As an artist or creative, sometimes creating work isn’t the hard part, it’s knowing what to do next.

Believe it or not; I think I may have figured out a way to work with brands. It’s always been kind of a personal goal of mine since I first found my love for shooting content. At the first photo shoot I ever directed my heart was literally beating out of my chest. I had never been a part of such a collaborative project grounded in creativity and I’ve been wanting more ever since that day. In order to get creative projects I’ve been telling myself (for longer than I’d like to admit) that I needed to have a rockstar website aesthetically designed with stunning content with powerful and compelling words to earn any meaningful work.

I’ve learned that you don’t need to share work to find meaning. You don’t need to publish a website, be featured in a major publication, release an album, etc. I was recently preparing a less-than-glamorous meal in my apartment when an idea popped into my head. If you know me personally, you know that when I get excited about something I go full force. This has always been somewhat a blessing and a curse. Anyway, I just started reaching out to brands (yes, directly through my Instagram). I didn’t overthink the message, timing or what I would say. I simply took action and did it. Also, in typical Kayla-fashion I started burning whatever was on the stovetop, but moving on.

Call me crazy, but my pro tip… ask them. Yes, just ask them. You can slide into their DMs, send an email, etc. You’ve just got to start somewhere.

The magic formula (hint: not rocket science)

• Say Hi (Who the heck are you and why should they care. Be vulnerable and add some spunk and personality to it… I’ve managed social channels for a variety of brands and don’t forget there’s a personal behind all social pages)

• Why (Why do you like the brand or service? What makes them different? What values do you share with the brand?)

• What (What are you hoping for in the partnership? A creative trade, a formal partnership, a discount code (oh boy), some content, etc.)

• Say Thanks (This seems like a no-brainer but it goes a long way! It takes time to field inbound requests, so express appreciation that they took time to read your note)

Now I know that everyone doesn’t have the same goals or aspirations that I do, but if you feel overwhelmed to reach out, try to think of the opportunity through a different lens. You don’t always need to have the perfect website, but it doesn’t mean you can’t extend outreach and see if they would be interested. Wanting to partner with a local photographer or set up a gallery with a friend? Go for it. You don’t need anyone else’s permission to follow your passion.

Regarding the dm’s, I am excited to share that I woke up with some awesome responses in my inbox. Some huge national brands I love took the time to not only answer my request, but they also wanted to partner with me! I won’t lie, I can’t say that I had a 100% response rate, but I would have been happy with even one response. I look forward to working with some dope brands to grow as a content creator and challenge myself to create outside of my comfort zone.

The sky is the limit guys, but you never know that limit is until you go for it. I was shutting down the potential of working with some brands because I thought they would say no. Some of the most successful people in the world were told “no” about their ideas. You have nothing to lose guys… just think of the worst case scenario, it probably isn’t all that bad. I am encouraging you to go for it, push past your fears and be open to knowing that the path to your passions may look different than everyone else’s. That’s the beauty of it.