You're worried about the wrong thing - the farm down the road can't steal your customers (but you can lose them anyway)

I see this pattern all the time.

You've been working your tail off. You've finally found your rhythm. Your product is good. Your customers are loyal. Things are working.

And then you notice that farm down the road just started doing what you're doing.

Maybe they're growing the same crop. Maybe they're selling at the same market. Maybe they just posted on Instagram about their new flower CSA and you've been running one for three years.

And suddenly you feel threatened.

Like they're going to step into your zone. Like they're going to mess up what you've built. Like they're going to take your customers.

So you start watching. What are they doing? How are they pricing? What does their marketing look like? Are they better than you?

And before you know it, you're spending more time thinking about them than you are thinking about your own business.

Let me tell you what's actually happening here.

The Only Way They Can Threaten Your Business

Here's the truth: that farm down the road can't threaten your business.

They can't take your customers. They can't ruin your reputation. They can't destroy what you've built.

The only way they can threaten your business is by distracting you.

By pulling your attention away from the work you need to be doing. By making you second-guess what's already working. By convincing you to watch them instead of tending your own farm.

That's the real threat. Not what they're doing. But what you're NOT doing because you're too busy watching them.

Where Your Attention Is Actually Going

Let's be honest about what's happening when you're in comparison mode.

You're scrolling their Instagram. You're checking their website. You're asking around about their prices. You're wondering how they're getting so many likes. You're trying to figure out if they're "doing it better" than you.

That's attention. That's energy. That's time.

And none of it is going toward your business.

While you're watching them, you're not:

• Following up with your customers

• Working on your marketing

• Improving your systems

• Planning your next season

• Doing the things that actually move your business forward

Your business needs your attention. And you're giving it away to someone who isn't even thinking about you.

Because here's the other truth: they're probably way behind where you actually are. They're just starting. They're figuring it out. They don't have your experience, your relationships, your reputation.

But you're treating them like they're about to overtake you.

The "Together" Narrative On Social Media

I know what else is happening. You're looking at their social media and they look so put together.

Their photos are beautiful. Their captions are clever. They seem to have it all figured out.

And you're comparing their highlight reel to your behind-the-scenes chaos.

You see their success. You don't see their struggles. You don't see the late nights, the failed crops, the customer complaints, the financial stress.

You just see the curated version. And you assume that's the whole story.

But it's not. It never is.

Everyone is struggling with something. Everyone is figuring it out as they go. Everyone has parts of their business that feel like a mess.

You just don't see it because they're not posting about it.

So stop comparing your messy reality to someone else's polished feed. It's not a fair comparison. And it's not serving you.

What You're Forgetting

Here's what I need you to remember: what you're doing is working.

I know that because you're still here.

You're still in business. You still have customers. You're still growing things and selling them and making it work.

That's not nothing. That's everything.

If what you were doing wasn't working, you wouldn't still be here. You would have quit. You would have closed up shop. You would have moved on.

But you didn't. You're still showing up. You're still running your business. You're still making it happen.

That means something is working. And you need to give yourself credit for that.

Instead of worrying about what that other farm is doing, ask yourself: what's working in MY business right now? What do I need to keep doing? What needs my attention?

Because that's where your energy needs to go. Not on them. On you.

The Threatened Energy

I get it. You finally feel like you're hitting your stride and now someone else is stepping into your space. It feels vulnerable. It feels like they could mess it all up for you.

But that threatened energy? That's just fear talking.

Fear that you're not good enough. Fear that there's not enough to go around. Fear that you'll lose what you've worked so hard to build.

But here's what fear does: it makes you focus on the wrong thing.

Instead of focusing on serving your customers better, you're focusing on what the competition is doing.

Instead of focusing on improving your business, you're focusing on protecting your territory.

Instead of focusing on growth, you're focusing on scarcity.

And that shift in focus is what actually threatens your business. Not them. You.

What Would Happen If You Stopped Watching

What if you just stopped?

What if you stopped checking their Instagram? What if you stopped asking about their prices? What if you stopped comparing yourself to them?

What if you took all that attention and energy and time and poured it back into your own business?

What would change?

You'd probably follow up with that customer you've been meaning to call. You'd probably finish that marketing project you've been putting off. You'd probably work on that system that would make your life easier.

You'd probably feel less anxious. Less threatened. Less stuck.

Because you'd be moving forward instead of standing still and watching someone else move.

Eyes On Your Own Page Ya’ll

Here's the practice: eyes on your own page.

When you catch yourself comparing, when you catch yourself watching, when you catch yourself feeling threatened, just redirect.

Eyes on your own page. What does MY business need right now? What's the next thing I need to do? Where does my attention need to go?

Not what they're doing. What YOU'RE doing.

This isn't about pretending other farms don't exist. It's not about putting blinders on and ignoring the market.

It's about recognizing that your business thrives when you tend to it. And it suffers when you don't.

And every minute you spend watching someone else is a minute you're not spending on your own work.

The Real Competition

You want to know who your real competition is? It's not that farm down the road.

It's you. On a day when you're not showing up. On a day when you're distracted. On a day when you're letting fear drive the bus instead of intention.

That's your competition. Not them.

So stop giving them so much power. Stop letting them distract you. Stop treating them like a threat when they're just trying to figure it out like everyone else.

What you're doing is working. Keep doing it. Keep tending your own farm. Keep showing up for your customers. Keep improving your systems.

Keep your eyes on your own page.

That's how you build something that lasts. Not by watching everyone else. But by doing your own work.

The Invitation

This week, I want you to notice when comparison creeps in.

When you catch yourself checking on that other farm, when you catch yourself feeling threatened, when you catch yourself spiraling into "what if they take my customers," just pause.

And ask yourself: where does my attention actually need to go right now?

Then redirect it there.

Your business needs you. Not watching them. Tending to what you've built.

Eyes on your own page. Always.

You're doing a great job. What you've built matters. And it's working.

Don't let comparison steal your focus from what's already good.

If you need support staying focused on your own work and tuning out the noise, I'm here. You can schedule a free chat anytime at FarmCoachKatia.com/work-with-me.