The ultimate test in leadership (and not losing your mind)

Okay, let’s talk about something that absolutely grinds my gears. Copycats. You know, those people who lurk in the background, take notes and then suddenly, boom they pop up with something eerily similar to what YOU created. And you’re just standing there like, ummm, excuse me?

Recently, I had one of those moments. A past client straight up copied multiple elements of my business. Not just an “inspired by” situation, but a full-blown “yup, I’m taking this and making it mine” kind of deal. And let me tell you … I was NOT HAPPY.

The gut punch of being copied

At first, my reaction was pure emotion. We’re talking the full rage cycle of shock, betrayal, frustration, even a little sadness. Because here’s the thing – my business isn’t just a business. It’s ME. It’s built on my story, my experiences, my energy and my hard earned knowledge. So when someone copies it, it’s not just business, it’s personal.

Sitting in the mess

In the past, I probably would’ve shoved these feelings down and told myself to “be the bigger person”. But you know what? I let myself feel all of it. I sat in the mess, ranted to my people, maybe shed a tear (or 10) and let myself actually process what was happening.

And honestly? That was necessary. Because pretending it didn’t bother me wouldn’t have helped, it did bother me. It hurt. And I wasn’t about to gaslight myself into thinking otherwise.

The hard truth … people copy what works

Once I moved through the emotional hurricane, I had a realisation … this only happened because what I do is damn good. People don’t copy boring, mediocre, forgettable stuff. They copy what works. What’s impactful. What makes them go, “damn, I need that.”

And as much as that realisation didn’t erase the frustration, it did give me perspective. This wasn’t a sign to shrink back, it was a wake up call to own my space even more boldly.

Stepping up

Here’s what I know for sure – being a leader isn’t about dodging challenges, it’s about handling them with grace (or, in my case, an appropriate amount of rage followed by action). I had two choices 👇🏻

1. Stay mad, spiral into self doubt and waste my energy on something I can’t control.
2. Use this as fuel to step the hell up and claim my space even harder.

I chose option 2.

I reinforced my boundaries. I protected my work (yup, even trademarked my new name) And most importantly? I let this be the push I needed to rise to my next level, a level where I refuse to play small just because someone else wants to ride my coattails.

What this means for YOU

If you’ve ever had someone copy your work, take credit for your ideas, or straight up disrespect the effort you put in, listen to me … YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.

Your work matters. Your voice matters. Your impact is real. And yeah, it’s normal to be angry, upset, even devastated. But don’t let it make you bitter, let it make you unstoppable.

Because at the end of the day, copycats? They’ll never be you. They can copy the what, but they can’t copy the why. And that? That’s your power.

So keep going. Keep showing up. Keep leading.