Before Lew Smith got on the call with my team, he'd already finished typing something.

His resignation letter.

For 26 years, Lew worked in information technology. Content creation got whatever was left over: early mornings, late nights, weekends. He had a demanding job, a family he loved, and a YouTube channel he fit into the cracks.

Then one brand deal changed everything. Twelve months. $6,000 a month. $72,000 total.

And the wildest part? It started with a bill Lew didn't want to pay.

The Best Deals Don't Always Look Like Deals

Lew had been part of a local networking group through his employer. Then his company decided not to renew his membership.

It wasn't cheap. Lew thought about it hard. Then he paid for it out of his own pocket, through his content business.

"Let's just do this. Let's see what happens."

In the very first meeting, he met the owner of a company called Hands Off Sales Tax. They help businesses handle sales tax compliance, whether they sell in a physical store or online. Not exactly the kind of brand you picture sponsoring a creator.

Three weeks later, they'd signed a small deal. Lew would run two consulting sessions teaching their team how to get started on YouTube.

Here's the thing. Lew wasn't pitching a sponsorship. He was just showing up, talking about small business, and helping someone who needed it. When the owner mentioned he wanted to build trust in the marketplace, Lew told him there was no better way to do that than video.

It clicked immediately. The owner was already thinking that way. He just needed someone to tell him it was the right move.

When the Brand Asks You to Be the Face

The consulting sessions went well. The owner kept asking sharp questions. Who on the team should be on camera? What gear should they buy?

Then, as Lew and his family were boarding a flight for vacation, a message came in:

"I don't believe that anyone on our team is going to be able to do this. Is this something that we could talk about engaging you for in order to do all of the content for our YouTube channel?"

What would you do?

A lot of creators would say yes before the plane took off. Lew hesitated.

"One thing I'm overprotective of is my face and my voice. I only get one."

He had his own channel. He had plans. He didn't want to become an old-school infomercial pitchman. But he told the owner they could talk about it.

When the owner asked for his fee, Lew threw out a big number.

The owner didn't flinch. "Let's continue talking."

Three Options, One Obvious Choice

This is where it gets good.

Lew sat in his office and thought, "I have to follow what Justin taught me from a pitch perspective." It was the most logical way to lead the owner from interest to a long-term client. It didn't matter that this wasn't a typical sponsorship. Lew wasn't getting paid to put a brand in his own videos. He was going to run their entire channel.

The framework still worked.

So he built three options.

Option one was way too expensive. Lew knew they probably wouldn't take it, and he told them straight up he wasn't sure it was right for them.

Option two was the one he was most comfortable with. It had upfront startup fees built in to cover all the early work, then a smaller monthly amount with less content.

Option three was a video every single week. Dedicated monthly content. Working together as a team. It was a 50% jump per month over option two, but Lew dropped the startup fees entirely.

The catch? He'd only do it with a 12-month commitment.

The owner picked option three.

There it is. $6,000 a month for a full year.

Notice what Lew didn't do. He didn't send one price and pray. He gave the brand a decision to make between options, and he made the best option the one that was also best for him. That's the difference between asking for a deal and designing one. I break down how to price and package offers like this in Sponsor Magnet.

Never Sell Your Face Forever

Before the owner signed, he had one big question: ownership.

Lew used a contract template from the Brand Deal Wizard course that he'd been adjusting and evolving for over a year. And there's one line he refuses to cross.

"Do not ever give anyone rights in perpetuity. It's just like the cardinal sin of content creators."

Some brands push back on this. One pushed back hard. But Lew always comes back to the same explanation:

"I'm protecting myself, my face, my voice. If it's going out via your channels, I need to make sure that I own that. And if you want to use it, we can talk about that, but you're going to have to pay to use it."

It sounds small. It isn't. It's the difference between getting paid once and getting paid every time a brand wants to reuse your work.

After a long conversation, the owner came around completely. "Now I totally understand why you do this. And I completely agree with you. Send me the document via Adobe Sign and I'll sign it."

This is exactly the kind of moment we coach people through inside Wizard's Guild. The brand pushes, the pressure's on, and you have to hold the line without losing the deal. Lew held it. And he got the deal anyway.

When the paperwork was signed, Lew turned to his wife and said, "I think this is the final thing. We're going full-time with this."

She was more excited than he was.

Free Stuff Doesn't Pay the Bills

Lew didn't start out this sharp. Nobody does.

