I just saw a commercial where Taco Bell is dropping a chicken taco. And it made me think…

Fast food restaurants do it all the time — they tap into each other’s lanes. Popeyes sold chicken sandwiches to compete with Chick-fil-A. McDonald’s sells coffee drinks like Starbucks. Taco Bell’s out here serving breakfast, chicken, and pizza-inspired items.

Nobody says, “They shouldn’t do that.” We just pull up to the drive-thru and support it.

But let someone like me — who’s been selling hair for 13 years — say, “Now it’s time for me to step into another market,” and suddenly people got questions. Suddenly, it’s, “Why she doing that? Why she switching lanes?”

Truth is, business is business. Expansion is smart.

It’s just like walking down the bread aisle. You’ve got 10 different brands selling the same thing — and they all find ways to stand out. So the real question isn’t, “Why are you doing something different?” The question is, “What makes your brand stand out from the rest?”

Because here’s my answer: I stand out because I’m me. My vision. My standard. My name on it.

That’s the difference.