The concept of originality is often misunderstood, and this misunderstanding can lead to misconceptions about starting a business. From our earliest years in school, we’re taught that copying is wrong. This deep-seated lesson, while valuable, might hinder us when launching a business. We may feel we need to come up with everything on our own.
However, the world’s most successful individuals have taken a different path. They understand that it’s less about reinvention and more about adaptation. As the legendary artist Picasso once said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”
This doesn’t mean theft in the literal sense. Instead, it speaks to drawing inspiration from those who have blazed trails before us. I once read this invaluable piece of advice: Identify your goal, then seek out someone who’s achieved it and emulate their methods.
For instance, consider airplanes. If your ambition is to design a new plane, would you abandon the concept of wings because it’s not original? Certainly not. While you wouldn’t duplicate an existing wing’s design, the foundational idea – using wings for lift – is there to be adapted.
In the realm of online marketing, the key is to ensure you respect copyrights and trademarks. It’s not about pilfering content; it’s about learning from successful tactics and strategies. By drawing from a variety of sources, your influences blend, making it hard for anyone to pinpoint a singular inspiration.
The truth is every accomplished marketer has benefitted from the wisdom and experiences of their predecessors. For instance, marketing maestro Dan Kennedy openly shares how he integrated successful strategies from other marketers into his own playbook. Imagine a world where each of us had to start from absolute zero, with no guidance or existing knowledge. Our progress would be arduously slow.
So, what should budding entrepreneurs do? The answer is threefold:
- Clarify Your Goal: Know what you aim to achieve.
- Seek Inspirations: Identify those who’ve succeeded in your chosen field.
- Adapt and Personalize: Learn from their journey, adapt their techniques, and always infuse your personal touch. Remember, it’s not about direct imitation but modeling success.
Whether that involves enrolling in their courses or becoming their customer to understand their strategies – immerse yourself. Take their best practices, weave in your unique perspective and voice, and create something distinctly yours.
Success, indeed, leaves footprints. As entrepreneurs, our challenge is not to reinvent the wing but to learn from these footprints and carve our own path forward.
If any of the three steps above are giving you trouble contact us here and we’ll see if there’s a good fit for some 1:1 coaching to get you through the rough patch and on to better things!