You helped build this.
You should share in it.

Every PILLAR client has come through a relationship. The Co-Op formalizes that. When you help PILLAR grow, you earn a percentage of the revenue you help create.

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The Co-Op

PILLAR started with a belief: that world-class creative, communications, and marketing could be built differently. That if you stripped away the bloat, the layers, and everything that didn't serve the work, and instead paired talented people with meaningful projects, you could open doors that had always been closed.

We've been fortunate. What started as a belief became a business, and that business grew to half a million dollars in revenue in its first two years.

We're proud of that, and we're honest about how it happened: not through a sales strategy or a marketing funnel, but because people kept making introductions.

Every client PILLAR has ever had started with someone who trusted the work enough to connect us with someone who needed it.

The Co-Op is that truth turned into a system. If PILLAR grows because people believe in it enough to open doors, then those people should share in what they're helping build. Not as a favor. Not as a side hustle. As members of something.

Every client PILLAR has ever had started with someone who trusted the work enough to connect us with someone who needed it.

How it Works

1

You know someone.

An organization that needs creative, communications, or marketing help. National brands, nonprofits, government agencies, hospitality, tech, advocacy. If the work matters, PILLAR can build a team around it.

2

You make an introduction.

That's the whole ask. You connect PILLAR with a specific person who has a specific need. You don't pitch. You don't attend meetings. You don't write proposals.

Here's a quick reference you can use and share.

3

You earn 10%.

If the introduction leads to a signed engagement, you earn 10% of the statement of work value. Paid quarterly. One introduction on a $50,000 project means $5,000.

Three Ways In

Outside Referrer

10% of signed SOW value · Year 1 · Quarterly payouts

Someone entirely outside the prospective client's organization. A friend, a professional contact, someone in an adjacent field. You know an organization that needs help, and you make the introduction.

One introduction could be worth $1,000 on a small project or $25,000 on a major engagement. You don't need to know the scope. You just need to know someone.

This is not a sales role. No quota, no tracking, no pressure. You already recommend people and organizations to each other. The Co-Op just means it counts.

You also get the PILLAR mug. This mug cannot be purchased. It can only be earned. Make of that what you will.

PILLAR Family

10% of signed SOW · Year 1 + Year 2 · Priority staffing · Quarterly payouts

The contractors who have been accepted into PILLAR's network. You know what PILLAR is from the inside. You've done the work.

You earn the same 10% as any outside referrer, but extended to cover Year 1 and Year 2 if the engagement renews. On a $75K annual retainer that renews, that's $15,000 total.

Most people in the network don't realize that a simple introduction could earn them $5,000 to $15,000 or more. You're not selling PILLAR. You're connecting people you know with work you've experienced firsthand.

And yes, you get the mug too.

Internal Advocate

Champions PILLAR from inside a client org · No cash · Career investment

Someone inside an organization who knows PILLAR's work and believes in it. You put PILLAR's name forward when your organization starts talking about needing an agency.

We won't pay you cash for this, and we'll be direct about why. Paying someone inside an organization to advocate for a specific vendor is a conflict of interest. We take that line seriously.

What we will do: invest in you professionally. Workshops, community access, and priority consideration for contractor roles when they open up.

You do still get the mug. That's not a kickback. That's just the right thing to do.

The Math

A $50,000 project means a $5,000 commission. One introduction. That's it.

Project Size Outside Referrer (Y1) Family (Y1) Family (Y2, If Renewal)
$10,000 one-time project $1,000 $1,000 + priority staffing n/a
$50,000 annual contract $5,000 $5,000 + priority staffing $5,000
$150,000 annual contract $15,000 $15,000 + priority staffing $15,000
$250,000 anchor client $25,000 $25,000 + priority staffing $25,000

Most referrals fall in the $10K–$50K range, and we're upfront about that. The larger numbers show what's possible, not what's typical. There is no minimum project size.

Contract Value Sample Contractor Rate Year 1 Total Year 2 Total 2-Year Total
$75K retainer $38,000 $45,500 $45,500 $91,000
$150K retainer $72,000 $87,000 $87,000 $174,000
$200K retainer $80,000 $100,000 $100,000 $200,000

Contractor rates shown are illustrative. Actual rates vary by role, scope, and project.

