Read the brief.
The brand sends a brief. The desk reads it twice. What they are paying for, what they are asking for, what they are quietly asking for. Often those are three different things.
Process · Brand collabs
How we negotiate.
The day a brand says yes is the day the work begins. This is the script.
Set the floor.
Pull the creator's last three closed rates, the brand's last three published rates with comparable creators, the deliverable math. Floor below which the deal is not worth shipping; ceiling above which the brand will walk.
Reply once.
One email. The counter-rate, the deliverable adjustment, the usage-rights ask, the exclusivity window. All four moves at once, not four rounds. Brands move faster against a complete counter.
Hold the line.
The brand replies. Some come back with the counter accepted; most come back with one or two adjustments. Hold the floor. Walk away cleanly if the floor will not hold; most deals that closed below the floor cost more later.
Paper it.
Contract drafted or reviewed before any deliverable ships. Plain-English summary to the creator. Signed copies stored in the engagement folder.
Run the work.
The creator delivers. The desk reviews. Approvals routed to the brand. Invoice on day-of-delivery, payment chased on standard terms.