A Business Thought Experiment - # 2 – Create, Don’t Compete

… how to create a blue ocean strategy for coaches, trainers, consultants and independent service professionals.

"Create, don’t compete"
- Ana Rosenberg

If you’re a coach, trainer, consultant, or service professional, this idea might just change the way you approach your business. In a world where competition can feel like a never-ending cycle of trying to stand out in an overcrowded space, what if the solution wasn’t to compete harder—but to create differently?

This is the essence of learning how to create a blue ocean strategy for coaches and consultants, a concept introduced in the groundbreaking books ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ and ‘Blue Ocean Shift’ by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne.

Unlike the bloody waters of a red ocean—where businesses fight over the same pool of clients—a blue ocean is full of opportunity, innovation, and freedom.

It’s not about looking at your competition or trying to outdo them. In fact, that’s the very thing to avoid. Instead, the path to a blue ocean lies in rethinking how you increase the value you deliver.

Let’s explore how you can shift your thinking to uncover your blue ocean and leave the competition behind.


Thought Experiment

“What if you stopped looking at your competition and started looking at why people aren’t buying from your industry?”

This question, inspired by ‘Blue Ocean Shift’, invites you to see how to create a blue ocean strategy for coaches and consultants by looking at your business through a completely different lens.

Think about it…

Non-clients are often overlooked because the focus is usually on winning over the same pool of clients everyone else is chasing.

But what if the real opportunity lies with those who’ve chosen not to engage with your industry at all?


Next Step

By examining the reasons behind why people are non-clients, you might uncover a whole new way to serve, innovate, and carve out your blue ocean.

If the idea of creating instead of competing resonates with you, I encourage you to dive into ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ and ‘Blue Ocean Shift’ by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne.

Together, these books offer a powerful lens to look through—one that can inspire rapid business growth by shifting your focus away from competition and toward innovation and possibility.

Start with ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ to understand the foundational principles of how to create a blue ocean strategy for coaches and consultants, and then move on to ‘Blue Ocean Shift’ for practical steps to apply these concepts in your own business.

You’ll leave with a time-tested framework, concrete examples, and a whole new way of thinking about your offers.

Till next time, remember… Your brilliance is portable. You can take it with you anywhere and everywhere, including creating your very own blue ocean.

With all my love,

Ana

Resources

 Blue Ocean Strategy 
 Blue Ocean Shift 

 A Business Thought Experiment - #1 - Imagination In Action