Here's how you can effectively manage criticism and feedback in your social media career.
Navigating the waters of social media can be challenging, especially when it comes to handling criticism and feedback. Whether you're a budding influencer, a seasoned content creator, or a social media manager, understanding how to effectively manage feedback is crucial for your growth and mental well-being. This article will guide you through practical steps to turn criticism into constructive progress while maintaining your confidence and assertiveness in your social media career.
When criticism comes your way, see it as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is invaluable for understanding your audience's needs and preferences. By embracing it, you can refine your content strategy, improve engagement, and build a more authentic connection with your followers. Remember, not all feedback will be useful, but it's important to sift through it with an open mind and extract actionable insights.
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Karina Megna
Graphic Designer. Founder at Disegno Megna | Graphic Design Studio | Branding
LinkedIn es una red que facilita el networking entre profesionales, si lo que se quiere es construir una red de apoyo y soporte uno debería poder tomar las críticas como oportunidades de mejora, y además, vincularse con quien probablemente nos esté ayudando a mejorar. En caso que sean constructivas obviamente. Interactuar con actitud positiva es lo que puede generar redes de alto valor para nosotros y nuestras carreras.
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Rosie Galvin
Lead Recruiter at Sony Imageworks
Never share your first initial thought after receiving criticism on social media. You will likely regret what you have to say when upset or caught off guard. Process the feedback, gather your emotions, and show humility. Try not to take it personally. The person giving you negative feedback could be going through something personally and they are in turn taking it out on you.
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Pragathi P
LinkedIn Community Top Voice| LinkedIn Marketing Insider
First of all , if anyone is saying that , your service is not good, disliking what you are offering them and they are saying it on face, then be thankful to them instead of blowing up their mind and yours. Whilst we hire a consultants and pay hefty amounts to take advice on how one can improve business in a professional tone, its also rational to consider the feedback from an uncertified and unprofessional yet a genuine customer who is practicaly very well aware of the feel of your service or product. Listen to them and not all the feedbacks can be implemented in reality, but little tweak a way we do things in our business. Take your customers feedback seriously but not personally. Always say "Thank you" with smile for every feedback.
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Radu Oncescu
📬 Newsletter specialist @ #SoMeBites. 📰 See my work in 9to5Google, Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Drum. 💡Top 6% Social Media Voice.
Criticism is also an opportunity for growth. When receiving positive feedback: — Stay modest. — Show him / her that you have room for continous personal / professional growth. When receiving negative feedback: — Respond gracefully in an authentic way. — Stay objective.
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Katerina Meshcheriakova
Content Writer at Genesis
As a person whose work is focused on many stakeholders, I know very well how difficult it is sometimes to deal with criticism. Two things help me to stay calm and constructive. First, I always ask myself why smbd is criticizing me. Are they expressing their subjective opinion, speaking from a position of experience and expertise, or are they just hating? The answer to this question lets me calm my emotions and determine what to consider. The second point is you don't have to consider every negative feedback. As the person who knows your work best, you always have the option to defend your decisions, give arguments, and defend what you have created.
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victor torori
security, Transport,(tax services), freelance,ict.
Recognize that there will always be criticism when using social media.You should follow your own convictions and avoid trying to win others over because not everyone will agree with you.
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Chiebuka Nwosu
Community and Communications Manager
I believe that every feedback, whether negative or positive, creates an opportunity for growth. Rather than perceiving it as a personal attack, embrace and it. Let it drive you to refine your content strategy and deliver better results on your job. Remember, not all feedback will be useful. Sift through them and stay open minded.
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Will Poe
Success is Not Something you Accomplish ; It's a Mindset that you Achieve.
Handing criticism involves understanding the critic. Negative feedback arises in different contexts, and each merits a different approach. In the face of "angry criticism," avoid defensiveness and try to understand the underlying emotions and motives of the critic. Reframe criticism as constructive feedback and extract the productive suggestions beneath otherwise critical words.
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Elh Shine
Digital marketing, design, and communications professional
Feedback is just that, feedback. Learn to distinguish between suggestions and mandates, and take every opportunity to glean the positive from even the harshest critique. There are times when many stakeholders may have varying opinions and it's your job to sift through the feedback to find a solution that can work for everyone. Critique can be an opportunity to grow and develop new and innovative ideas. Just remember to practice self-care in your professional life if criticism starts to feel too personal or overwhelming. Step away, reframe, and take time for yourself to come at the issue with a clear mind.
