Haven’t you always wanted to leave your competition in the dust? To keep an eye on them, but not really care what they are doing because your brand is so wildly successful? This doesn’t have to be a fantasy: Start thinking and designing on a vertical plane instead of a horizontal one.
When you are constantly looking to the sides to see what everyone else is doing, it’s much harder to focus on growing your brand. Forget about incremental improvements to match the masses and even cost-cutting for a time. Don’t try to see how little you can get away with when it comes to your team, your supply chain, your packaging; instead, go for the most you can afford. Invest in your brand. And enjoy it! Things get way too serious way too quickly. When the fun and enjoyment disappears from your work, so does the spark and magic of your brand.