326: How to Build Win-Win Content Partnerships in the Social Impact Space with Cindy Wagman

Mallory Erickson and Cindy Wagman pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to build partnerships between coaches, consultants, and technology companies in the social impact space.

Cindy Wagman is a nonprofit consultant, educator, and founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network. After years of working as an in-house fundraiser, Cindy began consulting in 2015 and later built a business focused on helping nonprofit professionals transition into fractional consulting while creating sustainable businesses without burnout.

Originally recorded as a webinar, this conversation explores why tech companies want to partner with coaches and consultants, what you can gain from these relationships, and how to determine whether a partnership is actually aligned with your business and values.

Mallory and Cindy share their own experiences navigating partnerships, sponsorships, speaking opportunities, referral revenue, webinars, and emerging AI partnerships. They also talk honestly about what makes these opportunities worthwhile, what can become a drain on your time, and how to protect your intellectual property when technology becomes part of your service delivery.

Whether you're just starting to explore partnerships or you've already worked with technology companies, this episode will help you approach these relationships with more intention, discernment, and agency.

In this episode, you will be able to:

- Identify why technology companies partner with coaches and consultants and what they are ultimately hoping to gain from those relationships.

- Evaluate potential partnerships based on your own business goals, values, audience, and desired outcomes.

- Understand the different ways partnerships can support brand visibility, audience growth, revenue generation, and impact.

- Approach speaking opportunities more strategically by thinking about lead capture, audience growth, and how to make the most of the opportunity.

- Think critically about referral and affiliate partnerships, including transparency and disclosure around referral revenue.

- Understand how AI is creating new opportunities for coaches and consultants to scale their impact while maintaining the human value of their work.