Why Comparison Is Killing Your Business (Stop This Now)

Welcome to today's podcast. It's going to look a little bit different. I'm in my backyard. I'm going to be sitting at that picnic table back there and we're going to be talking about comparison being the thief of joy. We're going to be talking about some scripture to back up that in Galatians and Proverbs. And we're talking about some experiences that I have felt and hopefully that you have felt, and then I can relate with you about being a business owner, comparing yourself to others, to others. Of the, the facade of money and what money actually means and how you use it within your business and your life. Hope you guys enjoy today's episode. Let's get to it. Brand Builders Podcast. All right. Today's pod is coming to you live from the picnic table of my backyard. Check it out. Say what up, Winston. So today's pod is going to look a little bit different. I, um, I've been a little bit inconsistent with posting these just because, you know, I mean, obviously you have to be consistent. We just hit 26 episodes recently. I took a week break just because I was traveling and I literally could not even think about giving something good to you guys. And so yeah, I wanted to actually provide some substance and value and actual real things. And I would rather wait an extra week and provide that extra value and provide that extra substance than just be throwing out stuff whenever I can. And so that's what we're doing today. I, I, I, uh, I'm filming this from my backyard and we're not at the studio, we're not doing anything fancy, but this is also just another example of like, you don't have to be in a perfect setup. To make content like this, to put out things and, and be present online. Like, I'm filming on a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, which you could very well just as easily do this on your iPhone. Um, I just like this little microphone thing that it comes with. But today I wanted to talk about comparison and what that can look like and feel like as a business owner, or if you're building something. I think it's, it's something huge that gets in the way a lot of times, and you've probably dealt with it, especially within the United States and capitalism, and social media has been a huge factor. And I'm not gonna lie, I have been thinking about fasting social media for a good while, and I think that's in the future. But anyways, I think comparison, like, it's huge. It's a huge thing that not a ton of people talk about, And it is there whether you think it's there or not, it is there. And it can be crippling at times because you're always comparing yourself like, oh, why did my business not generate this much money this year? Or why don't I have this many clients? Or how come these clients dropped off? And like, are my friends who are doing this in another state are killing it and having zero churn or zero people stop using their services? I see— gosh, I don't know if you can look. Winston, say hi to the camera. Gah, golden doodles, man. But I think it's important just to remember that you're in your lane for a reason. And I have to remind myself this every single day. And renewing my mind and spending time with, um, the Lord every single morning and, and reading the writings of Paul and reading the writings of the disciples or even Solomon, like, this is a good reminder that, like, at the end of the day Whether you make a million dollars or $10 in a month or a week, it doesn't matter because ultimately that is not what defines you and who you are as a human being. And so if you truly are a believer of Jesus Christ, of God, and you're living on that faith, don't believe the lie and the deception of the enemy that you're not good enough. And I don't think we remind each other or encourage each other enough of this. Often enough with the hustle culture, and it's like, oh, you got to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no breaks, no time off, like just part of the grind. I think that is ultimately very deceiving and not biblical at all. I mean, God created Earth in 7 days, or He created it in 6 and rested the 7th. And so what makes you better than that? Do you think you're more righteous? Do you think you're more holy? I don't know. Anyways, those are the thoughts that go through my head. And so I think you are in the season that you are in for a reason, and the Lord has entrusted you with what you have currently in the now. And whether financial prosperity or financial provision is in your future, I think that's all part of the Lord's plan. I think the more that you learn, the more that you grow, the more wisdom you obtain, I think it's going to naturally occur. And so I've been reading a lot of books. I've been reading a lot of books about obviously some business stuff, but really more personal growth and development relating to the spiritual side of my life. And I think it's opened up so many doors and so many ideas of things that I would have never thought to do. Just finding these books, including scripture, and pulling from the wisdom that these authors have. From their experiences, I think is super crucial. And they can act as a mentor in a way, these authors. That way you can go through life obtaining the wisdom and the things that they've learned without the wounds that they had to obtain to get it. And I think that's, that's a huge advantage, especially if you're building something. There's a saying that goes around a lot, and I think it's Theodore Roosevelt. Basically saying that comparison is the thief of joy, and I think that that's really important to remember. You can also look towards scripture to see these things. Galatians 6:4 is kind of close to this: "Each one should test their own actions, then they can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else." So I want to read that again: "Each one should test their own actions, then they can take pride in themselves alone." without comparing themselves to someone else. Proverbs also mentions a lot about staying in your own lane and developing wisdom within that lane. And so I think that's important. Everybody has their own lane, everybody's in their own season. So stop comparing yourself to your friends or the people on social media who you don't even know, because most of the time social media is, it's a facade and people don't actually share 100% of their life. And that's one thing with this podcast that I'm trying to kind of break through that barrier, is actually talk about real things with real people and having, having real experiences in, in this world. I think that brings more substance than anything else. And especially with all this AI stuff, I'm a big AI fan. I'm not anti-AI at