You wasted money on that “internet thingy again?”
If you’ve heard a version of those words from a spouse, a sibling, or a friend, you know the feeling. It’s a sharp, personal kick in the gut. It’s the sting of being judged by people who haven’t taken the time to understand the world you’re trying to build.
When I started this journey, I faced the same skepticism. People who couldn’t tell a browser from a search engine were suddenly experts on why my dreams that were a “waste of money.” They condemned tools like AI without having any idea of its power to change lives.
Survival is in My DNA
In my About Sarah page, I share my journey of surviving cancer. When I faced that diagnosis, I learned something fundamental: I am a fighter.
Dealing with the negativity of others—the “nay-sayers” who see my business as a hobby and my education as an expense—honestly feels a bit like that health battle. But here is what I know: I survived cancer, so I can certainly survive a few skeptical comments.
I’ve rubbed shoulders with top marketers. I’ve seen what’s possible in this online world. My family may see a “waste of money,” but I see an investment in myself. This isn’t just a project; it’s my chance to build something I can finally be proud of. And I won’t let anyone’s negativity sabotage that.
The Hidden Cost of Negativity
It isn’t just “annoying” to be around negative people; it’s a health risk. Research shows that constant exposure to negativity can increase our risk of heart disease, stroke, and anxiety. As mature beginners, our mental and physical well-being is our most valuable asset. We cannot afford to let others’ narrow perspectives damage our health.
How to Protect Your Dream (and Your Peace)
So, how do we keep moving forward when the people closest to us are trying to pull us back?
* Set Firm Boundaries: You don’t have to defend your “internet thingy” every time it’s brought up. It’s okay to say, “I’m not looking for feedback on my business right now, but I’d love to talk about “another topic right now.”
* Practice “Empathy Without Absorption”: Understand that their negativity often comes from their own fear of change or lack of knowledge. Listen to them, but don’t let their words live in your head.
* Don’t Try to “Fix” Them: You don’t need to convince them that AI is the future or that your course was worth the price. Let your success be the only proof you offer.
Know When to Walk Away: If a relationship is consistently toxic to your mental health, it’s okay to create distance. Your peace is worth more than their approval.
Just Get It Done
Motivation is the internal fire that keeps us going, but action is what keeps that fire fed. This project is my last chance to build something meaningful, and I want to help you do the same.
This “Internet Thingy” has a lot of moving parts. Today it is the Blog. A change in Theme broke the look, so I have gone back to Kadence for now, just to get things done. The new Support program is a few weeks away and clicking that link for now you will get you a coming soon page, infact most of the sites are the same. It is easier to build sites that way.
What is coming next?
The Business Site is next… It will be the core piece of the puzzle. The one site that links to the live sites to make it easy for Customers to find. As soon as we go live this will link to the site.
Behind the scenes I already have a MainWP site in place. What MainWP does is maintain all the WordPress sites from one location, updating Plugins and Themes and lets me know if there is an issue. When there is a problem I need to address, one click and I am on the site.
I have cut back from 34 Domains to 18 sites for this first build. All of these are hosted on my D9 WHM Server. A WHM allows me to create cPanel Accounts to run my WordPress websites. The bigger sites have their own CPanel, while some smaller sites share a cPanel. I can ajust the space and bandwidth for each Account and increase it as sites grow.
There is a reason I cut down on the Domains for this Build. These websites are not just websites, I have tools and tracking behind the scenes, which take up space. Instead of using someone elses tools, I now have my own Tools to run my Business. more on that later.
Most of those Domains come from reducing the thirteen domains I had planned to use for Training down to one. The Upgrade site and the Support Forum remain.
Keep Posted…
