Disadvantage is Advantage
An Asia fashion brand trying to grow in Paris.
A Korean car brand trying to win in Germany.
A Korean florist trying to find her niche in the Netherlands.
Do you see where I am going with this?
I remember feeling hopeless as a florist here in the Netherlands as I couldn’t see how I might compete. There are several flower shops in every shopping street. The flower prices are so competitive. The typical Dutch shopper at any corner flower shop loves to chat away inside the store, creating a very gezellig(friendly) vibe, a jealous scene for an English speaking person like me. I really could not find my competitive edge in this environment to succeed as a florist.
But just when I started to feel desperate, I started to see a stream of light. The first insight was that there were a lot of non-Dutch people living in or visiting the Netherlands. Most of my workshop participants were actually these people. The fact that my workshops were a gathering point for this diverse community meant something. The second insight was that the abundant flowers and the market infrastructure in the Netherlands was a tour-worthy sight. In fact, there was already a big flower tour business - e.g. Keukenhof or Aalsmeer flower auction - that’s very well known. The third point was that for these flower-interested expats or visitors, adding a hands-on floral workshop is a very fitting new element to the conventional sightseeing that we can uniquely provide.
I started to see the advantage of my situation. Now, this happened only when I stepped outside of my immediate surroundings, though. It was during my flower retreat in Belgium that I could see my environments pros and cons as well as my own unique angle. When some of my flower friends from the U.S. and Asia visited me, they saw my advantage even more clearly. There was something there - unique, exciting, meaningful and llife-sustaining.
So here are my (dis)advantages once again.
That I am an English speaking Korean in the Netherlands who has lived here for 12 years. This means that I understand what most expats go through in their work life and social circles. I know the importance of hobbies and communities for these people to have a great living experience in the Netherlands.
That I have had a long corporate life. This means that I have experienced burnouts and all the other tiresome corporate bullshits. When someone comes to my studio to escape the office-grind, I know exactly what I can provide to help reduce their stress.
That I don’t have a retail flower shop. On the one hand, it means that I would never have those frequent walkers by, stopping in for a quick order of a bouquet. But for me, I get the flexibility where I can still be in Germany receiving online orders without having to be at my physical store. And no monthly rental cost to worry about.
When we talk about weakness vs. strength, or advantage vs. disadvantage, there are no absolute rules. There is always a perspective that will make you see the positive side of any situation. The key is to let your eyes see opportunities from where you are. Perhaps, you must first tell yourself to believe that being different is good. Because that’s where the differentiation starts. And then feed your mind with optimism. When you know that there is always a way to frame the reality to your advantage, you will find that path more easily.
What’s your biggest (dis)advantage today?