Death To Comparing

As business owners, it’s important to learn how to prioritize and focus our time and attention.

Comparing yourself to other experts in your space need not be part of that equation.

When I first started my photography business in 2014, I spent the bulk of my time doing two things - daydreaming and bitching and moaning.

I remember sitting in various Starbucks in my neighborhood and just think about all of the wonderful things that I could do with my camera that could make me money. 

I tell you, I was so good at it that if I could monetize that activity, I wouldn’t even have to pick up a camera ever again in my life - I would be LOADED, my friends. 

Yet, there I was, Monday through Friday, spending hours and hours of time thinking and wishing and hoping...

...and ultimately, doing jack shit to move the needle. 

Inevitably, at some point during this mental escapade into “what-if” land, I’d hit a wall, followed up by immediately opening up my laptop and phone and see what every other photographer on the planet was doing. 

Cut to…

non-stop bitching and moaning for the rest of the day. 

I’d grumble under my breath and get annoyed at seeing other photographers sharing their client work. I would pour through their portfolios and content and dissect everything they were doing, and poke holes in it for no good reason, really. 

I’d also get super jealous at all the engagement their posts were generating. It was quite a time consuming activity, let me tell you. 

And where did it get me? 

Right back in Starbucks the next day to jump on the same dysfunctional and unproductive hamster wheel of bullshit. 

And that lasted for the first year or two of my business. 

It was a gigantic waste of time and effort...minus all the free refills on coffee, that is :) 

And then, one day, it all changed. 

After having a couple heart-to-heart conversations with a few colleagues, I put on blinders and tuned it all out because realized that comparing myself to other photographers - and triggering de-motivating emotions such as jealousy, resentment and anger - wasn’t going to help me move the needle in building a business. 

Rather than looking outward for answers, I shifted my perspective inward. 

I focused on what I can bring to the table based on my unique experiences behind a camera, who I wanted to help and how my work can solve one of their problems. 

So rather than wasting precious hours getting over caffeinated and pissed off daily, I began to create a conversation online with content that illustrated my value. 

And over time, people started to pay attention, which ultimately led to creating a living, breathing business. 

To this day, I pay zero attention to what other photographers in my space are doing. It’s simply not important enough for me to spend any time going down that rabbit hole.

What’s important is devising new ways to constantly improve the service I offer my clients and increase the value of their investment in the work we create together. 

I now communicate that value proposition and promise through the words I share publicly and in private conversations…and it no longer lives simply in “what if” land.

That’s the bottom line. 

Long story short, if you’re spending time worrying about the moves that other experts in your space are making, repurpose that brainpower to think about how YOU can create greater impact with your work to improve the lives of those you serve. 

That’s time well-spent, my friends. 

Over to you…

In your estimation, how much time have you wasted bemoaning the successes of other experts in your space? In hindsight, how does that make you feel? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.