We had the good fortune of connecting with Baily Hancock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Baily, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I’d be nowhere if it weren’t for my community of friends, colleagues, partners, and clients who have supported me in countless ways throughout the life of my business and long before I ever became an entrepreneur. My very first client came through a connection from a former coworker, and nearly every client since has come from a referral of someone in my network. Collaboration isn’t just about promoting one another’s brands, it’s about the ongoing support you give your partners by amplifying their messages and making connections whenever possible. Nobody achieves great things alone, and my community is to thank for any success I’ve ever had.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a Collaboration Consultant, I create strategies and provide frameworks that allow individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to achieve their goals by thinking collaboratively and harnessing the power of their network. Or, as I explained it to my 7-year-old nephew, I make friends for a living and help them learn how to play together. I launched my business in 2016 to help entrepreneurs learn how to leverage the power of collaboration and strategic marketing partnerships to grow their business on shoestring budgets. I’ve worked with over 30 small businesses to do exactly that, and it still gives me goosebumps every time I see them out in the world partnering with well-aligned individuals and brands to grow their communities with thoughtful, intentional, and impactful partnerships. I’ve grown my business entirely through collaboration, or more specifically a strategy I refer to as “Expertise for Exposure” where I share my knowledge and experience in exchange for promotion to well-aligned communities of potential clients. In the last five years, I’ve done over 100 speaking and teaching gigs, been a guest on nearly 30 podcasts, and written 10+ guest blog posts and articles. I’ve been able to grow my email list, Facebook community, and social following without spending a single penny on paid marketing tactics, which is what I teach my clients to do as well. In addition to growing your community, I truly believe that collaboration can save humanity. When we come together to share our resources, ideas, and communities with one another, we are so much more powerful than when we do things on our own. There’s more than enough room for all of us, and even our biggest “competitors” have the potential to be collaborators. We all have a unique way of doing what we do, and what resonates with one person won’t necessarily resonate with another. Our survival as entrepreneurs and as a society as a whole depends upon our ability to come together and collaborate. By ditching the scarcity mindset and adopting an abundance mindset, we can all succeed together.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When I moved to LA from Florida nearly 10 years ago, I lived and worked in Santa Monica, so all of my favorite spots are on the Westside. I love bringing out of town guests to Abbot Kinney during the day – eating lunch at Zinque or the Butcher’s Daughter, browsing shops like Urbanic, Gorjana, and Grow Venice, and stopping for treats at Salt & Straw or Blue Star Donuts. I love doing dinner at The Galley on Main Street or Herringbone on Ocean Ave, then grabbing drinks on a rooftop at Hotel Shangri-La, Sonoma Wine Garden, or Elephante. It’s always fun to end the night with live music at The Craftsman Bar or in The Backyard at Chez Jay, followed by a late-night slice of pizza from Joe’s. There’s always incredible views and interesting sights to see, so they’re never disappointed.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to the woman who nominated me, Van Lai-DuMone. Van and I met when I spoke at an event – she walked right up to me after my talk and said “we need to be friends!”, and so it was. She became a client, a friend, and now one of my biggest supporters and frequent collaborators. I’m grateful to have her in my life!

Website: https://bailyhancock.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/bailyhancock
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bailyhancock
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CollaborationCoalition/

Image Credits
Monica Linda, Paige Ray, Rachel Buechler

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