February 11, 2026

How Big Brands Should Work With B2B Creators

6 minutes

Shawn Walchef breaks down how brands should approach partnerships with business creators in the B2B economy. He explains why working directly with operators beats agency-managed scripts, why follower count matters less than decision-maker density, and why measuring likes misses the real impact. The conversation reframes influencer marketing for serious brands, showing how long-term relationships, consistent storytelling, and trust inside the right rooms drive meaningful business results.

Interview Takeaways:

Direct Beats Delegated – The strongest brand partnerships happen when companies work directly with business creators, not through restrictive agency scripts. Trusting operators to tell their own stories creates depth, authenticity, and long-term impact that controlled campaigns rarely achieve.

Influence Is About Density, Not Size – In B2B, follower count matters less than who is listening. Small but concentrated audiences of decision-makers can move budgets, partnerships, and strategy faster than large passive followings ever could.

Measure Relationships, Not Likes – Vanity metrics miss the real return. Consistent storytelling across platforms builds familiarity, credibility, and trust. In B2B, one meaningful connection can outweigh thousands of impressions.

Episode Links:

Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Shawn Walchef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnpwalchef/?hl=en

Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/

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