To Survive (and Thrive), We Must Collaborate, Dear Soulpreneurs.
The 5 Levels of Collaboration
For us soulpreneurs, connection is not just a strategy — it’s part of our core values. Yet traditional “networking” can feel too transactional. How do we build genuine professional relationships that are full of heart, and also help our businesses thrive?
The Collaboration Spiral offers a framework for cultivating relationships that grow naturally in depth and reciprocity over time, all built on the foundational practice of Netcaring — authentic connection and caring for our network. This is not a rigid ladder to climb, but a flexible spiral: you might co-create a webinar (Level 4), then ease back to a simple newsletter swap (Level 2) with the same person, allowing the relationship to evolve without pressure.
The goal is not to reach the highest level with everyone, but to find the mutually beneficial level that honors each unique relationship.
This spiral also serves as a crucial vetting process: by progressing level by level, you naturally assess compatibility in values, energy, and reciprocity — preventing the pain of jumping into a high-stakes project (Levels 4 or 5) with a misaligned partner.
The Levels of Collaboration
Level 1: Unconditional Giving
The Mindset: This is the ground floor of authentic connection. Practice giving (lightly!) from a place of genuine appreciation, with no attachment to receiving anything. The key is the lightest touch and the lowest expectation of reciprocity — you act purely from a desire to support another person, practicing a heartset of abundance.
Menu of Actions:
Curated Sharing: Feature a colleague’s content within a broader reflection or resource list (e.g., “3 thinkers who changed my view on…”), positioning them as a thought leader.
Public Mention: Share a colleague’s work on social media with a thoughtful comment, tagging them. (Even better is to say 3 ways their work has been helpful to you or your clients.) A warm response is a good indicator of potential alignment.
Event Participation: Attend their free events and be an active, positive contributor, helping uplift the energy. You’ll likely meet other kindred spirits, too.
Be a Customer: Genuinely purchase their low-cost offering (book, workshop), consume it, and share specific, heartfelt feedback. Read more: the rare gift of constructive feedback.
Case-Study Appreciation: If you see a post where they are teaching an idea that you learned from them, add a comment to their post, giving them credit for teaching you the idea and if possible, how you applied their idea and the result. This powerfully validates their expertise!
Private Appreciation: Send a brief, specific message expressing appreciation for their work. If they are responsive, you can continue the chat and suggest a Level 2 activity.
The “5 Ideas” Gift: Brainstorm 5 ideas that could support their work. Send it with a clear note that it’s a gift with no expectation of response. However, a grateful reply is, of course, a strong signal for advancement. To support your idea generation, check out The Daily Idea List Practice.
Approach Level 1 with a wide, generous net — like the rain that falls on everyone abundantly, whatever their character may be. Practice unconditional caring, lightly and joyfully, without judgment at this level. This wonderful practice sharpens your Netcaring skills, while revealing who reciprocates naturally. Even if only 10–20% respond, your public acts of appreciation create ripples: they build your reputation and attract kindred souls over time.
Wide-Net Practice: Aim for one or more Level 1 interaction with someone new each day you work on your business. Track your numbers to see the filtering in action: from 30 initial Netcarings, you might expect around 6 to lead to Level 2, creating ripples that generate more opportunities. Aim for at least 100 Level 1 actions over the course of 3–12 months, depending on how quickly you’d like to move onto the next levels.
Level 2: One-Time Collaborations
The Mindset: You move here only after receiving reciprocity from Level 1 actions. Because you were unattached, their response feels like a surprise gift! And it opens the door to Level 2 connection. Still, keep it light — this is a one-time, low-stakes project with a clear beginning and end. Reciprocity is now expected, but not burdensome.
Menu of Actions:
Expert Interview: Feature a colleague as an expert on your platform (or vice versa), live or pre-recorded.
Exploratory Call: Share what you’re each learning in your respective fields. (This is less appropriate for “larger” influencers but great for those you see as a peer or similar level in business.)
Newsletter Link Swap: Exchange guest spots in each other’s newsletters with a value-packed piece of content and a short, personal introduction. (This is appropriate with peers that have similar newsletter audience size.)