When a PILLAR Family member also works on the engagement:

Real Numbers

This is the part most companies would never publish. We think it builds trust. Here's what actually happens with every dollar a client pays PILLAR on a referred team project.

$1.00
per dollar
Contractor labor 64¢
Overhead 16¢
Your commission 10¢
Taxes & reserves 4¢
Owner take-home 6¢

Sixty-four cents of every dollar goes to the people doing the work. They get paid first. Sixteen cents covers the infrastructure that makes the work possible: project management tools, communication platforms, design software, insurance, accounting, legal, and dozens of other line items that never touch a deliverable but keep everything running.

That leaves 20 cents. On a referred project, 10 of those cents are yours. The remaining 10 go to the owner — but not all of it. About 4 cents goes to self-employment taxes and a reserve for emergencies and scope creep. The owner's actual take-home is roughly 6 cents on the dollar.

You are earning a larger share of the profit than the owner keeps after taxes. That's a deliberate choice, not an accident.

The commission comes out of PILLAR's margin, not the client's budget. The client pays the same rate regardless of whether a referral was involved. There's nothing hidden. You're reading the terms right now.

The Terms

Commission basis.
10% of the signed statement of work value. Change orders and scope creep beyond the original SOW are not commissionable.

Quarterly payouts.
Calculated quarterly and paid within 30 days of each quarter's close, after PILLAR has invoiced and received payment. You get paid when we get paid.

Person-to-person referrals.
A referral names a specific contact at a specific organization. It does not create a claim on the organization as a whole.

Five-step milestone system.
Register, Introduce (14 days), First Conversation (60 days), Active Scoping (90 days), Signed Engagement. Each step has a deadline. Miss a step, the referral expires.

First engagement only.
The commission covers the first engagement resulting from the introduction. For family, Year 2 applies to a renewal of the same engagement, not to new work.

No exclusivity.
Maintain your own client relationships and professional activities.

Mutual non-solicitation.
We protect each other while the work is happening, and we release each other when it's done.

No equity.
The Co-Op is a revenue-sharing arrangement, not a legal partnership.

Annual review.
Rates may be adjusted for new agreements going forward. Existing agreements are honored at their original terms. Changes are never retroactive.

Registration before outreach.
A referral must be registered before PILLAR begins any formal outreach to that specific contact. If PILLAR is already in conversation with that person, the referral doesn't qualify.

These are the highlights. The full Co-Op agreement covers everything in detail. [Download the full terms →]

