The 2016 Bloglovin’ Awards took place just two days ago, and you all know that our sister, Azalle, was nominated for Best Blogger Business…
But we didn’t win - that’s ok (BTW major thanks to everyone who voted!). We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share an important life lesson: Accepting loss with class! It’s obvious that no one ever wants to lose. When you invest an infinite of hours into something (to the point where you’re physically drained), losing means taking a blow to your pride - a downward spiral of your self-esteem. It’s all perspective though… There are two sides to every story and we suggest clinging to the positive…
- Step 1: Bow out.
Once we found out we were nominated, we knew we were up against some heavy-weights after seeing the contenders, e.g. Glossier, Two Songs, and Chloe Digital. These are blogger businesses hatched up by major talent whom we also respect. We’d worked hard on Azalle despite a few roadblocks and were so grateful for our amazing support network (YOU)! But when Glossier was announced, we also knew the votes were fair and accepted our loss.
- Step 2: Recognize there’s talent in the winner.
Winners don’t win for nothing and they don’t (always) win out of deceit. Therefore, you should recognize the talent, the skill, and the audacity of the winner. When you fail to acknowledge that, you’ve become the real loser. The right thing to do is keep your head up and emotions in check no matter how disappointed or angry you feel.
We love and admire the business of Glossier - Emily Weiss built such a fun and amazing beauty brand after years of amassing data from her readers… That win was well-deserved, and to be able to sit alongside her as a nominee, we’re quite proud.
- Step 3: Know that there’s more to learn from a loss than a win.
There is winning in losing!
Not discounting anyone’s wins, but you don’t gain much from it outside of recognition… When you lose, you analyze - what could have been better? What do I need to work on? How can I improve? Then you go out and make shit happen. That’s the right mentality anytime you lose.
- Step 4: Never quit.
Winners NEVER quit trying to win. You won’t learn much when in the midst of “not quitting”, but those lessons will come years down the road. In the meantime, keep working hard for what you’re after - the time will pass - and your big break will come.
You Should Also Read:
The Right Way to Handle Harsh Feedback
The Easy Two-Step Process to Building Better Habits
What to Do About Negative Blog Comments
