If your deal fell through, this is probably why...

Section 39 in Seth Godin’s This is Strategy says it better than I could:

'You didn’t lose because of the last move you made. You lost because of the first one.'

This week, a podcaster I support almost secured a perfect-fit brand partnership.

The energy was there. The DMs were lit. Everyone was “so aligned.”

Until the very end, when it turned out the brand had no budget. None. Not even a small one.

This wasn’t a bad move at the end. It was a missed move at the beginning.

I'm sharing some key moves you MUST do to avoid being another podcaster who has to go through that awkward conversation about money and budgets.

Because strategy isn’t about cleaning up at the end. It’s not about sending the perfect email to save a ghosted deal or having to negotiate a free deal. It’s about setting expectations from the start so that you never have to backpedal.

💡 Here’s what strategy looks like in podcast partnerships:

Not:

❌ Hoping a brand “sees your value”

❌ Holding off the money talk until they fall in love with you

❌ Doing a bunch of free work and praying it leads to something

But:

✅ Asking about budgets (or equal exchange) early

✅ Anchoring your ecosystem’s worth (not just your downloads)

✅ Building offers that fit their goals and your needs

The shift?

Instead of saying:

“I hope this turns into something…”

Say:

“This has been a great conversaton and we can definatly see the synergy, if we were to put together 2-3 packages to help you acheive [said goals] you mentioned today, from a budget feasibility point of view, what would those 2–3 tiers look like?”

Just a clear strategy, from the start. This is adapted from Justin Moore, and yes, you should also read his book.

This week’s strategy takeaway:

The podcast partnership didn’t fall apart in the DMs. It fell apart when there were no rules on the board to begin with.

So many podcasters are out here moving fast — recording, pitching, posting, but they never stop to ask: What am I actually wanting to achieve with my show?

Strategy means knowing where you’re headed before you send the first email. Even better, if you do this before you hit publish on your very first episode.

It means setting the budget boundary before you sink hours into a custom deck.

It means moving like a business owner, not a hopeful creator crossing fingers for a reply.

So ask yourself:

“What’s the first move I’ve been avoiding — and what’s it costing me to skip it?”

Want help making your first move the right one? If you're ready to stop winging it and start pitching with purpose, our Partnership Roadmap will show you how to lead every brand convo with clarity and confidence.

Let’s make sure you never backpedal again.

→ Book your free 15-minute Fit Call.