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Promise Ani
Certified Social media manager/ Meta ad expert/Customer service personnel/Virtual Assistant
To me as a social media manager, criticism is another way of learning and making improvements. criticism is an opportunity for growth. when people criticise you or your job, control your emotions, analyze the feedback, use the criticism as a chance to learn and develop new skills, and talk to your colleagues or mentor. once again, try not to take criticism personally. See it as a way of learning.
It's easy to get emotionally invested in your work, but it's crucial to maintain objectivity when assessing feedback. Separate your personal feelings from professional critique and evaluate the comments based on their merit and relevance to your goals. By staying objective, you can make informed decisions that enhance your social media presence without compromising your values or vision.
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Pragathi P
LinkedIn Community Top Voice| LinkedIn Marketing Insider
It's easy to get hurt for a moment, when someone unknown ruin every effort by their words in few minutes or bring your business efforts down just cause they aren't satisfied with what you offer them. So, fret not :) Do not react ,instead respond to it in a calm and professional way to maintain the dignity of your business and make your customer feel that you can go onwards upwards to serve your customer as per their satisfaction so that the conflict with your business defuse eventually. Have a community guidelines in place to have a positive, interactive, respectful and professional environment.Encourage your online community to go through the guidelines. Know when to comment and when to ignore. Maintain personal profile privacy.
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Radu Oncescu
📬 Newsletter specialist @ #SoMeBites. 📰 See my work in 9to5Google, Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Drum. 💡Top 6% Social Media Voice.
— Dont involve your personal feelings. — Evaluate their comments based on your activity / goals. Remember, your social media presence also requires authenticity.
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Chloe Birch
You've worked really hard on producing a piece of work - you've done the research, created something to the best of your ability and, understandably, you want to stand back and be proud of it. So when someone is giving feedback, it can be very easy to be offended when it is not 100% positive. It can take time, but seeing feedback as a learning opportunity is the best thing you can do. Why did you do that task that particular way? What impact will there be next time if you do it the way you have been recommended to? Always bring yourself back to your main goals - how will that piece of feedback bring you closer to achieving them?
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Keean Kirk
Practice being mindful of your own emotional capacity. When assessing feedback, you may feel an emotional response. Observe and witness your emotions in a non-judgemental way and acknowledge that the emotions are present. Instead of being reactive to the emotions, be more reflective with curiosity in mind. Allowing yourself to reflect on feedback with curiosity is a sign of emotional maturity.
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Susanne van Veenendaal
Journalistin und Kulturfleisch-Interessierte
Ich habe einmal diesen Spruch gelesen, den ich sehr hilfreich finde (sinngemäß): Es gibt zwei Arten von Menschen, auf die man im Leben trifft: Die einen sind deine Freunde, die anderen deine Lehrer 🙂 Mit dieser Weisheit im Hinterkopf, sieht man Kritik positiver (wenn auch erst am nächsten Tag 🙃)
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Muhammad Usman
Executive-level Resumes & Career Branding Documents 📝 | Board CVs & Bios 📃 | LinkedIn Profile Optimization 📈 | Graphic Designing Expert ✨ | WordPress Developer 🌐 | Email, Social Media & Digital Marketing Expert 📩
Staying objective on social media involves approaching interactions with a calm, balanced mindset, and focusing on facts rather than emotions. Before responding to comments or engaging in discussions, take a moment to assess the situation and gather all relevant information. Avoid taking criticism personally; instead, see it as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Use neutral language, stick to the topic, and base your responses on evidence or personal experience without getting defensive. By maintaining this level-headed approach, you can navigate social media interactions more effectively and build a reputation for professionalism and reliability.
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Jude Manickam
Writer on Medium. Specializing in Self Development, Health & Wellness, AI & Digital Marketing
One final thought: Embrace and Leverage Feedback. Instead of viewing criticism as a setback, treat it as a resource for growth and audience engagement. Create a "Feedback Friday" segment where you address constructive criticism openly, showing your willingness to improve and valuing your community's input. This transparent approach not only humanizes you but also turns critics into collaborators, fostering a more loyal and engaged following while continuously refining your content.
