10 Growth without the Grind: How Partnerships Let You Do More with Way Less Effort

Let’s talk about a little something we all love—growth. The kind that doesn’t involve you grinding 24/7, chugging endless coffee, and wondering if you’ll ever catch a break. But first, let’s address the elephant in the room: marketing. Every year, millions of people type “marketing strategies,” “marketing tips,” and “how to grow a business” into Google, hoping for that magical solution. You know the drill—hit enter, and you’re flooded with the same old advice: run digital ads, post on social, crank out some SEO-optimized blogs. All great, but does it really move the needle? For most business owners, the answer is a resounding *meh*. It’s not enough. So, what’s missing? Let me introduce you to the idea that could change everything—partnerships.

 

The Power of Drafting: How to Win Big with Less Effort

 

Now, I’m not talking about partnerships in some fluffy, abstract way. I’m talking about something real, like the drafting technique from the world of race cars. You know, when one car tucks in behind another, using the lead car’s slipstream to reduce drag and conserve energy, eventually slingshotting ahead. Well, you can do the same in business—by “drafting” behind someone else’s success.

 

Here’s a throwback example: Derek Halpern wrote about this in 2013, and even gave me a shoutout as a case study (humble brag, right?). He called it the drafting technique. It’s about leveraging someone else’s momentum to give your business a major boost. I did it, and in just one day, my business went from a trickle of 20 hits to a flood of over 800. And that wasn’t just vanity traffic; it led to $2,000 in revenue. All because I noticed a competitor got featured on a big blog, and instead of sulking, I got myself featured there too.

 

The idea is simple: find where your competitors are getting press or visibility, then hitch your wagon to that star. It’s like slipping into their slipstream and zooming ahead without burning yourself out. It’s efficient, effective, and yes, it’s a little sneaky in the best possible way.