You Can’t Please Everyone: A Lesson In Business

I've spent a lot of my life people pleasing, but what I’ve learned is that I can’t please everyone. Not if I want to succeed in making the real-world impact I’m after.

This became ever-more apparent as we launched the Chronic Boss Collective in 2023, the first and only professional network for businesswomen living with chronic conditions.

When I first launched the Collective, I found myself holding back in order to please the masses. I refrained from explicitly stating that the membership was not a support group. The underlying fear? The possibility of alienating potential members or inadvertently offending someone.

This ambiguity muddled our messaging and created confusion around what we were aiming to achieve.

Eventually, I made the judgment call that I had to get more explicit and began to emphasize that the Chronic Boss Collective was not a support group.?

Big Moves, Big Impact

This messaging shift was a pivotal step in attracting the RIGHT women. Sure, I was no longer using messaging that would appeal to the masses, but this shift unlocked something even more powerful. I received validation from so many women saying that they were jazzed to find a community that was wildly different than what already existed for those living with chronic conditions. Win!?

Of course, not everyone was happy about the messaging. We occasionally received negative comments on popular Instagram posts about the power of ambitious women with chronic conditions. Some called us ableist or toxic, labels I staunchly disagree with, for the record.

But it was okay, because for every one of those negative comments we received thousands of likes and positive comments from folks the messaging resonated with. They expressed feeling validated and empowered by the messaging. Again, win!

So, I learned to embrace the negative comments because they meant that we had taken a stand. And taking a stand can be scary, but it can also open incredible doors.

Ultimately, recognizing that I can't please everyone and speaking directly to our target market attracted the members we were looking for: top notch women who resonate with our mission, vision, and values. This strong messaging helped us find our people! I believe this same can happen for any business that speaks with intention and conviction in their messaging.

The takeaway: When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.

The business lesson here is to identify your niche market and speak directly to them, rather than trying to please everyone.

Sometimes that means you will ruffle the feathers of people outside your target market. That's when it is time to let go of your inner people pleaser and say “who cares?”?

So I ask you: Where are you holding back in your business to please others? How can you speak more directly to your target market? What steps can you take to get there?