charge Episode 7, Season 1: The LEVEL Framework Season 2 Episode 5: Brand Deal Contract Red Flags Season 2 Episode 9: What Brands Look For Before They Say Yes ft. Yulia Storozhuk Season 2 Episode 18: Money Systems for Creators
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