The Client & The Challenge: Creative Genius Meets Corporate Gauntlet

• The Client: Zoe, Co-Founder and Creative Director of 'Get Your Kits Out' Festival. Zoe is a powerhouse activist who, after fighting to save her beloved Bury FC, channeled her passion into making football culture more inclusive. Her festival celebrates women and fashion in football.

• The Challenge (The Boring Problem): Zoe's creative vision and community drive were unstoppable, but the business needed a financial lifeline to grow. Having primarily worked grassroots, she faced a corporate blind spot when it came to securing large-scale sponsorship. The challenges were:

  • No Outreach System: Lacking a clear, repeatable process for identifying, approaching, and pitching to corporate partners.

  • Negotiation Confidence: Uncertainty about how to talk business, negotiate hard with major clients (like the FA), and secure funds without compromising the festival's unique, passionate values.

  • The Transition: Needing to shift from being a community organizer to a confident business negotiator.

The Co-Pilot's Solution: Confidence, Clarity, and The Pitch

• We stepped in as a Coaching partner, providing the systems and the strategic confidence needed to bridge the gap between community activism and corporate funding.

• Our work focused on building a systematic approach and providing real-time support for the high-stakes negotiation process:

  • Sponsorship SOP: We collaboratively developed a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for corporate outreach, detailing target identification, pitch deck creation, and follow-up sequences.

  • Strategic Coaching: We created a clear plan of action, ensuring Zoe felt confident and prepared for every pitch meeting. This involved working on messaging to ensure her infectious personality and core values remained front-and-center.

  • High-Stakes Support: We were the right hand, providing night-and-day support as Zoe navigated complex negotiations, ensuring she held firm on her worth while securing the necessary financing.

The Impact & The Win: From Community to Corporate Success

• With a robust system and newfound confidence, Zoe successfully landed the crucial funding needed to scale the festival's impact.

  • Secured Major Sponsorship: 'Get Your Kits Out' successfully secured multiple corporate sponsors, validating the festival’s unique market value.

  • FA Partnership: The new strategic approach resulted in a landmark partnership with the Football Association (FA), who shared the Women’s FA Cup trophy at the event, raising the festival's profile significantly.

  • Clarity and Confidence: Zoe gained a repeatable system and the confidence to engage with future corporate partners without losing her authentic voice.