GARTH

How often do we hear of true friendship and collaboration by leaders of any industry? Pick anyone you want. Cosmetics, Finance, Sports….

RARELY

It always blows my mind how many see competition, when I see potential for collaboration.

When I was first starting out teaching exercise, I was told there were more teachers than there were classes. I did not let it get to me, I focused on becoming the best teacher I could be. I also lasered in on forming a community of teachers that I could learn from and be supportive of.

Finding a mentor is so helpful and it is not going to happen if you are constantly pulling daggers out of your back. I had other teachers leave me dead microphones on purpose, start rumors and bad mouth me to clients- all in an effort to improve their own standing. What if they had taken that time to see what I was doing right? Maybe I could have learned from them as well. Instead, I was busy playing defense and trying to find a microphone that worked before my 930 class.

This occurs often in Wellness. Instead of seeing what others are doing right, admiring it and reaching out to collaborate. It is copied which never works and miss out on a chance to possibly form a business relationship and possible friendship. Also, what if what they were doing right was what they are now trying to duplicate in the first place?? Sure, there are trends, but I have seen my own content cut and pasted before and credit not given for social media or entire podcasts based upon another’s work.

There is more than enough of everything to go around, there is actually an abundance if we work together. In addition, copying someone’s content isn’t going to work long term since it isn’t coming from the actual person and you aren’t giving yourself a chance to develop your own unique voice- it is no win proposition.

Garth Brooks never attempted to do the whole barefoot Kenny Chesney vibe thing. He focused on being the best version of Garth Brooks he could be, that works pretty darn well. When we aren’t so sure of what we are doing, it makes complete sense to follow the basic blueprint of those who came before us, but it does take a village if we are all going to succeed. I have made wonderful friends in coaching, and we help each other out. If I meet someone that would be a great contact for one of my friends, I make an introduction.

There is more than enough room for everyone. Let’s face it, Country music needed a Garth Brooks and a Kenny Chesney.