Family & Friends Critical of Your Startup? Here’s What to Do

 

Whether you are thinking of beginning your journey on the entrepreneurial path or have already stepped foot into these gorgeous, albeit at times rocky waters, chances are you’ve encountered criticism. Skeptical comments from friends and family can be extremely disheartening. When I first communicated to my husband (one of the most open minded and encouraging people I know) that I wanted to start my own coaching practice, he was very supportive.

 

However, I remember vividly a conversation during which he warned me about the risk of failure and that, perhaps, I should prepare for that.

 

I was struck.

 

When we discussed this later on, it became clear that his comment was really his own fear of failure in disguise; A fear that had been “trained” into him during his formative years that he was now projecting onto me. Sometimes, love and fear wear unpleasant masks. This brings me to the first tip on which stance to take when confronted with criticism:

 

 

Most of the time, critical warnings about taking courageous new steps professionally spring out of a mixture of love and fear. Your family and friends love you. They care about you. They don’t want you to get hurt or confront disillusionment with your own dreams. Make it a point to see the origin behind ‘warnings’; once you acknowledge the source of a comment that appears disheartening to you, it’s much easier to discern it.

 

 

In my bedroom, I have two words framed across the wall: one reads sovereignty, the other discernment. If you are stepping out of the status quo (which is of course what you are doing by creating rather than adapting), you have to stand in your own power just as much as you have to practice to discern what doesn’t support it. Don’t worry – you’ll have ample opportunity to practice 😉 Embrace it.

 

 

What you desire from others is always what you actually need from yourself. There’s a reason why you want your respected colleague to say she thinks you’ve got a great idea on your hands. Because there’s a small part of you that fears you don’t. So reexamine it. Turn it over and look at it from new angles until you can give yourself the validation you crave. So you want to be applauded for your courage to take a professional leap? Applaud yourself. You believe your news should be received with open arms and ears? Identify the areas within yourself that are still unhealed and need your own support. You are the missing puzzle piece you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to show up for yourself.