I do a few things to treat my collaborators (people I hire) well and build trust. I always:

• Communicate creative direction and expectations clearly.

• Tell them my full budget and how I plan to split the money between individuals. On the rare occasion that their payment needs to be adjusted (to receive less), I ask them if they're comfortable with those adjustments. If they're not and feel like they deserve more, I take the loss and pay what they expect because their happiness is my long-term gain.

• Ask them to speak plainly and never hesitate to ask about issues or talk about money.

I recently had a pitch due on a very tight deadline. No upfront pay and no promise of any backend pay.

I thought it was worth bringing many people on because it would allow me to deliver something excellent.

Within an hour, I made four phone calls and asked each person to join me. Told them there was no money and a 24-hour deadline but that we might earn something if our pitch went through.

They immediately said yes—never hesitated.

This is thanks to a system of trust and extraordinarily open communication that I've developed over many years. I can always rely on people saying "yes" when making those calls.

If you can go beyond what people usually expect of others, go. And do so consistently. You'll always have someone that's got your back.