Simple Exchange: Share a poll or survey with each other’s audiences, or any other joyful, easy one-time collaboration.
Co-Learning Session: Record a session where you alternate sharing expertise and asking genuine questions, creating insightful content for both audiences.
Industry Post Review: Co-record a review of a seminal industry article or post, sharing principles and actionable steps. Tag the original author when you share it.
3-Question Swap: Each sends 3 crisp questions to the other (via voice or text) on a topic of interest to both. Compile the answers into a joint post or carousel.
Mini-Usability Test: Run a 10-minute screen share test on each other’s landing page with a think-aloud protocol; share top 5 fixes with each other; implement one and report back.
Feedback Request + Gift: Seek feedback on a course outline or beta product, and offer them complimentary access to the course/product when it comes out.
Case Study Breakdown: Team up to deconstruct a real-world case study — your own or a public example — to extract actionable lessons.
Tool/Approach Bake-Off: Compare two different methods for solving the same problem, modeling respectful disagreement and critical thinking.
Joint Office Hours / AMA: Host a 60-minute shared “Ask Me Anything” session, offering drop-in coaching and creating a reusable recording and perhaps even a transcription that could result in some blogs or social media posts.
Level 3: Private Groups
The Mindset: After an enjoyable one-on-one collaboration, you may desire deeper connection. Inviting them into a lightly facilitated group experience could be a great next step. It helps you get to know them better, allows you to see how they interact with others, and positions you as a gentle leader. Keep the group limited in scope and duration, respecting everyone’s time and energy, through mostly asynchronous interaction.
Menu of Actions:
Habit-Building Pod: Form a small group for a set period (e.g., 4 weeks) where members support each other in building specific habits through regular, brief updates. I’ve been facilitating a men’s habits group for almost a year and it’s been really helpful.
Co-Learning Circle: A small group independently researches a specific topic for 4 weeks, sharing key insights via brief, regular voice or text notes.
Focused Mastermind: Members take turns presenting a specific challenge via a short voice note, and the group asynchronously brainstorms solutions and offers support.
“Netcaring” Group: Each member shares who they’d like to connect with, and others actively provide introductions and networking suggestions.
Collaborative Book Club: Read together with rotating chapter leaders, each sharing 3 key takeaways.
Goal-Setting Circle: Each member declares a 2–3 month goal, then reconvenes to share results, lessons learned, and reflections.
Level 4: Co-Creating Assets
The Mindset: Trust and rapport have grown to where a significant, joint project feels natural and exciting. This involves higher mutual commitment to a substantial project lasting weeks or months, yet still time-bound, with clear and limited deliverables.
Sales Page Critique & Cross-Promo: Swap sales pages, provide constructive feedback, and then cross-promote the improved pages to each other’s audiences.
Joint Webinar: Partner to co-host a live webinar, combining your expertise and audiences to deliver a powerful, high-value training.
Panel or Summit: Assemble several colleagues for a virtual panel where each shares their best tips in a short, impactful segment.
“Future Of” Dialogue: Collaborate with one or a few colleagues to forecast industry trends and discuss how to prepare, positioning you all as thought leaders.
Collaborative Resource Bundle: Partner with a group to contribute digital resources into a single bundle, which you promote collectively and share the profits from.
Shared Toolkit or Guide: Co-author a free or low-cost downloadable resource (PDF, checklist, etc.), blending your complementary skills.
Co-Led Challenge: Design and co-lead a short, focused event (e.g., a 5-day challenge) for your combined audiences.
Benchmark Survey/Report: Field a joint survey and publish the insights. Share the anonymized raw data privately for deeper analysis.
Podcast/Video Season: Co-produce a limited series around a single theme, then repurpose the content into articles and social media clips.
Co-Authored Book or Course: Collaborate on a major offering, blending your unique skills to produce something neither of you could create alone.
