We hear a lot about “cancel culture” these days and it’s a big thing within the world of business. I’m not a big fan as I depend on and actively promote and defend FREE ENTERPRISE. But also… when someone is “cancelled,” with the intention of HURTING a company, the result is often an unintended boost, not ONLY in media coverage and opportunities but also in sales.
Example: Jonathon Isaac was the only one of his team (Orlando Magic) NOT to kneel during our national anthem. MANY called for him to be cancelled and a media storm was born. The result? Less than 2 days later, his jersey was the second best-selling jersey in the entire NBA, second only to the jersey of Lebron James. I’m guessing… NOT the intent. š
Another boycott that was — at least — cancelled out by a corresponding BUYcott was Goya Foods. Note: This article really goes into detail about how this whole cancel culture thing is working agains the causes we want to support… and suggest other ways to get our points across, commercially.
I have been cancelled (professionally) over a few things, and GENERALLY I have at least a solid guess-timation of why, but most recently I was cancelled personally. In a flash, I was transported back to childhood, lol… being the only one not invited and wondering why. š I won’t lie. I’m human and it hurt. BUT it was a great chance for me to remember a few things…
ā Other people’s reactions to us
their feelings towards us or
their opinion OF us is none of our business.
I wish these things were something we could control, but in some cases, we can’t even IMPACT them. It is what it is. The key in business (and in life) is to do the damn thing anyway, live FULL OUT and be FULLY YOU… and let the chips fall where they may.
Some people will boot you swiftly and immediately.
Others will pretend they’re “in” while talking behind your back.
You know, it doesn’t REALLY matter.
In 2019, I entered the fire of personal healing. It was my most painful and transformative year. I came IN with one world view (a hopeful delusion) and exited with an entirely different view, reality. š
So, I let go of all of it.
The pain, the hope, the “it’s not fair” ness
and I also gave up any further delusion of changing it,
and with THAT
I let go of this AGONY of trying to control what certain people felt about or towards me.
THAT was up to them,
and I was powerless to change it.
THAT was freeing.
This ABSOLUTELY applies professionally as well. When you begin to DO things to EARN the love or respect of someone (your market) you are on the wrong path… you’re trying to CONTROL what they think about you or how they feel about you… or maybe even what they SAY about you.
BLISS can be had when you give up that strangling, defeating pursuit.
When you do what you do
because it’s YOUR work
and your responsibility is to the work itself,
you are not distracted by EITHER applause
OR rotten tomatoes being thrown at you.
Many women entrepreneurs fear the cancel culture…
but what’s more, they fear the mean girl culture.
So they try to EARN their “standing” in a way that doesn’t incite gossip or badmouthing or out-right slander.
And in this awkward (and impossible) dance of balancing the need to be seen with the FEAR of being seen…
they stay stuck.
Hard truth: Some people won’t like you, your message, your hair, your beliefs, your personality, your analogies, your demeanor, your clothes, your graphics, WHATEVER….
That’s up to them.
Will you KEEP GOING regardless?
That’s up to you.
ā The strength / degree to which you REPEL is the EXACT strength / degree to which you ATTRACT.
Everyone wants to talk about “magnetic marketing” or “attraction marketing” until they realize that ONE side of a magnet repels and the other side attracts. š It’s literally a 50/50 thing.
So, to be FULLY magnetic to YOUR people, you will FULLY and THOROUGHLY repel others. To ATTRACT in your soul-aligned people, you will NATURALLY repel those who, well, aren’t your soul-aligned people.
Being FULLY me and bringing ALL of myself to this business of mine will REPEL many. š But that’s okay because as they repel away from me, they’re free to find someone that DOES really resonate with them, and more space is created for those who align more with what’s going on HERE.
ā People are WOEFULLY EASILY offended and pushed into a cancel culture mentality these days. š
I mean even if I WERE willing to straddle every fence, reveal only bits and pieces of previously- and publicly-approved content guaranteed not to ruffle any feathers… (which I’m not, of course) it is literally impossible these days to say something for which people won’t push back on you…
with a passion that literally makes you wonder about their sanity.
It used to be only the big things.
Politics. Religion.
and Vaccines. š
But now, I mean… this list has EXPLODED to include literally anything and everything you can imagine, and with this increasing list of topics that have the power to create OUTRAGE,
our sense of reason,
our previous willingness to think critically,
and our civility has dissipated.
It’s sad. BUT, the best course of action as a business owner is two fold:
1) Do not allow YOURself to be SO easily offended or outraged.
I told a friend this morning, “For ME to treat someone like that, they’d have to have done something OUTRAGEOUS with my husband or to my kids.” While I am as emotional as anyone, I DO have dominion over my emotions and I exercise it. I am not led around by the nose by my emotions. I feel them and express them and then get on with my own agenda.
I have seen MANY businesses take a nose dive over the past 5 years, NOT because they were cancelled, lol… but because the owner was SO easily consumed with outrage that their business agenda kept getting sidelined. (If these business owners were the CEO of a publicly traded company, they’d be fired fast.)
Don’t put that on the table as an easy, knee jerk option. There ARE things to be outraged about, but we need some good old fashioned perspective… and discipline around this.
2) Do not concern yourself with OTHER people’s outrage or offense.
It’s not up to you.
If a person CAN be outraged or offended or scared senseless… if THOSE are the options a person keeps on the table personally…
woman, they WILL be outraged and offended and scared. They will CONTINUALLY be living in those emotions.
Do NOT allow that person or group of people to silence or stifle your message. Trust me, they are not worth it.
So, there you go.
3 Things to Remember when you’ve been CANCELLED. š
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a more CONFIDENT approach,
and a more PROFITABLE business,
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