Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. And today's episode is about how your critics and your naysayers may actually be your biggest secrets to success. It's all about knowing who to tap and how to harness their insights. Six years ago, as I prepared to launch my consulting business, I was fueled by the overwhelming support

and validation I received from friends and family. Clearly, I was on to something because

everyone around me told me so. But one night, just before my shingle was hung, I had a chat

with a cynical uncle that gave me pause. What if you don't find clients, he asked,

or what if you find too many and you can't juggle the work, or you make a big mistake,

or there's too much competition out there. This conversation let the air out of my tires,

but it's also the one that prompted me to really sharpen and refine the business I

ultimately launched.

And by my standards, it's absolutely been a success.

When you have an idea, a business, a product, or just something different you'd like to try

at work, it's natural to seek out supporters.

We get a boost of confidence from everyone who will tell us exactly why our idea is a win.

And cheerleading is great. But sometimes it's actually the opposite of what we need to hear.

As the Harvard Business Review reports, avoiding negative feedback is both wrong-headed and dangerous.

Wrong-headed because when delivered the right way at the right time, criticism is, in fact, highly motivating.

Dangerous because without awareness of the mistake he or she is making, no one can possibly improve.

So if you're ready to bring an idea or an inkling from good to great, let's talk about how you can

find and harness the right critics to help you make it shine.

Start by finding the right people. Have you ever heard of the segue?

Invented in 2001, it was a brilliantly designed self-balancing personal transporter.

Technologically, it was genius. And its inventor, Dean Kamen, brought it to market with gusto.

Game-changing, though its design was, the product ultimately flopped. Why? Because according to this fast company piece, nobody involved in the project ever really stepped back to ask whether

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