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SMARTY.

The human side of business

Small Business

Copycats Part Deux.

October 24, 2017 · By Amy Swift Crosby

Could I get that recipe... please?

Last week’s post acknowledging the frustration of seemingly being imitated in the marketplace spawned an unusual amount of mail in my inbox. People have a lot of feelings about this topic. I think it actually goes even deeper than my original conclusion.
 
Here’s the thing.
 
Often in life, people ask …
 
Who does your hair?
What’s that recipe?
Where was that vacation?
Who designed your house?
Where did you buy that?
 
And most of us are only too happy to share our good finds with friends. But all of that changes when you suddenly run into those friends during Spring break at your secret little spot, or when they make a habit of bringing your signature chocolate chip cookies to Book Club, or they suddenly have your wardrobe. It’s just awkward. And weird. Not because they acted on your recommendation, but because they missed a critical element in the currency exchange of shared resources: acknowledgment.
 
How about checking the vacation dates?
Or citing the source?
And running it by… if it’s gonna be exactly the same?
 
It’s funny how a simple nod or inclusion in the process changes the dynamic entirely. It’s also interesting that when it doesn’t happen, you get a lot of insight about someone’s level of (or lack of) awareness.
 
It’s easy to diminish this stuff as unimportant or trite, but at the heart of any sharing of information is a sense of pride in having discovered/perfected/cracked the code of said thing.
 
Is it worth deep introspection? Probably not. But, it is nice to get a little credit when a personal rec has clearly been applied and deployed. But what’s even more valuable is to notice who gives a high-five (publicly or otherwise), and who does not. It can inform future decisions, and open the door to what else this person overlooks/presumes/takes for granted.
 
I don’t think any of us aims not to be generous or to see the worst in friends, but there’s something to be said about the art of selective reveals.
 
A simple “Oh, I don’t use a recipe – it’s an ad hoc salad,” should do the trick.

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About Me

photo of Amy Swift Crosby

Amy Swift Crosby is a brand strategist and copywriter who has positioned or voiced messaging across the commercial spectrum, from icons like Ford, BVLGARI, Pottery Barn, Pantene and Virgin, to boutique brands like The Wild Unknown, fitness franchise Barre3 and the rebrand of legendary metaphysical bookstore, Bodhi Tree. She has leveraged this expertise to help entrepreneurial women and small businesses owners hone their skills, mission and message, while uncovering their own “voice.” This blog explores “the human side of business,” and universal themes like uncertainty, anxiety, the tension between engagement and disconnection, personal value and most importantly, of finding - and hearing - our own voices in our everyday life.

Photo - Andrew Stiles

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SMARTY began as a thriving community in Los Angeles and Boston with weekly panel discussions and events designed to better understand the mindset and growth strategies behind successful entrepreneurs. Today, SMARTY is a weekly blog written by Amy Swift Crosby who chronicles her life as a creative, parent, entrepreneur and spiritual seeker. As an urban refugee living in a New England seaside village, she unpacks topics ranging from uncertainty and doubt to the built environment and advertising. More on Amy.

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