Competitors are evil. I hope the milk in their morning coffee went bad.
That’s the mindset when you’re grinding, trying to win business, fighting for market share. They’re the enemy.
The other guy taking your customer. The threat. Then you actually meet one.
You’re at an industry event or a trade show, and you start talking. And suddenly you realize: Oh. They’re just… dealing with the same shit I am.
They’re wrestling with vendor delays. They’re losing sleep over a client who won’t pay. They’re trying to figure out how to deal with supply chain headaches, pricing pressure, staffing problems, etc., the exact same battles you’re fighting. And they probably hope your coffee milk went bad too.
Here’s what changed for me, once you realize your competitor isn’t some cartoon villain, they are in fact just another stake holder trying to build something — the whole dynamic shifts.
You stop seeing them as evil and start seeing them as someone navigating the same messy landscape you are.
That doesn’t mean you go soft. You still compete hard. You still want to win. And probably will 😉
But you do it with respect. Some of my best insights have come from talking to competitors.
Some of my respect has come from watching how they handle tough situations. And honestly? A few of them have become people I like and admire.
The packaging space is small. We’re all betting our livelihoods on similar things. That shared risk?
So yeah, compete hard. But when you meet the guy on the other side, remember he deserves perfect coffee!!!!
