Criticism sucks... but it doesn’t have to

In today’s episode, Nat & Ang are chatting about the ever dreaded topic… criticism. They’ll be discussing the difference between criticism and critiques, their personal experiences with criticism, unhappy clients and lastly when not to listen to criticism.What is the difference between criticism and critiques?Criticism comes from a more painful place. You feel criticism more and it doesn’t typically come from a place of pleasantry. Whereas critique comes from a place of respect with the intention to aid in ones development. Ultimately, they are both related to ones growth.Nat’s criticism storyAt the 3:00 mark, Nat shares a personal story related to criticism with her former wedding photography business and how it affected her and how she was able to take that criticism and make big changes within her business. One of the best pieces of advice Nat offers from this experience is to, “never, ever ever, send an email when you are emotional.” To which Ang agrees and goes further to explain that it is best to “sleep on it” before responding back to any negative feedback. How do we handle criticism or critiques from close family and friends?Sometimes family and friends can provide you with feedback that may come across as passive aggression. Many of the times it an come from a place of love but also from a place of not understanding what it is that you do.  Social Media and online trollingUnfortunately, when we show up on social media we are putting ourselves and our work out there and sadly it opens up the doors to unwanted negative comments. It’s important to understand that just because someone has criticized you publicly (like in a comment) or privately (like in a direct message) does not make it right. In many cases, it is very easy to drop negative comments. Trust your intuition and recognize the difference between someone criticizing you or offering valuable feedback. Nat shares a fantastic quote by Teddy Roosevelt that she found in a Brené Brown book to which she relates it to the social trolls and those who hide behind their accounts to criticize others online. Why asking for feedback is so important At the 26:00 mark, Nat and Ang discuss the value in asking for feedback from your customers and clients as it is a tangible way to grow. When you don’t ask for feedback, you are missing an opportunity to perform and serve better in your business. Asking for a review of your product or a testimonial for your services are both beneficial to our overall marketing strategy.  In most cases, people don’t actively leave a rating or review. Which is why it is so important to ask! To round out the episode, Ang notes that if you receive feedback that is more negative or a client / customer is unhappy and it does’t sit well with you. If it doesn’t make you feel good. If it feels upsetting… trust that it is a good sign! Why? Because it means you still CARE! If means you still operate with passion and strive to offer your product or services to the best of your ability.If you haven't left a rating or review on Apple Podcast yet - now is the time to do so!www.thesocialfocus.coOn Instagram we are:@angela.s.doyon @natcaronphoto @thesocial.focus