Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made a difference in the world has had doubters and critics. As natural as haters might be, in the age of social media it’s become harder and hard to ignore them – and so we asked some brilliant creatives and entrepreneurs to tell us how they deal with haters.
Celeste Butler
Persisting in the face of haters and naysayers has been a lesson I’ve learned through both art and life, starting in my childhood. Growing up in North Omaha, I was constantly surrounded by diversity. Through play in my neighborhood, I learned how to create with others, respect different perspectives, and navigate different cultures. That early experience taught me how to deal with all kinds of people, and it’s something I carry with me today in my art and my interactions. Read more>>
Jaquelyn Puma
Haters are always going to be around. If you don’t have any haters you aren’t poppin. Especially in the tattooing industry, I’ve had to go through multiple shops to find one I feel safe in. There was one shop I worked at for a while where my coworkers regularly took and destroyed my property and it went as far as one of my coworkers keying my car during a session. At first I didn’t know what to do to stop the situation, but eventually I gained the courage to get police involved and leave the shop that rewarded that behavior. Read more>>
Santiago Pareja
To be honest I wouldn’t say I have many “haters” at least that I know of, but I guess the way I persist is by just continuing to create… while I may create for a living I definitely live to create.. I do it just because I find it therapeutic and essential to my well being. The release of self expression and letting it run wild into the world. like a hunter running through the woods the adrenaline and euphoric feeling that is produced while one is in the middle of a work flow, chasing a thought/idea, is something that I constantly chase after. I feel too many people focus on what others are saying or thinking and that is just a vicious cycle of creative block waiting to happen. I try to really only stay in competition with myself, everybody else is either a potential client or collaboration. There is too much to offer this world through creativity to be focused on all the negative. Read more>>
Timothy Hill
When it comes to pursuing your dreams, you’ll inevitably encounter people who doubt you, criticize you, or hope you fail. I think of the saying, “Haters are my motivators,” but it goes deeper than that for me. It’s baffling how someone can carry so much negativity toward another person’s growth, when that energy could fuel their own ambitions. But here’s the thing: we don’t do this for them—we persist for ourselves. Read more>>
Zillenigalz
Persisting despite haters and nay-sayers has been a journey of self-discovery and resilience for us. At the start, it was tough—especially when we realized not everyone around us was as supportive as we’d hoped. It’s hard not to take that personally, but we learned that not everyone will see your vision right away—and that’s okay. Read more>>
Ishitta Ghelani
Ever since I was young, I’ve had this fire in me—a drive to see things through no matter what. I’ve always believed that if I commit to something, I need to do it with everything I’ve got. When I decided to go solo and start Ish Essence as a cosmetologist, specializing in skincare, it was no different. But let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Read more>>
Brianna Lee Anguiano
I love who loves me. I care about who cares about me. I only think about those things. If it isn’t raw and genuine it doesn’t exist in my world. Read more>>
Sophia Su
I haven’t always had an easy journey when it comes to my passions and endeavors from both acting and modeling. When I was younger, I always had the passion of wanting to become a child actor/model but didn’t have the support system of people who were willing to bring me to opportunities to pursue my endeavors. All the way up until I started college and was able to gain some independence and getting my license I was able to start jumping to opportunities from modeling photo shoots to working. on set for TV/Film, and short film stuff. I was able to start building my portfolio and even with that you do experience people who look at you and still have something to say from ranging from fake friends who have secret animosity and even other creative’s who are not as open to working with newcomers. Read more>>
Dan Fox
Surprisingly, it tends to be family and close-friends who are the nay-sayers. I guess that is because they want to shield you from the possibility of failure. And as a performer, you’ll find someone out in the crowd who wants to bring you down as well. But I try to remember why I am playing music in the first place. It’s not because of the attention or the money. It’s because of the joy it brings to connect others with your creativity. It’s like a glimpse of the madness within your soul and mind. And when someone vibes with that energy – you are truly free. Read more>>
Justin Caraway
Persistence in the face of haters and nay-sayers is all about staying focused on my passions for scaling our brand and the community it shares. I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been involved in the fishing industry that there is always a person or group that will try to derail your vision, question your approach or try to put up roadblocks to stunt your growth as a company. However, those acts only fuel my desires to win and overcome the obstacles placed in my path. I believe in the value of what our brand has to offer. Whether that is the quality of our products, price points we are able to provide or shared experiences with our peers. Those beliefs alone keep me going. Read more>>
