Being an Influencer Gives No One the Right to be Mean to Me

Being an Influencer Doesn’t Give You the Right to Be Mean

Let’s start with some Builder’s Code: the drawings are our base. We’re paid to read, understand, and act on drawings. That’s our skill. We should be reading them 15–30 minutes a day, highlighting, making notes, marking them up, and triggering action among the management team based on what we find. That’s how we spot issues early, coordinate, and keep projects moving.

Now, on to something that’s been on my mind.

The more people share on social media, the better off we are as an industry. But here’s what I don’t understand: what part of being an influencer gives people the right to be mean?

Just because someone is out there sharing, it doesn’t mean they’ve signed up to be insulted, shamed, or have their character attacked.

The Taylor Swift Example

I remember defending Taylor Swift when a crowd booed her at a game after her face appeared on the Jumbotron. She didn’t ask for it; she was just there. She’s worked her tail off since she was a teenager, stood up for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and creative ownership. And yet, people felt entitled to tear her down.

If that were your daughter, would you be okay with it? I doubt it.

Critique vs. Personal Attack

There’s no such thing as “constructive criticism” when it’s aimed at a person. You can critique systems, ideas, and processes, but tearing down a human being isn’t helpful.

When I share content, whether it’s about Lean, Takt, or anything else, it’s to help, uplift, and educate. I’m not here to host debates in my comment sections, especially when they turn into “liar, liar, pants on fire” responses instead of intelligent discussion.

Real debate means articulating your position and addressing the argument. Saying “you’re wrong” without explanation doesn’t cut it.

My Reality as a Creator

I’ve given up higher-paying corporate roles to focus on giving back to this industry. I live in a modest home, drive a modest boat, and reinvest profits into helping others. That’s my choice. But being out there, podcasts, blogs, LinkedIn, YouTube- doesn’t permit anyone to be disrespectful.

When someone crosses the line, I block them. Not because I can’t handle disagreement, but because I value my mental health.

The Bigger Problem

I believe 95% of the people who could share their knowledge online don’t because it’s not safe. They don’t want to deal with personal attacks. That’s bad for our industry.

Imagine if, instead of targeting people, we targeted broken systems, outdated processes, and harmful policies. Imagine if disagreements were handled with mutual respect and real conversation.

We’d all be better for it.

Key Takeaway:
Being an influencer means sharing knowledge, not signing up to be someone’s punching bag. If we want more people to share and improve our industry, we need to replace personal attacks with respectful, articulate conversation, aimed at systems, not people.