Questions

Is this a kickback? +
No. And we think it's important to say that directly. A kickback is when someone receives hidden compensation for steering a decision they have authority over. The Co-Op is none of those things. PILLAR's pricing doesn't change based on whether a referral was involved. The commission comes out of PILLAR's margin, not the client's budget. There's nothing hidden. The cash tiers are designed for people outside the prospective client's organization. For people inside an organization, we deliberately do not offer cash compensation. We take that line seriously.
What if I work at the organization I'm recommending PILLAR to? +
We don't pay people cash for advocating from inside a potential client organization, regardless of their role, because receiving money from a vendor you're recommending to your employer is a conflict of interest. We won't put you in that position. What we will do is invest in you professionally: workshops, community access, and priority consideration for PILLAR contractor roles.
Why only Year 1 for outside referrers? +
We'd rather invest in you substantially up front than string you along with a small percentage forever. The 10% commission is a real portion of what PILLAR earns on a project. In Year 1, the referrer is earning a larger share of the profit than the owner keeps after taxes. If the commission were ongoing, we'd have to drop it to 2-3% to make the numbers work. We'd rather write you one meaningful check than send you small ones indefinitely. For PILLAR Family, the commission extends to Year 2 on engagements that renew, because your ongoing presence in the network contributes to client retention.
What's stopping PILLAR from changing the terms? +
Your signed agreement. The terms you agree to apply to any referral you make while that agreement is active. If PILLAR wants to change commission rates, those changes apply to new agreements going forward, not retroactively. Either party can exit with 30 days written notice. Outstanding commissions on active contracts continue to be paid through the end of the engagement term.
How do I know I'll actually get paid? +
Every referral is tracked in a register from introduction to signed contract. You'll have a simple agreement documenting the terms before any introduction happens. Commissions are calculated quarterly and you'll receive a statement showing the math. If you have a question, you talk to a person, not a department.
What if the client doesn't pay PILLAR? +
You get paid when we get paid. If a client is late, your payout is late. If a client doesn't pay, there's no commission on that portion. We can't pay commissions on revenue we haven't received, but we also can't pay contractors or ourselves on revenue we haven't received. Everyone's in the same boat.
What if the engagement value changes after signing? +
Your commission is based on the signed statement of work, not on what the engagement eventually becomes. Scope creep additions are not commissionable. The commission is tied to the SOW as signed, because that's the engagement your introduction created.
What if the client comes back for a second, separate project? +
If a referred client signs a new, separate engagement after the first one concludes, the original referral commission does not apply to the new engagement. The Co-Op rewards the introduction, not an ongoing claim on the relationship. That said, if you make a new introduction to a different person at a different organization, that's a new referral with its own commission.
Is there a minimum project size? +
No. A $5,000 project earns a $500 commission. A $250,000 engagement earns $25,000. The math scales the same way regardless. We intentionally did not set a floor because we don't want anyone second-guessing whether an introduction is "worth it."
What if I'm not sure PILLAR is the right fit for someone I know? +
Make the introduction anyway. You don't need to qualify the lead, diagnose the need, or figure out the scope. If someone you know has any kind of creative, communications, or marketing challenge, that's enough. PILLAR will have the conversation and determine fit. The worst that happens is a good meeting that doesn't turn into a project.
What if I disagree with how a referral was attributed? +
Talk to us. The referral register tracks who introduced whom and when. PILLAR resolves disputes with a bias toward the Co-Op member in ambiguous cases. That bias is written into the terms.
What if I refer someone and it doesn't work out? +
Nothing happens. No penalty, no awkwardness. If it's not a fit, that's just how it goes. We'll appreciate the introduction regardless.
Do I need to sign something? +
Yes. Before any referral is active, you and PILLAR will sign a simple Co-Op agreement covering commission terms, attribution, payment timing, confidentiality, and termination. It's short and readable.
Do I need an LLC or business entity to participate? +
No. You can participate as an individual. If you already have a business entity, that works too. There may be tax advantages to receiving Co-Op income through a business entity, so we'd encourage you to talk to a tax professional about what makes sense for your situation.
Can I participate in more than one tier? +
Yes. Someone in PILLAR's contractor network who also knows organizations outside their current work can earn outside referrer commissions on those introductions. If they later leave an employer and bring that client to PILLAR, they're family with priority staffing. Different tiers, same person.
What if I referred someone before the Co-Op existed? +
If you've already made an introduction that led to an active PILLAR engagement, talk to us. We can't retroactively apply the Co-Op to past introductions as a matter of policy, but we built this program because we believe the people who helped PILLAR grow should share in what they helped build. We want to have that conversation.
I want to talk about PILLAR to someone but I'm not sure how. +
We've got you. Download the one-page PILLAR reference sheet or check out the "What PILLAR Does" section on this page. You don't need to pitch or sell anything. A warm introduction is all it takes. PILLAR handles everything from there. And if you'd rather just talk it through first, set up a time with Eddie directly.
What about the mug? +
The PILLAR mug cannot be purchased. It can only be earned. Every Co-Op member gets one. We will not be taking further questions on this matter.
You didn't answer my question. +
Sorry about that. Reach out directly: eddie@pillargroup.co

What PILLAR Does

Branding · Messaging Strategy · Campaign Development · PR & Earned Media · Design · Web Development · Content Creation · Executive Communications Coaching

PILLAR is a creative, communications, and marketing agency that works with national brands, nonprofits, government agencies, hospitality companies, and organizations across every sector that need world-class creative. We run lean by design — no office, no layers of account teams, and significantly less overhead than a traditional agency. We gather some of the finest creative and strategy talent available and pair them with projects that matter. If the work matters and the creative needs to be exceptional, PILLAR can build a team around it.

See Our Work

One introduction.
That's the whole ask.

You already do this. The Co-Op just means it counts.

Get Started