Langston Hughes Ii
I think it’s important to first acknowledge that each of us is different. We all carry our own unique experiences, perspectives, skills, and creative abilities. This individuality means that the value we bring to the table is something only we can offer. When I face criticism, negativity, or doubt from others, I remind myself of this truth: my journey is mine alone, and no one else can replicate what I’m building or offering. Read more>>
Txm 247
I appreciate the haters and the nay-sayers when they are valid. If they are just hating to hate then it’s fun to prove them wrong. The longer that you keep going, the easier persisting becomes. You learn your music and style is not for everyone and that is OK. Just find the people who are rocking with you and go from there. Read more>>
John Anthony Torres
I think it’s important to focus on your own journey. Always. That being said, there are always going to be people who have negative things to say, people who are jealous or people who are “haters” haha That’s fine! Let them hate. As creatives we have to hone in on what makes us unique and use that uniqueness to propel us forward. That entails hard work, emotional exhaust and constant mental health check ins. There’s no time to waist on negative energy or negative people. The world/life can be tough as it is, why add more to that? Breathe the haters and the negative comments in, and breathe them right back out. I’ve learned to apply to this to my life as I got older, I used to let the comments and haters get to me. Now? It’s just not worth it- it’s a reflection of them. Not you 🙂 Actually, if you have haters you’re doing something right! Read more>>
Anne Marie Flores
Being in a male dominated field, many plumbers told me that I would not be successful unless I was a 24hr/7 day a week business. I wanted a work life balance and created an environment with my customers that had them prepared with preventative maintenance techniques that allowed them to overcome most emergency calls. Read more>>
Lacrecia Steward
Oh, naysayers and haters? Shocking. The trick is simple: stay grounded in your goals, because obviously, they have nothing better to do than doubt your potential. Criticism? That’s usually just them projecting their own limits. So, surround yourself with people who actually support you, keep your vision clear, and, of course, practice self-care—someone’s gotta do it, right? Use their negativity as fuel, because if anything, your success is probably driving them crazy. Just trust yourself, stay focused, and let your results do the talking. Read more>>
Dale Nichols
I stay focused and locked in. I recently dealt with some set backs in my business that made me close my cart for the next month or so. I know a lot of people probably think I’ve failed or won’t be back open. You have to block out the negative and remember your mission. Keep grinding to get where you want to be and keep reinventing yourself. While my cart is closed I have been doing catering and pop up events. Haters will always hate and if they are then you are doing something right. Remember that. Read more>>
Arinze Okeke
I persist because I believe in my vision and the value it brings. Every doubt, critique, or dismissive comment only fuels my determination to make a difference. Building something unique isn’t easy, it challenges conventional thinking and stretches boundaries. I remind myself that every great idea faced skepticism at some point. Instead of letting it deter me, I use it as motivation to keep refining, improving, and pushing forward. When I first started Red Angel Sauce, it was surprising to my peers because of my prior venture as an entertainment DJ, transitioning into the food/CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry. I noticed the doubt and uncertainty amongst others, but I couldn’t let that discourage me. It was the belief in myself and my product that helped me push through. The journey of bringing an idea to life is never about proving haters wrong; it’s about proving to myself and to those who believe in me that this vision is worth every effort. Read more>>
Renauld Shelton
The haters and nay-sayers keeps me motivated. That doubt and opposition is what I thrive off of. It’s quite and edge that overcomes me when I’m told I can’t do something or won’t make it. Gives me something to look forward to accomplishing and doing it the best way possible. Facing criticism and negativity can be a challenge, but more so a testament to my character. That persistence is instrumental in determining my success and it’s a powerful quality. Being persistent in focusing on the vision, embracing feedback, self-care, being flexible and celebrating small wins and limiting my exposure to negativity. All these things help me cultivate a mindset of growth, while visualizing my success and staying committed. I also feed the need to be persistent keeping myself surrounded by positivity. Read more>>
Dee Dee Reed
To Be honest I am not sure how I persist, I think I was just born with it. Since I was young I had kids at school making fun of me bully me telling me I was ugly and somehow I was able to perservere at each step in life even though i had low self -esteem I guess I just did what they call ” Faked the Funk” or ” Fake it till you make it” So I guess that is how I was able to persist despite the haters and nay sayers. Read more>>
Lindsay Andon
In my line of work, I often encounter people who doubt my ability to accomplish something or think my goals are too ambitious. Rather than discouraging me, those doubts fuel my determination. I’ve always believed that when you’re told something can’t be done, it’s an opportunity to find a way to do it—and to do it well. Read more>>
