Not Every Opinion Matters
(How to Filter Feedback and Stay on Course)
What Marcus Aurelius Knew About Success That Most Entrepreneurs Ignore
You’re about to launch something big. You’re excited, confident—until the opinions start rolling in.
“Are you sure people will pay for that?”
“I wouldn’t do it that way.”
“Maybe you should rethink it…”
And just like that, your momentum stalls.
How many business decisions have you hesitated on because of other people’s opinions?
- Pricing your services
- Choosing your niche
- Marketing the way you want to
- Saying no to an opportunity that didn’t align with your vision
If you second-guess every move because someone else “wouldn’t do it that way,” you’ll never run your business—just a patchwork of other people’s ideas.
Marcus Aurelius said: “To be like the rock that waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved, and the raging of the sea falls still around it.”
Your business is the rock. The waves are the endless opinions, trends, and unsolicited advice that threaten to pull you off course. If you don’t learn how to filter feedback strategically, you’ll either drown in indecision or get swept in the wrong direction.
Everyone Has an Opinion—But Not Every Opinion Deserves Your Attention
We’re drowning in constant feedback. Social media, well-meaning friends, clients, competitors—everyone has something to say about how you should run your business.
Some of it is useful. Most of it is noise.
- Social media makes everyone feel like an expert. Just because someone has strong opinions about business doesn’t mean they have a successful one.
- Clients and peers project their own experiences onto you. They see your choices through their lens—not through the full context of your business.
- Advice overload leads to decision fatigue. The more conflicting opinions you hear, the harder it is to make a decision at all.
If you let too many external voices shape your business, you’ll end up serving everyone except yourself.
When Too Much Advice Kills a Great Idea
Sarah built her boutique fitness studio over five years, running packed HIIT classes three times a day. Her 7am session had a consistent waitlist. But watching long-term clients move away sparked an idea: an online membership with pre-recorded sessions, form-check videos, and a private community for member support.
The plan was solid. The price point – $97 monthly – reflected the personalized attention she’d provide. Then she started asking for input.
Then, she started asking for feedback.
- A fellow gym owner told her people wouldn’t pay for online fitness anymore because of free YouTube workouts.
- One of her most loyal clients said the monthly price seemed steep compared to $12.99 fitness apps.
- A business coach, who didn’t understand the boutique model, told her she was thinking too small—she should scrap the online membership entirely and build a full-scale coaching program instead.
- A competitor laughed and said, “Everyone’s doing this now. You’re too late.”
Each new opinion chipped away at her confidence.
She started second-guessing. Should she change the pricing? Should she abandon the pre-recorded model and do live coaching instead? Was the whole idea even worth pursuing anymore?
The momentum faded. She kept tweaking, adjusting, and overthinking—until months passed, and the program never launched.
Her studio continues to thrive, but every time she sees another coach successfully running an online program, she remembers the business she talked herself out of building.
The Flip Side: Ignoring the Right Voices is Just as Dangerous
Take my friend David, for example.
David had a vision: a program to help kids with ADHD succeed in school. He was so convinced it would work that he went all in. He raised a ton of money, quit his job, and worked tirelessly to bring his idea to life.
And when it was finally ready?
Nothing.
The people he thought would be excited didn’t “get it.” Schools weren’t interested. Parents weren’t signing up. His idea, which had seemed so obvious to him, completely flopped.
Why?
Because he never asked anyone if they actually wanted it. He never tested his messaging. Never made adjustments along the way. He was so sure it would work that he never stopped to check his assumptions to see if he was right.
Since then, he’s learned from that failure and gone on to build an eight-figure business. But it all started with a massive misstep—one that could have been avoided if he had sought out the right input.
You don’t need blinders. You need a filter.
What Happens When You Filter Feedback the Right Way?
Jonathan launched his phone-based therapy practice in 2006. The professional pushback was immediate. Colleagues at conferences questioned the very concept. “You can’t build therapeutic alliance without being in the same room,” they insisted. Phone therapy seemed absurd in an industry built on face-to-face connections.
But Jonathan paid attention to a different signal. During his years of traditional practice, he’d noticed clients often opened up more during phone sessions when weather kept them home. No office environment to navigate, no anxiety about facial expressions – just focused conversation.
He started small, with three phone-only clients. They loved doing sessions while walking through parks, sitting in parked cars during lunch breaks, or from their own comfortable spaces. No commute, no waiting room stress, no scheduling conflicts.
When video platforms became standard years later, he added them as an option. But today, 70% of his clients still choose phone sessions. He built what his clients needed, not what his colleagues thought would work.
What’s the One Decision You’ve Been Holding Back On?
What decision have you been sitting on because of conflicting feedback?
Write it down. Then ask yourself:
- Does this person have experience solving the specific problem I’m trying to solve?
- Is their business model similar to what I’m building?
- Are they sharing what worked for them, or what they’re afraid won’t work for me?
- Does their feedback align with what my target audience actually wants?
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Take one concrete step toward that decision – send an email, outline a plan, make a call. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress.
The waves of opinion won’t stop coming. But you get to decide: Will you stand firm in your vision, or let each new wave push you in a different direction?
The choice is yours. What’s your next move?
