The Bounce-Back Factor: What I’m Learning from Criticism, Calling, and God’s Timing

I’ve received some negative feedback lately and not just in a general sense but specifically around the ways I’m going about building this Savory Society Community of Women.

Some people have questioned my methods and some don’t love that I’m blending different passions or choosing to build community in a way that doesn’t fit their mold. Some think I should be quieter… others think I should be louder.

And a few have even assumed that because I’m doing something differently than they would, I must be doing it wrong.

And if I’m being honest? It’s been hard.

I’m always open to counsel and grateful for it because I know I can’t grow without feedback, and I truly believe wise voices help sharpen and refine the vision. I want to get better. I want to lead with integrity and intentionality. But I’ve also learned not to be deterred by every opinion. Not every voice deserves equal weight and not every critique is rooted in truth.

That’s why I’m learning to stay anchored to God’s voice above all because when you’re walking in obedience, clarity doesn’t always come from the crowd. Sometimes it comes in the quiet, when your heart is tuned to the One who called you in the first place.

It’s come in different forms like subtle comments, direct messages, and quiet conversations I’ve heard about after the fact. Some people question what I’m doing. Others don’t understand why I’ve shifted directions. And a few have assumed things that just aren’t true.

I don’t need everyone to agree with me. But because what I’m doing isn’t surface-level but heart-level. It’s deeply personal. And when you’re building something from that place, criticism doesn’t just sting… it sinks in.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize: When you’re doing what God has called you to do, when your heart is in alignment with His will there will always be resistance. Satan hates alignment. He hates movement. He hates women rising up and walking in their purpose. So he attacks it. Loudly. Repeatedly. Strategically.

And yet…

There’s a phrase I heard when I was just 18 years old that has never left me. I was at a Mary Kay consultant event, bright-eyed and brand new, and one of the top earners stood on stage and said something that landed deep in my spirit:

“The only difference between you and me… is my ability to bounce back.”

That line has echoed in my mind ever since. And every time I feel discouraged, every time I start to wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if maybe this isn’t for me those words come back. And with them, a spark reignites because it reminds me: that this path doesn’t require perfection. It just requires resilience.

It reminds me that I can feel the weight of a hard moment… and still rise the next day with hope. It reminds me that obedience doesn’t always look like applause. Sometimes, it looks like quiet faithfulness. Like showing up when it’s not easy. Like building even when others don’t understand the blueprint.

And most of all, it reminds me that the work I’m doing and the things I’m creating aren’t just mine. They’re His.

So yes, some feedback has been hard to hear. But the harder path would still be walking away from something I know is aligned with what God’s planted in me. So I’ll keep bouncing back.

I’ll keep choosing joy.

And I’ll keep building not for approval, but for purpose.

Because when God calls you to something, He will also sustain you through it.

And that bounce-back muscle? It’s just part of the training to be the best possible version of you, you could possibly be.