When I was 13, I became fascinated with magic.

When I was 13, I became fascinated with magic.

It began during a family trip to Disney World.

There, I bought my first magic kit from a hotel gift shop.

For the rest of the trip, I performed tricks for my family.

Christian The Magician was born.

When we returned home, I continued to hone my skills.

I even convinced Mom to sign me up for lessons at a local magic shop.

Soon after, I was performing in front of audiences.

School talent shows.

Kids’ birthday parties.

I felt like I was the next David Copperfield.

Then I had a big idea.

I’d perform my grandest magic show yet…

The annual family BBQ.

Our backyard was the perfect stage.

I enlisted my neighborhood buddies as assistants.

We practiced for weeks.

Feeling ambitious, I even added “pyrotechnics” (aka leftover 4th of July fireworks).

Finally, the big day.

The show went smoothly.

I got laughs.

I got oohhs.

I got ahhs.

But after I concluded, the unexpected happened.

A family friend’s date revealed he was a professional magician.

He went to his car and grabbed his gear.

The pro performed a mesmerizing show.

It had everyone enthralled.

He got 10 times the laughs, oohhs, and ahhs.

I felt upstaged and disheartened.

The nerve of this guy!

But then it hit me.

This guy wasn’t my enemy.

He was showing me what’s possible in the world of magic.

Fast forward to today.

My team and I are conducting competitive analyses.

We’re studying competitors who’ve reached the success we aim for.

It’s been eye-opening and inspirational.

We’re unlocking new strategic insights.

Identifying strengths and weaknesses.

Finding previously unseen white space.

The path forward is clearer.

So, the lesson.

Embrace competition.

That pro magician didn’t bring me down.

He raised the bar for me.

Knowing what’s out there helps us aim higher and set new goals.

Competition isn’t about defeating others.

It’s about bettering ourselves.