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OLIVIER DELEVINGNE
Compositeur --- Fabricant d'idées
La pratiques des métiers dits "passion" comme les activités artistiques contiennent une telle charge émotionnelle qu'il faut essayer de rester détaché des critiques souvent non constructives en en faisant néanmoins un axe d'amélioration de sa performance.
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Mayra Basora Sotomayor, MS
Social Media Manager / Content Creator / Digital Marketing / Public Relations
Staying objective is crucial in managing criticism and feedback in your social media career. It allows you to assess feedback without being swayed by emotions. 1- Analyze the source of feedback 2- Focus on the content, not the tone 3- Use data to inform decisions 4- Create a feedback system 5- Seek multiple perspectives 6- Maintain professionalism 7- Set emotional boundaries 8- Reflect and learn By staying objective, you can effectively manage criticism and feedback, turning it into a powerful tool for growth in your social media career.
Your response to criticism can significantly impact your online reputation. Always respond to feedback with grace and professionalism, even if it's harsh or unfounded. A thoughtful reply can turn a critic into a supporter, and ignoring negative comments can sometimes do more harm than good. Engage with your audience in a way that demonstrates your commitment to excellence and your willingness to listen.
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Michael Bigley
Principal at NewEdge Wealth
I watched the most recent episode of Bill Maher last night - and in general I think he leans more progressive while I would lean more conservative. He and his two guests did not agree on everything discussed, but the tone was civil and very entertaining. Criticism, alternative views, complete disagreement are all acceptable if the conversation is civil and tolerant. My opinion is social media, and maybe the media in general, has forced all conversations about issues to be a must win/lose rather than a compromise that allows a prospective path to be started. This is happening in many forums, manifested by the Presidential candidates - the best our country has to offer? Respond carefully and thoughtfully with consideration and respect.
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Radu Oncescu
📬 Newsletter specialist @ #SoMeBites. 📰 See my work in 9to5Google, Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Drum. 💡Top 6% Social Media Voice.
— Be polite. — Respond with grace and professionalism. — Ask for feedback and offer the same thing when a situation like this occurs.
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Zoe Wee Xin Jie
Sales & Marketing Executive @ NovogeneAIT Genomics | NGS | Genomics | Transcriptomics | Proteomics | Metagenomics | Multiomics | Serving AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa)
I think out of all the things we can make decisions on in life, the most important thing is choosing how we view and react to circumstances in our lives. While reacting explosively to an angry comment might come as second nature to the majority of us, we should learn not to let our emotions get the best of us. Self-improvement rarely comes from being closed minded, after all. Instead, consider doing the following when faced with criticism: 1) Listen to what they have to say 2) Pause and take a deep breath 3) Take a moment to craft your response 4) Thank the person and respond gracefully Remember, this only applies to people who have good intentions at heart. For baseless accusations and rude comments, just ignore.
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Johnny Rizk
Business Development Manager
Stay professional, understand feedback, engage with constructive criticism, ignore toxic comments, and use feedback to improve and build strong connections with your audience.
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Alexis Carden
Marketing Specialist | Writer | Conservationist | Artist
When responding to those online, my number one tip is to always act thoughtfully, and professionally. You aren’t just representing yourself, you’re representing a brand. Respond like you genuinely care, and even if it’s a negative comment, act with grace. Always listen to what they have to say even if you don’t want to.
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OLIVIER DELEVINGNE
Compositeur --- Fabricant d'idées
Se justifier dans ce contexte n'est pas utile, il faut rester ferme et courtois. Renforcer son argumentaire avec des éléments factuels est toujours préférable et permet de conforter son autorité.
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Gabriel Salvadó
Ilustrador y guionista para pequeñas empresas y freelances que quieran tener una buena presencia online ✏️ Además te enseño el poder del dibujo y lo que puede hacer por tu negocio #marketing #storytelling #visual
Hoy en día, responder con buen humor o con amabilidad parece una norma de otro mundo. Y más si es algo que nos molesta. Seth Godin lo dice muy bien: "The moments when it’s the most difficult to be kind are the moments where it matters the most".
