Nicole Plantin

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To persuade a brand to work with you, first think about how you can help them. In a saturated market, it can be difficult to stand out — especially on your own. A great way to reach new audiences and leverage resources that may not normally be available to you, however, is to collaborate with another business in, or even outside of, your industry. A product or campaign that takes advantage of both teams’ strengths may be just what you need to get you both noticed by potential customers. However, approaching another company can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a small business and unsure of what you might bring to the table. According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, taking the following eight steps can help boost your confidence. Here, they offer up their best tips for approaching another brand or business about a collaborative partnership and what you can do to guarantee their interest.

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Be yourself and be curious, and the right people will find you. In business, who you know is everything. That means building real connections — ones you can count on, that go beyond surface-level acquaintances — should be a high priority for professionals looking to advance in their careers or business. However, just networking likely won’t get you the kind of relationships you’ll need to succeed. To build real connections, follow the 16 tips outlined by the culture and business experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council and see why being intentional about your relationships can propel you forward far faster than just networking alone.

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Coming up with an idea can be challenging, but following the right steps can get you there faster. For many people, the hardest part of starting a business is coming up with a concept. No matter how many ideas you might have on the back burner, choosing the right one to execute can feel intimidating. This is especially true in the culture space, where the stakes are high and audiences are always looking for "the next big thing." Below, 15 Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared some important tips to help you come up with a business idea you think will have a big cultural impact. Read on to get their recommendations and learn how to implement them for yourself.

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Succeeding in business doesn’t have to mean all work and no play. If you’re a leader in the culture space, your work likely isn’t confined to the usual 9-to-5 schedule. Industries such as entertainment, fashion and hospitality often lend themselves to hectic or unpredictable work schedules. As a result, it can be difficult to balance your personal life with the demands of your career. As top culture leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council recommend the strategies they use to achieve better work-life balance and carve out time for what truly matters to them.

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These universal strategies will go a long way toward showing your customers you care. In today’s cultural climate, every business should be focused on creating an inclusive space for not only its employees, but also its consumers. At a time when social justice and equity are in the spotlight, companies need to show that they stand with customers from all walks of life. While the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts may look different across culture and entertainment spaces, there are some universal practices any company can and should implement. Below, 13 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the important strategies they believe all business leaders need to put into practice.

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As an innovator, you’re probably looking to rise to the top of your chosen industry. Networking with other top industry leaders is one strategy that can help you get there. The potential for new business opportunities from having a strong network is practically limitless; however, the days of handing out business cards are over. To shed some light on how the pros do it, 10 Rolling Stone Culture Council leaders share their best networking tips for how to build better relationships and connect with the cream of the crop.