328. The Comparison Trap: What to Do When Everyone Else Seems Further Ahead

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Salome Schillack

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Discover The Gap In Your Online Course Marketing And Unlock Its Full Earning Potential

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follow @the_launch_lounge

I love helping course creators advertise and market their courses well!

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Your First $10K Online Course Launch

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follow @the_launch_lounge

I love helping course creators advertise and market their courses well!

I created The Launch Lounge to provide training and coaching resources to help you master marketing so you can make a global impact, build a highly profitable business, and live life on your own terms.

Hi, I'm Salome

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Why That 300K Launch You Saw on Instagram Might Be Hiding a 240K Price Tag

Why That 300K Launch You Saw on Instagram Might Be Hiding a 240K Price Tag

That sinking feeling when someone in your Facebook group celebrates a massive launch win while you're still grinding away? I'm calling it out today. 🚀

Here's what nobody tells you: that 300K launch you're comparing yourself to probably cost 240K to run. But you don't see the ad spend, the team costs, or the five failed launches before that one. You just see the highlight reel and suddenly you're spiraling into “what am I doing wrong?” territory. Last week, a student of mine who made $47,000 in her last launch was ready to quit—not because she failed, but because someone else's success looked bigger on Instagram.

If you're a course creator, coach, or online expert who's ever thought “she started after me and she's already further ahead,” this episode is your permission slip to stop the madness. I'm sharing the exact framework I gave my student that took her from “I'm done” to mapping out her entire first quarter for 2026 by morning. Because comparison isn't actually your enemy—it's trying to tell you something useful. You just need to know how to translate it.

“Comparison is information. It is not true. It's your job to translate that information into something useful instead of using it as a weapon against yourself.” ✨

🔥 In This Episode:

  • Discover why your brain is literally wired to compare (and why there's nothing wrong with you for feeling jealous)
  • Identify the three sneaky comparison traps that quietly wreck your momentum as a course creator
  • Learn my four-step comparison reset you can use in real-time when you get triggered
  • Write your own permission slips to finally let go of the “I should be further along” story
  • Transform jealousy into strategic clarity so you can build a business that works for YOUR life

Grab your favorite coffee and let's untangle that comparison spiral together. ☕️

💚 💚 💚 

Salome

✨ Part of the Tuesday/Thursday crew? Show me your listening spot! Snap a pic and share it on Instagram Stories tagging @the_launch_lounge or email podcast@thelaunchlounge.com. Seeing our community in action seriously makes my day – can't wait to feature you! 💫


⏱️ Chapter Guide:

(00:00) The $47K launch that almost ended in quitting (and the three things that stopped the spiral) 

(02:56) Why your cave woman brain makes comparison feel like a survival threat 

(05:47) Trap #1: The dangerous game of comparing revenue without context 

(07:30) Trap #2: Why comparing seasons is like getting mad your tomato seeds aren't a garden yet 

(08:45) Trap #3: The bicycle vs. airplane problem (comparing completely different business models) 

(09:11) The first time I felt genuinely resentful in my business (and what I learned)

(11:49) Three permission slips every course creator needs to write for themselves 

(14:57) The four-step comparison reset framework you can use in real-time

(21:12) How to turn jealousy into data instead of a weapon against yourself

(24:03) Your new story for 2026: Building a business that works for YOUR life


📚 Resources Mentioned:

>> The Launch Lounge 12-Part Series for 2026 Planning

>> Share your comparison story on Instagram: Tag @the_launch_lounge

>> Email your listening setup photo to: podcast@thelaunchlounge.com

>> Other episodes you might like: 327. The Real Cost of DIY: When to Invest in Help for Your Business

>> Other episodes you might like: 326. The Permission Slip You’ve Been Waiting For

>> Other episodes you might like: 325. How to Audit Your 2025 Revenue: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What to Double Down On


🎙️ Click Here To Listen Wherever Your Get Your Podcasts 🎙️


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