Recently, I was asked to contribute to an article in Forbes about how to handle criticism when you have a personal brand. The article Some of my thoughts were included but I wanted to give you more on the subject.
What a surprise!
I will bet that when you decided to become more visible online and grow your personal brand, putting your ideas out into the world, you didn’t really think much about being criticized, am I right?
The thing is, part of growing your brand will include expressing thoughts and ideas that may be controversial or at the very least, strike a chord with some people who fiercely disagree with you. The result can range from mild criticism of your ideas to bullying, hateful comments and obnoxious behavior.
While I have yet to experience anything too serious. just the other day, someone commented on one of my Facebook posts. She told me that I sounded “too gimmicky.”
My first reaction?
Well, I took offense to her comment. I mean the heart of my post was well-intentioned, but at the same time, I wanted to entice folks to join my group to learn more about creating visuals to grow their personal brands.
What did I do? Well, I sat with that feeling for a little bit and thought a lot about what my deep down true purpose is and how I want to serve my clients. I remembered my “why” and I let those thoughts take over instead.
I chose to ignore the comment and continue on the path I have chosen for myself, my brand, and my business.
You see, the fact is that when you step into the public eye and you express your true thoughts and beliefs, you put yourself at risk for criticism. If you truly want to live your brand as authentically as possible, you cannot silence the ideas that will ultimately help the people you want to serve.
So, what CAN you do about it?
Consider these ideas to help you both prepare ahead of time and cope when you are in the moment.
Make it a point to proactively increase your capacity for hearing criticism.
There are coaches who do some tremendous work with their clients on developing the mindset and capacity to gracefully ignore the haters. Find a coach that has experience helping public figures with issues like this so that when the time comes, you will be armed and ready.
Remember your “why!”
There is a reason that you chose to stand out as the face of your business and be a thought leader. It’s all about having a bigger impact on the world, right? Writing down your “why” and taping it to your bathroom wall is a great way to remind yourself every day of who you are serving which will, in turn, give you more confidence to face criticism or negativity while you grow your personal brand.
Take a time out
Of course, when you do receive criticism, take some time before responding. There are times when it is important to respond back, for example, when the criticism is a difference of opinion and not malicious. Taking the time to respond with respect and grace will elevate your brand even more.
Forgive and ignore
Should you receive hateful or offensive comments, it may be harder to know how to respond. Under these circumstances, it may be best NOT to respond. People who purposefully work to bring down others are coming from a place of fear, jealousy, misplaced anger or some other equally negative emotion. Unfortunately, they are not available to hear the message that might very well elevate them from their own negativity. Make it a point to remember this and choose to “forgive” so that you can focus on those who ARE available to hear your message.
So, if you feel so passionately about what you do for people, I hope that these tips will help make you feel energized and excited and ready to face criticism when it happens.
Let me know in the comments, has there been a time when you were criticized or even bullied online for something? I’d love to hear how you handled it.
