Grow Your Local Business Podcast: “Competitor-Based Decisions”

Host: Leslie Presnall
Episode: 137
Date: October 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Leslie Presnall explores how local business owners often make critical decisions based on their competitors, usually to their own detriment. Leslie breaks down four primary areas where “competitor-based decisions” keep business owners stuck, invisible, or playing small. She highlights the mindset shifts required to move away from competitor-driven choices and build a thriving, resilient local business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Decisions About Content and Ideas

[02:00–08:00]

• Many local business owners hold back on sharing content, ideas, or client wins fearing competitors will copy them.

• Withholding knowledge (behind-the-scenes, client results, educational posts) stifles connection with your audience and sabotages your visibility as the local expert.

• Leslie introduces her “Local Client Filter” tool, urging business owners to focus on serving their best clients rather than policing competitors.

• Insight: If someone wants your ideas, they’ll find them elsewhere. Holding back only hurts your business.

• Mindset Shift: See yourself as an “idea factory”—always able to generate more and better ideas, so there’s no need to fear sharing.

  “When you believe that about yourself, you won’t fear sharing things, you won’t fear showing up because what you’re sharing is not your last best idea.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [06:30]

2. Decisions in Local Networking & Relationships

[08:00–12:30]

• Skipping local networking events or collaborations to avoid competitors limits your growth.

• It’s natural to feel awkward, angry, or inadequate in the presence of competitors, but Leslie insists you “get really good at feeling uncomfortable and go to the event anyway.”

• Insight: Avoiding growth opportunities only benefits competitors, as they keep showing up and expanding their reach.

  “Allow that emotion to be there. Get really good at feeling uncomfortable and go to the event anyway... Because what’s the alternative? You don’t go, you don’t network, you don’t meet people, you stop being visible, you stop growing your audience. All because you didn’t want to feel a negative emotion.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [10:30]

3. Decisions About Pricing and Offers

[12:30–17:00]

• Many adjust prices or services strictly in reaction to competitor moves—lowering prices out of fear of being “too expensive,” or raising them before having the confidence.
• Some add new services just to keep up, leading to frantic energy and straying from their core business strengths.
• Others avoid launching new offers for fear of being seen as a copycat.
• Insight: All these decisions are about the competitor, not about serving clients better.

4. Decisions About Seeking Support and Education

[17:00–23:00]

• Some hesitate to join trainings, programs, or ask questions for fear competitors might be in the same space, see their struggles, or steal ideas.

• This avoidance slows personal and business growth, while competitors keep advancing.

• Leslie emphasizes the importance of allowing vulnerability, embarrassment, or discomfort so you can gain the knowledge and coaching needed to succeed.

  “It’s not that you have to feel great that the person’s in the program. It’s not that you have to be excited that they’re there, but it’s about allowance of the negative emotion... That’s how you succeed. When you don’t allow the emotions and you avoid them, your business stalls.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [21:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Content Scarcity:
  “If someone took a content idea, fine. Like I’ll be onto another one, a better one by tomorrow.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [05:30]

• On Emotional Risk:
  “The worst case scenario in any scenario is you’re going to feel a negative emotion, you’re going to feel awkward, you’re going to feel angry, you’re going to feel less than—whatever it is. Allow that emotion to be there.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [09:30]

• On Focusing Forward:
  “Who cares if they rip it off? It’s just one idea, it’s one post. Like there’s hundreds more coming.”
  —Leslie Presnall, [19:30]

Action Steps & Reflection Questions

[23:00–end]

• Leslie prompts listeners to reflect:
  • Where am I making competitor-based decisions in my business?
  • Where am I holding back out of fear around competitors?
  • Where am I not giving my business what it needs to grow?
• Encourages joining the LocalPreneur Academy for focused local strategy and mindset support.

Episode Structure with Timestamps

• [00:00] Intro (skipped)
• [00:20] Why competitor-based decisions matter
• [02:00] Content decisions: Withholding ideas and visibility
• [08:00] Networking decisions: Avoiding events and collaborations
• [12:30] Pricing and offer decisions: Reactive changes
• [17:00] Support/education decisions: Holding back on learning/growth opportunities
• [23:00] Reflection questions and LocalPreneur Academy invitation

Tone and Speaker Language

Leslie addresses listeners as fellow local business owners, using a warm, conversational coaching tone. She candidly acknowledges the emotional side of business decisions (“You get to have human reactions”) and encourages self-compassion, transparency, and growth.

Summary Conclusion

This episode delivers a practical, mindset-based framework for recognizing and overcoming competitor-obsessed behavior. Leslie’s core message is to refocus on clients, embrace one’s own expertise, and pursue growth opportunities despite discomfort or fear of competition. The episode empowers local business owners to build visibility, confidence, and a unique value proposition—regardless of what competitors are doing.