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.
Samantha Dettinger
Before launching Reimagine Branding, I had a great job working full-time as the marketing director for a couple of countertop companies in Columbus, OH, all under the same umbrella. I learned so much about marketing during my time there and I wanted to share it with others!
When I went to launch the business I got a lot of comments and opinions of people doubting my ability to start this journey, some of the comments were “Maybe you should still work part time before doing this”, or “good luck with that”, “Owning a business is hard work, are you sure you want to do this?”, or I would hear that people were talking about me behind my back and doubting me. This was hurtful to me but it wasn’t going to stop me. My husband, parents, and best friends were extremely supportive of me during this launch period. Read more>>
Toni Pnw
Our society hates fat people. Anti-fatness is sticky, everything is covered in it and no one seems to care.
Feelings of anger, hopelessness, and overwhelm are normal, and despite what most of us picture as resilience, its real form is messy and non-linear. Not everything reflects off of me, and sometimes it ends up in my arms. Every “skinny” branded snack, “oversized” labeled sweater, and diet industry advertisement loudly reinforces that I must keep a hold of the shame society guilts me into carrying. Read more>>
Ashley Deland
There will always be people who doubt, criticize, or question your journey. I like to call them the “challengers” because that’s exactly what they do—they challenge you. But here’s the thing – if you’re not facing resistance, you’re probably not on the right path. Every level you reach, there will be more people who try to tear you down and I challenge you to see it as a positive thing, because it’s a sign that you’re stepping into a new version of yourself, and that’s where the real growth happens. Read more>>
L’erin Gaines
I’ve learned that persistence is about staying focused on my purpose and not letting external negativity derail my purpose in life. Haters and naysayers are often a reflection of their own insecurities or limited perspectives, not a measure of my worth or potential. That alone became a major game changer in my world. For me, it starts with a strong foundation of self-love and a clear vision of what I want to achieve. I remind myself that I’m not doing this for validation but to fulfill my purpose in life and to positively impact others. I also have used criticism as fuel, transforming it into motivation to push harder and prove to myself what I’m capable of. Staying grounded is key. I surround myself with like-minded individuals, seek constructive feedback from trusted mentors, and focus on personal growth. The challenges and negativity only reinforce that I’m on a meaningful path worth pursuing. Read more>>
Dan Cox
For as long as I can remember I’ve always given myself an “underdog mindset” where I tell myself that nobody is going to believe in me, more than me.
Growing up playing sports in the UK there were always others who were bigger than me, stronger than me, faster than me; but nobody worked as hard as me. When others were hanging out and getting into trouble as kids, I was grinding. This is where I believe my “underdog mindset” comes from and I still carry it with me to this day. Read more>>
Ryder Klein
That’s a great question! I remember coming across a Reddit thread about dealing with haters, and there was this one person—can’t remember their name—who commented: ‘People who are haters tend to be insecure about themselves. They want to put you down, so keep doing what you’re doing and don’t stop.’ Read more>>
Katy Irizarry
For a very long time, it was difficult for me to ignore the negativity and I took a lot of it to heart. I had low self-esteem to begin with, so it was easy to allow for the hateful voices to prevail as they echoed my own internal narrative that was dictated by my lack of self-confidence.
Eventually, I realized that my accomplishments spoke for themselves. It started to focus more on what I was achieving and the people who supported me, realizing I could not be where I am if the doubts I had about myself were actually true. I am only human and therefore I learned to give myself grace for the times I have failed or made mistakes. Above all, I realized it’s okay to celebrate my victories with the understanding that I achieved these things because I am worthy. Once I shifted my own outlook, it became easier to ignore the haters and realize that their vitriol towards me was more of a reflection of how they felt about themselves and less of a reflection of how they actually felt about me. Read more>>
Quinton Ryan
Persisting in the face of haters and nay-sayers has not been easy, and it’s taken me years to get to a point where I truly see and believe in myself. The reality is, there are many days when the struggle feels real, but I’ve learned to tune out the individuals who are not supportive, or who simply don’t understand my mission. Unfortunately, we live in a world where some people, for a variety of reasons, can’t see past their own perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in that, but what I’ve realized is that for true progress—whether pursuing a dream, a talent, or even just a goal—there has to be a sense of acceptance into different circles and communities. Read more>>
