How to Stop Taking Things Personally in Business: A Lesson for Women Entrepreneurs
Oct 20, 2025
What It Really Means to Separate “Personal” from “Taking It Personally”
Ten years into entrepreneurship, I can confidently say that building a business is personal. It’s your time, your energy, your heart — and often your family’s livelihood too. But one of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn over the past decade is this: while entrepreneurship is personal, that doesn’t mean you have to take things personally.
In this post (and in Lesson Three of my “10 Lessons from 10 Years of Entrepreneurship” series), I’m unpacking one of the most emotionally charged parts of business ownership — how to handle rejection, feedback, and the vulnerability that comes from putting yourself and your ideas out into the world.
Because if you can learn to separate what’s personal from what’s personalized, you’ll free yourself from unnecessary stress, hurt feelings, and self-doubt — and move forward with so much more ease.
Entrepreneurship Is Personal — But That’s Not a Bad Thing
When you’re a service-based entrepreneur, you’re literally selling you.
Your expertise, your energy, your creativity — it’s deeply vulnerable. And that vulnerability is exactly why it stings when someone unsubscribes, a client leaves, or your ideas don’t land the way you hoped.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned: being emotionally invested doesn’t mean every outcome has to feel like a reflection of your worth. Your business is personal because you care, not because it defines you.
The Early Days: When I Took Everything Personally
When I owned my first business — a fitness studio — I used to cry every time a client canceled their membership. Every. Single. Time.
I’d immediately spiral into “What did I do wrong?” or “Why don’t they like me?”
But 99% of the time, it had nothing to do with me. Maybe the class schedule didn’t work anymore, maybe they were moving, or maybe they just wanted to try something new.
Yes, those cancellations were personal because they impacted my livelihood — but they weren’t personal attacks. That distinction changed everything.
Learning to Take Feedback Without Falling Apart
Over the years, I’ve learned to welcome feedback — even when it’s uncomfortable.
After five years of running a gym (and receiving endless unsolicited advice), I realized that people will always have opinions about how you do things.
Now, when someone offers constructive criticism, I don’t take it as a blow to my ego. I take it as information.
Feedback doesn’t mean I’ve failed — it means there’s an opportunity to improve.
My motto?
“You can’t hurt my feelings about my business — but you can help me make it better.”
Letting Clients Go Gracefully
Today, in my coaching business, I still pour my heart into every client I work with — and I genuinely care about their success. So when someone decides to move on, of course it feels personal. But I don’t take it personally anymore.
In fact, I see it as a win. It usually means they’ve outgrown the container we built together, or they’re ready for a new challenge. And that’s what I want — for the women I coach to thrive beyond me.
The Freedom That Comes from Not Taking It Personally
When you stop personalizing every outcome, your business becomes lighter.
You’ll still care — deeply — but you’ll have more space for growth, creativity, and connection.
Because rejection will happen. Criticism will happen. And yes, sometimes it’ll sting. But most of the time, it’s not about you — it’s about timing, alignment, or the other person’s own journey.
Take the lesson, release the emotional weight, and move forward.
Your Business Is Personal — But You Are So Much More Than Your Business
At the end of the day, your business is something you do, not who you are.
When you can separate the two, you’ll show up with more confidence, compassion, and resilience.
And if someone doesn’t hire you, doesn’t buy from you, or doesn’t love what you’re creating?
Let it go. There are people out there who will.