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Mayra Basora Sotomayor, MS
Social Media Manager / Content Creator / Digital Marketing / Public Relations
Responding gracefully to criticism and feedback is essential in maintaining a positive reputation and fostering a supportive community in your social media community. 1- Listen and understand 2- Stay calm and composed 3- Acknowledge the feedback 4- Address the concerns 5- Offer solutions or improvements 6- Engage positively 7- Know when to disengage 8- Reflect and learn 9- Show consistency 10- Share positive outcomes By responding gracefully to criticism and feedback, you can turn potentially negative interactions into opportunities for growth and positive engagement.
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Mayra Basora Sotomayor, MS
Social Media Manager / Content Creator / Digital Marketing / Public Relations
Responding gracefully to criticism and feedback is essential in maintaining a positive reputation and fostering a supportive community in your social media community. 1- Listen and understand 2- Stay calm and composed 3- Acknowledge the feedback 4- Address the concerns 5- Offer solutions or improvements 6- Engage positively 7- Know when to disengage 8- Reflect and learn 9- Show consistency 10- Share positive outcomes By responding gracefully to criticism and feedback, you can turn potentially negative interactions into opportunities for growth and positive engagement.
Use criticism as a catalyst for learning and adapting your approach. If multiple people point out the same issue, it's a sign that you may need to make some changes. Stay flexible and willing to tweak your content or strategy where necessary. By being responsive to feedback, you show your audience that you value their input and are dedicated to providing the best experience possible.
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Radu Oncescu
📬 Newsletter specialist @ #SoMeBites. 📰 See my work in 9to5Google, Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Drum. 💡Top 6% Social Media Voice.
Use criticism as a catalyst for learning and adapting your approach: — Stay flexibile. — Adjust your content strategy. — Filter their input when neccesary.
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Muhammad Usman
Executive-level Resumes & Career Branding Documents 📝 | Board CVs & Bios 📃 | LinkedIn Profile Optimization 📈 | Graphic Designing Expert ✨ | WordPress Developer 🌐 | Email, Social Media & Digital Marketing Expert 📩
Learn and adapt from social media by actively engaging with our audience, analyzing data and trends, and staying open to feedback. By monitoring metrics such as engagement rates, reach, and audience demographics, we can gain insights into what content resonates best with our followers. Experimenting with different formats, topics, and posting schedules allows us to refine our approach and optimize content for maximum impact. Additionally, staying informed about industry trends, algorithm changes, and emerging platforms ensures we remain relevant and adaptable in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
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Keean Kirk
Having the ability to self-reflect shows a high level of emotional intelligence and self awareness! When people provide you with feedback, look at it as an opportunity to refine your craft. Additionally, thanking them for the feedback can be a sign of emotional maturity and strong leadership skills. The best leaders learn from their mistakes and take every opportunity to improve. Also do not think of yourself as the child in a parent child dynamic. Understand that you are your superiors at work are both adults capable of collaborating on conflict resolution.
A career in social media requires a thick skin. Build resilience by focusing on your progress and not letting negativity derail your efforts. Celebrate your successes, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward. Resilience will not only help you manage criticism but also empower you to take risks and innovate without fear of failure.
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Pragathi P
LinkedIn Community Top Voice| LinkedIn Marketing Insider
Here is why how can build the resilience to handle criticism effectively in the social media career. 1. If you receive positive feedback then , appreciate the customer for taking time and writing feedback. 2. For negative feedback, look for the actionable takeaways when you can implement changes in the areas you think you can. May not be a drastic change but little change. 3. Recognise and celebrate small wins. Say for example one of your customer wrote a social media post mentioning & encouraging broader audience to try out your brand, then highlight it and celebrate with them. 4. When you stay authentic to your values and belives the critics are more likely to be less.The more authentic you stay , the more confident you will be.
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Saori Sakaguchi-Spee
B2B Social Media | Corporate communications | Employer Branding | Digital marketing | @Barentz, ex-adidas, ex-BCG
I love this question! Be prepared to be criticised a lot, if you work in the field of social media management. Be prepared, that everybody knows everything about social media. Number of times I've received very hurtful comments like:"My children could do this job", "Everybody knows how to make an instagram post", or "If you are so good, why our brand/you don't have a million followers". I receive this feedback calmly and try to dig if there are any constructive comments. Indeed, growing thick skin helps a lot. Just continue learning, improving, remember why you love what you do and be confident in you skills and the value you bring.
