Comparison...

[Kung Fu Steve]

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy."

I'll say comparison is the foundation of dumbass advice.

It really feels like in every single conversation about business someone has to reference Alex Hormozi, Gary V, or any other person who happens to be in the middle of their 15 minutes of fame.

"Well, this is how Hormozi did it, you know?"
"Gay Vee does this."

Don't get me wrong, I love those guys... but what they did/do has literally nothing to do with what you're currently trying to do.

Joe says, "I'm starting a landscaping business in my local community and could use some advice on getting my first few customers."

Random person says, "Bro, you gotta do like Alex Hormozi does and post 62 pieces of content across every channel and platform right this second. Your TikTok needs to blow up before you can go acquire other landscaping and movie production businesses, bro."

"Uhhh I don't really see how that would help..."

"Bro, you just don't get it. It's all about attention and eyeballs. See my boy Andrew Tate gets all those eyeballs because he's controversial, you gotta be controversial. That's how you be successful. You should say something about feminism because that's what alphas do."

Here's the point for those of you giving or receiving advice:

• Stop comparing every single thing you're doing to what you saw on YouTube or TikTok that one time.
  
  
• Stop comparing your current business to people who are generating millions in revenue WEEKLY.
  
  
• Stop comparing your daily activities to people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Joe Rogan.

The goal is not to become a cynical a**hole and poo-poo every idea someone throws at you but CONTEXT is just as important as CONTENT.

Before you give/receive advice you really need to seek to understand before being understood.

/soapbox

 

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[DMass]

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy."

I'll say comparison is the foundation of dumbass advice.

It really feels like in every single conversation about business someone has to reference Alex Hormozi, Gary V, or any other person who happens to be in the middle of their 15 minutes of fame.

"Well, this is how Hormozi did it, you know?"
"Gay Vee does this."

Don't get me wrong, I love those guys... but what they did/do has literally nothing to do with what you're currently trying to do.

Joe says, "I'm starting a landscaping business in my local community and could use some advice on getting my first few customers."

Random person says, "Bro, you gotta do like Alex Hormozi does and post 62 pieces of content across every channel and platform right this second. Your TikTok needs to blow up before you can go acquire other landscaping and movie production businesses, bro."

"Uhhh I don't really see how that would help..."

"Bro, you just don't get it. It's all about attention and eyeballs. See my boy Andrew Tate gets all those eyeballs because he's controversial, you gotta be controversial. That's how you be successful. You should say something about feminism because that's what alphas do."

Here's the point for those of you giving or receiving advice:

• Stop comparing every single thing you're doing to what you saw on YouTube or TikTok that one time.
  
  
• Stop comparing your current business to people who are generating millions in revenue WEEKLY.
  
  
• Stop comparing your daily activities to people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Joe Rogan.

The goal is not to become a cynical a**hole and poo-poo every idea someone throws at you but CONTEXT is just as important as CONTENT.

Before you give/receive advice you really need to seek to understand before being understood.

/soapbox

Yes

I wish I could like this more than once.

The beauty of having your own business is... It's your business...

There's nothing wrong with seeking inspiration and ideas from others but just because it works for them doesn't mean it will work for you.

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

The beauty of having your own business is... It's your business...

There's nothing wrong with seeking inspiration and ideas from others but just because it works for them doesn't mean it will work for you.

Glad I'm not the only one

 

[Antifragile]

Excellent post.

Take it even further for those who have established businesses.

Businesses often rely on consultants. Yours may need marketing people, lawyers, lobbying, environmental, distribution, engineering - you name it. All consultants supposedly know more than you. And they do.

Here is the thing. It is your business. Not Alex Hormozi's and not your consultants. They'll do what they'll do, but you are the one left holding the bag if decisions are bad. You are responsible.

Responsibility is part of what entrepreneurship is all about. Your leadership is based on you taking that responsibility. You cannot later tell yourself or your investors, or anyone else for that matter that "because I listened to my consultant this business failed", no different than when you say "but Alex H in $100M Offers said... and it didn't work for me".

You are the leader, you are responsible for all the decisions you are making. And the life you live today is a direct result of the past decisions you've made.

I recently thought about that and will be articulating this to all staff at our company. What makes a business special is that our decisions drive outcomes. Consultants often have conflicting objectives. Lawyers for example, typically stand in the way of business deals because their job is to protect your downside. When they do a great job, they protect it so much that you have no deal.

But most of all, if entrepreneurship is about inventing solutions to problems - how can you rely on Alex, Andrew and Bob? Shouldn't you think for yourself? Sure, take what they say but then go on and make it work for YOU. Invent YOUR ways, make YOUR decisions.


/soapbox 2

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

Excellent post.

Take it even further for those who have established businesses.

Businesses often rely on consultants. Yours may need marketing people, lawyers, lobbying, environmental, distribution, engineering - you name it. All consultants supposedly know more than you. And they do.

Here is the thing. It is your business. Not Alex Hormozi's and not your consultants. They'll do what they'll do, but you are the one left holding the bag if decisions are bad. You are responsible.

Responsibility is part of what entrepreneurship is all about. Your leadership is based on you taking that responsibility. You cannot later tell yourself or your investors, or anyone else for that matter that "because I listened to my consultant this business failed", no different than when you say "but Alex H in $100M Offers said... and it didn't work for me".

You are the leader, you are responsible for all the decisions you are making. And the life you live today is a direct result of the past decisions you've made.

