When Your Company Becomes the Headline

There’s a different kind of breaking news that hits harder than anything you see on television. It is the day your company’s name becomes the headline on social media.

If you have been in business long enough, you know exactly what I’m talking about. A post. A complaint. A thread that starts gaining traction. Notifications lighting up your phone. Comment after comment piling on. And suddenly, the business you have poured blood, sweat, and tears into feels like it’s under attack.

I have written before about gut punches in business. But one I haven’t shared until now is the gut punch of watching your company be publicly criticized online.

The first time it happened to us, I felt like the world was ending.

A local citizen posted about Rogers and claimed we were taking advantage of an elderly homeowner. He wasn’t even the customer; his neighbor was. What he didn’t know was that her electrical system was unsafe and needed significant work. But the narrative was already forming before the facts had a chance.

The post took off. Comments multiplied. Opinions flew. People who had never done business with us chimed in.

I remember thinking irrational thoughts like, “This is it. This is how the business goes under.”

It is amazing how loud negativity can feel when it’s directed at something you have built with everything you have. But that experience taught me lessons I wish someone had shared with me years ago.

1. It Doesn’t Get Easier — You Get Stronger

People are more vocal than ever. Social media gives anyone a microphone and an audience. And when a post gains traction, others may pile on simply because it’s getting attention.

For a while, it felt constant. Even after we offered to help the homeowner at no charge, the narrative continued. The individual behind the post kept revisiting it. Others tagged him to stir things back up.

At first, it devastated me. Over time, something shifted. The comments didn’t stop, but they didn’t hit the same. The sting went from a gut punch to more of a bee sting. Still noticeable. Still uncomfortable. But no longer paralyzing.

Leadership requires thick skin. Not because you stop caring, but because you care enough to keep going anyway.

If you’re visible in your market, you are vulnerable. That’s the cost of growth.

2. Do Not Participate

This may be the hardest lesson of all.

When you feel attacked, your first instinct is to defend. To jump into the comments. To explain your side. To correct misinformation. But every comment extends the life of the post. Every response invites another spectator.

Engaging publicly often turns a small fire into a bonfire.

Instead, we focused inward. We kept serving customers. We kept posting meaningful content. We kept showing up consistently and professionally.

Silence is not weakness. Sometimes it is strategy.

3. Protect Your Team

The hardest part for me wasn’t what strangers were saying. It was knowing our team could see it.

The technician who ran that call knew he had done the right thing. Yet after reading the comments, he began questioning himself. His confidence dipped. For a season, all of ours did.

When your company is criticized publicly, your team can feel like they are under a microscope. As leaders, we cannot sweep that under the rug.

We gathered our team. We talked about it openly. We reassured them. We reminded them of our standards, our integrity, and the thousands of customers we have served well. We reinforced that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean being applauded for it.

Moments like this are defining leadership moments. Your team is watching how you respond.

If you panic, they panic. If you steady the ship, they regain confidence.

4. It’s Smaller Than It Feels

Negativity online feels enormous. I was convinced everyone had seen “the post.” At the grocery store. At school pickup. At community events. I felt like people were looking at me differently.

The truth? Most people hadn’t even seen it. And many who had reached out privately to offer support.

We realized something important: we had far more supporters than critics. And many of the loudest voices online were not, and likely would never be, our ideal customers anyway.

Online noise is often louder than real-world impact. Don’t let a comment section distort your perspective.

5. Do Not Stop Showing Up

There are moments in business when you question why you are doing this at all. Public criticism can take you there quickly.

But here is what I learned: the world keeps moving. Customers still need service. The phone keeps ringing. The team still shows up ready to work.

The post that once felt catastrophic did not close our doors. It did not stop our growth. It did not define our reputation. What it did was refine us.

It made us stronger leaders. It forced us to communicate better. It reminded us that visibility comes with responsibility and resilience.

The negativity hasn’t completely disappeared. It probably never will. But it no longer controls my emotions the way it once did.

Now, when criticism surfaces, I remind myself: If you’re being talked about, you’re being seen. And if you’re being seen, your marketing is working.

To every contractor reading this who has felt that knot in their stomach from a public complaint — hang in there. Do not engage in the chaos. Protect your team. Keep your standards high. Keep serving well.

And, most importantly, do not stop showing up. This too shall pass. And you’ll be stronger because of it.