Why Being Different Is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
Why Being Different Is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
Why Being Different Is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
I've been called "different" my whole life. To my face. In boardrooms. At industry events.
Intense. Weird. "A lot to handle."
And after 30 years of building Spin Master from a $10,000 startup into a global powerhouse, I've learned something: The things that make you different are what make you impossible to compete with.
Leaning into your unique strengths is the key to unlocking your potential and building a truly differentiated business.
The Dangers of Trying to Fit In
Most people spend their careers trying to conform. Toning down their quirks. Rounding off their edges. Playing a role that doesn't fit.
When you're busy trying to be like everyone else, you lose what sets you apart. Your unique perspective. Your unusual skills. Your way of seeing the world.
Those are your competitive advantages. The "To-Don't List": A Masterclass in Subtraction
Early in my career, I had my hands in everything at Spin Master. Budgeting. Product reviews. Logistics. IT. I was trying to be good at all of it.
I was stretched thin. Not moving the needle.
Then I learned about "unique ability" from strategic coach Dan Sullivan. Your unique ability is what you're wired to do at an exceptional level. The work that energizes you. That feels almost easy.
That idea was a revelation. I realized I needed to get ruthless about cutting out everything that pulled me from my unique ability.
So I made a "to-don't list". Everything I needed to stop doing. And I handed off every task on it.
The results were remarkable:
Each thing I let go felt like a weight off my shoulders
I went all-in on the work that came naturally to me
My effectiveness and impact went through the roof
I wasn't just doing more; I was doing more of the right things
That “to-don't list” was a masterclass in subtraction. It taught me: More is not better. Better is better. And better means leaning into what makes you different. Even if it means letting go of everything else.
Why Your Difference Is Your Entire Strategy
When we started Spin Master, we were three young entrepreneurs up against giants. Every signal said, “study your competitors”
We knew we couldn't win their game. So we played a different one entirely.
We moved faster. Took risks they wouldn't dream of. Built a culture that felt like a band of misfits. Even as we rocketed past $1 billion.
Our difference wasn't a disadvantage to overcome; it became our entire strategy.
I've been called "different" my whole life. To my face. In boardrooms. At industry events.
Intense. Weird. "A lot to handle."
And after 30 years of building Spin Master from a $10,000 startup into a global powerhouse, I've learned something: The things that make you different are what make you impossible to compete with.
Leaning into your unique strengths is the key to unlocking your potential and building a truly differentiated business.
The Dangers of Trying to Fit In
Most people spend their careers trying to conform. Toning down their quirks. Rounding off their edges. Playing a role that doesn't fit.
When you're busy trying to be like everyone else, you lose what sets you apart. Your unique perspective. Your unusual skills. Your way of seeing the world.
Those are your competitive advantages. The "To-Don't List": A Masterclass in Subtraction
Early in my career, I had my hands in everything at Spin Master. Budgeting. Product reviews. Logistics. IT. I was trying to be good at all of it.
I was stretched thin. Not moving the needle.
Then I learned about "unique ability" from strategic coach Dan Sullivan. Your unique ability is what you're wired to do at an exceptional level. The work that energizes you. That feels almost easy.
That idea was a revelation. I realized I needed to get ruthless about cutting out everything that pulled me from my unique ability.
So I made a "to-don't list". Everything I needed to stop doing. And I handed off every task on it.
The results were remarkable:
Each thing I let go felt like a weight off my shoulders
I went all-in on the work that came naturally to me
My effectiveness and impact went through the roof
I wasn't just doing more; I was doing more of the right things
That “to-don't list” was a masterclass in subtraction. It taught me: More is not better. Better is better. And better means leaning into what makes you different. Even if it means letting go of everything else.
Why Your Difference Is Your Entire Strategy
When we started Spin Master, we were three young entrepreneurs up against giants. Every signal said, “study your competitors”
We knew we couldn't win their game. So we played a different one entirely.
We moved faster. Took risks they wouldn't dream of. Built a culture that felt like a band of misfits. Even as we rocketed past $1 billion.
Our difference wasn't a disadvantage to overcome; it became our entire strategy.