Tim Grover once said, “Don’t copy other people, make them copy you. From this point forward, your strategy is to make everyone else get on your level, you’re not going down to theirs. You’re not competing with anyone else, ever again. They’re going to have to compete with you.”

Often times we may run into situations where fellow business or service owners begin to copy our work, whether it be paintings or event ideas. This should not bother you. I know that is easier said than done early on because you’re thinking well I have put all this time into this idea so no one else deserves to do the same thing I did. When a person copies you or something that you are doing, please note that this is not a bad thing. Being copied is good. It means that you are doing something right. You are also the center of attention, which means more publicity for your work. Remember a duplicate will never ever be able to be beat out an original. I don’t care how much they may know about what you’re doing or have done in the past, it could never measure up to your original ideas and thought process on how you do things. You are your own person, which means you are uniquely made, which also means that whatever you do is uniquely for you no matter who comes along and tries to take advantage of your hard work.

Being copied also means that you are a leader. I repeat….you are a leader and they are the followers. A person being copied on a regular basis will be watched on a regular basis to see what new trends you are beginning, which means you are also a trendsetter. You set the tone for how things go and how they won’t go from simply doing you and being your own person. Without you, those that are copying, and competing with you silently would be nothing at all. A person copying someone’s every move can not and will not think for themselves, everything will always be based off of the moves of someone else around them who is hot at the time.

So, on this beautiful Friday, keep doing you. Keep being yourself. Keep pushing forward by forcing them to copy you.