96 - Filling Your Events Without Ads: The Referral Engine Strategy with Sebastian Cruze

In this episode of The High Profit Event Show, I sit down with Sebastian Cruze, founder of Dream Team Network, to unpack a powerful new way to fill your events—not with ads or cold outreach, but through purpose-driven referrals that convert. If you're an event leader tired of chasing leads and ready to start attracting the right attendees, this episode is your playbook.

Sebastian shares how his own business transformed the moment he stopped "hunting" for clients and instead built a system where aligned referrals flowed to him naturally. He developed what he calls a “referral engine”—a three-part framework that helps event hosts fill their rooms with high-quality attendees who are excited, engaged, and primed to take action.

The first piece? Mission. Sebastian emphasizes the importance of crafting a one-liner mission statement that clearly communicates what you stand for. This mission isn’t buried on a website’s About page—it’s front and center, infused into every conversation and collaboration. When your mission is clear and visible, people naturally want to refer others who align with your message.

Next is Funnel. But not the kind you're thinking of. Instead of pushing people to a generic sales page, Sebastian suggests designing lightweight, curated experience-first funnels. Think mini mastermind nights, invite-only Zoom calls with breakout rooms, or exclusive preview events. These experiences allow prospects to get a feel for your event before they ever buy—and that trust-building step massively increases conversions.

Finally, we talk Scale. Rather than relying on one-off joint ventures, Sebastian recommends building long-term, values-aligned referral squads. These are relationships with businesses that serve the same audience in complementary ways. When trust is high and missions align, these collaborations create an ongoing stream of quality referrals that keep your events thriving.

Sebastian also shares how this referral engine works in action through his Dream Team Network, a curated community of six- and seven-figure coaches. He even extends a special invitation to listeners: apply for a Golden Ticket and experience one of his referral mastermind sessions firsthand by visiting dreamteamnetwork.ai/goldenticket.

If you're ready to stop grinding and start growing—on mission, with alignment, and through community—this is the episode for you.

Want to connect with Sebastian?

Apply for a Golden Ticket to attend as a guest on the Next Dream Team call for 6 & 7 figure coaches: https://dreamteamnetwork.ai/GoldenTicket

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastiancruze/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sebastiancruze15

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastiancruze/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SebastianCruze