About three months into creating content, a company in Israel reached out and asked if they could use some of his videos. He still works with them today. Great people. But back then, Lew didn't know anything. He didn't get paid, and he gave away a bunch of stuff he shouldn't have.

Later, he heard Nick Nimmin mention my name on one of his live Q&As. Lew looked me up, started watching, and eventually joined my course. He blew through the recorded trainings, then signed up for the last live cohort because he wanted to ask questions directly.

The first thing he changed? Going from gifted to paid.

"Free stuff is cool but it doesn't pay the bills."

That's what he tells brands now when they offer product for content. Some laugh. Some tell him to go away. That's okay. Lew sticks to his guns because it works.

The $2,500 video from a brand that never paid creators

One brand had only ever sent free product and expected a video back. When Lew explained why he doesn't work that way, they balked at the number.

So he walked them through the why. A video on his channel gets some eyeballs. A video built for the brand, one they can repurpose on their own channel or run as ads on TikTok or YouTube for a set period, is a completely different asset.

They paid $2,500 for one video. It was a lot for them. They did it anyway.

The lawn tractor tires that never shipped (yet)

Another company offered Lew a free set of lawn tractor tires. His response was basically, okay, but what are we doing here?

Are you just trying to show that you exist? Or do you want someone to actually test the product, compare it to the old tires, and explain why people should care?

Then he offered to license the content so they could use it on their own channels. The marketing manager loved it. Nobody had ever told her that was an option. Her CFO loved it too.

Bad timing killed the deal. But Lew still checks in with her. When they're ready, he's the first call.

That's the part people miss. Free product creates zero stickiness. A real conversation about value keeps you top of mind even when the answer is "not right now."

Make It Relevant or Don't Bother

When it came time to pitch Hands Off Sales Tax, Lew went straight to the ROPE pitch method.

He already had proof. He'd been creating content for Newborn Brothers, a company that makes caulking supplies. Their channel features his videos, which he owns, and they have the rights to post them. Lew pointed to what that content did for their business and said, "I can do the exact same thing for you."

He was honest about what he'd need. He always films off the cuff, but he didn't know the sales tax business. So their team would have to write scripts with him.

He made it relevant. He showed he'd done it before. He laid out a timeline. Then he went straight to the options.

"Following something that they can relate to versus just looking at, you know, I can create a video or I can do three videos for you. Those are two different worlds."

And one more rule Lew learned on day one of the Brand Deal Wizard retreat: never quote a price without knowing the brand's goals. Get on the phone. Find out what they're actually trying to accomplish. Then pitch something that matters to them.

The Outreach Tactic You're Probably Ignoring

If you take one thing from Lew's story, make it this.

Every time Lew has sent a brand a video pitch, he's gotten a response. Every single time.

"Video pitches are the secret sauce to getting brand attention."

He almost didn't want to share it. When he asks other creators at conferences and in groups how they reach out to brands, almost nobody says video. That's his edge.

It hit him hardest at Sponsor Games. That's when he started putting real effort into video pitches, and it's how he landed the deal that let him quit.

And here's the kicker. Lew thinks it's actually less work than writing emails. Stand in front of the camera, hit the key points of your pitch, give enough detail to make them want more, and stop.

"I can do five video pitches in the span of five different minutes just by standing in front of the camera and pressing record five times."

Right now he can't take on more brands. His schedule won't allow it. But once he's full-time? He says he'll do nothing but video pitches.

Screw what's normal. Strive to be abnormal.

Your Version of Lew's Story

Lew didn't have a massive audience. He didn't have free time. He had 26 years in IT, a family, and nights and weekends.

What he had was a process. He knew exactly what to say every time a brand reached out, so he could sleep at night.

"I don't have to worry about what I'm going to say. I just know what I'm going to say."

That's what you're building toward. Not a lucky break. A system that makes the next deal feel obvious.

If you want the playbook Lew used to price, pitch, and protect his work, grab a copy of Sponsor Magnet. It's everything I've learned from more than 550 brand deals and over $5 million in sponsorship revenue.

And if you want someone in your corner while you negotiate your next deal, join us inside Wizard's Guild. We'll help you hold the line on rights, build smarter offers, and land the kind of deal that changes your life. Not ready for that yet? Start with our free sponsorship newsletter.

So here's my question for you: when was the last time you pitched a brand with a video instead of an email?