Why Getting Hate is a Good Thing

This week, I've been thinking a lot about reputation and image online.

Arguably, we are all trying to make a name for ourselves and establish authority and trust in our chosen fields of expertise by building our personal brands on social media.

But a huge component of fostering that audience is being likeable.

You might be the most well-educated biomechanics expert there is, but if your personality is shit and you're hard to like, then not many people will do business with you.

People buy into people, not just products.

So, building a likeable and relatable personality online is important. You don't want to be burning every bridge around you.

But it's important to understand that you can't make everyone like you, nor should you try.

The wonderful thing about social media is that you have the ability to reach a massive number of people who fit into your target audience criteria.

However, your content will inevitably reach individuals outside of your target audience as well.

And some of them are going to tell you how much they don't like your personality.

I used to fear the absolute shit out of this when I started putting content online.

I used to tank my personality in an attempt to be liked by everyone. Especially when a lot of my friends and family followed me, and the proximity to causing controversy was pretty close.

But the best thing I did was understand that not everyone is going to like my personality, my opinions, or the stance I took.

But a small percentage of people will. And that's the only thing that matters.

If you're ever receiving a negative comment from someone who doesn't like your content or personality.

Take this as a sign that you're doing something right.

It means you're not hedging your ideas and are focused on those who will find your content valuable.

If you want to build a really connected audience, then you are going to piss some people off along the way, and you shouldn't fear it.

Remember that your target audience is the only people you should be trying to speak to. Everyone else is, frankly... irrelevant.

So, be a bit edgy. Embrace your opinions, which you know not everyone will agree with.

Not holding back your personality could be the difference between having a massive surface-level audience and a group of deeply connected superfans.

By the way, if 2025 is the year you're ready to take your personal brand seriously, I can help. The ​Authentic Creator Blueprint​ is my program designed to teach you the fundamentals of building an authentic, sustainable personal brand that genuinely resonates with your dream audience.

You can learn more about it here 👉🏽 Authentic Creator Blueprint.

This will also be my last letter before Christmas.

It's going to be a quiet year for me, but the entire family is coming home, which I'm looking forward to. You may not know this, but I have a twin brother (non-identical). He moved away at the start of this year, and it's been a long time since I last saw him, so it's going to be pretty exciting to see him again.

​I hope you have a wonderful festive season. Take the time to rest and reconnect with your loved ones. Your goals will be there waiting for you on the other side.

​Thank you for being here–it truly means the world to me.

Talk to you next week.

Toby