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Benjamin Kelly
Private Chef and Chef Consultant. Over two decades in food service.
If you're going to put yourself out there online, you need to be able to accept that not everyone will love what you do or have to say. And some people will tell you so. The unfortunate truth is that if you're going to read and believe the positive comments, you have to approach the negative ones in the same way. Also, your identity and sense of self-worth should not be tied to the content you produce online. Therefore, what people say about online should not impact how you view yourself in the real world. It's easier said than done, but it's something to strive for.
Lastly, don't hesitate to seek support from peers or mentors when dealing with tough criticism. A fresh perspective can help you see the situation more clearly and provide strategies for improvement. Surrounding yourself with a supportive network can make all the difference in how you handle feedback and maintain a positive outlook on your social media journey.
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Chloe Birch
Tough criticism feels just that - tough. It is totally justifiable that you can feel a bit rubbish; no-one wants to be told what they are doing isn't good enough. Lean on others for support, seek reassurance, look at your past successful work - all of these things put together will hopefully give you a bit of a boost to get back on the horse and keep going. Another quick tip is to make a folder on your phone and screenshot any positive comments/feedback/emails and put them all together. You'll be able to look back and see how wonderful you are!
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Radu Oncescu
📬 Newsletter specialist @ #SoMeBites. 📰 See my work in 9to5Google, Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Drum. 💡Top 6% Social Media Voice.
— Reach to industry leaders and friends for support when dealing with criticism. — They are seeing your situation more clearly and provide strategies for improvement.
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OLIVIER DELEVINGNE
Compositeur --- Fabricant d'idées
La multiplication de ses réseaux permet de trouver l'assistance nécéssaire en étant soi-même en capacité de partager des ressources.
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Scot Baston
Photographer at Cornerstone Photography | Website Designer at Zooming Websites
Validate your critics Does the person giving feedback have the expertise, experience to give valid feedback? If not, then give that feedback the respect it deserves.
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Brynn Mosello
Director of Sustainability & Communications | Waste360 40 Under 40 Winner | Girl Scouts' Phenomenal Woman Under 40 Honoree
Stay the course. Don’t let criticism derail your progress or defeat you. While some criticism may be constructive, a lot of it is noise. Confidence in yourself and your abilities goes a long way in social media. There will always be a lot of opinions, but remember why you share content online, analyze the value of your content, and share it with pride.
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Benjamin Kelly
Private Chef and Chef Consultant. Over two decades in food service.
I think, typically, when someone criticizes you online, they do so for one of three reasons. 1. They have an honest and true criticism. 2. They're looking to get attention. 3. They're just trolls. If I think someone is being genuine, then I approach them in a genuine way, try to understand their position, and fix it as best I can. I find that these genuine actors often become your biggest fans if you take the time to talk to them and understand them. If I think someone is just trying to get attention, I ignore them. Interacting with them is just going to embolden them. If I think someone is just a troll, I either ignore them or if I'm feeling spicy, I engage and put them in their place.
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Diego Szmulewicz
Gerente general Fango Bachas SRL
Hay que ser como uno es en la vida , transparente. Al fin y al cabo somos humanos. La diferencia es la forma de relacionarnos
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Azeezah Goodwin
CEO at La Vie de Zee
Seek out critiques! I solicit feedback from my audience all the time. I want to know what they’re thinking, what they like. I invest a lot of time and effort into planning my content and I need to know what they like. Sometimes the feedback hurts my ego, but I’d rather have “negative” feedback than silence. Another tip is to listen to feedback, but keep your goals at the forefront. I’ve received feedback that some of my services are “too expensive”. I know the pricing strategy I have in place, and the type of customer I’m trying to attract. I’m grateful for the feedback and instead of lowering the price, I’m going to be more diligent in explaining how much value the service brings and why its worth the price.
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Alexis Carden
Marketing Specialist | Writer | Conservationist | Artist
One thing I’d like to add is not to let those online, who are making negative comments, personally hurt you. I know it’s hard, but don’t take it personally when trolls are trolling you. Maintain professionalism and realize that they aren’t talking to YOU (if you’re posting through a brand account). They are speaking to the brand, you’re just the representative. So never take things personally in that aspect, just keep it professional and light.
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