I got my first hate comment in 2006.
Someone left a scathing review on my website calling me a "scammer" and saying I "knew nothing about business." I was 27. I spent three days obsessing over it. I drafted responses. I re-read it. I showed my wife. I lost sleep.
That comment has been gone for 19 years. I still remember exactly what it said. The jerk won that round.
Today, I get negative comments, emails, tweets, and DMs regularly. You know what I do? Nothing. And my business has grown to multiple six figures annually while those people are still sitting behind their keyboards saying mean things to strangers.
Here's what I've learned about handling jerks in business.
They're Coming For You (That's The Deal)
If you're in business, someone, somewhere, will not like you. They'll question your credentials. They'll attack your offer. They'll tell people you're a fraud. This is not optional — it's inevitable.
The more visible you become, the worse it gets. When I was making $50K/year, I had maybe one or two detractors. Now that I'm more visible, I deal with them monthly. The algorithm of visibility is simple: more people see you = more people have opinions about you = some of those opinions are terrible.
This is the price of admission. If you can't handle being disliked by strangers, you can't run a public-facing business. Period.
What Jerks Actually Want (It's Not What You Think)
Most people who attack you publicly don't actually want anything from you. They want attention. They want to feel powerful. They're miserable in their own lives and your visibility is a convenient target.
They are not potential clients. They're not future buyers. They're not prospects giving you "feedback." They're people working through their own stuff by being mean to strangers online.
I know that sounds harsh. But once you really internalize this — that the person attacking you is not someone you need to win over — everything changes. You stop taking it personally. You stop engaging. You just move on.
The Actual Cost of Engaging (It's Higher Than You Think)
Here's what happens when you respond to a jerk: you lose time. You lose emotional energy. You lose focus. And here's the part most people miss — you signal to everyone watching that engaging with jerks is acceptable.
When you respond to a negative comment publicly, you're telling your audience: "This person's opinion matters enough for me to engage." That's not the message you want to send.
I watched a coach friend of mine get into a weeks-long Twitter feud with someone who was criticizing his program. He was right. The person was wrong. But he spent 3 weeks fighting this person instead of onboarding clients, creating content, and growing his business. He won the argument and lost the quarter.
What To Actually Do When It Happens
Do not respond. Not publicly. Not privately. Not with a clapback. Not with a thoughtful reply. Not with a measured response. Nothing. Silence is not weakness — it's strategy.
Block them. I know that sounds dramatic. But if someone's attacking you publicly, they don't deserve access to your community. Block them from your profiles, your email list, your Facebook group. You get to choose who is in your ecosystem.
Delete their comments. On your own platforms, you have every right to delete whatever you want. Negative comments on your Instagram, your YouTube, your blog — remove them. You're not obligated to give a platform to people who want to tear you down.
Tell your audience you don't tolerate it. Post once: "I don't engage with people who are disrespectful in my comments. Block and delete." Then follow through, every single time. Your audience will respect you more for having boundaries.
The Internal Work Nobody Talks About
Here's the thing about jerks that nobody in the business advice space wants to admit: they affect you because you let them.
That person who called you a scammer — why did it hurt? Because part of you agrees with them. Part of you wonders if you're really qualified. Part of you has impostor syndrome and they just poked at it.
Jerks surface your own insecurities. The work isn't just about ignoring them externally — it's about resolving internally why their words have power over you in the first place.
When I look back at that 2006 comment, I know exactly why it devastated me. I was unsure of myself. I was new. I didn't know if I was actually qualified. That person gave voice to my own doubt. The solution wasn't learning to ignore critics. It was building genuine confidence in what I do.
If you're struggling with negative feedback, that might be the real issue underneath. Not the jerk — your own relationship with your work. Dealing with the fear of rejection in business starts with that internal work.
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Join Wealthy Coach Academy — my $197/month coaching program where I help you build a business that actually works. Or start with a $4.95 starter class and see what happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I respond to negative comments publicly?
No. Never. Responding publicly validates the attack, draws more attention to it, and signals that you care about the attacker's opinion. The only exception: if the comment contains factual misinformation that could harm potential clients. In that case, a brief factual correction is appropriate. But clapbacks, defenses, and "let me explain myself" responses are always wrong.
What if the jerk is a former client?
Handle it the same way: don't engage. A former client attacking you publicly has their own reasons — they're usually embarrassed about their own choices or looking for someone to blame. Don't give them the satisfaction of a response. If they leave negative reviews, respond once with grace: "I'm sorry you feel that way. Here's how to reach me directly." Then move on.
Does blocking people hurt my business?
No. Blocking people who attack you has zero negative impact on your business. It actually helps — it creates a culture in your community where respectful engagement is the norm. The people you block were never going to buy from you anyway. Removing them makes your community better for the people who will.
How do I build thick skin for business?
Thick skin comes from two things: competency and exposure. The more confident you are in what you do (built through results, not bravado), the less other people's opinions affect you. And the more you get criticized (inevitable in any public business), the more normalized it becomes. Both take time. There's no shortcut — but both are built by staying in the game.
What if the criticism is actually valid?
Then listen to it privately and ignore it publicly. If someone gives you genuine feedback that could improve your business, take it seriously. But don't engage with it where others can see. Take it offline, evaluate it honestly, and if they're right — fix it. The critic who has a valid point deserves your attention. The jerk attacking you publicly does not.
Related Posts:
About Jeremiah Krakowski
Jeremiah Krakowski is a coaching business mentor who helps coaches, course creators, and consultants scale from $3k/mo to $40k+/mo using direct response marketing, AI systems, and proven frameworks. He runs Wealthy Coach Academy and has 23+ years of experience in digital marketing. Learn more →