Why You Should Stop Chasing Trends as a Brand Owner and Assert Yourself as a Trendsetter

If you're running your spray tan business by watching what everyone else is doing and copying it two weeks later, you're not building a brand. You're building a knockoff.

And here's the thing about knockoffs: they're forgettable. They blend in. They compete on price because they have nothing else to offer. And eventually, they get left behind when the next trend hits and they're too late to catch up again.

The spray tan industry is full of people chasing trends. Copying captions. Mimicking aesthetics. Jumping on whatever's going viral without asking if it even makes sense for their business. And then they wonder why they're not standing out, why clients aren't loyal, why growth feels impossible.

It's because you can't lead by following.

If you want to build something that lasts—something people actually remember and choose over every other option—you need to stop chasing and start setting.

Trend-Chasing Is Exhausting (And It Doesn't Work)

Let's be honest: keeping up with trends is a full-time job. The second you nail one, it's already over and something new is taking its place. You're always behind. Always reactive. Always trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing instead of figuring out what you do best.

And even when you manage to hop on a trend at the right time, you're still just one of a hundred people doing the exact same thing. You're not memorable. You're not different. You're just there.

Clients don't book you because you're doing what everyone else is doing. They book you because you're doing something no one else can replicate. And that doesn't come from following trends—it comes from knowing who you are and refusing to water it down.

Trendsetters Don't Ask for Permission

Here's what separates a trendsetter from everyone else: they trust their instincts more than they trust the algorithm.

They're not waiting to see what's working for other people before they try it. They're not polling their audience to figure out what they should stand for. They're not softening their message to avoid alienating anyone.

They show up with a point of view. They do things differently, even when it feels risky. They're willing to be polarizing because they'd rather be remembered than liked by everyone.

And yeah, sometimes they're ahead of the curve and people don't get it right away. But that's the point. Trendsetters create the conversation. Everyone else just joins it late.

Your Brand Should Sound Like You, Not Like Everyone Else

One of the fastest ways to spot a trend-chaser? Their brand sounds like a mashup of every viral caption and buzzword they've seen in the last six months.

"Glow up." "Self-care Sunday." "Treat yourself." "Your vibe attracts your tribe." “Luxury.” 

It's not that these phrases are bad. It's that when everyone uses them, they mean nothing. They're filler. They're safe. And safe doesn't build a business that people are obsessed with.

Your brand voice should be instantly recognizable. If someone saw your caption with no name attached, they should know it's you. Not because you used the right trending audio or the popular hashtag, but because the way you talk, the way you show up, the energy you bring—it's yours.

Alt Sun doesn't sound like every other spray tan brand because we're not trying to. We're not waiting for permission to be bold, to be opinionated, to call out the industry's BS. We decided what we stood for and built everything around that.

That's what trendsetters do. They define themselves instead of letting the market define them.

Trendsetting Means Taking Risks (And Being Okay With It)

Here's the uncomfortable truth: being a trendsetter means some people won't get it. Some people will think you're doing too much. Some will say you're being extra, or too bold, or not "relatable" enough.

And that's fine. Because the alternative is being so neutral, so safe, so trend-focused that no one feels anything about you at all.

Trendsetters are willing to be polarizing because they know that trying to appeal to everyone means you end up mattering to no one. They'd rather have a smaller audience that's obsessed than a massive one that's indifferent.

When you stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and start trusting your own vision, you give yourself permission to build something actually original. And that's when things shift.

How to Stop Chasing and Start Setting

1. Get clear on what you actually believe.
Not what sounds good on Instagram. Not what you think your audience wants to hear. What do you stand for? What pisses you off about your industry? What do you think should change? That's your foundation.

2. Stop consuming so much content from your competitors.
If you're constantly watching what everyone else is doing, you're subconsciously copying them. Give yourself space to think without the noise. Your best ideas don't come from scrolling—they come from trusting yourself.

3. Build your brand around your perspective, not trends.
Trends fade. Your point of view doesn't. If your entire brand identity is built on what's popular right now, you'll have to rebuild it every six months. But if it's built on who you are and what you believe, it's timeless.

4. Be willing to do things that feel too bold.
If you're comfortable with everything you're putting out, you're probably playing it too safe. Trendsetters push boundaries. They try things that feel a little too much, a little too loud, a little too different. That's how you break through.

5. Trust that the right people will find you.
You don't need everyone. You need the people who get it. The ones who see what you're doing and think, "Finally, someone who's not like everyone else." Those are your people. Build for them.

The Industry Needs Fewer Copycats and More Originals

The spray tan industry—hell, the entire beauty industry—is oversaturated with people doing the same thing in slightly different packaging. Same captions. Same aesthetic. Same energy. It's boring, and clients are tired of it.

The brands that win aren't the ones that do what everyone else is doing a little bit better. They're the ones that do something completely different and make everyone else scramble to catch up.

That's what trendsetting is. It's not about being first for the sake of being first. It's about having the confidence to build something that feels true to you, even when no one else is doing it yet.

So stop watching what everyone else is doing and start asking what you want to build. Stop waiting for validation and start trusting your instincts. Stop chasing and start setting.

The industry has enough followers. It needs more leaders.

Set the trend. Don't follow it.