Hi friend!!
Community Over Competition is a phrase that’s been tossed around for a while now, but I feel like sometimes we forget what it’s really all about…
At the end of the day, I think sometimes we need little reminders that 1) there is enough room at the top for EVERYONE to succeed. That 2) helping someone else won’t result in them stealing your business… it just makes you a nice person. That 3) there IS enough business to go around and that 4) life is just better when you make friends with the people in your “work space” (which for us entrepreneurs, means we might need to go a little more out of our way than in a regular job)!
It’s all about connection.
Isn’t that why we’re all on social media 10 million times a day, anyways?
We’re trying to C O N N E C T with the people around us, make new friends, see what they’re up to, help each other out, relate to each other, etc.
It can be so easy to feel alone if you have a job where you usually work by yourself… so I strongly believe that it’s SUPER important to push yourself out of your house (& possibly your comfort zone) to go meet other like-minded humans.
It’s seriously AMAZING what having a “best-photog-friend” (or replace “photog” with whatever industry you’re in haha!!) will do for your business or your life, in general!!
You can edit together and get second opinions on things that you’re unsure of…. learn together and cover more ground than you could alone…. Shoot together and trade headshots… travel together and feel safer and have a more fun trip than you would alone… relate to each other on things like Lightroom that nobody else understands… lol!!
PLUS it’s a literal proven fact that your creative friends will support you, more than you will on your own! When you’re down in the dumps or need a little encouragement, they’re there to help pick you back up (in a way that maybe your high school best friend wouldn’t understand, if they don’t have their own creative thangggg going)!!
Friends will support, encourage, & experience the craziness and fullness of this amazing job WITH you…. And the benefits of that FAR exceed the unjustified question of if “they’ll steal business from you”!
Community Over Competition is the foundation that the Fresno Photogs was built on.
We’re just a group of local photogs that meet once a month to connect, catch up, + collab on new projects!!
I’ve first hand witnessed the most beautiful friendships come out of it! Through people teaming up to second shoot weddings for each other, meeting up at coffee shops to edit together, and even the people who just look forward to coming every month as an excuse to get out of their house away from their personal editing caves… lol!!!
It’s a safe space where we can all come to grow together with no judgement and no fear of “stealing clients”
So if you’re wanting to be apart of this fun, crazy, educational gang… then click HERE to check when our next meeting is (and just show up!!), follow our insta account HERE (so you don’t miss out on any of the fun stuff!!), and join ur Facebook group HERE (so you can be apart of the “I need a second shooter” conversation lol)!!
Freakkkkkin love you friiiiends + can’t wait for the next meeting!!! xoxox
PS. One last thing…. can I take a minute to humble brag about my boiiii Harden Wesley?? We did a little group “SEO” challenge and he was the ONLY one who didn’t just say that he would do it… he actually did it!! And that fact alone (along with the fact that he’s the sweetest human ever, plus really talented!!!) shows me how far he’s gonna make it in this industry!! Literally can’t wait to watch him blow up in this area!! If you don’t already know, now ya know!!!! (Read his article on Community Over Competition HERE)!! xoxox
So proud of you Toni and all that you’ve been doing for community over competition. I think the true heart of that phrase is living it, not just saying it. #fresnophotogs for life <3
I am a true believer of community over competition. It is so incredibly important to build each other up, help each other out, and find a community of like minded people. Man, I could go on about this topic for days and days and days, but I know I am just preaching to the chior.
Also, I am obsessed with the Fresno Photogs group. It is so dang awesome to meet up with other like minded people. I am going to try my darndest to make it to the next meeting 🙂