Avoiding Business Envy
- Shavon Brown-Robinson
- Mar 21, 2018
- 3 min read
Come on you can tell me...how often have you seen a fellow business owner share a huge success on social media and felt that green monster called jealousy bubbling up? The social media age has made it so easy for us to compare our lives, families, romances, wardrobes, homes, mothering skills and businesses to others and often, we end up feeling like we just aren’t measuring up. Everyone I know (including me) have experienced this feeling (and if you say you haven’t, your are either lying or kidding yourself). It's only natural, however I’ve found these strategies helpful to avoid the comparison trap in business.
Remember Your Mission
Sometimes I get caught up feeling jealous of another businesses serving mom entrepreneurs. Or of another blog or website for women like BOSSY!. I kept seeing their highly shared webinars of how they had six figure launches (and how you can too). They have carved out an amazing niche in the online course space. They have thousands of advertising clients. or whatever it is. But earlier this year, I refined my missions for all my businesses which is to provide resources and guidance to moms struggling to raise babies and businesses and to create a digital magazine that celebrates urban women. Once I realized we have COMPLETELY different businesses, and goals it helped me stop comparing my business success to theirs. Also when I'm focused on MY MISSION I have less time to worry about theirs.
Who Are You Serving?
This ties directly into knowing your mission. When you are clear on your mission, it makes it so much easier to identify who your customers are. While we serve mom business owners, I’ve surveyed and learned about my audience to get even more specific. Boss Moms serves mom business owners but our niche is moms in the idea, startup and intermediate stages. We definitely have members that are outside of this profile but when I know who my ideal customers are, it helps me pay attention to them and their needs, instead of worrying about the fans and customers of other businesses in my field.
Mind Your Biz
Once you are reminded of your mission is and who your are serving, you can slap those blinders on and get to work. I promise you, the more you worry about what YOU do, and the less you worry about what THEY are doing, you’ll get more joy and success out of your business and feel less of the comparison trap.
Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
If you are lucky enough to receive unsolicited praise or compliments from customers or clients, start a document where you keep them all in one place. Oryou can do what I do and print them out and hang it in your work space so you can see them on a regular basis.
Don't worry, If you haven’t received any, this is a great time to start asking. Need some positive reviews on your Facebook Page? Send an email to your customers with links and make it easy for them to review your Google, Yelp, or Facebook Page. Not only does it inspire confidence in new clients, I love referring back to reviews and testimonials when I’m feeling low or uninspired.
Just Unplug
Don't get me wrong I ADORE Social Media, for business and personal use, but if you recognize that your feelings of value go down in direct relation to your social media use, get off it. For a few hours or even a few days. No may of us need to have a dialy presence for our business so if you must post for your business, consider scheduling posts thru 3rd party apps such as Buffer or Hootsuite. Also consider scheduling small blocks of time to spend on social media and set an alarm to remind you when your time is up.
Honestly , when I feel like I am falling down the comparison trap rabbit hole, I like to call a friend that will undertsand my struggles and build me back up. The Boss Moms tribe is a great support system and we lean on each other and help to keep each other focused.
Okay Boss Moms, spill///how do you avoid the comparison trap? I’d love to hear – please share in the comments.
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