Level 5: Deep Partnership
The Mindset: This is the pinnacle. You now have a professional relationship grounded in trust, shared vision, and mutual respect that makes an ongoing professional alliance desirable. Level 5 is a long-term commitment rather than a single project, representing a more intimate and trusted partnership.
Deep Mastermind: Weekly 45-minute meeting (wins, blockers, ideas/support, commitments), monthly deep-dive session to help innovate or unblock, and a 90-day pace-check with a downshift option
Virtual Group Program: Co-facilitate a long-term group, such as a mastermind or coaching program.
In-Person Workshop or Retreat: Partner to design and lead an in-person event.
Ongoing Joint Marketing: Create a sustained marketing collaboration such as regularly featuring each other on your website and social media pages.
Formal Advisory Relationship: Serve as long-term advisors for each other’s businesses.
Shared Resource Boost: Exchange ongoing access to assets (e.g., templates, lists) to enhance each other’s solo work.
Resource Pooling: Combine tools, audiences, or expertise to launch something new together.
Hiring or Teaming Up: One partner hires the other for a project, or you pitch as a duo to clients/third parties.
Abundant Possibilities: As you reach this level of trust and synergy, the sky is the limit with what you can co-create!
The Art of Healthy Collaboration: Guiding Principles
The following principles ground your approach before (and throughout) the levels. They ensure every collaboration remains energizing, respectful, and mutually beneficial — while nurturing the spiritual practice of generosity and unattachment that Netcaring cultivates.
Advancement Gates
Move to a higher level of collaboration only when at least half of these are true:
Responsiveness: Replies and preparation are consistently timely.
Follow-through: Commitments are met without nudging.
Ease & Energy: Interactions feel additive, not draining.
Reciprocity: The exchange of value feels balanced over time.
Outcomes: There is a tangible benefit to both of your audiences.
Risk Fit: The scope, legal/IP, and reputational risks are acceptable.
Stress Test: You have successfully navigated a minor disagreement or challenge together.
The Pulse Check
Regularly ask yourself these questions about any collaboration, especially in higher levels:
Is this still mutually beneficial?
Do I feel energized (not drained) by this connection?
Is reciprocity evident and consistent?
The Collaboration Debrief
After completing any joint project (Levels 2–5), hold a structured conversation to reflect:
What worked well in our process and communication?
What would we do differently next time?
Did our values, energy, and goals remain aligned throughout?
Exiting with Integrity
If a collaboration needs to end, do so gracefully:
Thank them for the connection and the opportunity.
Name something specific you valued about the partnership.
Be honest yet kind (e.g., “My focus is shifting, and I need to adjust my commitments…”).
Leave the door open for the future, if appropriate.
Setting Clear Agreements
Before launching any group or partnership (Levels 3–5), establish simple ground rules: response time expectations, confidentiality, no unsolicited selling, preferred communication styles (voice vs. text), and how to handle disagreements.
Connect with Fellow Soulpreneur Collaborators
The Collaboration Spiral is a patient, authentic path that honors the natural unfolding of relationships. By starting with the light and joyful practice of Netcaring — giving from genuine appreciation without attachment — you create conditions for deep, sustainable, and truly fulfilling professional collaborations to emerge.
If this framework resonates with you, join this free webinar to connect with fellow soulpreneurs who are also seeking effective and enjoyable collaborations: The Netcaring for Soulpreneurs Webinar.
In 2009, I launched my business with almost no network in my target field.
No audience. No connections.
Within two years, I built a full-time, six-figure solopreneur practice — primarily through small, intentional collaborations.
I didn’t grow by cold-contacting a lot of people. Instead, I slowed down and focused on caring.
Since then, I’ve guided hundreds of soulpreneurs to do the same — clients who now host joint workshops, co-create courses, and refer clients to one another.
With AI replacing many shallow interactions, netcaring is even more essential — helping us foster deep, human connections that lead to real abundance.
Having bottomed out over the summer and getting back on my feet again, these lists and levels are too much to absorb. Even so, I very much like your message to give lightly and create useful, meaningful collaborations.
Very helpful brainstorming and guidelines. I feel how much of your depth has gone into this. Thanks, George.