Dealing with Haters – Eric Thomas

Dealing With Haters In Business: Be Phenomenal Or Be Forgotten

Be phenomenal or be forgotten. That powerful statement captures everything you need to know about standing out in business and dealing with the inevitable criticism that comes with it. I’ve watched Eric Thomas, known as The Hip Hop Preacher, for years now. He’s a charismatic speaker who told the story of wanting success as badly as you want to breathe. His energy, his authenticity, and his refusal to water down his message have made him one of the most impactful motivational voices of our time.

But what resonates with me most, and what I think every business owner across Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, and Yorkshire needs to hear, is his perspective on dealing with haters. Because if you’re putting yourself out there, building a brand, creating content, and trying to grow your business, criticism and negativity are guaranteed.

Why Haters Are A Sign You’re Doing Something Right

Here’s a truth that most business coaches won’t tell you bluntly enough: if nobody is criticising you, you’re not visible enough. The absence of haters usually means the absence of impact.

Think about it. The business owners who play it safe, who never share their opinions, who blend into the background with generic content and inoffensive messaging, they don’t get haters. They also don’t get noticed. They don’t build loyal followings. They don’t command premium prices. They don’t stand out in any meaningful way.

The moment you start being authentic, sharing your genuine views, and positioning yourself as someone worth paying attention to, some people won’t like it. That’s not a problem. That’s proof that your message is landing with enough force to provoke a reaction.

For business owners across Harrogate, York, Manchester, and Leeds, this is liberating once you truly understand it. You don’t need everyone to like you. You need the right people to love you.

The Different Types Of Business Haters

Not all criticism is the same, and understanding the difference is crucial for your mental health and your business strategy.

Constructive critics. These people offer genuine, thoughtful feedback that can help you improve. They’re not haters at all. They’re valuable allies, even when their feedback stings. Learn to recognise and appreciate these people because they’ll make your business better.

Competitors. Sometimes criticism comes from competitors who feel threatened by your success or visibility. When a competitor takes the time to publicly criticise you, it usually means you’re doing something that’s affecting their market position. Take it as a compliment and keep doing what you’re doing.

The uninvested. These are people who will never buy from you, never engage meaningfully with your content, and have no stake in your success. They criticise from the sidelines without any skin in the game. Their opinions carry zero weight and should be treated accordingly.

The triggered. Sometimes your message will trigger people because it challenges their beliefs or highlights their own inaction. A business owner who’s stuck and unwilling to change can react negatively to your content about growth and ambition because it holds up a mirror they’d rather not look into.

How Haters Affect Business Owners

The impact of dealing with negativity in business shouldn’t be underestimated. For many business owners across Sheffield, Bradford, and Yorkshire, a single negative comment can derail their entire marketing strategy.

I’ve had coaching clients who stopped posting on social media because of one critical comment. Clients who pulled down YouTube videos because someone left a negative response. Clients who softened their messaging to the point of blandness because they didn’t want to offend anyone.

Every time you silence yourself because of a hater, you’re also silencing your message to the hundreds or thousands of people who need to hear it. You’re letting one negative voice drown out the many positive ones. And you’re handing your haters exactly what they want: your silence.

Eric Thomas’s Approach To Dealing With Criticism

What makes Eric Thomas’s approach so powerful is his absolute refusal to let criticism change who he is or what he says. He doesn’t engage with haters. He doesn’t justify himself. He doesn’t tone down his message. He simply continues to be phenomenal at what he does and lets the results speak for themselves.

This is the approach I advocate for business owners in my coaching across Leeds and Yorkshire. Your response to haters should be simple: become so good, so visible, and so successful that the criticism becomes irrelevant.

Focus on your audience, not your critics. Your job is to serve the people who value what you offer, not to convince the people who don’t. Every minute you spend engaging with haters is a minute stolen from the people who actually matter to your business.

Use criticism as fuel. The most successful people I know have learned to channel negative energy into positive action. When someone tells you that you can’t, use it as motivation to prove that you can. At K Frequency, we help business owners develop this resilience because it’s essential for long-term success.

Remember the ratio. For every person who criticises you, there are likely dozens or hundreds who appreciate you but never say anything. The vocal minority of haters can feel overwhelming, but they almost never represent the majority view.

Building A Business That Attracts The Right People

The ultimate strategy for dealing with haters is building a business and brand so compelling that it naturally attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones. This is what effective marketing actually looks like.

When your messaging is clear, authentic, and targeted, the people who resonate with it become loyal clients and advocates. The people who don’t simply move on. And a small minority will criticise, which only serves to strengthen the bond between you and your true audience.

This polarisation is actually a feature, not a bug. The brands and business owners who try to please everyone end up connecting deeply with no one. The ones who have the courage to be themselves, to state their opinions, and to stand for something create passionate followings that drive sustainable business growth.

Your Challenge: Be Phenomenal

Eric Thomas’s challenge is simple and direct: be phenomenal or be forgotten. In business, there is no safe middle ground. You’re either making an impact and dealing with the occasional hater, or you’re invisible and dealing with the much worse problem of obscurity.

If you’re ready to step up your visibility, strengthen your brand, and build a business that makes a genuine impact, we offer a Free 1 Hour Business and Marketing Strategy Session valued at £147. During this session, Daniel Latto will help you develop a strategy for standing out in your market with confidence.

Whether you’re in Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, York, or anywhere across Yorkshire, this session could give you the clarity and courage to be phenomenal in your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I deal with negative comments on social media?

Distinguish between constructive feedback and pure negativity. Respond graciously to genuine feedback, ignore pure trolling, and never get drawn into public arguments. Your audience is watching how you handle criticism, and responding with grace and professionalism builds more trust than any defensive reaction ever could.

Should I respond to negative reviews?

Yes, but always professionally and constructively. Acknowledge the person’s experience, offer to resolve any genuine issues, and keep your response measured. Never argue publicly. Potential clients often judge businesses more on how they handle negative reviews than on the reviews themselves.

How do I build confidence to put myself out there in business?

Start small and build gradually. Share your expertise through blog posts before moving to video. Post in smaller groups before going public. Each positive response builds your confidence for the next step. Working with a business coach like Daniel Latto provides the encouragement and accountability to keep pushing your comfort zone.

Is it normal to get criticism when you grow your business visibility?

Absolutely. Criticism is a natural byproduct of visibility. Every successful business and personal brand has attracted criticism along the way. The key is developing the resilience to handle it constructively and the wisdom to distinguish between feedback worth acting on and noise worth ignoring.

How do I know if I’m being too controversial in my marketing?

Being authentic and having opinions is different from being deliberately provocative or offensive. If your content reflects your genuine views, serves your audience, and comes from a place of wanting to help, you’re on the right track. If it’s designed purely to shock or upset, that’s a different matter. A good business coach can help you find the balance.