all. But when it comes to reading things online, even social media accounts now, like some of these accounts are just purely running off of AI content and it could be entertaining, but the substance and real life value that it brings is very little to none because it just pulls from the entire internet. And so one thing that I think it's interesting is that the way that we communicate with ChatGPT and the responses that it gives initially, if you don't give it any directions or context, it actually is pulling from what the data says we sound like on the internet. So if you've ever wondered like, why does ChatGPT write like this? It's because it's pulling from the entire world. And so that's what we humans talk like most of the time. Anyways, that, that's an interesting thought. But, but like, nothing can replace you. And so if you— let's bring this back to content as an example. Like, I think in the next 5 years 3 to 5 years, the people who spend the time curating and creating a real online presence with real conversations and experiences and, and things that have happened to them, it creates a connection that is human. And a lot of these people who are trying to build AI brands, it's not human. So I don't think it'll really make an impact that they're hoping it's going to make. But nothing will ever be able to replace the real human connection. And so A lot of times I find myself falling into this trap of comparison. And even though I was talking to one of my buddies about this the other day, even the idea of money itself and making a lot of money is a facade. It's a lie that's been told. And not that you don't want to provide for your family or do well financially. Um, I think the Lord wants us to have abundance in all areas of life, but the moment that you make a certain amount of money. I think one of our highest months as of to this day, which is, what is today? April 6th, 2026. One of our biggest months at Howdy, Howdy Media, which is the media company that I run. I think we brought in revenue-wise about $40,000 in one month. And to me growing up with literally $0 and even through college, like I didn't start making money till I was out of college and married. And it was with the business. But at the time, like when I first started, $500 felt like an insane amount of money to charge somebody. Um, and whenever I made $1,000 or $2,000 from one of my jobs, like my mind was blown. And it just continues to go up. And even if I have a $40,000 month, $40,000 does not feel like enough And so whenever I had that month, it was one of the biggest ones we've had to this day. And hopefully we have bigger ones. Obviously, I'm trying to grow this thing. But like whenever you hit that number and I even have friends who have hit a million, a million dollars, and they say the exact same thing. It's like they don't feel any different. Their problems are still the same, if not more. And so we strive and try to achieve these accomplishments of reaching these high money goals, these high profit and revenue goals when in reality, just like Solomon says, it's like chasing the wind and you're never going to actually be fulfilled or you're never going to actually catch what it is you're looking for or that feeling that you're, you're trying to get out of making money. And so I think that's important to remember too. Like, great, you had a friend who made $100,000 this month. Fantastic. I'm proud of them. Like, it's a good season for them, but maybe you're in a season of growth. Maybe you're in a season of refinement. And Paul talks about that a lot. I've been reading in Romans how don't just enjoy the good times and be thankful for the good times, but also be thankful for the bad times, because that is whenever refinement happens, so that it can grow you into the character and develop your character so that you can reach that next goal and reach the next season that the Lord has planned for you. And so that's been super helpful because if you sit here and concentrate on, oh man, I only made $20,000 this month, or only I made $10,000 this month, my goal was $50,000, you are going to be in a constant state of depression instead of, instead of shaping your mindset of being like, thank you, God, for this money, and that I get to even do this for a living. I think that's a healthier mindset because Everybody's just trying to find purpose, find meaning, find fulfillment in their life. And money is just a tool that we get to manage on God's behalf. And so what is your why? That's one reason, like, when we have new members come on at the studio who are starting a podcast or starting a YouTube channel, I'm like, what is your why? That's one of the first questions that I, that I ask them. And I often actually, at our church, they always make fun of me because they're like, oh, Are you gonna ask why? 'Cause you're a podcaster, like you sound like a podcaster. Oh yeah, you're gonna be asking why, huh? And it is true. Like that is one of the things that I love to ask is why are you doing what you're doing? Because it makes you really think about it. And it's not just something that you can say, oh well, just to make money. Well, if it's just to make money, then you're going to be always chasing that feeling of trying to get more, trying to get more, and you will never be fulfilled. And it's ultimately, not what I want for your life, and it's not what I want for my life. So think about that in the, in the next coming days. And I hope this brought some sort of encouragement to you from my backyard with my beat-up clothesline post here that is actually— I'm kind of thinking about restoring it and using it. Wild thought. But thanks for joining from my backyard today. Go check out the rest of the episodes. I have a lot of good interviews with other business owners and people who have built brands. And so go check those out. Tons of value, tons of substance. And this is something that I wish I would have had whenever I started growing my business, is somebody or— to put out these stories and meet with these people and learn from their experiences, especially being from Texas. And there's not a ton of that in Texas. There are some people who are doing fantastic, but I really want to focus on people who are faith-based and help mentor and guide them, as well as find mentors for me, because often I learn more from the people that I work with than they do from me, just by evaluating how they do things and how they don't do things. And so go check out the other episodes. Um, you can find all those right here on the channel. Go to the Brand Builders Podcast playlist and go check out those. But yeah, thanks for tuning in today. Make sure to hit subscribe, and we'll see you guys in the next one. Peace.