So the other day, a client came to me suuuuuper frustrated over something I’ve been hearing about more and more lately:   

COPYCATS.  *dun dun duuuuun*

That’s right, unicorns, someone literally copied one of her posts word-for-word.  

And now they were taking alllll the credit for it.  #PartyFoulNumeroUno 

So I told her, “Listen, boo — at the end of the day, YOU have all the original ideas, and they don’t. They see something in you that’s way beyond their reach, and they’re just trying to emulate it.”  

Pretty obvious, riiiiiight? 

Except if you’ve ever dealt with this yourself, it still reeeeally sucks.   

Even so, ask yourself –- would you prefer being the one with all the inspiring content …or would you rather spend your energy trying to be “like” that person?

I think the answer’s clear.

And if I’m being suuuper-duper honest, this kind of thing happens to me allllll the time.  

One person even mirrored my entire Instagram bio format and wording (like, the whole dang thing, whaaaaat?!), …shifting just a few key brand words (like the name of the program) to make it less obvious—yiiikes.

And while I admit this can get a bit old, it’s really not worth my time or energy to react to it. 

I usually just let it go.

However, there are times when I choose to say something. Like this past weekend, for example. 

One of my own clients put out a new program with the same lesson titles as my signature processes. 

Girl, you betta believe I reached out! But not because I was pissed off—because I knew this was an opportunity for her to learn AND step into her own power and magic.

I wasn’t rude or anything, but I told her, “Listen, I know you have the best intentions, but you’re selling something that comes awwwwfully close to my branded processes, and I wanna challenge you to deliver this with wording that’s unique to YOU –- from a place of YOUR personal power.”

Guess what? — she replied almost immediately, apologizing and revealing that she didn’t even realize she was mirroring my stuff so closely. We then went on to talk about more important things and everything is totally gucci!

And THIS, peeps, is the thing you need to remember whenever this happens to you.  

Sure, some people rip you off on purpose. But others, like my client, just instinctively follow whatever they see around them without realizing how specific it is to the person they’re learning it from — ‘SPECIALLY when they’re just starting their biz and are trying to figure out what works.  

We’ve alllllll been there — it’s simply in our nature to look at someone making waves and unconsciously try the same stuff, hoping we’ll get those big-time results for ourselves. 

When I first started in my own bizshiz, I had nooooo idea what I was doing.  But I did know my coach had 3 and 6-month coaching programs. So I offered the same thing, along with talking about the exact same things she spoke about. 

The result? — Errrrything I did ended up being sooooo unoriginal, and it didn’t sell!

CLEARLY I had my work cut out for me, and it was a real challenge and commitment to find my original voice and style, but eventually I worked through it and built things to the point where I was no longer the copier.  

Finnnnnallly, I was… the copy-ee!! 

And from this new space of awareness, I’ve discovered a few things about copying others …and being copied by them…that you really need to know.

INSIGHT #1– Don’t Let The Fear Of Other People Swiping Your Work Prevent You From Sharing Your Knowledge COMPLETELY.

It’s waaaaay too easy to worry about others stealing my content and making a name for themselves off MY hard work.  But that type of fear can only come from a mindset of scarcity, and that’s NOT how I got where I am.

So remember — We can never let some bullshit illusion of scarcity stop us from being all of who we really are …because WE’RE the ones with the ideas and inspiration. And the world’s counting on us to share them (like, really!!). 

NObody (including copycats) can do what you can do, like you can do it.  

NObody can deliver that result for their clients like you, or improve their lives like you. 

NObody else has your magic! And trust me, witch — people can always, alllllways feel it when your content is coming from a place of true authenticity. It can’t be faked.  

So do you, boo, and let everything else sort itself out. You’ll still be standing (and soaring on that broomstick!) when all’s said and done.

INSIGHT #2– Ask The Right Questions, Get The Right Answers

When you’re deciding how much you want to share …OR trying to figure out whether you should confront someone who’s plagiarizing you …the best thing to ask yourself is:

“What will actually serve people (aka you, the person involved, and the world) the MOST?”  

Choose THAT.

When I first created my certification course, I was terrified the person who originally taught me would think I was just copying her.

But my course was unique. It was different. It was …ME.

And I chose to “serve the most people” by creating this radically different way for them to become master practitioners themselves!  — TOP leaders who can confidently facilitate miracle-style results with their clients (AND with themselves) – all in a way that makes them so unique that copycats can’t even come close to touching their work.  

It’s all about following your heart, deciding where to focus your energy, and taking action that is ecological (aka is in the best interest of errrryone involved).

INSIGHT #3– Always Remember, When They Copy You — It’s NOT Personal 

Suuuuure, it might feel like a jab in the back, but you know what they say about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.  

It only feels personal because as rockstars in the coaching industry, we ARE our brand.  Our content doesn’t just come from us — It IS us!

But please remember most people don’t have bad intentions when they jack your style. They’re just trying to figure it all out for themselves. They have no desire to harm you and probably need your compassion.

INSIGHT #4– Your Magic Comes From YOU And NOOOOOBODY Else

This is about tapping into YOUR magic. So if by chance you’re still mirroring what others are doing, it’s okay! Just know that the sooner you begin to trust yourself and your OWN potency, the faster you’ll get YUGE results (and I mean yuuuuuge!)

More than you’ll ever realize, people want to hear things that are authentic to who YOU really are. And you owe it to yourself to create something that is 100% unique …in your own amazing voice.  

Don’t get me wrong, unicorns — it’s still okay to be inspired by others. 

Just make sure you’re true to yourself while you do it. You might even want to look to other industries besides coaching when you’re choosing what content will inspire you.  

This coaching “world” is smaller than you think, and if all your audience gets is the saaaame format with errrry single person they’re following, it’s going to get reeeeeal boring reeeeeeeeeeal fast!  

So give them something new and different instead! You have WAY more magic in yourself than you realize, and once you begin to allow yourself to express it, your potency will reach heights you never before imagined (whhhhaaaatt!!!!).  

Finally, don’t get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to everyone else out there and allowing yourself to feel inferior in any way.  

They’re on their path, and you’re on yours.

You’re already badass and you’re already amazing. So stay in your zone of genius and let your magic flow. 

In fact, if you ever find yourself feeling bad about your progress after reading content from other influencers, start getting way pickier about who you keep tabs on — and even unfollow people if it’s clear they’re influencing you too much or keeping you from stepping into your full authentic self.  

Surround yourself ONLY with things and people that INSPIRE you and make you feel EMPOWERED.

…And if you’re not yet feeling confident about your magic, just know that this is something we go waaaay deeper into inside the Integrative Alchemy™ Practitioner Certification.

It’s a massive culmination of over 10 years of work, combining my most powerful practices, processes, modalities, principles, techniques, and exercises so that you annnnd your clients can enjoy a level of potency you’ve never experienced before. 

You’re gonna be blown away by all of it!

The program is more than half-full already, so if you think you’re finally ready to take your life AND biz to the next level, check it out and apply today.

I’d love for you to walk out of this program with a new level of confidence, knowing you’re creating from a place of TRUE magic, power and authenticity – to the point where if someone copies you — well, that’s just plain okay because they’ll neeevver eeevvvvverrrr be able to access the infinite well of magic inside you that’s yours and yours alone.  

If you have any last q’s about it at all, hit me up in the DMs over on IG or email me at magic@lexidangelo.com. 

Regardless of where you’re at, unicorns, remember, we’re all human and we’re all doing our very best. So let’s stay focused on our OWN stuff and recognize that we have so much value to give when we’re focusing on truly being our authentic selves.

Love + Magic,

Lexi