Hey, Fatboy.

​I'm fat. 

Call it whatever you want. I'm a big guy. I grew up bigger than most of my peers and have always been above average. When I started T Squared close to five years ago, I knew I would have to be in front of the camera, and it gave me anxiety to think about how others might perceive me. Would they think I'm lazy, unintelligent or unqualified based on my appearance? I didn't know. 

The truth is that I've always been comfortable in my skin as an adult. But I knew that putting myself out there on social media, news interviews, and print editorials would make me subject to other people's opinions of myself. If you are the person in your business that has to be the face (and body) of your company, you know exactly what I am talking about. In this modern marketing world, it feels like a requirement to put yourself out there if you want to succeed. So the choice becomes do you fit in or do you stand out.

Trust me when I tell you, being who you are will always be your greatest strength.

Judgement is a hard thing to process. 

It forces us to ask the question, do I subscribe to this idea of who I am? I'm no mental health professional, but I am a marketing guy. So here is what I know. Feedback will always come in positive and negative forms. And with more success, you will receive more feedback, and if you don't like it, you better close up shop now. It's part of the gig.

You need to set healthy boundaries to protect yourself from dysfunctional comments. Stop sending anonymous surveys if the data collected is unhelpful or hurtful. Turn off comment sections on blogs or posts if they are a source of negativity. You are not obligated to take feedback from every possible point of entry. You most certainly are not compelled to take abuse online. You absolutely wouldn't tolerate this face to face.

I'm not too fond of the term IRL.

​In real life implies that what happens online is not real. It devalues the influence and power that online interactions have on us as humans and as businesses. What happens on social media is in real life.

Choose what serves you.

We all operate our business based on our available time and resources. We make choices every day that may not be perfect, but they are vital to our business's profitability. It's easy for us to take feedback personally, but we need to pull back and breathe. Take a beat, not a beating.

It's your job to protect all of your assets, including yourself. The notion that being on social media is a licence for people to treat your company, your hard work, like a punching bag is no longer relevant. So go ahead, call me Fatboy, but you just might get blocked.

Author

Tyler Babiy is the owner and creative director of T Squared Social where he works with multiple local businesses to create social media content.  With a formal education in fine arts and fashion design, he is also the driving force behind Social Made Local, a socially responsible apparel brand.  When he is not working he can be found at the dog park, binge watching Netflix or enjoying a craft beer with friends at a local brewery.