I woke up one morning to see an Instagram ad I was in getting absolutely hammered by thousands of comments. And I don’t mean light criticism, I mean full blown mockery, insults, and people calling me an idiot (and those were the nicer ones).
Nearly a decade ago, I was featured in a workwear clothing campaign. The brand wanted to showcase real tradesmen in action, people who actually lived and worked in the gear. At the time, I was a carpenter and had been wearing their workwear for years. Not just because they sent me free clothes, but because they were actually great quality.
But here’s where things went sideways.
In the photo, a staged promo shot, I was holding a chainsaw. Not using it, just holding it for the camera. The brand wanted a shot that showed off their products, so I posed in a way that made the product visible.
Now, was I wearing full safety gear? No.
Was the chainsaw even running? Also no.
It was a marketing image, not an actual action shot. But… none of that mattered when the internet got hold of it.
The comment section turned into a feeding frenzy, and here are just a few gems that stuck with me:
"He must be a paid actor, real carpenters aren’t this stupid."
"Who holds a chainsaw like that?"
"Guaranteed this guy has lost a limb if he works like this."
"This guy is why we don’t build good houses in the UK."
"If this guy’s a carpenter, then I’m the tooth fairy."
I had built hundreds of homes across the UK and Europe. I had years of experience, real skills, and a reputation for my work.
And yet, in a matter of hours, 60,000 strangers decided I was an idiot.
I’ll be honest, it crushed me.
During the shoot, the team had taken 100’s of photos, so I had forgotten the image even existed, and when I saw it resurface, I knew it looked bad. But that didn’t stop it from shaking my confidence.
I stopped posting on social media. I changed my username so I couldn’t be easily found.
I hid.
For a long time, I let people who didn’t know me dictate how I felt about myself.
It took time, but eventually, I stepped back and looked at it differently.
None of these people knew me. None of them had seen my work. And more importantly, none of them were in the arena with me.
My wife reminded me of something that has stuck with me ever since:
We listen too much to critics who aren’t even doing the work.
The loudest voices in the cheap seats are often the ones who have never stepped onto the field. The people who are actually doing the work? They rarely mock or tear down, because they know what it takes.
If you’ve ever felt judged, ridiculed, or torn down by people who don’t even know what it takes to be you, let this be your reminder:
- Your value isn’t defined by outsiders who have never walked your path.
- People who actually know what it takes don’t waste time tearing others down.
- You don’t need validation from people who aren’t doing the work.
Keep showing up. Keep putting in the work. And stop listening to the cheap seats.
If you need help with confidence or discovering what you are worth then drop us a message.
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