How to Deal With Online Haters When You're Afraid to be Seen

The Power of Resilience in the Online World

As high-performing leaders and entrepreneurs, the fear of putting ourselves out there is very real. Let's address that fear and learn how to stand tall despite criticism and negativity.

Back in 2015 when I was just stepping into the world of podcasting. I had completed my NLP training, ready to announce my new venture to the world. With excitement and some nerves, I launched my first Facebook ad campaign. I pressed publish, waited for the business to pour in.

It did not.

An old friend—from my 18 year bar-star days—shared my ad, and I thought, "how nice of her to share it". Until I read her post and realized it was not an act of kindness, but rather an act of cruelty. Her post said "who does she think she is to become a coach?"

Comments poured in, questioning my abilities and intentions from online haters. Another girl from those 18 year old days commented "I've been waiting to take this Teri b*tch down!" It felt like a punch in the nose. As soon as I would block and delete them, they would have other friends comment or they would create fake accounts.

For 48 hours, I was the target of harsh comments, unfounded criticisms, and fake reviews from online haters that were meant to crush my spirit. I felt backed into a corner.

My immediate reaction was to shut it all down—to hide away from the hurt.

I messaged my coach and said "if this is what it means to visible online, I want nothing to do with it."

But my coach at the time gave me invaluable advice. He reminded me of the resilience found in leaders like Tony Robbins and Oprah—who face much larger scales of criticism and online haters daily. He told me that this experience was a lesson in resilience and a part of the training to grow into my potential.

Listen to the podcast version on Success in Mind:

The reality is, not everyone is going to like us, and that's okay. Out of everyone we meet, a third won't like us regardless of what we say or do. The second third will be on the fence. They can take you or leave you. Maybe you can win some of them over. The focus should be on the top third who support us, who cheer us on, and who value what we bring to the table. The ones whose lives can be transformed by our messages.

Looking back now, those two days were a blessing in disguise. They taught me the backbone of resilience. I learned to block, delete, and move forward with the support of people who mattered. It taught me that not reacting in expected ways can disarm negativity and provide strength to continue.

3 Mindest Shifts for Dealing with Online Haters

1. Remember the 1/3 Rule: Not everyone will like you—and that’s perfectly normal. Roughly one-third will love you, one-third won’t care, and one-third won’t like you no matter what you do. Focus on your people.

2. Don’t give them the mic: Haters want a reaction. When you ignore or disengage, you take away their power. You choose where your energy goes—and it should go to those you're here to serve.

3. This is training: Every hater is a resilience rep. You’re building emotional muscle for the bigger stage. Tony Robbins, Brené Brown, Oprah—they all have haters. It's a sign you're doing something worth noticing.

To those of you holding back, hesitating to speak your truth because of fear, remember this lesson: Despite the haters, your voice matters. You owe it to yourself and those you are destined to help. Stepping into your power and sharing your message could mean the world to someone else.

Strategies to Handle Online Haters

1. Block, delete, move on: Use the tools at your disposal—mute, block, report, delete. You don’t owe anyone access to your space or energy.

2. Have a support crew. Share the experience with a trusted coach, friend, or online community. Talking it out can bring clarity and remind you that you’re not alone.

3. Preempt with clear boundaries: Set community guidelines on your platforms (especially YouTube, Facebook groups, etc.) so you have a clear reason to remove toxic comments.

4. Don’t argue—ever! Engaging with haters rarely leads to anything productive. Silence and success are your best responses.

5. Audit your inner critic. Haters often echo a fear you already have. If their words sting, explore what internal belief they’re triggering and do the inner work to release it.

Keep pushing forward, blocking out the noise, and embracing resilience. It's what sets us apart and drives us toward our most successful selves.

Thank you for joining me on this transformative journey. If this resonated with you, leave me a comment and share it with a friend. I’d love to hear how you plan to embrace your own resilience moving forward.

Until next time, my friends. Bye for now!