First and foremost, I love Barbara C! Secondly, seriously… competition is out there and we’ve gotta keep our edge, hold our own, and at least be aware. I’ve learned through my own cycles that when we spend time fretting over who the competitor is or what they’re doing, we can easily lose sight of our own vision and get off track.

A couple of thoughts:

There’s enough work for everyone. So, don’t feel like you’re going to be out. With the right mindset and commitment to our goals, we’ll be taken care of.

Get to know your community. If it’s one thing that I’ve learned from volunteering with AIGA and engaging with the design communities — there’s a lot of amazing lessons here actually, but let’s stay on course — it’s that no one is *that* stressed out about what others are doing. It’s a very supportive community full of people who are always rising each other up vs taking each other out.

So, I share Barbara’s words, with a little splash of experience. And even as a reminder to myself. Whether it’s personal or professional, mind your business. Do your best, focus on your goals, and don’t  stress about what the others are doing.

Now, get to work.