3 Ways To Rise Over Competition
Model Olivia Molina and entrepreneur Dennis Schwager discuss beating your competition by elevating yourself
By Mohit Mirchandani •
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It's easy to get distracted by the competition. What are they doing? Are they doing it better than you? But the longer we keep our gaze on who is in the race, we forget the race we are running and can easily slip behind. Life is complicated enough as it is. Still, as we remove our focus from distractions and weed out the competition, we can rise above towards increased levels of success and fame. Model Olivia Molina and entrepreneur Dennis Schwager talk about their journeys and how they learned to rise over their competition.
Create your own work
"Everyone has great ideas, but it's about staying true to yourself and putting your own spin on it." Molina appreciates the work of her competitors and believes the healthiest competition is friendly. Embrace it.
"You can spot a copycat from a mile away," adds Schwager. "You don't want to get lost in the crowd, but you also don't want to cheapen your message through imitation. Stay on top of the trends but create your own work, so you don't risk coming off as a fraud."
Invest in yourself first
"Throughout my career, I have always invested in myself first," explains Molina. "You stay on top of the game by continuously improving your skills, knowledge, and offering." Molina believes it's not about making your competition look bad. It's about making yourself look better.
Schwager takes a similar approach. "If you are constantly after your competition, you are wasting precious time," explains Schwager. "Your time and money are better spent elevating your brand and your message rather than taking down your competition."
Outwork the competition
Understanding that hard work beats talent any day, Molina believes winners are made. "I never waver when it comes to my dedication," states Molina. "Every day, I put all my energy into my work outperforming my competition."
"Success is earned, and I commit to being the hardest working person in the room," explains Schwager. "I'm up when my competition is asleep. The hardest worker is always the one who makes it to the top."
Competition can be intimidating, but it's all a part of the journey. What Molina and Schwager understood early on is you can't run from it. You have to let the competition fuel you and push you towards your goals. Competition can be a positive experience, and with these three expert tips, it is something to be celebrated rather than feared.
