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.

Elizabeth Dunn

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned that my path isn’t meant to fit into a conventional box. From being homeschooled and starting college at the age of 11 to graduating when I was 16, I’ve faced my fair share of doubters and ageists, and the unwavering support of my family and friends has been crucial in overcoming that. I rely upon the knowledge that, though unusual, this journey has never felt anything except the obvious choice for me – I couldn’t see myself being anywhere else! There’s great power in learning self-validation. Read more>>

Kate Mcleod

Such a fun question—one that has come up for me a lot recently. I persist by sending my haters and nay-sayers a lot of gratitude. They serve a purpose. To me, that purpose is simple: they exist to have the hater and nay-saying energy I don’t have room to have in my own headspace as I continue to realize my dreams—and my dreams’ dreams. I don’t have the mental or emotional space to welcome outside negative thoughts about myself or be mean to myself, so I’ve essentially outsourced that system of perpetual negativity. That way, I don’t have to run it myself. Read more>>

Reonna Victoria

I’m a super positive person. I don’t really dwell on negativity, and I think that’s partly because of how I was raised. I just try to stay focused on the main thing and ignore distractions. People will always have something to say, so I’ve learned to just block it out. I always keep my why in mind – why I started my business, why I love what I do. I have so much support from my friends and family that I can trust my values and abilities, no matter what others think. I just try to stay focused on what really matters and keep my peace. Read more>>

Stella Speridon

Criticism and doubt are inevitable in any field, especially in media and journalism, where you’re constantly putting your work in front of an audience. I view negativity—whether from haters or skeptics—as fuel rather than a roadblock. I focus on constructive feedback that can help me grow while filtering out the noise that doesn’t serve me. At the end of the day, I stay grounded in my purpose, trusting my skills, my experience, and the integrity of my work. My passion for storytelling and delivering impactful narratives outweighs any negativity thrown my way. Read more>>

 Jamila Anahata

I persist regardless of what others do or do not say because it is my birthright to create and express myself in ALL my fullness while I’m here on Earth.

And I completely understand why that’s easier said than done for some people. I used to talk myself out of great opportunities to share my art and heartwork with the world, but those excuses don’t hold up anymore and I refuse to let anything hold me back from my ability to shine. Read more>>

Emmanuelsteadman

Most people latch on to what’s around them most. If I see Nike commercials 75% of the time versus 25% from Jordan, most likely I’m gonna want nikes next time I shop.
If my neighbor is filled with chicken restaurants and a couple Chinese spots, most likely I would be eating chicken throughout the month more than anything if I’m eating out.
So to answer the question, nay-sayers don’t really matter. I just need to show my face on a consistent basis as well as provide quality music. Read more>>

Kristel & Priscilla Brinshot

Kristel: Being an artist is not easy. It calls for vulnerability in the biggest of arenas, it calls for making mistakes in front of people that might laugh at you, it calls for taking risks even when people tell you you will never make it. But you keep on going because your job as an artist is not to please everyone, it’s to be a mirror for them, and sometimes that means being a trigger too. The more haters you have, the closer you are to showing people their own truth. How they handle it is not up to you. You can only inspire them to get curious about themselves and the part they play in this world. Read more>>

Virgo Syren

I keep going because I use the negativity to my advantage. There is a saying where people say “If you got haters, you doing something right!” Meaning if you got haters, it’s because they see your aura or light and may be jealousy of how others like or love you. I love my haters and naysayers. I continue to be myself to make them even more uncomfortable. Read more>>

Michelle Brown

There have always been people who don’t understand or fully support what I do as a therapist. I’m lucky to have loved ones who do, but for every person who believes in me, there is at least one other who does not. What has always kept me going in my journey to be a therapist is knowing that I am not doing this just for me. I am doing this for the people I aim to help. No matter what others may think, I know there is someone out there for whom I am the right therapist, the one who understands them in a way they need. Read more>>

Macc Movado

Honestly, it gets very difficult. We live in a day and age where most environments that you find yourself in our competitive and not complementary to self growth or positive recognition in any light. What helps me to stay “aligned” with my objectives is remembering why I started to begin with. Remembering how often times it is darkest before dawn and Being grateful for my opportunities eternally outweighs any pain from any scrutiny I could receive from a” naysayer” Read more>>

 Todd “tj” Stephens

I will admit it hasn’t been easy. Especially as someone who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. However, as I grew older, I began to understand that everyone is not going to understand why I chose film and why I do it. Read more>>

Cassandra Kilfoy

Being a psychic medium isn’t just a calling—it’s a path that comes with deep misunderstandings, skepticism, and sometimes outright hostility. From the moment I embraced my abilities, I knew I would face criticism. I’ve been called a fake, a scam artist, and even a witch—often with the negative, old-world connotations that paint intuition and spiritual connection as something dark or deceptive.  Read more>>

Lee

This may be one of the biggest challenges for an aspiring artist. Within our community, it is common to know individuals that aspire to have a career in hip hop. It’s also common for people to look down on those career aspirations. I’ve dealt with haters, nay-sayers, and doubters for most of my life. Many are some of the closest people in my life (mentors, family members, friends, etc.). When I was much younger, it was difficult to persist through this, and forced me to put my dreams aside and pursue something more “safe.” Now that I have become more stable as an adult and had more life experiences, I focus on what I want despite what haters say. I focus on surrounding myself around positive energy and those that support me and my music career. This helps me develop my confidence and gives me the drive to keep going. Now I pay little attention to nay-sayers. Read more>>

 Jose Antonio Muñoz

That’s such a loaded question. I do my best at maintaining a solid focus on short term and long term goals. My time is very carefully allocated so I don’t have time or energy to worry about those trying to tarnish my dreams. In my experience, those who aren’t in your favor are usually afraid of your drive, potential, and success. Constructive criticism is always welcomed as a creative because it allows me to reflect and grow. Per contra, throughout the years I realized the importance of not allowing unwarranted negativity to fog my mindset and become a hindering factor in my life. Take in the sweet with the sour, but do not permit unnecessary burdens to hold you down. Read more>>

Jovanny M

Living in Miami, there are a lot of haters. I’ve experienced ex close friends and strangers both being nay-sayers. The way I persist is simple. I just keep going, I use it as fuel. I know that negativity is never personal but confirmation that I am doing my best. Read more>>

Wayne Cragg

This is one of the most important issues I’ve dealt with since I started traveling and taking photos. So many (A lot of times the majority) people believe you can’t succeed if you are doing things that isn’t considered the “norm”. People giving bad advice about how not to do things. As much as I’ve traveled over the past 13 years, there is a drive inside me to always take it to the next level. Read more>>

 Jodeci Gonzales

When it comes to owning something of your own, you have to realize that whatever it may be won’t be for everyone. I had to remind myself that at times that I would become discouraged or anxious when it came to selling my sweets. In life there will always be people who have negative things to say regardless if they’re educated on the topic or not. So when it comes to something you associate with or something you own…OWN IT! Take pride in your work and what you have to offer. For my business, I am proud of how much I have been able to accomplish from private events to gender reveals and baby showers. When you do something you love, and do it with confidence, the haters, naysayers, and others won’t affect you in any way. Read more>>