One of the biggest obstacles I see business owners face is the fear of not being liked and the fear of being criticized or ridiculed.

As Eleanor Roosevelt pointed out: “Do what you feel in your hear to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.”

You simply cannot please everyone. Not everyone is your client and not everybody will like you. Some people may be jealous of you, others may just not get you, and that’s okay.

There are enough people in this world who love you for being who you are – FULL OUT. Don’t hold back because when you hold back you are holding back your brilliance too.

Early on when I was a business owner right out of college a close friend of mine was unable to accept the success in our business. She said couldn’t handle being on the outside of it it and she sent me a letter explaining that she couldn’t be my friend any longer. I never saw her again. Ever.

I remember when my mom started her business years ago. She was the first person in her country to start the kind of business she was in. Most people thought she was crazy. They said what she was doing would never work.  In fact, she lost many of her (not so close) friends. But my mom knew what she was doing, she believed in herself when almost no one else did, and she ended up taking her business to the top of her industry.

Recently one of my clients had someone send her a post in a Facebook group accusing her of something. My client was devastated and probably lost a day or two of work due to emotional turmoil. She hadn’t done anything wrong. But she had to spend time figuring out why it hurt so much and healing that part of her.

Early on in my speaking career I got an email sent to me from a lady who was pointing out all the things I did wrong. I remember it hit me in the stomach. I was hurt. I felt that all the things I already was worried about were proven right by this email.

The quicker you can learn to do what your heart tells you to do – without worrying about what other people will think, the quicker you’ll grow your business.

There will be times when you’re afraid. There will be decisions that are scary to you. You will be doing things you’ve never done before and you will be falling on your face a few times. It’s human. Just don’t let it hold you back.

For me, I’ve learned that it’s about trusting my intuition and knowing that I have a  bigger purpose. Other people may not understand it and that’s okay. Just accept it. Your real friends will stand by you.

You cannot let the opinion of others get in your way. It will keep you stuck. It will make you live with regret.  It will eat you up inside.  Trust me, I lived a huge part of my life trying to make sure I didn’t ruffle any feathers. It will make you hold back your self-expression and it will stop you from growing and being who you were meant to be.

The more you are growing and up-leveling in your business, the more you will experience people who are trying to take you down or criticize what you are doing. As you grow, you’ll see who your real friends are. They are there to support you, to cheer you on and to pick you back up when you’re down.

Because let’s face it, building a business isn’t always easy. If we wanted the easy way out we’d just go get a job, right?

In the meantime, trust your heart and do what you are guided to do even when you risk being criticized. The right people will thank you for your courage and you will be an inspiration to the people who need you most.

And don’t forget; when people criticize or point fingers, they are usually projecting their own unhealed wounds onto you subconsciously. Don’t take it personally.

Want to step deeper into living your truth unapologetically? I invite you to get started with my Success-soul® Living Starter Kit. 

You will get a workbook to help you find clarity and courage, a healing activation to help you release inner blockages, wounds and limiting beliefs that are holding you back as well as a powerful meditation to assist you in manifesting your most amazing business and lifestyle.