Be a Creator!

'Karen and Jay share why creating is more powerful — and more fulfilling — than simply competing.'

Have you ever come across the idea — that it’s far better to create rather than to simply compete? It’s a powerful thought. Because competition, by definition, often assumes a limited pie. Winners. Losers. Someone up. Someone down. Creation, on the other hand, opens doors. It expands possibilities. It allows everyone involved to win.

When we create something new — a business, a solution, a relationship, a product, a path forward — we’re not trying to beat someone else. We’re adding value. We’re making the world a little bigger, a little better, a little more abundant. That mindset shift alone can completely change how we approach challenges in life and work.

Think about some of the most impactful ideas in America. Apple didn’t win by out-competing existing phone makers — they created an entirely new way to interact with technology. Southwest Airlines didn’t try to beat legacy carriers at their own game — they created a new category built around simplicity, affordability, and fun. Creation opened space where competition didn’t even exist yet.

You see this same principle at the local level too. An entrepreneur who opens a new café isn’t stealing customers — they’re creating a gathering place. A teacher who designs a new program isn’t competing with colleagues — they’re creating opportunity for students. A community that launches a new festival or tradition isn’t outdoing the next town — it’s creating joy and connection.

America has always been at its best when we choose to create. To build. To imagine. To see possibility where others see limits. So this week, let’s lean into that idea. Let’s be creators — of ideas, solutions, conversations, and opportunities. Because when we create, everyone has the chance to win.

Grow the Pie: Creating in Business

In business, the creator mindset can be the difference between stagnation and success. Too often, companies focus only on beating competitors — price wars, copycat products, zero-sum thinking. But the businesses that truly thrive are the ones that create something new and valuable.

Take Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. She didn’t try to outcompete existing undergarment companies. She created a product that simply didn’t exist — and in doing so, opened an entirely new market. Her success came not from fighting for scraps, but from expanding the pie.

Closer to home, think of small New England manufacturers who reinvent themselves by creating custom products, niche services, or entirely new customer experiences. They don’t win by being “better than” everyone else. They win by being different — by creating.

Creation also shows up in partnerships. When two companies collaborate instead of compete, new value emerges. Shared distribution. Shared expertise. Shared wins. Suddenly, 1 + 1 equals 3.

The lesson is simple but profound: when you stop asking “How do I beat them?” and start asking “What can I create?”, new paths appear. And often, those paths lead to growth, loyalty, and long-term success.

Words That Build: Creating Through Communication

Communication is one of the most powerful places we can choose to be creators instead of competitors. Conversations don’t need to be debates. They don’t need winners and losers. They can be spaces where understanding, trust, and new ideas are created.

Great leaders know this instinctively. They don’t dominate conversations — they shape them. They ask thoughtful questions. They listen deeply. They create room for others to contribute. In doing so, they build alignment rather than resistance.

Think of Fred Rogers, who didn’t compete for attention by being louder or flashier than other television hosts. He created calm. He created safety. He created a place where children — and adults — felt seen and valued. That creation has lasted generations.

In our daily lives, we have the same opportunity. A well-timed compliment. A thoughtful note. A calm response instead of a sharp one. These moments create goodwill instead of friction.

Words can tear down. Or they can build. When we choose to communicate as creators, we don’t just exchange information — we create connection.

The Third Way: Creating in Negotiation

Negotiation is often portrayed as a contest. Someone wins. Someone loses. But the most successful negotiators know a secret: the best outcomes are usually created, not fought over.

Harvard’s Roger Fisher, co-author of Getting to Yes, popularized the idea of looking for mutual gains — the “third way.” Instead of arguing over positions, focus on interests. Instead of dividing a fixed pie, create a bigger one.

A classic example comes from a labor dispute where management wanted lower costs and workers wanted higher pay. The breakthrough didn’t come from compromise — it came from creation. Together, they designed productivity incentives that raised output, increased wages, and improved profitability. Everyone won.

This happens every day in real life. In family decisions. In business deals. In community planning. When we stop pushing against each other and start creating together, solutions emerge that no one saw at the beginning.

Being a creator in negotiation requires curiosity, patience, and imagination. But the payoff is enormous: stronger relationships, better outcomes, and agreements that actually last.

Playing to Create: Innovation in Sports

Sports may look like pure competition — but the greatest breakthroughs come from creation. New strategies. New styles. New ways of playing the game.

Think of Bill Walsh, who didn’t try to outmuscle opponents in football. He created the West Coast offense — a system built on precision, timing, and creativity. It transformed the NFL and changed the game forever.

Or Steph Curry, who didn’t compete to be the biggest or strongest player on the court. He created a new way to use shooting, spacing, and movement. Entire defenses — and entire teams — had to evolve because of his creativity.

Even at the youth and high school levels, the best coaches encourage creativity. They teach kids to think, adapt, and problem-solve — not just follow rigid rules. The result? More fun. More engagement. Better teams.

Sports remind us that creativity isn’t the opposite of competition — it’s what elevates it. When athletes create, the game itself gets better.

Profile of the Week: Walt Disney — The Ultimate Creator

Few Americans embody the power of creation more than Walt Disney. At a time when animation was short, simple, and disposable, Disney imagined something entirely different — storytelling that was rich, emotional, and timeless.

He didn’t compete with existing studios by doing more of the same. He created new worlds. New characters. New experiences. Mickey Mouse. Disneyland. Animated feature films. Each was an act of bold imagination.

Disney faced setbacks — failed businesses, financial strain, skepticism from critics — but he kept creating. He believed deeply that if you could imagine something meaningful, you could bring it to life.

What’s remarkable is that Disney’s creations didn’t just entertain — they inspired. Generations of artists, engineers, storytellers, and entrepreneurs found permission to dream bigger because he did.

Walt Disney reminds us that creation isn’t about perfection. It’s about vision. Courage. And the willingness to build something that didn’t exist before.

Quote of the Week

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”— Buckminster Fuller