How to Stand Out, While Staying True to Yourself.

Ah, the infamous comparison game. It's a trap that business owners, employees, and leaders alike find themselves in, and if you aren't careful, it's a pit that's hard to climb out of unscathed. However, if you ever hope to find true success in what sparks you in work and life, it's essential to realize that competition will always be there, but it isn't always about who can do x better.?

The real test is a test of competence and confidence - in who you are, what you offer, your unique talents, imprints - yes, your Sparketype - and the authenticity that only you can bring to the table. So if you've found yourself distracted by what everyone else is doing lately (and telling yourself that you have to do as well), and wondering how to differentiate yourself without abandoning yourself, the featured questions in this week's SPARKED podcast episode might resonate with you:?

How do you put yourself out there in an authentic way? And when building a business in a saturated market, how do you avoid the comparison trap??

These questions were brought to us by listener Joy, who shares her story with us this week about coming up in a family with a powerful legacy of entrepreneurship build around a global brand, then being a part of not only the family business but spearheading multiple endeavors for years. She writes to us as an accomplished business founder, builder, and advisor who's ready to shift her focus to center it around her Sparketype (advising), and it's clear that Joy has the experience, skill set, and tools she needs to make her business a success. But when it comes down to it, her biggest curiosity is around her ability to leverage her extraordinary competence, confidence and authenticity to help her stand out in a saturated market and avoid falling victim to the comparison trap. Especially when her current venture isn’t a bigger brand, which she’s built many times over, but, rather, herself.

So when you're rebuilding or starting something new, how do you find the confidence to show up and ignore all the distractions that can lead you off course? That's what we dive into in this episode, and to help us tease out strategies, insights, and ideas, is SPARKED Braintrust advisor Jenny Blake. Jenny is a podcaster, career and business strategist, and is the best-selling author of Life After College, Pivot, and Free Time.

Tune into this week's episode by hitting play on the player below, or find it on your favorite podcast app.?

And, remember, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive: your Sparketype?. When you discover yours, everything - your entire work-life journey and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begin to make sense, and you feel better equipped to find, do, or create work that (finally) sparks you!

To learn your Sparketype, check out the free Sparketype? Assessment.

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