I recently thought about that and will be articulating this to all staff at our company. What makes a business special is that our decisions drive outcomes. Consultants often have conflicting objectives. Lawyers for example, typically stand in the way of business deals because their job is to protect your downside. When they do a great job, they protect it so much that you have no deal.

But most of all, if entrepreneurship is about inventing solutions to problems - how can you rely on Alex, Andrew and Bob? Shouldn't you think for yourself? Sure, take what they say but then go on and make it work for YOU. Invent YOUR ways, make YOUR decisions.


/soapbox 2

As I'm sure, you're aware -- I am one of those consultants/fractional CMOs...

In one of the businesses I'm working with right now, they've literally hired consultant after consultant who did just that.

"Let's do this because Hormozi said so."

They have gone down so many friggin' rabbit holes and so many distractions their revenue dropped by about 10 million.

I feel like a broken record in every meeting: get a lead, make an offer, follow-up.

"No, no, see what Andrew Tate is doing..."

Stop. Get a lead, make an offer, follow-up.

"What do you think about ..."

No. Get a lead, make an offer, follow-up.

The amount of shitty consultants out there blows my mind.

 

[DMass]

You are the leader, you are responsible for all the decisions you are making. And the life you live today is a direct result of the past decisions you've made.

100%

This could quite possibly be the most important line that someone reads.

It doesn't just apply to business but to life.

You are where you are because of the choices you have made.

 

[Lyzmin]

100%

This could quite possibly be the most important line that someone reads.

It doesn't just apply to business but to life.

You are where you are because of the choices you have made.

“You make your choices, and then your choices make you.”

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy."

I never knew he said this and I wrote about comparison being a source of anxiety and unhappiness (in Unscripted or TGRRE , can't remember) so now people probably think I've stolen it. Damn those historical figures!

It really feels like in every single conversation about business someone has to reference Alex Hormozi, Gary V, or any other person who happens to be in the middle of their 15 minutes of fame.

You forgot Goggins -- wonder how many young men will end up in the hospital because "Goggins said to push myself!"

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

I never knew he said this and I wrote about comparison being a source of anxiety and unhappiness (in Unscripted or TGRRE , can't remember) so now people probably think I've stolen it. Damn those historical figures!

Supposedly Mark Twain was the one who coined "Comparison is the death of joy."

... but if I'm honest, I prefer your writing to Twain... the "classics" are overrated.

You forgot Goggins -- wonder how many young men will end up in the hospital because "Goggins said to push myself!"

"Bro, I ran my 80th marathon before you woke up. I'm on my 6th marriage but YOU GOTTA STAY HARD BRO."

I like Goggins but clearly, he's not the role model for most young men living day-to-day.

I don't think there's any ONE role model... man... is it so difficult to say "Hey, this crazy guy runs marathons on two broken shins... I probably don't need to do that... but maybe I could go for a jog even if I'm tired."

As always, common sense ain't so common...

 

[SEBASTlAN]

I feel like a broken record in every meeting: get a lead, make an offer, follow-up.

I made peace with the fact that most people will never take your advice, even if they are the ones asking for it. They're set in their ways and not willing to be uncomfortable for a period of time in order to succeed.

Less competition for the rest of us.

 

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[BizyDad]

I've been noodling a post of my own along these lines. I think I'll just add my thoughts here instead.

I only remember two fortune cookies in my life. One said I will always have artists in my home. I thought that was such a weird fortune.

The other one said never judge your inside by somebody else's outside.

So often, I want people on the forum to understand that.

Everyone here is measuring themselves against the other people that they see. Even I'm guilty of it. At its worst it's just straight up jealousy. But only slightly less worse is a whole bunch of insecurity.

But the thing is, every one on here has doubt. Everyone on here is at a varying stage of "figuring it out".

Recently, BD43 talked about a key ingredient for Kak's success is his self-esteem.

Maybe I've seen a different side of @Kak . Maybe it's the nature of how I am. I ask deep probing questions. Or maybe it's the fact that when I first met Kak, I was still pretty broken and healing and vulnerable and went to him seeking help on a spiritual level.

But he has confided in me some of his doubts and insecurities. We all have them.

Sure, I would say he's got pretty good self-esteem. If he didn't, I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing this about him. But I wouldn't say that that's his key to success.

We're all just humans on here people. The successful ones aren't any better people than you or me. They just are a little farther on the path of figuring their things out.

So don't judge yourself against what you perceive is someone else's success. A little healthy competition never hurt anybody. But that person that you see is so put together, so rock solid, probably has just as many insecurities as anyone else does.

They just don't let insecurities stop them.

And thankfully this is a skill that you, dear reader, can also develop in time.

I'll wrap up with this thought. If any of you artist types reading this ever want to pay a visit to Chateau Bizydad, you're welcome to.

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Hiring a buncha folks today for different divisions. Consultants, agencies, gun-for-hire specialists for TikTok and all that jazz, and take a guess how many mentioned Gary Vee and Alex Hormozi?

... all 7 of them so far.

Have one more call and how much you wanna bet they do, too?

 

[BaiAnrui]

Good point @Kung Fu Steve . I really think that comparison can kill happiness. There is always someone around with a bigger house or a nicer car.

But it is an psychological thing, that people do. We also comparis sometimes with people who do have less, only to feel better for a second.

But it is good to be aware of this process!

 

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