You know the feeling. The one that takes over your rataionl thinking while you are scrolling through social media, or reading an email that showcases someone’s successes. It creeps up, and then bam hits home. Yep, it’s pure, unencumbered jealousy. In these moments, you are also mature enough to realize that your feelings are somewhat irrational. In spite of yourself, you still give them a little thumbs-up or send a congratulations message. First of all, you are not alone. This happens to everyone at some time or another. It’s how you deal with these emotions that matter.
There was a time when something like this could put me into a tailspin of “I can’t. I’m not good enough. I’m too late.” negative self-talk. Of course, that didn’t set up me or my business for success. Then, I came across this quote for the first time:
“Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.”
It was one of those ah-ha moments for me. It is sort of like how your parents used to tell you, “Don’t worry about that person just worry about yourself.” Just because that person is succeeding doesn’t mean it is taking away from what you are doing or your success. There is room and enough abundance for us all. Let me tell you; there are more people who need what you do than there are people who do what you do. So next time instead of self-doubting or hanging onto jealousy, maybe reach out and see if there is a way to work together or collaborate. Who knows they may say yes, and they may not. But one thing I am certain of, you won’t know if you don’t ask.
Below are my top two must-dos when reaching out to someone for collaboration.
Think Outside the Box
You must look beyond your niche, product, or industry when thinking about collaborationg. Are there people out there that do something similar to you or are there businesses or products that complement yours? Collaborations like these make the best collaborations because you aren’t in direct competition with one another. Really stretch yourself to consider all the possibilities. You will surprise yourself!
Make It Mutually Beneficial
You must make sure that what you are proposing is mutually beneficial – meaning it will boost you and the other business equally. Make sure if you are asking for something you are offering something in return. When you reach out to the person in which you want to collaborate share some the ways you can potentially collaborate rather than just asking for a collaboration.
I love to collaborate, too. Do you have an idea on how we can collaborate in a mutually beneficial way? Then, don’t’ shy about sending me an email to emily@handmadeloves.com.
